Traffic was blocked by a road closure on Howell Prairie Road SE, south of State Street this afternoon when a Marion County Public Works employee discovered what appeared to be a military projectile.
At about 1:45pm, workers were clearing debris in ditches along the roadside in the 700 block when one worker spotted the projectile in the ditch about 5' from the road shoulder. Her supervisor readily identified it as an early World War II Bazooka projectile.
Marion County Deputies arrived and sealed off the roadway, diverting all traffic, including some school buses, from the area.
With the assistance of specialists from the 142nd Explosives Ordinance Division of the Oregon Army National Guard, based in Salem, the projectile was identified as a 3.5" inert Bazooka training round. The round was about 22" long.
The Bazooka is the common name for the WWII man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the US Army during conflict in Europe. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative Bazooka was one of the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat.
The Army personnel secured the training projectile and the roadway reopened at about 4:30pm. The impact from the closure was minimal in the rural area.
In spite of this round being a harmless training projectile, parents should use this opportunity to remind their children to report to a parent, school official or law enforcement officer anything suspicious that is thought to be a weapon or ammunition.
At about 1:45pm, workers were clearing debris in ditches along the roadside in the 700 block when one worker spotted the projectile in the ditch about 5' from the road shoulder. Her supervisor readily identified it as an early World War II Bazooka projectile.
Marion County Deputies arrived and sealed off the roadway, diverting all traffic, including some school buses, from the area.
With the assistance of specialists from the 142nd Explosives Ordinance Division of the Oregon Army National Guard, based in Salem, the projectile was identified as a 3.5" inert Bazooka training round. The round was about 22" long.
The Bazooka is the common name for the WWII man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the US Army during conflict in Europe. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative Bazooka was one of the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat.
The Army personnel secured the training projectile and the roadway reopened at about 4:30pm. The impact from the closure was minimal in the rural area.
In spite of this round being a harmless training projectile, parents should use this opportunity to remind their children to report to a parent, school official or law enforcement officer anything suspicious that is thought to be a weapon or ammunition.