U.S. Bomb From WWII Found Buried in Berlin

[davhill]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=518&e=3&u=/ap/germany_wwii_bomb

BERLIN - Some 5,000 residents of a Berlin suburb were evacuated from their homes Saturday while explosives experts defused a 550-pound U.S. bomb believed dropped during the last months of World War II, police said.

Much of downtown Potsdam was sealed off and hundreds of stores and businesses were closed to allow for the removal of the bomb, which was found during excavation work on the grounds of a hospital.


--snip--

Based on historical records, city officials believe the bomb was dropped in April 1945, about a month before the war's end.


Nearly 60 years after the end of World War II, unexploded bombs dropped during Allied air raids across Germany are still discovered and disposed of.

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The deadly repercussions of war are long lasting. Think about Iraq in 60 years

[Journeyman]

1. We're using depleted uranium in Iraq. . .

you can imagine the damage there still being felt it in 60,000 years.

[Downtown Hound]

2. Vietnamese still die every year from unexploded bombs

particularly cluster bombs. Their little fragments look just like rocks to children, and they pick them up and play with them, and they explode. War's effects are far reaching and tragic indeed.

[oneighty]

3. Late fifties

while stationed in Charleston SC we (EOD Unit two) were called upon to render safe civil war cannon balls and early projectiles. The renovation of Fort Sumter in 58-59 produced hundreds of unexploded cannon balls and Parrot rounds.

UXBs will be with us for generations.

180

[Kellanved]

4. yup - happens several times a year.

The last one was in early December.

However calling Potsdam a suburb usually leads to hefty reactions by the Potsdamers - it's a state-capital in its own right.