Europe
500-pound, WWII-era bomb defused at Grafenwöhr
Stars and Stripes
March 19, 2015
In this Army file photo from April 2008, construction projects including schools, a child-care center and chapel, are seen at Grafenwoehr's Netzaberg Village. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — The headquarters of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria and several other buildings were evacuated Thursday afternoon while explosives experts worked to defuse a 500-pound World War II-era bomb, a garrison official said.
The bomb was found during construction at the site of a new elementary school near the Grafenwöhr main gate, Ray Johnson, garrison spokesman, said. Ten housing buildings and eight administrative facilities, including the garrison headquarters, were evacuated by military police, he said.
After a few hours, the bomb was successfully defused and those evacuated were allowed to return to their barracks and offices.
Discovery of unexploded ordnance from World War II is not uncommon.