WWI practice bombs found at construction site, sheriff says

WACO, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) - A construction crew in Texas has recently found a couple of rare items while working on a new baseball field.

KWTX reports construction workers recovered two bombs earlier this month from the Lake Air Little League fields construction site.

According to the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office, its bomb squad was called to the site on Aug. 9 and Aug. 12 to check the devices.

Authorities said they determined the devices were not live but likely practice bombs from a former military installation that was on the same site during the first World War.

“This is the original site of the Rich Field Army Air Base built in 1917 after the United States got involved in World War I,” McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said.

Officials said Rich Field was used for two years, along with neighboring Camp MacArthur. About 80,000 troops trained at the locations from 1917 to 1919.

“This is pretty close to home for me. My great uncle Joe McNamara was a captain here at Camp MacArthur during World War I,” McNamara said.

The sheriff’s office reported the practice bombs were checked and found to be made of steel but did not contain any explosives.

According to McNamara, he’s waiting to hear what else crews might find at the construction sites as several construction projects are currently happening in the area.

“There’s a lot of construction going on and no telling what we’re going to find next,” McNamara said.

The sheriff said he has warned workers not to touch any items if they appeared suspicious.

“If we find more, we’re going to respond and make sure, if they are explosive, we will destroy them,” McNamara said.

According to the sheriff’s office, if the items are not explosive, they could be kept and not destroyed.

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