By John Q. Hosedrinker 
While renovating a vacant home in Olalla, Washington, a team discovered a dangerous cache of explosives. The team found a case containing ten grenades filled with TNT and other explosive devices in the crawlspace. Authorities, including the bomb squad and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, were called to secure the scene and investigate. The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office is currently working to determine the origin of the explosives.
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Grenades, explosives found in crawlspace of home: “At first I thought they were fake.” Well, that’s certainly a sentence that grabs your attention, isn’t it? The initial reaction, the immediate thought that they were “fake” – I get it. Who wouldn’t have that fleeting moment of disbelief when confronted with what looks like a box of potentially explosive devices? It’s like finding a treasure chest, but instead of gold doubloons, you get… well, grenades. It’s a pretty understandable initial response, a kind of mental disconnect, a hope that they’re just toys, movie props, or some kind of weird novelty item. Then reality kicks in.
That’s because when you think about it, finding actual explosives in the crawlspace of a home is far from the norm. And even if you have a military history, it still comes as a shock. The situation reminds me of that scene from a movie, a reminder of the unexpected, the unpredictable nature of life, and the potential for a whole lot of trouble. Finding that out of context is always interesting and leads to a chain of thought.
Now, if we are talking grenades, it’s worth noting the history of the type of explosive. The news mentioned that the explosives could have been manufactured by a company called Explosive Technologies International, which had a bit of a run-in with the law back in the 90s, namely an antitrust charge. It looks like they were out of business by the late 90s. Given the logistics of moving things, the area of where the house was found makes sense, given the connections between the area and military bases. You just never know where old items are stored.
So, the immediate question that pops into your head is: Is it even legal to possess something like that? The short answer seems to be, it’s complicated. In theory, in the United States, it’s not necessarily illegal *per se*. You have to consider things like the National Firearms Act of 1934 which deals with “destructive devices,” which would include grenades. However, you’re looking at a mountain of paperwork, background checks far more thorough than those for regular firearms, approval from the ATF and local law enforcement, and then you have to pay a tax stamp. It’s not just a quick trip down to the local gun shop and bingo, you’re the proud owner of a grenade. And if you have one of those approved grenades, you are considered a very safe neighbor. The rules aren’t exactly easy, and licensing is far from cheap.
The whole situation also makes you ponder the purpose of such a collection. Some people just collect them as war memorabilia. But I think it’s a bit of a red flag to display something that is an instrument of death and suffering next to family photos. It’s really hard to imagine that some people have no problem displaying them. It’s just a bit… bizarre.
I can’t imagine, though, finding something like that and thinking you’re just going to keep it. In a real-life situation, like the one where an NCO had to collect the grenades. The underlying point is, if there is a problem, it’s not really going to be your problem. The other side is… you might be very, very safe.
It also speaks to the importance of the age of an object. The grenades are from a particular era, WWII or the Korean War. The fact that the style has been long out of production suggests that they are not a recent addition to the crawlspace. Then, there’s the distinction between the real deal and practice grenades. Practice grenades have a hollow cavity in the bottom to match the weight of a live one, just in case you ever need to tell the difference.
You know, the idea of finding something like this in a home reminds me of other surprising finds, like a rifle in an attic or a comic book worth millions. It’s a reminder that history, and its hidden objects, can turn up in the most unexpected places. It’s a testament to the fact that you just never know what you’ll find when you delve into the past.