Live Ordnance Found At Elkhorn Valley Museum in Norfolk

NORFOLK - “Definitely once in a lifetime, I hope.”

A tense situation led to new exhibit pieces and some new stories to tell at a Norfolk museum.

On Wednesday, employees at the Elkhorn Valley Museum called the Norfolk Police Division because they found potentially dangerous military ordnance in storage.

Ashely Brown, Executive Director of the Museum says she erred on the side of caution. 

Due to the nature of the items, the Nebraska State Patrol and the Nebraska Air National Guard Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team was contacted.

“It didn’t take them very long, but they ended up asking if we had more ammunition or ordinance on the premises. So we ended up bringing all four of our totes full of just miscellaneous shells.” Brown says.

Brown says that her time in the National Guard gave her the sense that something wasn’t right.

After an investigation, authorities told her that more than five of the items were live and not safe to keep.

“I was able to recognize that the grenade was possible live due to my military background. I don’t think that a majority of prior employees have had military experience so they wouldn’t know what to look for if someone were to bring in an artifact like this.” Brown says.

She says several of the items were deemed safe and returned back to the museum for display. 

Some of the items included a British WWII “Mills Bomb” grenade, a Navy WWI 37mm steel artillery shell, and a post-WWII 20mm shell for an Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun.

She says that if you plan on donating items like these to a museum, please check with local authorities.

“If we’re looking at grandfather’s World War II bullets or something of the like that he has kept in his collection. I encourage them to call the police line first.” Brown says.