Decades-old explosive remnants of war - mortar rounds, artillery shells, grenades - removed following following severe coastal erosion caused by Tropical Storm Krosa. Photo: Supplied
A cache of unexploded ordnance buried in the sands of American Memorial Park for more than six decades was uncovered and removed last week following severe coastal erosion caused by Tropical Storm Krosa.
Local authorities, including the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (DFEMS), the Historic Preservation Office, the National Park Service, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment Marianas, collaborated to carefully extract land mines, mortar rounds, artillery shells, grenades, and tens of thousands of small arms ammunition from what is suspected was a hidden World War II-era bunker near Micro Beach.
DFEMS public information officer Robert Mojica said erosion from the storm exposed the long-buried cache.
"When Tropical Storm Krosa hit Saipan in late July, the ocean devastated the beaches. Erosion played a big factor in unearthing the UXOs at American Memorial Park," Mojica said.
"We found land mines, mortar rounds, 20mm and 50mm artillery shells, hand grenades, and about 70,000 rifle rounds. The dig took four days-working against the sun, rising tides, and the delicate handling of UXOs-to complete.
"The bunker was emptied out, and all items were taken to a holding point controlled by DFEMS and Det. Marianas. A scheduled detonation will take place soon."
Authorities collaborated to carefully extract land mines, mortar rounds, artillery shells, grenades, and tens of thousands of small arms ammunition from what is suspected was a hidden World War II-era bunker near Micro Beach. Photo: Supplied
The discovery highlights the hidden risks posed by ongoing shoreline erosion along Saipan's most popular beachfront.
Mary Fem Urena, coastal resources planner and head of the Shoreline Monitoring Program at the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality-Division of Coastal Resources Management, said the shoreline fronting Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, the former Hyatt Regency Saipan (now Marianas Beach Resort), and Micro Beach has experienced dramatic changes in recent years.
"Beach profiles inform us that this shoreline has lost more than 60 feet of beach width from 2019 to 2024," Urena said. "The data and reports are available on DCRM's Shoreline Monitoring webpage."
Authorities collaborated to carefully extract land mines, mortar rounds, artillery shells, grenades, and tens of thousands of small arms ammunition from what is suspected was a hidden World War II-era bunker near Micro Beach. Photo: Supplied
Urena added that while erosion is a natural process in lagoons and shoreline areas, its impacts on recreational beaches and infrastructure are becoming more pressing.
"BECQ-DCRM joins NOAA and the rest of the nation in advocating for nature-based solutions and living shorelines before considering traditional hardening such as sea walls," she said.
"Other coastal areas, such as Puerto Rico and Hawaii, show us that shoreline hardening may result in sandy beach loss due to downdrift erosion or scouring."
Unexploded ordnance is regularly discovered and disposed of by the US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. Photo: Supplied
The Micro Beach operation underscores how climate-driven coastal changes continue to unearth remnants of Saipan's wartime past-posing both safety hazards and a reminder of the island's history.
The Battle of Saipan in June-July 1944 was one of the bloodiest campaigns in the Pacific theater of World War II. U.S. forces stormed the island to wrest control from Japan, leaving behind heavy bombardment sites, underground bunkers, and scattered ordnance across the landscape.
Unexploded ordnance is regularly discovered and disposed of by the US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. For example, in November 2022, about 50 lbs of World War II-era UXO-including U.S. and Japanese projectiles, grenades, and small arms ammunition-were safely disposed of.
The US military's Explosive Ordnance Disposal units regularly work with local authorities to safely recover and neutralize these remnants of war. Detonations are typically carried out at controlled sites far from residential areas.
Officials remind the public never to touch suspected ordnance and to report any finds immediately to local authorities.
