Inert Ordinance Apparently Fell From A Marine Helicopter

Of all the things you might expect to find in your back yard, an inert training missile is probably not high on the list. But that's exactly what Parker Radcliffe found last Thursday morning as he was getting ready for Hurricane Irene.

AH-1 Cobra File Photo

Radcliffe, a Marine sergeant at Camp Lejeune, knew immediately there was no danger of the missile exploding, but he was still a bit miffed. He told the Jacksonville, NC Daily News that the dummy missile landed 50 feet from his house, and "could have ended up in my living room." He said his wife heard it hit the ground the previous night.

A spokesman for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Maj. William Klumpp, said that the missile had been inadvertently discharged from an AH-1 Cobra helicopter on a training mission somewhere near 0100 EDT August 24th. While the Corps said the missile was harmless, Sgt. Radcliffe sees it differently. It did, after all, fall about 200 feet from a helicopter.

An EOD team from the base was dispatched to Radcliffe's residence and recovered the pieces of the missile from him. Maj. Klumpp said the incident was "under investigation" and more would be known when that was completed.

FMI: www.lejeune.usmc.mil