[BenLurkin]

Accidents do happen.

During WWI an accidental collision in Halifax harbor led to an explosion which demolished much of the city.

During WWII an ammunition ship being loaded in Northern California exploded.

During the Vietnam war an ammunition train derailed and exploded in southern California.

All accidents.

[Prime Choice]

During WWII an ammunition ship being loaded in Northern California exploded.

Odd...I could have sworn that happened near New Jersey.

[U S Army EOD]

As far as the ammunition trains that exploded during Vietnam you are probably talking about the Roseville, CA incident. The investigation on that was inconclusive. It was blamed on a hot box (bearing fire) but never proved. However a second train exploded about a month later. Both trains had loads of recently manufactured bombs from Crane Navy Ammunition Plant. The second train was being followed by a helicopter when it just went boom. Both incidents occured not long after we bombed Hanoi in 72/73. They also occured near the time that the US Capital building was bombed and other terrorist activities in this country by organizations such as the SDS, Weather Underground, and Vietnam Veterans Against the War. I have seen bombs involved in fires and they are in the fires a long time before they explode or low order. Normally they just burn out. In neither case involving the trains were there any reports of a lenghty fire. I personally smelled a rat. I was XO of Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant at the time.

[tnfarmer]

I saw a pretty big ammo explosion in Quang Tri `71.It wasn`t an accident tho.NVA sappers blowed her up pretty good.

About 3 in the morning it started blowing,everyone came outside to see what was going on.Anyway the whole compound was awake so the cooks started cooking and we got our chairs out and ate and watched the show till dawn.

We had to put up a lot refugees,sorry displaced homeless personel.

[lmailbvmbipfwedu]

Not to mention the explosion of a ship carrying AN when the FO got involved with a lighting strike. Texas City 1940............. ANFO was invented..........

[Stonewall Jackson]

Don't forget the explosions in the West Loch of Pearl Harbor that destroyed a number of LST's being loaded with supplies and equipment for an invasion (Saipan I believe). Some guys weren't using proper safety measures while loading some mortar rounds and one went off, setting off a chain reaction in the middle of twenty LST's. Some of the wrecks are still there.