[21twelve]

Is this the same person that wrote “The Christmas Story” about the Red Ryder BB gun? I can hear the narrator’s voice from the movie in that first line!

Was it an M-80 or “silver salute” that was silver, with a green fuse I believe. They were waterproof, and great for tossing in the pond, and experiments in water-filled soda bottles.

[Charles Martel]

Yes, that's the same writer - A Christmas Story came from one chapter of the same book, "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash". Use the FR search function to find the entire "Dago Bomb" article, posted on July 4th a year or two ago. If you enjoyed the excerpt, the rest of the piece is well worth your time.

Shepherd's chapter on the Independence Day festivities was also made into a low-budget PBS film, titled The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters (YouTube link). Different casting of many of the same characters, but the same narration by the author.

[Charles Martel]

Let me try that link again...

The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters

IIRC, the silver salutes had a fuse at the end, rather than sticking out of the midsection like an M-80. Been a *long* time since I last saw one, though. Both had that waterproof green cannon fuse.