Posted on 04/29/2008 12:12:18 PM PDT by No2much3
BURLINGTON COUNTY, N.J. - In South Jersey, the discovery of unexploded artillery shells from World War II has stalled plans to develop a new expo center. The sheer number of artillery shells staggered the mayor. It was found at the now closed Palmyra Drive-In Theater on Route 73.
"We were hoping, hoping to only find one or two or three maybe. We're now up to nearly 200, or 181 as reported to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, but there's since been another 20," Palmyra Mayor John Gural, Jr. said.
The Army was anxious to develop new anti-tank rounds for the military during World War II. So the secret test site was what later became the Palmyra Drive-In Theater.
The artillery shells were developed over at the Frankford Arsenal. And while some were tested on the site of what was to be the drive-in, other shells got there the old fashion way -- the Army actually fired them from Philadelphia, across the river, into Palmyra.
When the war ended, the Army said the site was cleaned up. The land returned to civilian use, which in this case became a drive-in, complete with concession stands.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Good thing they didn’t show the movie Earthquake at that theater, then.
Back in the 60’s we found 2 Confederate artillery rounds burried about 20 yards north of my Dad’s Texaco Service Station. Actually we didn’t find them - some guy with a metal detector did.
Back in the 60’s we found 2 Confederate artillery rounds burried about 20 yards north of my Dad’s Texaco Service Station. Actually we didn’t find them - some guy with a metal detector did.
WWII antitank shells were all solid shot anyway. The explosive HEAT rounds didn’t come out until after the war.
That must be where Chris and Pauley got lost whilst trying to off the Russian guy, and Pauley shot that buck..
No, but I do remember a scene where there was a radar station on a mountain, as in fact there was in real life.
Yeah man. I grew up in Palmyra, went to that drive-in quite a bit as a teenager.
There were indeed quite a bit of fireworks going down at that site. Guess its only fitting.
I’m from Merchantville. I still live in in S. Jersey
(Franklinville).
Gotcha, very familiar with Camden & Gloucester counties.
Good to meet a freeper from SJ. I still live in Burl. County.
I grew up with John Gural (Mayor of Palmyra). He’s a Dem, but a good guy, and even better, he’s been a real fly in the ointment for George Norcross and the Camden County Democrat machine.
Yes, there was. And they couldn’t just put it up there. The WLP and Nat’l Parks Service were preventing their emplacement. The military needed to go thru the courts, I believe, to put them there.
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