Discovery of WWII-Era Bomb Stops Operations at Port of Long Beach Terminal

Construction workers digging at the Port of Long Beach made a surprising discovery on Wednesday, October 8, of what was later determined to be a World War II-era shell buried in the port. The discovery caused a temporary suspension of work at one of the terminals located on Pier G.

According to the Long Beach Post, the discovery was made near the southern edge of the port complex, where crews had been digging as part of an ongoing construction project in the port complex. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad was called in to investigate, and they were aided by a unit from the U.S. Marine Corps.

The police evacuated the terminal and set up a safety perimeter. All work was suspended at one of the six terminals in the port during the investigation.

The Long Beach Post highlighted that the area had once been a U.S. Navy base, which operated from 1919 to 1997. The Navy used the port for its aircraft carriers, battleships, and other vessels. The Port of Long Beach later redeveloped the area as it expanded its container operations.

The bomb square reported that it appeared to be a World War II-era shell that had been buried in the complex. They determined that the device was safe to transport, and the U.S. Marine Corps unit moved the device out of the port.

Work at the terminal resumed on Wednesday evening.