Bellevue Bomb Squad Discovers Cold War-Era Missile Remnant in Resident’s Garage
Garages are often filled with various items like old boxes, unused gym equipment, and a collection of tools. However, one Bellevue resident had an unexpected addition to their cluttered space – a piece of a Cold War-era nuclear missile. The local bomb squad was called to inspect the military-grade missile parts found in the garage.
Upon investigation, it was determined that certain elements of the intact missile, including the warhead, were missing. Authorities confirmed that the piece was inert and posed no threat. The Bellevue Police Department released a news statement on Friday, assuring the public of the missile’s safety.
The missile’s origin came to light when an Air Force museum in Dayton, Ohio, contacted the Bellevue police. They reported that the resident had offered to donate the missile, which belonged to his late neighbor. The resident had been entrusted with handling his neighbor’s estate and revealed that the missile was purchased from an estate sale.
Despite attempts to contact the late neighbor’s family, the police were unsuccessful. Out of respect for the resident’s privacy, his identity has not been disclosed, according to Officer Seth Tyler, spokesperson for the Bellevue Police Department.
Interestingly, the resident was surprised to receive a call from the police, as he hadn’t contacted them himself. Instead, he had invited the bomb squad to inspect the missile remnant. The experts identified it as a Douglas AIR-2 Genie missile, designed to carry a 1.5-kiloton nuclear warhead.
The Genie missile, which became operational in 1957, was the world’s first nuclear-armed rocket specifically designed to destroy aircraft targets. It served as the most powerful interceptor missile utilized by the U.S. Air Force, as stated by Boeing.
Douglas Aircraft, the manufacturer, began developing the missile in 1954. They produced over 1,000 Genie rockets before discontinuing their production in 1962, as documented by Boeing. The missile remnant found in the garage, although lacking a warhead and rocket fuel, was deemed harmless by Officer Tyler.
Officer Tyler emphasized that the missile was essentially a rusted piece of metal – an artifact rather than a threat. Since the military did not request its return, the police allowed the resident to proceed with his plan to donate it. The ultimate destination of the missile remnant, whether it will be the Ohio museum or elsewhere, remains uncertain.
Bellevue’s proximity to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a significant military base, often leads to police responses involving hand grenades or other unexploded ordnance. However, Officer Tyler noted that this discovery of a Cold War missile was a first in his 18-year career. The Bellevue Police Department even referenced Elton John’s legendary song “Rocket Man” in a social media post, suggesting that such an incident is unlikely to occur again anytime soon.
“We think it’s gonna be a long, long time before we get another call like this again,” the Bellevue police stated, hinting at the uniqueness of the situation.
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