Old Mortar Round Removed From Freehold Twp. Home

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — An 81-millimeter mortar was removed from a Freehold Township home on Tuesday and taken to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst for disposal, Freehold Township police said.

Authorities were called at 11:54 a.m. to 41 Pittenger Pond Road for an explosive device believed to be a mortar that was in the house, Freehold Township Detective Sgt. Russell Gelber said.

The caller told police that he had inherited the home from his father and was in the process of cleaning the home when he made the discovery. The explosive device is believed to be an 81 millimeter mortar from the Vietnam War era, Gelber said. The man's father had been a Vietnam veteran, he told police.

Officers Jason Nodine and Daniel Rehberg made sure the area was safe and the New Jersey State Police explosives unit and the explosives unit from the Department of Defense at the joint base responded and the Department of Defense unit took the the mortar to the base, Gelber said.

Assisting on scene were members of the Freehold Township Independent Fire Company.

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