Buried Bombs and Buried History
From backyard grenades to village-saving rocket removals, this issue of The Minesweeper is full of the powerful (and sometimes surprising) ways your support is making a difference. You’ll meet families in Cambodia and Colombia whose lives are being transformed, and get a peek at some historical, but dangerous finds from last year. Plus, I’m sharing easy and exciting ways you can keep your impact going.
Thank you, as always, for being part of this lifesaving journey with us.
Sincerely,
Lisa Balestrieri
80 years since the end of WWII, the people of Solomon Islands not only continue to encounter unexploded ordnance, but they also come across human remains. These remains are the casualties of both US Allied Forces and the Japanese Imperial Army, still being actively traced and identified by both countries today.
Click here to read how HALO is working with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the Japan Association for Recovery and Repatriation of War Casualties to help locate, recover, and identify the remains of fallen soldiers – the human remains of American and Japanese soldiers.
Right: Old battle maps prove vital in this effort.
A massive 220mm thermobaric rocket was found and destroyed in Syria, the first thermobaric weapon ever destroyed by HALO. These weapons are particularly deadly and would have devastated the village if it had exploded. Thanks to you, that didn’t happen. The team in Syria worked together with HALO’s Global Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and colleagues in Ukraine to successfully destroy the rocket.
Watch to see how they did it.
Looking for ways to make a difference?
Write to Your Member of Congress
It only takes 30 seconds to submit a pre-written letter to relevant Members of Congress—let them know why the U.S. must continue its legacy of leadership in humanitarian demining.
Donate & Have Your Gift Matched
For a limited time, an anonymous donor is matching all donations! This ensures HALO has the resources to clear deadly explosives, protect communities, and build a safer future.
After her brother buried a grenade in their backyard, Alicia was constantly worried about the wellbeing of her children. Your support enabled us to provide critical knowledge to her children about landmines and explosives during a risk education session at their school – which finally encouraged Alicia to call HALO for help. Today her children can safely play in their backyard.
20 years after her first visit to Cambodia, HALO USA’s Head of Communications Jen Hyman returned to document our work first-hand – sparking newfound appreciation for Cambodia’s progress moving past its painful history of conflict. She traveled from Siem Reap to Oddar Meanchey – immersing herself in all stages of HALO’s work. She stepped outside of her comfort zone and into an active minefield, an experience she says felt surreal not fearful.
HALO's work often involves removing dangerous items that are decades old. Last year, we found numerous unusual explosives, including:
- An aircraft bomb from the 1979-1989 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
- Discarded Japanese anti-aircraft guns from the 1940s in Solomon Islands
- 1940s anti-personnel mines that were continuing to pose an explosive threat in Syria
- A decades-old ½ ton bomb buried in a farmer's field in Laos
