BELLEVUE, Wash. – Police in Bellevue, Washington, recently responded to a rather unusual call regarding a military-grade rocket found in the garage of a deceased resident. The inert rocket, which was the type commonly used to carry a nuclear warhead, caused quite a stir in the neighborhood and attracted the attention of local authorities.
Upon inspection by bomb squad members, it was determined that the rocket, a Douglas AIR-2 Genie, was indeed an unguided air-to-air missile designed to carry a 1.5 kt W25 nuclear warhead. However, there was no warhead attached and no rocket fuel present, meaning that the item posed no explosive hazard.
Surprisingly, the rocket was discovered after a neighbor mentioned that it had been purchased at an estate sale. What’s even more surprising is that an Air Force museum in Dayton, Ohio, had reached out to report an offer to donate the missile. The museum explained they received the tip the previous evening, prompting the authorities to take swift action in ensuring the safety of the neighborhood.
With no military request to retrieve the inert missile, police decided to leave it with the neighbor, who planned to restore it for display in a museum. According to the Air Force Armament Museum Foundation, the Genie rocket was used by the U.S. and Canada during the Cold War as a defense against Soviet strategic bombers, highlighting the historical significance of this unexpected discovery.
Furthermore, the museum foundation shared that in the midst of the Cold War, a Genie missile was launched from an F89J interceptor and detonated over Yucca Flats, Nevada in July 1957. This event marked the first and only test detonation of a U.S. nuclear-tipped air-to-air rocket, emphasizing the rarity and historical value of the inert missile found in Bellevue.
In a rather lighthearted response to the peculiar situation, the police department took to Twitter, expressing their disbelief at the unique call they had received, all while adding a rocket emoji to their message. This unusual discovery has certainly captivated the attention of the community and serves as a reminder of the intricate history behind military weaponry.