Job security: cleaning up Verdun??

[Ray Newman]

A 300-700 year job:

http://www.messynessychic.com/2015/05/2 ... ed-by-war/

[Old Ironsights]

very cool. Makes me want to brush up on my French... 6mo on 6mo off would be about right...

[MrMurphy]

Their EOD teams lose about 1-2 guys a year. And that's just the guys cleaning up the WW1 battlefields.....

[gamekeeper]

Interesting and hard to imagine on such a scale.

[plowboy 45]

interesting article

[Richardx]

In the mid '60's my father was stationed at a USAF base outside of Laon, which is in the yellow area of that map.
We Boy Scouts would camp all over that area, playing in the dug outs and trenches, I still have some pieces of shrapnel (all Mom would let me keep) canteens, bits of helmets, etc., of course we were under strict orders to stay out. Just recently my father asked me how far we would go in the tunnels under our base--until the flashlight batteries gave out!
When we would drive through the country side we would see piles of unexploded ordinance literally every where, from the frost wedging pushing the rounds to the surface and then were plowed up.
In the spring one could see huge white rings in the freshly plowed fields that were from larger shells and mines that broke through the limestone layer below the topsoil.
So many rounds were expended before attacks the ground would become pulverized and rounds became "duds".
Needless to say living in the middle an historic area like that spurred the interest in side lever guns, I have a fair collection of WWI rifles.

[FWiedner]

An interesting pause for reflection.

I often think on the cost of war as the loss of young lives, and the on-going reminder of young people who survive but are scarred or must live with infirmities that are the result of terrible battlefield injuries.

I'm not an enviro-nazi, but I have an appreciation for nature and the beauty of the world that we have been borne into. Here are photos of what was once a beautiful and fertile piece of earth that has been damaged beyond man's ability to restore, and poisoned for centuries to come. A huge swathe of land is affected.

After losing nearly two generation of young men to war, and with this monsterous scar on their land, is it any wonder that the french People think twice about going to war?

While man may not be directly responsible for "climate change', man is 100% responsible for this crime against nature.

[gamekeeper]

An interesting pause for reflection.

I often think on the cost of war as the loss of young lives, and the on-going reminder of young people who survive but are scarred or must live with infirmities that are the result of terrible battlefield injuries.

I'm not an enviro-nazi, but I have an appreciation for nature and the beauty of the world that we have been borne into. Here are photos of what was once a beautiful and fertile piece of earth that has been damaged beyond man's ability to restore, and poisoned for centuries to come. A huge swathe of land is affected.

After losing nearly two generation of young men to war, and with this monsterous scar on their land, is it any wonder that the french People think twice about going to war?

While man may not be directly responsible for "climate change', man is 100% responsible for this crime against nature.

Well said.

[MrMurphy]

They lost so many men to constantly counterattacking and trying to boot the Germans out there was serious doubt if there were enough men left for all the young women.

So a lot of young French women married older guys, or in some case the older (mid-late 20s) women married guys barely out of school.

Russia had the same problem post WW2. Since they were communist and effectively could make up their own rules, they encouraged any guy to sleep with any woman (whether the guy was married or not) to ensure there would be enough good little Communists for the next generation. Don't know how many really engaged in the Free Love free-for-all with government approval, but stranger things have happened in history.


Back in 2007 we dug up a (live) 100 or so lb bomb from our airbase in Italy.......which we had dropped there in 1944 when it was under German control. Had the local market get a little exciting one day when a little old lady buying potatoes discovered a potato masher grenade (ironically) in the mix. The handle had rotted away, but the grenade was still apparently quite live and covered in dirt, which is how it got mixed up with the freshly dug up potatoes and not spotted.

[KWK]

Here are photos of what was once a beautiful and fertile piece of earth that has been damaged beyond man's ability to restore, and poisoned for centuries to come.

The trees, grasses, and animals seem to be content with the state of affairs. I doubt they'd find endless acres of row crops a better existence.

As for the "lost generations," I recall reading a book by a British military historian who took a more sober look at the casualties. The great rise in population made possible by the industrial and agricultural "revolutions" also made possible the great tallies of dead and wounded. Percentage-wise, though, the carnage was not that spectacular relative to the great European wars of the past. It was a shame, no doubt, but it wasn't all that new.

[FWiedner]

The trees, grasses, and animals seem to be content with the state of affairs. I doubt they'd find endless acres of row crops a better existence.

It's true, the plants and animals seem to be thriving since the land is not inhabited by humans. It looks like prime hunting land. The fact remains that the animals have apparently ingested huge amounts of lead and chemicals, and the plants have absorbed whatever has been driven into and or leeched into the soil. Meat from game animals cannot be safely consumed, nor can any vegetable matter, i.e., crops. History records that much of is now contaminated was once excellent farmland. Much of the land in the red zones is , and will remain, unsafe for habitation by humans.

As an parallel, I was recently reading an article about the Bikini Atoll. What was once a paradise which had been continuously inhabited by a small population of peaceful people for over 2000 years was turned into an uninhabitable radioactive wasteland when the U.S. military needed a place to test its new atomic bombs in the early 50's. The population was relocated and impoverished and their ancestral homes and culture destroyed. People can visit the Atoll, but no one can live there.

There might be some good that came from the actions of men as a result of the great wars, but there are ugly examples of resulting consequences.

Plants and animals seem to recover in some shape or form, proof that in the end, the earth will go on, with or without man.

I just find it interesting that Man creates places that are not conducive the survival of his particular species.

[Old Ironsights]

I still have a photo of the 500lb US bomb (intact nose & tail fuse) that was dug up when the Grafenwoeher Aid Station was being built during the early 80s. It was disabled and mounted in concrete as a memorial...

[Old Ironsights]

...
I just find it interesting that Man creates places that are not conducive the survival of his particular species.

Of course, Bunnies, Deer and Hogs rarely sue when they blow themselves up rooting for tasty bits...

[Old Ironsights]

...
I just find it interesting that Man creates places that are not conducive the survival of his particular species.

Of course, Bunnies, Deer and Hogs rarely sue when they blow themselves up rooting for tasty bits...

[J Miller]

I had a thought about the Verdun clean up, please do not read if you are Muslim or an Islamic apologist.





Since France and other parts of Europe are having so much trouble with the muslims, relocate them to this area.

Reasons,
Muslims don't like us infidels, the area is already fenced to keep us out, they can have it all to themselves.
Muslims like things that go boom. Lots of that kind of stuff to keep them happy.
Muslims don't like piggies, can't eat 'em anyway cos they're toxic.


So relocate all the muslims to the red zone and it will work out better for all of us.


Just a thought.

Joe

[BAGTIC]

IMO a waste of money unjustified by the risks. Would not be surprised if more people would not be injured in the effort to remove the ordnance than would be injured by letting it be. If it has been there a century without self detonating of being accidentally detonated it should be pretty safe by now. It would not surprise me if some developers want to build on the land and are scheming to get the taxpayers to pick up tab for preparing the site.

[Griff]

Hmmm.... might be too big for even Mike Rowe and "Dirty Jobs"!

[KWK]

... The fact remains that the animals have apparently ingested huge amounts of lead and chemicals, and the plants have absorbed whatever has been driven into and or leeched into the soil. Meat from game animals cannot be safely consumed, nor can any vegetable matter...

Bikini Atoll... population was relocated and impoverished and their ancestral homes and culture destroyed.

I just find it interesting that Man creates places that are not conducive the survival of his particular species.

I'm not familiar with all the facts of the Red Zones. The article pointed to didn't seem to indicate all the problems you mention. Boar had elevated levels of lead, it said, but not in the meat. It mentions zinc as a poison, but zinc is in the common multi-vitamin, so I wonder what this is. Perhaps some other zinc compound forms in the soil. Perchlorates can come from several sources, and its effects are not certain, but better safe than sorry, I suppose.

Bikini is a sad story, yes. As for it having been a "paradise," I'd characterize it as "boredom city," but to each his own. Regardless, if the global temperatures continue their current trend, Bikini will be under water in about a century.

Man isn't the only creature to foul his nest, but he is rather clever in the ways he does it.

Karl

[Old Ironsights]

IIRC, ingestion of heavy metals and most other toxins (except mercury in fish) does not settle in the muscle tissue (meat) but in the organs and offal.

I'm not a big fan of Boar Liver/Kidneys so...

[Old Ironsights]

Found my pic of a bit of "cleanup" from my tour in FRG in 1988...

I remembered it as a 500lb bomb... oops.







VERY glad it was not MY backhoe that "found" it....

[Gaucho Gringo]

In another vein, you have millions of empty shell casings and millions of bored soldiers sitting around either waiting for an attack or going over the top. They take these discarded items and make them into what is called "Trench Art". I have a tray made out an artillery shell casing, a pair of tweezers in a .30 rifle casing, a covered round container about 3" in diameter made out of artillery shell casings and a couple of other items that I am not sure what they are. My grandfather brought them back with him and I have inherited them along with other WWI items such as his pay book, pictures of him in France and his medals including one for the 1916 Mexican Border Incident.