Beach erosion reveals large cache of UXO at Saipan's memorial park

DFEMS, working with the U.S. Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment Marianas, the Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service, led a four-day operation that successfully cleared the UXO from the vicinity. Photo courtesy of DFEMS

By Bryan Manabat

Saipan– Recent beach erosion at American Memorial Park has uncovered a buried World War II bunker containing a large cache of unexploded ordnance, otherwise known as UXO.

The discovery was made after Tropical Storm Krosa, which hit in late July, washed away decades of sand and exposed the hidden WWII remnants.

The UXO, which included land mines, hand grenades, mortars, artillery rounds and rifle ammunition, was found in a beach recreational area popular with both residents and tourists.

"Erosion played a big factor in this discovery," said a spokesperson, Robert Mojica, from the CNMI Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

"These items have been buried for more than sixty years."

DFEMS, working with local and federal agencies, including the U.S. Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment Marianas, the Historic Preservation Office, and the National Park Service, led a four-day operation that successfully cleared the UXO from the vicinity.

“The team battled against rising tides and the intense sun while handling the delicate and dangerous ordnance. The agencies worked together to remove a wide variety of hazardous items, including land mines, hand grenades, mortars, artillery rounds, and rifle ammunition,” Mojica said.

The discovered UXO was transported to a secure holding point managed by DFEMS and EOD Detachment Marianas.

“A controlled detonation is scheduled to safely dispose of the ordnance in the near future,” Mojica said.

The unearthing of the UXO highlights ongoing concerns about erosion at the park.

Earlier, CNMI Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds requested urgent action from the park service regarding the threat of erosion at AMP.

King-Hinds had requested that the NPS address the escalating coastal erosion, urging the park service to stabilize and sustain the significant historical site.

“It has long served as a site that honors our history and continues to provide open space as one of the most important public recreational areas on the island,” King-Hinds said.

Mary Fem Urena, a local resource planner and the head of the Shoreline Monitoring Program of the Division of Coastal Resources Management, noted that the shorelines fronting the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, the former Hyatt Regency Saipan and Micro Beach, where the American Memorial Park is located, have seen notable coastal erosion from 2019 to 2024.

She said the shorelines identified have lost more than 60 feet of width from 2019 to 2024.

According to Urena, while coastal erosion is a natural process, the loss of recreational beaches is a rising concern. To address this, NMI government agencies are working on a shoreline stabilization project to restore the shorelines temporarily.

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