Mortars that go Boom

 

I remember when I was around 19 or 20 years old, I worked for a chain link fence company in Waterloo. One fencing job we did was a tall chain link fence with barbed wire around the perimeter testing grounds of a small factory that made and tested mortar shells. These were the type of mortars the military used in wars. Every now and then they would need to test these mortars. They would sound a loud siren to signal they would be detonating a mortar. We would have to go back up to the main office and they would take headcount or tag us in, so they know that everybody was out of the testing field. They would blow up the mortar and we could all hear out the loud boom. Then another siren would go off signaling testing was complete and we were allowed back in the field to continue putting up the fence.

I have nothing but fond memories of the couple seasons I worked there. Special note to Tom, Marv, and Chris. My co-workers and party buds 7 days a week. I may need to write of other memories from that period in my life.