MCI Project Summaries 2008 - Smithsonian Institution

MCI 6228 Marine Flare
MCI Staff: Ron H. Cunningham, Donald C. Williams
The object is a flare that has been selected for display in the Interwar Military Exhibit.
No NASM records have yet been located that would indicate whether the flare is inert and/or
deactivated. Additionally, there is no tag on the object or in the box that indicates the status of
the flare. The flare is a marine floatlight that was designed for use in water. The flare has a
wooden body that would likely be filled with some flammable material. It is weighted on one
end to keep the flare side out of the water. The end that would have stayed out of the water is
sealed with wax. Given that the wax visually appears to be old, it could be original. There are
two cracks that appear to have been glued. It is not possible to tell if the flare had been opened.
Radiography was used to determine if the flare side of the canister is empty and safe for display
without opening the object. The flare was found to be empty and safe.
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