In the months following World War II, thousands of GIs returned home with serviceable weapons kept as souvenirs. In 1946, the Alcohol Tax Unit for the Eastern District launched a campaign to collect these guns and render them non-serviceable, free of charge. Once inoperable, the weapons could be returned to their owners as legal war trophies.
The program was popular, with guns of all types including rifles, pistols, machine guns, and submachine guns being collected at designated pickup points across Long Island. Unit investigator Thomas J. Doyle reported that in several cases, mothers and wives of servicemen had unknowingly brought in weapons that still had live rounds in the chamber, a dangerous oversight that in some cases resulted in accidental killings. Learn more about the program here.
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This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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