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The Bombing of Harvey's Resort Header Image
Disasters History

The Bombing of Harvey’s Resort

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On the 27th of August, 1980, one of the largest bombs the FBI had ever seen exploded. Destroying Harvey’s Resort Hotel and damaging the tunnel running between Harvey’s and Harrah’s Casino. It left a crater 3 stories deep.

And nobody seems to have heard of it.

By Federal Bureau of Investigation – http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2009/august/harvey_082609 Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16222377

The Bombing of Harvey’s Resort – Setup

On the morning of 26th of August, 1980, several men posing as photocopier deliverers planted a bomb containing 1000lbs (450kg) of dynamite at Harvey’s Resort Hotel in Nevada, United States.

The bomb was very well built and completely tamper proof. The ransom note demanded 3 million dollars (around 9 million dollars in todays money). It stated that even the bomb builder could not disarm the bomb. However, if the ransom was paid, they would be given instructions on a combination of switches to press. This would allow them to move the bomb and remotely detonate it.

Bomb Study and Detonation

Deciding that moving the bomb, even with the ransom paid, would be too dangerous, the FBI planned to disarm it where it was.

Everyone was evacuated and the gas main shut off in preparation. The FBI moved in and started studying the bomb. For over a day they looked at it from every angle. In their thoroughness, they even X-rayed it. Technicians decided that the only way to disarm it would be by using a shaped charge of C-4 to separate the detonators from the dynamite.

What they failed to see was that dynamite had also been placed in the compartment containing the detonation circuit.

The hotel was cleared and a remote detonation occurred. The resultant explosion destroyed most of the Hotel complex.

Harvey’s Hotel and Casino Bombing

Suspect and Capture

As is usually the case, the mastermind behind the bomb had a grudge with Harvey’s casino. John Birges Sr was an ex-Luftwaffe pilot and a survivor of a Soviet gulag, where he spent 8 years. After release, he immigrated to the US and built himself a very successful landscaping company.

This allowed him to enjoy the finer things in life, one of which was gambling at the casino. He soon became addicted to gambling, losing a staggering 750,000 dollars at the casino. Equivalent to 2.3 million in todays money.

Desperate for cash, he hit upon a plan to extort “his” money back from the casino, with a little extra for his troubles.

Birges was investigated due to his white van being around the area at the time of the bombing. Birges son revealed to his then girlfriend that his father had planted the bomb and she tipped off the authorities, sealing his fate.

Convicted and sentenced to a life in prison, Birges would never see freedom. He died in prison in 1996, at the age of 74.

The most astounding fact throughout has to be this, not one single person was injured in the explosion, despite the size of it. Which probably accounts for why it’s not as well known as it should be.

To this very day, the FBI maintain that the Harvey’s bomb is the most complex improvised explosive device they have ever seen.

Sources:

Harvey’s Resort Bombing (Wikipedia)

A Byte out of History (Archives.fbi.gov)

Federal Grand Jury indicts 6 in bombing (nytimes.com)

Harvey’s Lake Tahoe (Wikipedia)

Header Image (Pixabay)

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