I read an account about a US Army SF training exercise that required the SF Team to Infil a Hydro-Electric Dam in North Carolina that was being guarded by Infantry forces. They left behind the Back Pack Nuke per the Plan and safely Ex-filed. Shortly afterwards there was a short but REALLY HUGE Panic.....as the thing was the real deal and was now unattended but stashed in an out of the way spot inside the now unguarded Dam.
The Lads what dropped the thing off went back and collected the thing....allowing everyone "In the Know" to breathe a really HUGE sigh of relief and continue to serve until they could collect their Pensions.
I cannot attest to the veracity of the account....but I would not be the least bit surprised it could have happened some how.
Good thing they did not have the codes to arm the thing....or else it might have been discovered in a more public manner.
North Carolina had some experience with the Military attacking it with Nukes over the Years.
Whoops: Atomic Bomb dropped in Goldsboro, NC swamp, Neuse River Basin, HUC 02 | Restoration Systems