I watched a guy take a hammer to a Sprague cap checker because the order said to destroy it, even though I tried to get it from him and assuring him I would 'destroy it'.  We used to post a flyer in the post office advertising our surplus, transmitters, receivers, control equipment, tube type nav gear as it was replaced by solid state, but along came a certain San Francisco female House of Rep person and her husband that modified the rules and both made a fortune in military surplus.  Now it all goes to Kansas City or some place in the midwest and they dispose of everything, heartlessly destroying stuff that still has a use, but as mentioned, they fear somebody will take it and use it for nefarious reasons.  Radio gear was a big target for destruction because of the fear of what they might do to things like air traffic control, never understanding that brand new, fully synthesized rigs could be bought off ebay that would do a much better job than a set of GRR/GRT rigs you had to order a crystal for.

Charlie in NC.