Amelia Diaz Ettinger

Fossils On A Red Flag Amelia Diaz Ettinger

As a student of biology at the University of Puerto Rico in the 1970's, the author worked for the Department of Natural Resources. She was sent to survey the nesting sites of several species of birds at a lagoon in Culebra, a municipality of the island of Puerto Rico. During the two years she worked as a biologist on that island, she discovered a world that was previously unknown to her. The US Navy used the island as a bombing range. She learned to look for a red flag before swimming in the turquoise waters. The flag signaled bombings would occur that day. The signal failed on some occasions. While she swam in the coral reefs with a friend, she met on the island, the author saw the devastation of coral reefs and undetonated bombs. She watched and listened to horrifying stories of despair. But during that time, she also learned about the resilience of the people of Culebra. They stood like David against the Goliath of the US Navy to end the use of their home as a target range. In the end, it was a humble turtle that brought the attention of the outside world to their plight and the end of a horrifying practice.