Beware of N.C. island: It’s a bomb range

Beware of N.C. island: It’s a bomb range
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday May 23, 2008 7:19:20 EDT

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — North Carolina boaters should beware of an inviting coastal island with pristine sandy shores — it’s actually a Marine Corps bombing range.

The Marine Corps said Thursday it wants boaters to know they can’t stop at undeveloped Brown’s Island, which sits at about the midway point along North Carolina’s coast. Camp Lejeune spokesman Maj. Nat Fahy said the island has been used as a range for decades and has always been off limits, but patrols will increase this summer. The base began issuing tickets last spring and has so far written about two dozen.

“I fully understand why anyone would want to come on the island,” Fahy said. “It’s gorgeous. It’s pristine.”

The island also is dangerous. It is used for naval gunnery practice and live fire from mortars, machine guns, rockets and artillery. There also are unexploded shells and bullets on and under the sand.

Fahy said some families have allowed their children to dig in the sand. No one has been injured yet by unexploded ammunition on the island that sits between Onslow Beach and the state-owned Hammocks Beach State Park, he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/05/ap_brownsisland_052208/

It's called No Mans Island off Cape Cod. The USAF uses it for target practice.