Dangerous Jetsam

What would you do if you found something on the beach painted battleship gray, shaped like a rocket or some kind of torpedo, with writing on its side that read: "Do not touch, report your find to the military, or local police?"

The person who found what turned out to be a United States Navy white phosphorous flare recently picked it up, put it in her car, and drove it to the East Hampton Town Police station.

WRONG!

Fishermen have been known to do similar things after dragging up an occasional piece of ordnance from the ocean floor. In one case, a bomb, which authorities later determined was live, sat in the office at a commercial dock for days.

WRONG!

And, we know of a Montauk resident who found an old artillery shell buried in his backyard and carried it around in the trunk of his car to show people.

WRONG!

In August, the Navy will visit the Ruins, an old fortification on what was once the north end of Gardiner's Island, to search for dangerous devices. The Ruins was used for a target practice during World Wars I and II.

The wars the East End prepared for may be over, but the remnants of the all-but-forgotten gun emplacements, anti-aircraft guns, and torpedo firing ranges remain. And there are other sources. The flare brought to town police headquarters probably was left over from the search for the downed TWAFlight 800 last summer.

Take heed. Believe it when something suspicious-looking carries a "Don't Touch" message. And, indeed, it's time for the schools to teach the same lesson to our children.

RIGHT!