The launch of “Bomba: The Story of a Virgin Islands Hero” on Sunday at the University of the Virgin Islands Great Hall celebrated the life and legacy of legendary Virgin Islands mariner Wilfred Elisha Allick Sr., known throughout the territory as “Bomba,” whose seafaring exploits and larger-than-life reputation have become woven into the cultural history and folklore of the Virgin Islands.
From Budhoe to Queen Mary, David Hamilton Jackson to Fritz “Last Bull of Annaly” Lawaetz, St. Croix has long produced singular figures whose stories have become embedded in the territory’s cultural identity. In his newly released book, author Myron Allick chronicles the life of his father, affectionately known as “Bomba,” a mariner remembered for his courage, seamanship and deep connection to the Caribbean Sea.
Published by the University of the Virgin Islands Caribbean Writer Press, the book places Bomba among a pantheon of Virgin Islands cultural icons while preserving the oral histories and stories that surrounded his life and voyages.
The publication was celebrated during a launch event held in conjunction with the 12th Annual Virgin Islands Literary Festival and Book Fair. Billed as “an unforgettable celebration of heritage, history and heroism,” the event combined storytelling, poetry and music in tribute to the mariner’s enduring legacy.
According to the event’s press release, Bomba was “a revered Virgin Islands mariner who left an indelible mark on the territory’s cultural and maritime history.” His seafaring journeys throughout the Caribbean became the stuff of local legend through stories of “courage, resilience, skill, and an unmatched knowledge of the sea that shaped community memory for generations.”
The book combines historical research with oral storytelling, tracing the Allick family lineage from the era of Danish colonial rule in the 1700s through the World War II period during which Bomba made his famed voyages. Rather than focusing solely on one man’s adventures, the work places Bomba’s life within the broader narrative of Virgin Islands history.
The evening opened with Wilfred Junior “Junie Bomba” Allick and Brian Bishop performing a duet on conch shells. The sound filled the Great Hall and evoked both the gravity of history and the Caribbean waters Bomba once navigated.
Poet and educator Geron Richards followed with a reading of “Song of the Shell,” a poem he wrote earlier that morning in tribute to Bomba’s legacy.
Alscess Lewis-Brown, editor of The Caribbean Writer and publisher of the book, said the publication enriches the historical and cultural record of the Virgin Islands.
“By preserving Bomba’s story with such care and authenticity, Myron Allick offers future generations a powerful testament to the people of the Virgin Islands,” Lewis-Brown said. “We are honored to have been chosen to help make this project a reality.”
UVI Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Kimarie Engerman praised the book for “preserving a family’s legacy while illuminating the lived experiences that shaped our islands’ cultural and maritime identity.”
Karen Thurland and Roy Pemberton Sr. also spoke during the program, commending Allick’s achievement. Three local educators — Cleone Lynch, Lisette Llanos and Regina Keels — expressed interest in incorporating the book into their classroom curricula.
When Myron Allick took the podium, emotion quickly filled the room. He explained that while the book was only recently completed, the project had truly begun more than 50 years earlier, after his father’s death on Mother’s Day, May 12, 1974.
Rather than reading directly from the book as scheduled, Allick chose to share personal stories and memories that captured the spirit of his father. Audience members responded with laughter, nods of recognition and moments of reflection as familiar tales unfolded.
The portrait that emerged was not only of a fearless mariner but also of a devoted family man whose influence stretched far beyond the sea. Although Allick’s name appears on the book’s cover, he repeatedly emphasized that the project belonged as much to his family and community as it did to him.
The evening concluded with members of the Allick family gathering around the podium for photographs celebrating both Bomba’s life and the preservation of a uniquely Virgin Islands story.
