In a shock-and-awe attack heard across coastal North County, the Navy and Marines launched an hour-long amphibious assault landing at Camp Pendleton Saturday in a brawny celebration of the service.
With nine warships taking position off the coast, helicopters advanced toward Camp Pendleton, Marines parachuted toward land and Navy SEALS stormed ashore.
Explosions shook Red Beach — which is located close to Interstate 5 — as the huge live-fire demonstration that’s being staged to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Navy and Marines got underway around 1 p.m. Later, M777 howitzers on Red Beach fired 157 mm shells inland, aimed at the Whiskey Impact Area in a remote part of the base.
The attack drew loud cheers among 15,000 Marines, veterans and dignitaries who watched things unfold on a video screen not far away from a makeshift stadium alongside Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. A narrator gave a play-by-play over a loudspeaker.
The show ended an hour later with a huge, low-level fly-by of all the main types of aircraft represented in the event.
The celebration comes amid controversy. Gov. Gavin Newsom, after consulting with traffic safety experts at the California Highway Patrol, closed a large section of Interstate 5 that runs through Camp Pendleton, because shells will be fired inland, across the freeway, during the drill. Motorists were earlier prevented from getting on the northbound freeway from on-ramps throughout Oceanside.
Newsom had urged the White House, which is controlling the event, to avoid a closure because of its impact on motorists. Camp Pendleton regularly fires shells across I-5 without asking for the freeway to be closed.
The assault, involving some 8,500 Navy sailors and Marines, represents one of the main roles of the Marines, founded as an amphibious force.
It includes the amphibious vessels USS Boxer, USS Makin Island and USS Pearl Harbor, as well as a broad cross-section of military might, from F-35 fighter jets to V22 Osprey transport planes.
At one point during the demonstration, four Marine F-18s buzzed the stadium to “oohs” and “ahhs” from the crowd, followed by Marines coming ashore in amphibious combat vehicles. Marine-laden hovercraft threw up dirt and water spray as they came in next, and fighter jets bolted off the deck of the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.
The demonstration is being filmed by the White House for a primetime television special to be aired on Nov. 9.
The simulated assault pleased Marine veteran Michael Chance of Oceanside. “This shows that the Trump administration is doing things right,” he said.
The demonstration is expected to be followed by remarks from Hegseth and military brass, closing out with comments from Vance at 3 p.m.
Staff writer Kristina Davis contributed to this report.