Marine officials said that firing artillery at Camp Pendleton is routine and disrupting traffic on Interstate 5 is unnecessary, but Gov. Newsom closed portions of Interstate 5 anyway.
Vice President JD Vance celebrated the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary at Camp Pendleton, California, on Oct. 18 in a ceremony that included firing live artillery shells over a major highway and prompted a showdown with the state government.
“I just wanted to say from the bottom of my heart, from one Marine to another, from the Vice President of the United States to the whole Marine Corps, thank you for your service,” Vance said. “We are proud of you and proud of your service.”
Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, visited the base in north San Diego County with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to celebrate the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary and watch the troops’ display of amphibious vehicles and a Marine demonstration of a beach assault. Vance was accompanied by his wife, Usha, and the two watched as the military conducted an air show, and columns of smoke billowed up from artillery strikes.
The event sparked controversy between the federal government and the state of California.
The U.S. Marine Corps said on Wednesday that it would host a live-fire training exercise at Camp Pendleton on Oct. 18, followed by a community “Beach Bash” at Del Mar Beach the same day to celebrate the anniversary.
“All training events will occur on approved training ranges and comport with established safety protocols. No public highways or transportation routes will be closed,” the statement said.
The announcement sparked media reports that the White House was planning to shut down portions of Interstate 5 in southern California to accommodate live artillery fire during Saturday’s celebration at Camp Pendleton. A White House official responded that the Marine Corps was not shutting down the busy highway and that the Camp Pendleton event is “a training exercise.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said his office received notice late on Friday from organizers of the Marine Corps event of a request for signs to be posted along the Interstate 5 freeway that would read, “Overhead fire in progress.” He said state officials near Camp Pendleton also observed live munitions being fired near the freeway on Friday in “an apparent practice run.”
Once federal officials told Newsom’s office on Saturday morning that live artillery activities were scheduled for 1:30 p.m. local time that day, the state closed a section of the highway for a period of time “due to extreme life safety risk and distraction to drivers,” the governor’s office said.
By Jacob Burg
