ON THE BIZARRE

 I am seeing reports from all the completely unreliable and useless news sources such as ABC, CBS and the New York Times that the Marines at Camp Pendleton were firing artillery over Interstate 5 and somehow a 155mm round exploded prematurely over the highway and rained shrapnel down on a Highway Patrol Car manned by some of California's stalwarts.

I cannot imagine anyone in the USMC ever suggesting or approving firing artillery over I-5 for any reason short of an actual invasion or bombardment off Red Beach. To say I'm doubtful is an understatement. Task and Purpose ran the story too but I think that merely reflects something long suspected is true and that they have come to the end of their utility.

The herd of make-believe news all claim that a single highway patrol car reports that shrapnel rained down on them and hit their car from a shell that exploded prematurely in flight over the highway.

I think the whole thing is bizarre given the nature of impact areas, the Marines from the 11th Regiment that I used to observe firing and the really bizarre notion that someone would let them fire artillery over MCTSSA, Las Pulgas, Red Beach or the marina and I MEF Headquarters and I'm sure the guys at ACU-5 would be unhappy. There is also all the family housing, the air strip and hangers and a host of other really good things not to fire artillery over lining the highway.

I wonder if Jussie Smollet was involved and if the highway patrol guys were bleating about cannon cockers screaming, "This is MAGA country!" as the alleged explosion allegedly happened.

On the other hand I've driven by the checkpoint there by Las Pulgas hundreds of times and watched the helos ferrying out the Landing Force Munitions load to the amphibs waiting off the coast. I know they do that to avoid having to truck an incredible amount of high explosive down I-5, through San Diego County and City to 32nd Street Naval Base to onload prior to the ship's getting underway. Those operations involving an enormous amount of explosives are happening just a few hundred yards to seaward of the highway.  That ammo had to traverse the highway to get there.