Wait is this supposed to go in credible defense?
facepalm
The New York Times reported that fragments that fell from the 155mm shell landed on vehicles parked on a ramp on Interstate 5 – a major artery through southern California – which governor Gavin Newsom had ordered closed after learning that military officials had no plans to close the freeway
No intention of closing the freeway for a live fire exercise right above it.
During the No Kings protest too
Not only did shrapnel fall on I5 generally…
It hit and damaged JD Vance’s security detail motorcade.
Like, either this was a stupendous coincidence that a shell went bad and purely accidentally just happened to detonate just so as to literally rain on Vance’s motorcade…
… or… this was a kind of not so subtle fuck you buddy from at least one Marine.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/us/politics/shell-interstate-5-marines-california.html
A 155-millimeter shell fired during a live-fire demonstration for the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton on Saturday prematurely detonated, dropping fragments of the shell on a California Highway Patrol vehicle and motorcycle that were part of Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail, according to a patrol report.
Yep, thats right, it gets even clownier with more detail.
EDIT:
Ok, this gets even more deepfried clownicized.
So…from seeing more articles with more pictures, I think what happened is this:
Marines do a mock amphib landing on a beach to the west of I5.
From there, they set up mobile 155mm cannons, on the beach… and aim their shots at some part of Camp Pendleton that I guess was cleared off as a … firing range? Howitzer absorbant sponge zone?
So… yeah, fired from a beach, up and over a cliff, over I5, headed something like east, to land inside some part of Pendleton.
…Does… Pendleton have a preexisting artillery range?
…Does… Pendleton have a preexisting artillery range?
Pendleton covers almost 200 square miles and has ranges for just about every ground-based weapon the USMC uses.
Ok, thanks for that, did not know.
Wait, these fucking idiots were shooting live heavy artillery over fucking Interstate 5? One of North America’s biggest and most important arteries.
And they wanted to do that without closing the roadway down?
Jesus Christ. This is an administration of complete idiots.
5 hour detour some reported
I genuienly think this was not really a mishap, it was literally intended as an intimidating show of force against SoCal.
Got it in one, and literally what I was saying since this plan was announced. This is military parades all over again - “see this shit? It can literally be in your front yard if you keep up”.
NEWSOM mysteriously closed it a few days ago, he knew before it was released to the news why the reason.
Did you read the article?
The New York Times reported that fragments that fell from the 155mm shell landed on vehicles parked on a ramp on Interstate 5 – a major artery through southern California – which governor Gavin Newsom had ordered closed after learning that military officials had no plans to close the freeway.
Absolute fucking clown show.
Why on earth would you fire live artillery as part of a drill? What were they thinking?
The vast majority of training rounds for artillery are still explosive or have a slow burning charge for the purpose of spotters being able to practice… spotting. Think smoke grenade like rounds and so forth. And those can, and will, malfunction.
It is one of many reasons that it is important to remember that a gun is a deadly weapon whether it is firing “Training rounds” or “less than lethal” ammunition. A shockingly high number of babies have been killed by flashbangs and even smoke grenades over the years.
And… that is why you don’t fucking fire a gun in the direction of anything you care about. Which, to be fair. is a rule that trump actually obeyed in his own psychopathic way.
And all those brave men and women who are totally going to stand up when an unlawful order comes on down had no problem firing it at potential civilians either.
It wasn’t a drill though. It was a celebration for the anniversary of the marines (pretty sure it was the marines).
Its both right and wrong to say it was a celebration. The drills they were doing were part of the celebration. Same way airforce does airshows
Let me guess: The people who ordered this “excercise” were not military, but political, right?
KEGSBRETH, probably testing it out on civilian area just in case.
