Thousands of Marines and veterans were streaming into a make-shift stadium at Camp Pendleton Saturday to observe a huge live-fire amphibious assault landing that’s being staged to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Navy and Marines.
They will share the venue with Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who were scheduled to arrive before the assault begins around 1 p.m.
The celebration comes amid controversy. Gov. Gavin Newsom, after consulting with traffic safety experts at the California Highway Patrol, is closing 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 also 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 traffic issue was emerging as about 8,500 Navy sailors and Marines were preparing for the assault offshore. Such assaults represent one of the main roles of the Marines, founded as an amphibious force.
Marines at Camp Pendleton fill a makeshift stadium from where they will watch an amphibious assault landing demonstration Saturday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The stadium, partially surrounded by Marine weapons and trucks, was the site of a lot of rubbernecking as arriving crowds craned to see ships, which include the amphibious vessels USS Boxer, USS Makin Island and USS Pearl Harbor. The carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt was way offshore, out of sight. The assault, in various ways, will feature a broad cross-section of military might, from F-35 fighter jets to V22 Osprey transport planes.
The Marines estimate the stadium will end up holding up to 20,000 people. Earlier, they said they expected 8,000 to 15,000.
The demonstration will be 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.
Staff writer Kristina Davis contributed to this report.
Originally Published: October 18, 2025 at 11:53 AM PDT