Operation False Flame

I've noticed that it's a common what-if of Marines on this base that some belligerent nation would invade Camp Lejeune. This daydream, coincidentally, is usually voiced when we're out in the woods, picking ticks out of our skin and hating life and cursing our decision to enlist. They could even land anywhere along the east coast, we say, but their advance would end in North Carolina.

Me and a friend would take the fantasy even further and ponder how crazy it would be if someone came pounding on our doors in the middle of the night, yelling that the enemy was landing on Onslow Beach and that we had to go to the armory to get our weapons and fend off the attack. Chaos, coupled with an excited determination, would rein as people would be throwing crates of ammo over the fence of the ammo supply point. Loading radios in our cars on the way to the beach, we'd hear the thunderous din quickly approaching. We'd hear the whine of artillery shells flying overhead as the 10th Marines would light up the shore with their cannons. Attack helicopters and fighter jets would scream toward the sea as my unit struggled to get radio contact with them so we could direct their strikes.

The fight would probably resemble this.

So you can imagine my thoughts when I was awakened at 3:30 this morning to sustained pounding on my door. I stumbled outside to see people running around and a shirtless sergeant melodramatically screaming at me to get outside. My first instinct -- and I'm sure I'm not alone here -- was that Iran had supplied Al Qaeda with Higgins boats. The terrorists were finally invading! But the commotion was just for a fire alarm. I had never heard the barracks fire alarm before, and I didn't even hear it this morning until I was outside making my way to the parking lot. Apparently the siren doesn't sound on the second floor. Alert the fire marshal. I found it interesting how efficiently everything went and how things never got out of hand in directing people to the parking lot and getting accountability of everyone. You have to wonder how the same thing would go down with civilians. But the fire department eventually came, checked things out, and said that even though stories sometimes end anti-climactically, they hope that people enjoy the ride. I returned to my room and went back to sleep.