NAS Jacksonville Florida was the seen of a battle; yes, a battle -- the kind that John Wayne would have loved. There were planes, choppers, parachutes, tanks, smoke and things blowing up. And, oh yeah, one of the US Navy landing craft air cushions (LCAC). If you have never seen one, it quite a site. You hear it long before you see it.

The battle started out real slow and quiet. There was a C-130 overhead so high that you couldn't hear it and could barely see it. Some parachutists were doing what they call a "halo jump" (That's were they jump out at a high altitude and pull their ripcord. They have radios and talk to the officers in charge telling them what the bad guys are doing.

Then with out any warning, in comes the F/A 18 dropping bombs, and in the distance you hear a rumble (remember this). Then those neat airplanes, the Harriers, come in and make their mark. By this time there is smoke, fire and, oh yeah, things blowing up all over. The gun ships (Cobras) come in from the opposite direction with their guns a blazing. Wouldn't John Wayne love it? Yup, we got us a battle!

By now the bad guys are really confused. Also, there is what looks like a house moving across the field, making all kinds of noise. From another direction, three Sea Knights (CH-46) land right in front of us and out come the Marines. At the same time, two big choppers (CH-53 Sea Stallions), come out of the smoke from the opposite direction with a HMMWV's underneath, arriving to lower them to the ground. They then land to the side of where they dropped the HMMWV's and the crews depart the choppers to man the HMMWV's.

By this time the LCAC is close enough to see really well. It has stopped and lowered it's ramp, and two 8-wheel armored cars come down the ramp to join in the mopping up. About this time the C130 lands and another HMMWV was unloaded, along with a truck.

The whole thing took less than an hour. I wish the whole country could have seen this show. You have to be proud of our young men and woman in uniform who put their life on the line for us.

The airshow at NAS Jacksonville was one of the best I have ever seen. It's too bad the USMC can't go with the Blue Angels and put this show everywhere they go.