One day at the range an interesting and unusual thing occurred.
It was a long time ago and I was conducting an M-14 qualification and familiarization course for a group of about fifty security personnel on the KD Rifle Range at Fort Ord, which is near Santa Cruz, California.
It was a long hot day on the range, which sits perpendicular to the Pacific Ocean. The temperature ran near 100 F. that day, which is unusual, being that close to the normally cool Pacific water. This beautiful range faced the ocean and the bullet impact area was a series of sand dune embankments located right on the beach.
After completing the training, I loaded the whole group back onto their bus for the 45 mile trip back to San Jose. It was around 1700 (That's 5 PM for you civilian types) and I was just about to get into my patrol car when a large earthquake struck. I had been through many earthquakes before but this was a really big one. We got shook pretty good and I saw the bus was thrashing wildly from side to side, the people inside were hooting and hollering about the surprise event. We were safe and in no danger because the rifle range was basically just one huge open area. So, we just stayed there out in the open and enjoyed the approximately 30 second ride. It felt to me, like I was surfing on cement, as the ground shifted violently back and forth.
During this time, I heard a large rumbling sound and turned toward the beach just in time to see three large 60 foot high sand dune embankments liquify and slide into the ocean. Needless to say, that was one really eye-opening event, and the 4 hour (which usually only takes 1 hour) ride back to the station was quite another unique experience all by itself.
The date? October 17, 1989, one that I'll never forget.