PLYMOUTH - It shaped up like a classic David-and-Goliath battle -- a coalition of Eastern North Carolina farmers, housewives, small-town politicians and bird lovers versus the forces of the U.S. Navy, the sprawling Virginia Beach metropolis and powerful Virginia politicians.

Most thought the little guys had no chance. Even the little guys had their doubts. But they were wrong. They won.

Navy officials announced Tuesday that they were scrapping plans to build a remote airfield in Washington and Beaufort counties. Even longtime opponents were taken aback. Some had fought plans for the outlying landing field -- commonly called an "OLF" -- for seven years.

"It's still so hard to believe after all we've been through," said Doris Morris, a spokeswoman for the opposition group No-OLF. "I feel like somebody needs to pinch me to make sure I'm awake."

She said the group is planning a community gathering to celebrate the victory and thank supporters. But they aren't quite ready to disband or yank up the hundreds of "No OLF" signs planted in yards and along roadsides in the region.

Now the Navy is looking at two sites in northeastern North Carolina, Hale's Lake in Camden and Currituck counties, and Sandbanks in Gates County. Morris said her group will help landowners and county officials in their fight, too.

For years, the Navy wanted to build a $230 million airfield near Plymouth, about 100 miles east of Raleigh, where jets based in Virginia Beach and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point could practice carrier-type landings. After a $4 million environmental study on several sites, the Navy said its preferred site would take in about 30,000 acres straddling the two counties.

The Navy had already acquired about 2,000 acres.

Washington County real estate agent Mike Swearingen wasn't too worried when the Navy started quietly talking about building the airfield several years ago.

"Like everybody else," he said," I didn't know what an OLF was."

He said he organized early meetings against the project after a local property deal fell through when a Virginia Beach lender learned of the possibility of an airfield. He contended that the fast-growing Virginia Beach area wanted to move the noisy jets to North Carolina.

Landowners and officials in the two counties said the project would wipe out family farms and stifle economic growth. Others said the airfield was too close to Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, a 113,000-acre retreat for migrating waterfowl.

Plenty of people doubted local opposition could stop the Navy juggernaut, especially after increased support of the military following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

'Never going to win'

"We had 70 to 80 percent of the people say, 'We support your cause, but you're never going to win,' " said Jennifer Alligood, chairwoman of the No-OLF group.

She said they had testimonials from people who did not want to give up farms that had been in families for generations. But they initially had no money, expertise or plan for taking on the Navy.

Alligood and Morris were both distributing anti-OLF literature independently when they met at Morris' mailbox beside the highway. They began meeting regularly at Alligood's home to plan and pray for guidance.

"We would just sit around the table and try to come up with ideas about what to do and how to do it," Morris said. "We were often told we were not following protocol, but we were fighting with all our hearts and souls."

Larger groups met in farm garages. They raised money and morale with pig pickings and community meetings.

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