Navy Seabee Veterans of America, Inc.

Description

NAVY SEABEE VETERANS of AMERICA is a non-profit organization of veterans that have served in Naval Construction Force commands, who dedicate and pledge to preserve the fundamental ideals on which our Nation was founded believing in Justice, Freedom and Equality for all.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Armada de los Estados Unidos
• Inc.
• INC
• History
• SVA
• United States Navy

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 29 novembre 2001
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781681621500
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

N AVY S EABEE V ETERANS OF A MERICA , I NC.
W E B UILD , W E F IGHT

T URNER P UBLISHING C OMPANY
T URNER P UBLISHING C OMPANY
412 Broadway P.O. Box 3101
Paducah, Kentucky 42002-3101
[phone]
Copyright 2001
Publishing Rights: Turner Publishing Company
This book or any part thereof may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.
Turner Publishing Company Staff:
Editor: Randy Baumgardner
Designer: Peter Zuniga
Library of CongressCatalog Card No.
00-112289
ISBN: 1-56311-696-0
ISBN: 1-68162-136-3

MCB#6 Prepared for a Pass-in-Review on deployment at Antigua British West Indies in 1955, MCB#6 is formed for Inspection by Cdr. W.B. Short, Cdr. CB Lant. Courtesy of Cdr. LaVern Pyles, Jr.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Publisher s Message
What is a Seabee
Seabees History
Special Stories
In Memoriam
Awards and Medals
Seabees Association History
NSVA Past Presidents
NSVA National Conventions
NSVA Auxiliary Past Presidents
Seabees Biographies
Picture Pages
I NTRODUCTION

The Navy Seabee Veterans of America, Inc. is a not for profit, Fraternal organization made up of Navy Seabees from WW II (both in the Pacific and European theatres), Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Gulf War, and peacetime Seabees.
They are a special breed of men and women. They know the Construction Trades and how to fight to protect what they build.
As you read this book you will learn about the SEABEE, where the name Seabee came from and some of the most crucial projects that were done in all the Wars that were fought, under the most treacherous conditions.
You will learn how and why the Seabees were formed and who was the first King Bee . Also, how many Seabees were there during WW II and what the Marines, Army and Air Force thought of them.
Where are the Seabees today? Just pick up a newspaper or watch the television, and wherever you see a Natural Disaster, you will find the Seabees already at work. In peacetime they do humanitarian work.
The Navy SVA is a very PROUD organization; we are proud of our achievements, and of all Seabees from 100 years old to 17 years old.
The Navy SVA would not be where it is today were it not for some of our National Officers. The National Secretary Mel Ramige, for one, is one of the most respected, hardest working Seabees in our organization. His job description would undoubtedly take two pages to list. He also takes care of our 1-800-SEABEE 5 telephone. All the past National Commanders and the present Commander contributed their Leadership ability to the successful growth of the Navy SVA.
In this book you will read about some of our members, and see how they looked before and now. These stories will not be found in the history books at today s schools.
To those WW II Seabees who built those Airport runways, fuel stations, hospitals, water wells, roads, bridges, and the pit on Tinian where the A bombs were assembled and lifted into the bellies of the B-29s, we thank you and all WW II veterans.
For more information about the Navy SVA, check our web page, www.nsva.org .


John W. Jack Brandt
Past National Commander
Navy Seabee Veterans of America
P UBLISHER S M ESSAGE

It is indeed an honor to present this commemorative book to the veterans and families of the Navy Seabees Veterans of America. It can be said that WW II was won on the backs and shoulders of the Seabee Corp, because her men built the roads, runways, bridges, hospitals, and bases that kept the whole operation together. The Seabee mottos, We Build, We Fight! and Can Do! are well-deserved...fitting tributes to this rare breed of sailor.
It has been a pleasure working with the Navy Seabee Veterans of America, Inc. My father, John Turner, Sr., was a WW II Seabee, and it is his memory that compels me to preserve the history of all our Nation s heroes. May this book serve as a source of remembrance and inspiration for years to come, a shining example upon which future generations can build.
Special thanks go to Mr. Jack Brandt, Past National Commander, for his help in making this book a reality. Jack served as our point of contact throughout the publishing process, and this book could not have developed without his efforts.
I must also thank the hundreds of Seabees whose biographies, stories and photographs fill these pages, as well as the thousands of other Seabees who answered the call when our Nation needed them most.
On behalf of the entire Turner Publishing family, congratulations on a job well done!

Sincerely,

Dave Turner
President
W HAT IS A S EABEE ?
Between the awkwardness of a soldier and the dignity of a Marine there is a questionable character called a Seabee.
SEABEE come in assorted sizes, shapes, and weights, but all have the same code: to enjoy every second of every hour of every day, whether at work or at play, and to protest by griping (their most beloved privilege) when issued an order.
SEABEES are found everywhere: on top of, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or more likely than not, turning to.
Mothers and sweethearts love them, Fathers are proud of them, Brothers look up to them, Sisters admire them, Airdales hate them, Company Commanders tolerate them, and Chief Petty Officers drive them.
A SEABEE is a composite; he has the appetite of a horse, the digestion of a sword swallower, the energy of a pocket-sized atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the lungs of a dictator, the imagination of Paul Bunyon, the slyness of a violin, the enthusiasm of a firecracker, and the spirit of a fighting cock. He likes: liberty. Leave, holidays, weekends, girls, chow, beer, movies, gedonks, swimming, pin-ups, sleep, and comic books.
He isn t too hot for: duty nights, watches, taps, reveille, routine, discipline, officers, drills, or secured heads.
Nobody else is so early to rise without actually wanting to get up. No other person gets so much fun out of liberty of Shore Patrol. No one can have so much fun on so little money.
A SEABEE is a magical creature; you can chew him out, but you can t get the work done without him; he is dirty, unpolished, unkempt, often overbearing, and sometimes reluctant.
A SEABEE is a man of magical abilities; he can weld, build, drive, repair and fight, he can wreck or he can beautify, he can make something out of nothing, work never tires him nor does he seem to tire of it.
His motto is CAN DO , to which has added HAS DONE and DID : this frequently miraculous occurrence is recognized in the form of a WELL DONE by everyone from the Commanding Officer down.
The average SEABEE is a thickheaded individual of a variety of nationalities. He won t admit it to anyone or anywhere except in the defense of his Corps that his is the best job in the Navy. Without him, the Fleet would have nothing to gripe about. Marines would have nothing to talk about, and history would have nothing to write about.

U.S. Navy photo. Courtesy of M.J. Etters, Jr .
Acknowledgments
To all you SEABEES who sent your stories and pictures to the editor to make this book a reality, I thank you.
People have heard about the SEABEES during the wars, but not too many know about us after the battles were won. In this book you will see that we believe Once a Seabee, Always a Seabee. We have built bridges, runways, hospitals and schools while on active duty, and today we keep our Seabee friendships alive in this GREAT organization called the Navy Seabee Veterans of America, Inc.
The Navy SVA conducts an annual Convention/Reunion somewhere in the U.S.A. Hundreds of Seabees and their spouses gather to renew old acquaintances and meet new friends. The camaraderie is so great that no one wants to ever miss a Convention, no matter where it is held. The Navy SVA Auxiliary, made up of Seabee spouses, mothers, sisters and daughters, is very active also. It has been a tradition that they make a donation each year, at the National Convention to the SMSA (Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association). At the present time, the Navy SVA owns 18 of the 85 scholarships, and five are awarded to grandchildren of Seabees. We also support the CEC/Seabee Historical Foundation, which has museums in Port Hueneme, California and Gulfport, Mississippi. The east coast Seabee base, Davisville, Rhode Island, was closed and seven acres of land were donated to Island Xl, Davisville, which is being made into a Memorial Park by its members.
We owe this book to all that donated material to make it what it is.
A special thanks to our Founders and all who followed, who in any way held our organization in such high esteem and made it into what it is today.
You can reach us at 1-800-SEABEE 5 or our web site nsva.org .

John W Jack Brandt
National Commander
1998 to 2000
Navy Seabee Veterans of America

Courtesy of Joe Rubin.

Following WWII, Seabees prepare to board for the long trip home. Courtesy of Bill Patrick.
Following WWII, Seabees prepare to board for the long trip home. Courtesy of Bill Patrick.

S EABEES H ISTORY


United States Navy Construction Batallions (CBs)
Seabees-The Early Years
In October 1941, with an eye on developing storm clouds across both oceans, Rear Admiral Ben Moreell, Chief of the Navy s Bureau of Yards and Docks, began laying the foundation of the Naval Construction Force. With the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and our entrance into the war, he was authorized to organize the Construction Battalions that would be necessary to prepare for the long march to Tokyo and Berlin.
The earliest Seabees were recruited from the ranks of the civilian construction trades and were placed under the leadership of officers of the Navy s Civil Engineer Corps. With emphasis more on experience and skill than on youth and physical standards, the average age of Seabees during the early days of the war was 33, giving rise to a famous Marines Corps barb: Don t strike a Seabee, he just might be a Marine s father!
Over 325,000 men served with