SEABEES have always enjoyed the reputation for being a little unorthodox and somewhat wild and crazy. During WWII, the SEABEES were formed by promoting the enlistment of men with advanced skills in the construction trades. Older, highly skilled tradesmen were given advanced rank. Even in today's navy, SEABEES are selected for the most part from recruits with construction or mechanical experience.

Although all received military training, these old dudes sloughed off spit and polish. Even today, SEABEES seldom wear dress uniforms except for the required twice yearly dress inspections, summer and winter dress. Even the annual formal Chief's and Officer's dining-in is in cammies.

During WWII, in the first two years following the formation of the US NAVY SEABEES, more than 1100 enlisted SEABEES earned individual commendations and citations.

ADM William F. Halsey awarded a Silver Star to CM-1 Carl E. Hull after the 46 year old SEABEE armed with only an axe, hunted down and captured a Jap soldier in the Bougainville jungles.

Another Silver Star recipient, SEABEE Richard H. Maurer, while serving with a Marine Raider unit, during an attack on a Jap outpost, manned a machine gun after all other members of the crew were killed or wounded.

Mono island is a volcanic island in the Treasury group of the Soloman Islands. During WWII the Japs had occupied the island. On Oct 27, 1943, the island was assaulted by forces of the New Zealand Division and the US 87th Navy Construction Battalion.

A Jap pillbox made of logs with twin 50 mm gun was firing on the landing force. US Navy SEABEE, MM-1 Aurelio "Ray" Tassone who was driving ashore his D-9 bulldozer, raised the blade as a shield and drove over the enemy pillbox. Buried the 12 Jap defenders and silenced their gun. He received a Silver Star for his action. This well publicized action became the motivation for the John Wayne movie, "The Fighting Seabees".

This is just a sampling of the conduct that formed the SEABEE legacy.

Thank you Master Chief for the history lesson.
Even though I never served in the military I love the history.

Master Chief...

You know the proper way to start every Sea Story... :-)

I don't know master Chief , them there blue water boys can tell some sea stories , not just the seabees . You know , The Duke must have liked the Seabees , not only did he make that early movie , but he included them in the best movie he made " The Green Berets ".

This ain't no......

But it's different when the Sea Story is true.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

True Sea stories...

The SEABEES in the Green Beret movie was based on the Medal of Honor recipient, SEABEE Marvin Glenn Shields.

He earned the MOH during the battle of Dong Xoal in Viet Nam while constructing a Army Special Forces Camp. Two SEABEES killed and seven other SEABEES wounded during the fight.

The SEABEES have a very close relationship with Special Forces dating from the Viet Nam days.

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I have a friend that is a SEABEE CPO and after I got to know him better I would tease him about his long extended sea duty of 2 months that the Navy made him do because he had never been at sea before and he was in for 25 years. I tell him in the 4 years I was in all of it was shipboard with the exception of basic and A school.

More great, concise history, Master Chief. Thanks.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Dodging a torpedo by swinging on the anchor chain, getting missed by a Kamikazi that hit the next ship and having to go clean up the carnage.

Trying to lasso a torpedo loose below decks in a storm.

Liberty Ship breaking in half and having to weld in braces whenever the ship was in a trough.

Being on a Submarine in the Barents Sea when the newfangled batteries start to explode. Then getting off the sinking sub only to have 6 rescuers washed overboard and drowned because the 'survival suits' they were issued floated upside down.

These really are NO ****.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

When I express admiration that my FIL with regularity landed FMs (Wildcat fighters) on a little 440 by 70 foot rectangle bobbing in the Atlantic Ocean, he points out he served with guys who did the same with big ole "turkeys" (Avengers).

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Certified Curmudgeon

What's the difference between a "sea story" and a "fairy tale"?

The fairy tale might be true???

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

No Mermaids?...

My best friend joined the Navy Reserves with a buddy of his for a 2 year active duty hitch. They decided to join the submarine service but after a short excursion off the Golden Gate they decided that subs were not for them. His buddy told him he had heard that if you joined the Seebees you might end up in a South Pacific paradise so they both ended up in the Seebees. I asked him if he had not seen the movie the Fighting Seebees staring John Wane and his reply was after he was already in. He ended up being shipped to Viet Nam twice during his 2 years active duty hitch. He was at the base that had the ammo dump hit by a VC rocket which proceeded to cook off over night. He spent the night in a slit trench. I was thinking about requesting a transfer to Viet Nam but he talked me out of it. I instead requested a transfer to Thailand and the Army in its infinite wisdom transferred me to Fort Wainwright Alaska. I arrived there on 1/1/69 at 0300 and the temp was -59 degrees F. We are going Elk hunting next week in Northern California.

They lost lives during war times but...............

we also lost lives during peace times, putting Islands back in shape
after weather storms tore up their islands in the South Pacific.

I lost buddies on Guam and Okie with accidents during our tours
and you never saw it coming.
On Guam I had a high voltage telephone wire break loose and hit me on the left arm,
By instinct, I hit it with my crescent wrench and moved it and I climbed down.........
Just that close for me.

I was a Gunners Mate but you do what is needed when times are tuff. "Pappy Smith" was too old to climb but he was telling me what to do, from the ground,in the high winds.

Get er done.

The Seabees motto was "Can Do!"
People for get that the Seabees were men who knew what they were doing.

No sea story ever started with I was just sitting there eating a salad . OldSeabee

My middle son signed up for a six year hitch right out of high school in order to get the GI Bill school bonus... After his six years of service, he’s now in Missoula Montana at the university studying astrophysics courtesy of Uncle Sam.... I couldn’t be more proud of him and his life choices...
He paid his dues...the Seabees rule...

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Travel light..stay aware..

Story of Aurelio Tassone - Newspapers.com

In the USMC, fairy tales started out “once upon a time”. Sea stories started out with “this ain’t no sheet”!

Furthermore, a close friend of mine married a Seabee CPO. Went to the wedding. Can you imagine the grief a Marine took from a group of Seabees?? At least they had a great reception. Great bunch of guys from Vietnam era and First Gulf War.

One of my buddies was a SeaBee in Nam,learned skills he used until he passed. Those guys worked hard.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

Military Language Difference
If you tell the Navy to secure a building, they will turn out the lights and lock the door.

If you tell the Army to secure a building, they will turn out the lights, lock the door and post an MP at the entrance.

If you tell the Marines to secure a building, they will assault the building, kill or capture everyone inside, fortify the building and turn it into an HQ.

If you tell the Air Force to secure a building, they will take out a three year lease with an option to buy.

Tell the Seabees to secure a building and they'll move it to a more protected location 600 yards off the beach. In about four hours.

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I'm with her