General Patton and the Seabees

[TAROMAN]

The development of Tinan into the world's largest airfield(s) is an epic of logistics and engineering in which the Seabees played a huge part.
If you care to read more this essay was written for a reunion of the 112th NCB.

Here's another monograph explaining the development of Tinian in greater detail.

 

[OLDNAVYMCPO]

That was really great, thank you, TAROMAN.

 

[Fishslayer]

Or having the Captain catch you sitting in his chair....

"0347... conducted test of captain's chair. Test satisfactory. Log that."

 

[TAROMAN]

I suppose many may remember the WWII John Wayne movie "The Fighting Seabees." I suspect it was highly fictionalized. One of several in which John Wayne's character was killed at the end.

When stationed at Keesler AFB, MS, the Seabee base was next door at Gulfport. Keeping things in the proper manner, the local TV station played The Fighting Seabees at least once a month.
And I watched it every time..

 

[the ringo kid]

Huh? Can you explain that?

Refers to Wedge Donovan played by John Wayne in: The Fighting Seabees. Sorr if its already answered by now? no time to read all the posts.

 

[the ringo kid]

There was also a large Navy presence in Europe and the Atlantic during WWII.

Many Marines served in the ETO as well, not all on ships.

 

[Old Seabee]

Seabee

Master Chief, is the story true about how the Marine Corps was started by the Navy being jealous of the Army having the K-9 corps so the Navy started the Marine Corps .

 

[M E Morrison]

Master Chief, is the story true about how the Marine Corps was started by the Navy being jealous of the Army having the K-9 corps so the Navy started the Marine Corps .

I heard it was to give the sailors somebody to dance with.....

 

[DWalt]

When stationed at Keesler AFB, MS, the Seabee base was next door at Gulfport. Keeping things in the proper manner, the local TV station played The Fighting Seabees at least once a month.
And I watched it every time..

I have been on the Gulfport Seabee base several times, but not in over 15 years. Seems I remember that many of the streets were not paved with concrete or asphalt, but sort of like compacted gravel. I thought that was unusual. Perhaps that's changed by now.

 

[TAROMAN]

About all I recall of the place was a giant pile of some sort of ore, bauxite, maybe?

 

[Auburn4]

Watch it M.E.!!!! you are on some uneven ground brother. I love this board.

 

[BigBill]

When I was working assembling 155mm howitzers for the US Army the two government contracts before the howitzers was a mobile folding bridge carried in sections on a A.M. General 5 ton truck. And the airport tankers for fueling up bombers/jets. If you search for the 155mm howitzers on you tube there are many variations of this gun today.

My FIL was in the Seabees in the islands. I seen him in a video about ww2 and the Seabees. He was moving in supplies. He was interviewed but we can’t get info.

 

[richardw]

The Bees git little recognition for the work they did in Nam, but they deserved a lot of recognition. Need a berm built, a treeline cut down, a landing pad for choppers, an airstrip, a barracks and you could count on the Bees to get it done faster than anyone thought it could be done. And that is not all. When the SHTF they were quite good combatants. They did thousands of operations in Nam for the Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Army. Great troops.

 

[BigBill]

Let’s face it the seabees were the backbone of the supply line if they didn’t do it, it probably didn’t get done. They were like a arterie to the guys on the front lines.

 

[opoefc]

Back in the 70s, a man came into my gun store in California and sold me a Walther PPK he said he had carried as a personal side arm in Europe in WW2. Conversing further, he said his name was Fred Barnes ( as best I can recall) and he was an old cavalry officer and a retired Major General and had been the commanding officer of the U.S.9th Division that captured the bridge over the Rhine at Remagen. He said it was a scary moment as his troops saw the bridge was wired with explosives and they raced across to cut the wires before the Germans could blow the bridge. The bridge had some damage from prior bombings but it held up for a few days to get more US troops & vehicles across, and then the CBs installed a pontoon bridge along side the Remagen bridge. He later returned and sold me a pair of custom knee high riding boots that he had worn when in the cavalry in WW1 era. Ed.

 

[VaTom]

A number of Underwater Demolition Team members in WWII were volunteers from the Seabees including my Uncle. After the Marines had the landing problems with the coral reef at Tarawa, the landings in the Pacific were all preceded by recon and demolition by the UDT teams (frogmen).

 

[Nevada Ed]

Some might think that the "Duke" fissed out in the movie "Fighting Sea Bee's" but back in those days and being
black and white film with no special effects etc..............
it was not that bad.

All I know is while doing my duty I was thrown four Aces........
Guam, Midway, Okie and "TI" Ca.

(the first three are a joke)

Treasure Island was for my HD.