THE SEABEES ON IWO JIMA focuses on the United States Naval Construction Battalions in World War II, which built all the infrastructure for the Allies in Europe and the Pacific in WWII. The Seabees were construction workers by trade and signed up to become part of a special battalion in the war that built the airfields, runways, and bases needed in the war. The Seabees, some 60 years of age, were best known for their work on coral islands in the Pacific, where they helped build runways out of the jungle which helped the United States take the war right to Japan's doorstep in 1945.
The Seabee's motto was "We Build; We Fight." Not only did these men have to build bases, but many times they had to put down their shovels or get off their bulldozers and pick up a rifle or machine gun to fend off enemy attacks. The Seabee's most violent fight was on Iwo Jima, where they went ashore in the first wave with the Marines. It's on Iwo Jima where their motto "We Build; We Fight" was most famously put to the test in World War II.
One of my uncles was already a civil engineer when WWII broke out. He joined the Sea Bees, but because of bad eye sight they would let him be an officer, so he was enlisted. Another uncle, who didn't make to the 8th grade, joined and was the same rank.
ReplyDeleteIn the ETO, the CeeBees had a minor role. Army Engineers did most construction. The major role in the Pacific belonged to the CeeBees, with Army Engineers being minor.
ReplyDeleteA rather sad tale somewhat related to this. I grew up on stories by my old man about all that he encountered while a Sea Bee. He had stories of snipers picking off guys from the trees on the islands while constructing runways, stories of being strafed at sea while loading supplies from or to another ship. Tales of giant spiders as big as your face and huge sea turtles, all kinds of stuff. He supposedly survived Pearl Harbor due to being in the base hospital when it was hit.
ReplyDeleteAfter he passed I was helping my mother with some survivor benefit paperwork and found out he didn't enlist until after Pearl Harbor and never spent any time over in the islands.
Among his other faults, that of being a thief, being an abusive husband and father, he was a liar, it was all stolen valor stories of other men and their experiences. What a sad commentary on his life.
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My dad, fresh out of Engineering school with a Civil Engineering degree was a Seabee in WWII, and he was stationed on Leyte (Philippines) and arrived with the invasion when MacArthur returned. They built airfields for the bombers to leave the Phillipines and bomb Japan until the Americans could capture closer islands to fly from. They also supported the Navy and the Army in key battles near Leyte.
ReplyDeleteOnce a Phillipino came up to 8 Americans (2 Navy and 8 Army) stringing telephone wires and told them “2 Japs under my house.” They put down their work tools, grabbed their rifles and 4 proceeded to lay down fire, while the other 4 advanced.They alternated until they got to the house, where they found one Jap drilled through the head by an American bullet, and the other put the barrel of his rifle in his mouth and pulled the trigger with his toe. The Army men all received medals, while the 2 Navy guys were chewed out by their commanding officer for abandoning their assigned job for an hour and a half.