Brief History

The Beginning: World War II
Conceived by Admiral Ben Moreell, the Seabees were established in 1942 at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. By the summer of that year the first Seabee units were engaged in construction and combat. From the construction and defense of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal to the Normandy Invasion, the "CAN DO" Seabees participated in every major amphibious assault in World War II. More than 325,000 men served with the Seabees in World War II, fighting and building in more than 400 locations before the war's end. With the general demobilization following World War II, the "Bees" were all but disbanded with only 3,300 men on active duty in June 1950. Newly established Mobile Construction Battalions (MCB's) had duty in Cuba and throughout the Pacific.

Korea and Vietnam
In Korea, as in World War II, the "CAN DO" spirit shone again. Landing at Inchon, Seabees provided pontoon causeways within hours of the initial assault. Following Korea the Seabees embarked on the largest earth moving project in Seabee history by building the Naval Air Station at Cubi Point, Philippines.

The Seabees numbered 10,000 men in May of 1965 when the first battalions went across the beach at Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam. During the peak of the conflict, Seabee strength reached 25,000 men in 22 battalions, two regiments, two maintenance units, and scores of Civic Action Teams. Nearly $100 million worth of construction was placed by over 3 million man-days of effort. The types of jobs ranged from the construction of logistical complexes in DaNang and Chu Lai to Special Forces camps in remote regions. It was at Dong Xoai that Petty Officer Marvin Shields was awarded the Seabees' first and only Medal of Honor.

From the island-hopping of World War II, the cold of Korea, and the steaming jungles of Vietnam, to today, Seabees have built cities, paved thousands of roads, and constructed numerous airstrips in the four corners of the world. Seabees have served side by side with the Marine Corps and the Army, building and defending what they built.

Today's Seabees
Today the Seabees perform peacetime construction and train to be ready when called upon again. Seabees deploy throughout the world in Europe, the Caribbean, Japan, and Guam. Major Seabee training, logistic, and home port facilities are located at Port Hueneme, California, and Gulfport, Mississippi. Eight active MCB's are home-ported at these facilities. In addition, two Amphibious Construction Battalions (ACB's) and two Underwater Construction Teams (UCT's) are located on each coast. Two thirds of the Naval Construction Force are reservists. The Seabee reserves are organized into 12 battalions, two support units, and four regiments located throughout the United States.

Hurricane recovery in Charleston, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico and earthquake recovery in San Francisco in 1989, and Hurricane Andrew recovery in 1992 demonstrated the disaster recovery skills in the Seabee repertoire.

During Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Seabees built advanced bases, constructed air fields with hardstands for Marine aircraft, provided petroleum and water facilities, and accompanied the Marines into Kuwait. Active and reserve battalions served in-country and in other support locations worldwide. Operation Desert Shield/Storm, the largest recall of Reserve Seabees since the Vietnam conflict, emphasized the success of "One Navy" concept.

Seabees continue to serve the nation through recent participation in the UN peace keeping activities in Somalia and Bosnia, and by assisting with Haitian refugee support.

For a more complete history of the Seabee's please read through this document or checkout the Seabee Museum.