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What is a Seabee?


Buckhorn Woodie

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When talking to folks about what branch of the service I was in and I tell them that I was a Seabee 9 times out of 10 they will ask me what is a Seabee?

 

There are few of us but we are the best at what we do.

 

It is not really known who wrote this as far as I know it has been around as long as the Bee's...Its a fun little read and I thought I would share it with you all.

 

Sea·bee (sē'bē') n.

A member of one of the construction battalions in the U.S. Navy that builds naval aviation bases and shore facilities. [Alteration of cee bee, pronunciation of the initial letters of construction battalion.]

 

 

:FlagAm:

 

What is a Seabee?

 

 

Between the awkwardness of a Soldier and the dignity of a Marine, lies a Seabee. Seabees come in assorted sizes, shapes, weights, and colors; but all enjoy every second of every hour of every day, whether at work or at play; and protest, by griping, 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 adore them, airdales hate them, division officers tolerate them, and Chief Petty Officers drive them.

 

A Seabee has the appetite of a horse, the energy of a pocket size atom bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the lungs of a Paul Bunyon, the slyness of a fox, and the spirit of a fighting cock. He likes liberty, leave, holidays, weekends, girls, chow, movies, gedunks, sleep and comic books. He doesn't like duty, night watches, taps, reveille, 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 or Shore Patrol. No one else can have so much fun on so little money.

 

A Seabee has many abilities: he can weld, build, drive, repair, and fight. He can make something out of nothing, he can wreck or beautify. Work never seems to tire him nor does he seem to tire of it.

 

A Seabee is a magical creature, you can chew him out but you can't get work done without him. He is sometimes dirty, oftentimes overbearing and sometimes reluctant.

 

The typical Seabee won't admit to it, except in defense of his corps, that his is the best job in the Navy. Without him the Fleet would have nothing to gripe about, civilians would have nothing to talk about, and history would have nothing to write about.

 

His motto is "can do", to which he has added, "have done and did."

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OOOoohhhhh YEEEAAAAHHHH!! HT turned Seabee by TAD turned PDS, Antilles & ElSalvador 1985/86. (mixed unit of Marines/Seabees, and Reg. Navy- Chasn. S.C) :FlagAm:

 

Ain't we an acronymious bunch?! ;)

 

 

Bodine

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My grandfather served 1943-1945 105th NCB. "First in the Phillipines."

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AWKWARDNESS of a soldier??? Why you...thud.

 

Hey who left my dang boot layin there? :lol:

 

That was good, Woodie. I have added it to your SASS Vet pics. :FlagAm::D

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#1 Son did a tour in Iraq with the Seabees. He said they'd just go re-build whatever the Marines blew up!!

 

 

And the finished product would be better than the original :excl::ph34r:

Go Navy. :FlagAm:

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Corpsmen and Seabees........ Ok in my book...........

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Guest Winchester Jack, SASS #70195

I had a freind that a Seabee in Vietnam. You took your life in your hands to ride with him when he got back. He figured that since the VC didnt kill him nothing would

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I would have been quite proud to wear those light blue stripes on my sleeve as an E2 or 3; the Navy, though, decided I needed green ones instead. After I got off active, AI went right back to my Lineman, Electrician life.

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My ex-wifes husband (and my former boss) was a SeaBee in Viet Nam, and stayed in the reserves until a few years ago. Once a year he would have his unit in San Francisco load up all their gear, go N. on 101, then 116, then over the Cazadero/Ft.Ross Road, and on up Hsy. 1. Said it was good practice for them. Any vehicles that broke down, the repaired or loaded up on haulers and took with them.

 

BTW, that road used to be a logging road.

Cazadero/Ft. Ross

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Heck, even JOHN WAYNE was a fighting Seabee!!!

 

John Wayne was a fighting everything. :lol:

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John Wayne was a fighting everything. :lol:

 

 

John Wayne - "Sands of Iwo Jima". One of the very few flicks he made where he died. :mellow:

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My father in law told a story of how his SeaBee unit was tasked to build a road in Korea when they came under fire. He informed us that the N Koreans found they could not shoot through the blade of a bullldozer and that when you got those dozers three abreast it made them a lot harder to flank as well.

 

The LT wasn't too happy about how wide the road ended up being though. Said it was gonna be harder to maintain.

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John Wayne - "Sands of Iwo Jima". One of the very few flicks he made where he died. :mellow:

 

And he was a Fighting Marine

A Fighting Pilot

A Fighting Admiral

A Fighting Cavalryman

A Fighting Irishman

A Fighting Tennessean

A fighting Kentuckian

A Fighting Submariner

A Fighting Marshal

A Fighting FBI Agent

A Fighting Mongol

A Fighting Barbarian

 

The feller was very active. :lol:

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And he was a Fighting Marine

A Fighting Pilot

A Fighting Admiral

A Fighting Cavalryman

A Fighting Irishman

A Fighting Tennessean

A fighting Kentuckian

A Fighting Submariner

A Fighting Marshal

A Fighting FBI Agent

A Fighting Mongol

A Fighting Barbarian

 

The feller was very active. :lol:

 

 

And a Fighting Chicago Cop in England....

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What is a Seabee?

 

 

Between the awkwardness of a Soldier and the dignity of a Marine, lies a Seabee. Seabees come in assorted sizes, shapes, weights, and colors; but all enjoy every second of every hour of every day, whether at work or at play; and protest, by griping, 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 adore them, airdales hate them, division officers tolerate them, and Chief Petty Officers drive them.

 

A Seabee has the appetite of a horse, the energy of a pocket size atom bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the lungs of a Paul Bunyon, the slyness of a fox, and the spirit of a fighting cock. He likes liberty, leave, holidays, weekends, girls, chow, movies, gedunks, sleep and comic books. He doesn't like duty, night watches, taps, reveille, 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 or Shore Patrol. No one else can have so much fun on so little money.

 

A Seabee has many abilities: he can weld, build, drive, repair, and fight. He can make something out of nothing, he can wreck or beautify. Work never seems to tire him nor does he seem to tire of it.

 

A Seabee is a magical creature, you can chew him out but you can't get work done without him. He is sometimes dirty, oftentimes overbearing and sometimes reluctant.

 

The typical Seabee won't admit to it, except in defense of his corps, that his is the best job in the Navy. Without him the Fleet would have nothing to gripe about, civilians would have nothing to talk about, and history would have nothing to write about.

 

His motto is "can do", to which he has added, "have done and did."

 

 

There used to be a similar, but less-PC version of this for Paratroopers. With your permission sir,

 

The American Paratrooper

 

After the security of childhood and before the insecurity of the second childhood, we find the “PARATROOPER.”

 

Paratroopers are everywhere: in bars, behind bars, looking through police bars, in trouble, in debt, in the air, on leave, and in love. Paratroopers are found everywhere, in assorted sizes, weights, and states of sobriety, misery, and confusion.

 

Girls love them, mothers worry about them, the U.S. supports them, and somehow they manage to get along with each other.

 

A paratrooper is laziness with a deck of cards, a millionaire without a cent, bravery with a grin, the protector of America with the latest issue of “Playboy” in his pocket at all times.

 

A paratrooper is a composite: sly as a fox, with the energy of a turtle, the brains of an idiot, the sincerity of a liar, the appetite of an elephant, the aspiration of a Casanova, and the story of a hero.

 

When a paratrooper wants something, it is usually a three-day pass, special duty, or someone to pull his CQ.

 

He dislikes answering letters, wearing his uniform, his superior officers, getting up for reveille, Army chow, Army planes, Air Force Reserve pilots, the week before payday, his girl’s old man, curfews, and “LEGS!”

 

He likes girls, women, ladies, females, and members of the opposite sex.

 

No one can write so seldom, yet think of you so often. No one else can get so much out of your letters, civilian clothes, or sex magazines.

 

A paratrooper is a magical creature; you can lock him out of your house, but not out of your heart. You can take him off your mailing list, but not off your mind.

 

By: UNKNOWN PARATROOPER

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My sea daddy was a sea bee in WWII. According to him, the sea bees were being formed when he joined the Corps. They didn't know which branch to put his unit in so they got dress whites and dress blues. He always referred to himself as a Marine. He would chuckle when guys in green would talk about a beach landing as his retort would be that the sea bees cleared a spot for them and made the landing pad. He got blasted with schrapnel, went to the hospital, went AWOL while in hospital in his hospital PJs & robe and all bandaged up, went to a "fancy house", and then went back the hospital. No one batted an eye. He would have made John Wayne proud.

 

He did tell me that some branches of the service when asked what a Seabee was they would reply Cooks and Bakers. Then the fight was on.

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My sea daddy was a sea bee in WWII. According to him, the sea bees were being formed when he joined the Corps. They didn't know which branch to put his unit in so they got dress whites and dress blues. He always referred to himself as a Marine. He would chuckle when guys in green would talk about a beach landing as his retort would be that the sea bees cleared a spot for them and made the landing pad. He got blasted with schrapnel, went to the hospital, went AWOL while in hospital in his hospital PJs & robe and all bandaged up, went to a "fancy house", and then went back the hospital. No one batted an eye. He would have made John Wayne proud.

 

He did tell me that some branches of the service when asked what a Seabee was they would reply Cooks and Bakers. Then the fight was on.

 

 

That sounds about right....some things just don't change...

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