humanitarianseabee
Through My Eyes
Seabee Digital Exhibit
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No one cares about what you know, till they know how much you care
A random Master Chief popped his head into a leadership training class.
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Introduction
Seabee life
What is a Seabee? A question I am remarkably familiar with. This will give you a very brief history and then show you some of my experiences and knowledge of what it means to be one.
In WW2, civilian construction contractors were performing work for the Navy. After being massacred, Rear Admiral Ben Moreell purposed that the US have a construction fighting force that can defend themselves in dangerous areas.
The Seabee motto, “Construimus Batuimus” translates to “We Build, We Fight” hides a very important meaning. Notice within the motto, the Building comes first, then fighting comes second. It was done on purpose. We always have a mission to accomplish, which we then dearly protect.
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EO3 Sipes. “ First class travel”. 2010, Mid-air flight.
We are all trying to get some rest, while tensions are high.
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Photographer Unknown. “Boy Scout Camp Project”. 2012. West Virginia, United States.
Road work crew on one of the biggest Boy scout camps in USA. Joint operation with Navy, Marines, and Army.
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Photographer Unknown . “Tree clearing and camp maintenance”. 2008. Smokey Point, Washington, United States.
-Curator can be found on right hand side.
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Photographer Unknown. “Little America”. 1946, Antarctic.
Operation Highjump in December of 1946; 166 Seabees Sailed from Port Hueneme, Ca, to Antarctica. The U.S. Navy was charged with "Classified" orders "to do all it could, to establish a basis for a (U.S.) land claim in Antarctica". The Navy sent the Seabees to do the job, starting with the construction of Little America (exploration base) as well as a runway for aerial mapping flights. This operation was vastly larger then other expeditions that would follow.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Highjump
https://www.navalhistory.org/2012/02/01/establishment-of-operation-deep-freeze
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Felix de Weldon. Seabees Memorial. May 27, 1974, Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, United States.
The monument is a larger-than-life shirtless, muscular Seabee greets a small male child. Curving behind the bronze statue, is a wall of polished brown marble, on which is attached a large bronze panel depicting many of the functions of the Seabees: Surveying, operating heavy equipment, jackhammering, building Quonset huts, and ironworking.
Above, inscribed in gold leaf, are the words "Seabees - Can Do" - the latter being one of the Seabee mottos. On the ends of the wall are the Seal of the Construction Battalion and the U.S. Navy.
The left pylon contains a memorial dedication and a list of various military battles the Seabees engaged in from World War II through the Vietnam War. The right pylon contains the "Seabee prayer," a Christian prayer asking God's protection for the Seabees.
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The "Seabee" (CB) insignias
On 1 March 1942 the RADM Moreell recommended that an insignia be created to promote esprit de corps. Though it was not originally intended for uniforms, you can find the insignia on uniforms today. Frank J. Iafrate, a civilian file clerk at Quonset Point Advance Naval Base, Davisville, Rhode Island created the original “Disney Style” Seabee in early 1942.
During World War II there were ten Seabee logos designed by artists working for Disney, including at least two which have not been identified with any unit.
The end of WWII brought the decommissioning of nearly all the Seabees. They had been in existence for less than four years, but there was no central archive for their history, so these historically significant insignias were lost. As time passed the need arose again for the reactivation of the Seabees, but now they had no idea what the former insignias were so they made new ones.
The customs and uniforms have been changing for over 230 years, yet their purpose has remained the same, to provide Sailors with stability, camaraderie, and a sense of being part of something bigger than themselves. For the Seabees, the “Fighting Bee” logo on their uniform gives them just that.
And it all started because this unique organization could not be properly categorized under World War II uniform regulations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seabee#The_%22Seabee%22_and_CB_unit_insignias
https://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/2017/08/22/hey-mack-are-you-a-seabee/
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Photographer Unknown. “Prayer before we step off”. 2010. Camp Moreell, Kuwait.
Chaplin prays with us before we head out.
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Photographer Unknown. “Bringing water to the desert”. 2006, Iraq.
NMCB18 Water well project.
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Photographer Unknown. “MGB (Medium Gerder Bridge) repair”. 2006, Iraq.
A steelworker welding.
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BU1 Testa. “Sunset”. 2006, Kuwait.
Sunset over some equipment.
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PH2 Michael Sandberg. “ Seabees restore Hope Haven as part of Hurricane Katrina relief effort”. 12 Sep 2005. Waveland, Mississippi, United States.
Seabees restore Hope Haven as part of Hurricane Katrina relief effort
U.S. Navy Seabees, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One Three Three (NMCB-133), tear through a plywood floor as they take part in restoring Hope Haven, a children abuse shelter in Waveland, Miss., in support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Hope Haven has been and will once again provide a safe refuge for abuse and neglected children from Mississippi. The Navy's involvement in the humanitarian assistance operations are being led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in conjunction with the Department of Defense. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Michael Sandberg (RELEASED)
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: U.S. Navy Seabee Museum, Collections Department, Port Hueneme, CA 93043, www.history.navy.mil/museums/seabee_museum.htm
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Petty Officer 2nd Class Liam Kennedy. “Hurricane Irma”. Sep 15, 2017. St. John, Virgin Islands, United States.
Seabees use shovels and grit to clear away debris along a roadway.
https://www.northcom.mil/Images/igphoto/2001815716/
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BU3 Johnston, and EO3 Sipes. “Smoking Area (Pit)”. 2010, Camp Moreell, Kuwait.
Camp Moreell smoking area, in Kuwait. Where many leave their names, and dates they passed though. Some aren't the best spellers but the feelings are there.
-Curator found in top picture.
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EO3 Sipes. “Celebration”. 2010, Afghanistan.
Celebration with locals over the completion of housing project. The food was locally grown and made from scratch.
-Curator note: “I still have dreams about how sweet that melon was.”
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EO3 Sipes, and other Photographer Unknown. "Night time K-span work”. 2011, Afghanistan.
Working during the night, because temperature too hot during day.
Who knew parts of the world could reach up to the 140f range, then still be 90f at night.
-Curator found in bottom picture.
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