Seabees of the Navy, 1942 - 1997: A Bibliography

Vietnam War: Seabee Teams and I Corps Construction

By Steven C. Karoly

Books

315 Johnson, Thomas A. COMCBPAC Reports: Seabee Teams. Pearl Harbor: Commander, Construction Battalions, U. S. Pacific Fleet, 1969. 141p.
Describes the genesis of the Navy Seabee Technical Assistance Teams, later named Seabee Teams, and their eventual deployment to South America, Africa and Southeast Asia.

316 Stanton, Shelby L. "U. S. Air Force and U. S. Navy Construction." In Vietnam Order of Battle. Washington: U. S News, 1981, 257-258.

317 Olsen, James Stuart. "Seabees." In James Stuart Olsen, ed. Dictionary of the Vietnam War. rpt., New York: Peter Bedrick, 1988, 406-407. Original pub. Westport: Greenwood, 1987.

318 Tregaskis, Richard. Southeast Asia: Building the Bases, The Construction History in Southeast Asia. Washington: GPO, 1975. 466p.
This is the companion work to the World War II classic, Building the Navy's Bases. Tregaskis, author of Guadalcanal Diary and Vietnam Diary, includes anicdotal stories as well as historical fact. It includes a chart which details the deployments of 22 Seabee battalions and two Maintenance Units to Vietnam. Dedication is by Retired Marine Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak.

Articles

319 “Aceybone Is Ready.” All Hands, No. 597 (October 1966), 27.
The 1st Amphibious Seabees, known as Aceybone, go through a special military and combat training program.

320 “Behind the Headlines: Duty in Vietnam.” All Hands, No. 579 (April 1965), 32-7.
Seabees, Hospital Corpsmen and Naval Advisors are featured in this article. Seabee Teams 0503 and 1003 build Special Forces camps in Vietnam while Team 0504 constructs a 1500 foot airstrip at Pleiku, Vietnam. At writing Seabee Team 0505 is in-country performing civic action work for the Vietnamese.

321 Brakken, Dale B., James M. Keenan, Douglas M. Mattivk, Johnny R. McCully, Frank A. Peterlin, William M. Stokes, Charles Q. Wiiliams and James D. Wilson. “Brave Men of Dong Xoai.” All Hands, No. 601 (February 1967), 2-10.
Personal stories by Seabees and Special Forces officers and men who defended the Special Forces Camp at Dong Xoai. A chart detailing the attack is included in the article.

322 "Bridge or Barge: Seabees Can Do." Welding Engineering, 53 (October 1968), 46-7.

323 Browne, David. L. "Mud and Dust and the Viet Cong". United States Naval Institute Proceedings, No. 811 (September 1970), 52-7.
Analysis of Navy construction in the Republic of Vietnam by the Seabees and civilian contractors.

324 “Building a Church.” All Hands, No. 609 (October 1967), 34. The 8th Seabees build a chapel at Rosemary Point, Vietnam, that rivals stateside structures.

325 Building Under Fire.” All Hands, No. 591 (April 1966), 35.
Chief Builder Aaron D. Reeves’ 14-man Seabee crew must endure sniper fire as part of their daily routine. They are building a Marine camp near Chu Lai.

326 “Busy Bees Build Under the Seas.” All Hands, No. 629 (June 1969), 37.
Tektite I, an undersea laboratory, is placed on the sea floor in the Virgin Islands by a detachment of the 2nd Amphibious Seabees.

327 Clark, Rick D. “How Do You Write This Up in the Log?” All Hands, No. 625 (February 1969), 41.
A team from the 8th Seabees rescues a harbor utility craft that had been washed into a rice paddy during a typhoon.

328 “Davisville: First Home of Navy Green Giants.” All Hands, No. 629 (June 1969), 26-9.
This is a brief description of Construction Battalion Center, Davisville, RI. The function of the base is described, along with its many tenant commands such as Commander, Construction Battalions, Atlantic Fleet and Navy Schools Construction. Base services are also outlined in detail.

329 Deghan, Frank W. “Seabees Turn Teacher in Vietnam Self-Help Program.” All Hands, No. 631 (August 1969), 33.
Seabee Team 0603, one of 15 such teams deployed in Vietnam, pass their building skills on to the Vietnamese.

330 Dunbar, Dave. “Visit to Can Do College.” All Hands, No. 614 (March), 6-9.
This article describes schools for each of the seven Seabee ratings: Builder, Steelworker, Equipment Operator, Construction Mechanic Construction Electritian, Utilitiesman and Engineering Aid.

331 Falk, James F. “Beachmasters.” All Hands, No. 598 (November 1966), 45.
This article describes the work of Naval Beach Group One-comprised of a beachmaster unit, amphibious construction battalion and assault craft unit-in Vietnam.

332 ________. “Build-Up in Da Nang.” All Hands, No. 590 (March 1966), 18-20.
A compliment of 3,000 men and women support Navy and Marine operations from the Naval Support Activity, Da Nang, Vietnam. In addition, four Mobile Construction Battalions at building in the Da Nang-Chu Lai area.

333 Felicio, R. “Beach Group One.” All Hands, No. 621 (October), 26.
The 1st Amphibious Seabees, one of three specialized units in Naval Beach Group One, have made over 50 amphibious landings in Vietnam. Beachmaster Unit One and Assault Craft Squadron One are the other two units.

334 Filtz, Ernie. “Seabees Exchange Duty.” All Hands, No. 591 (April 1966), 27.
The 4th Seabees relieve the 10th. The 10th Seabees, homeported in Port Hueneme, CA, were the first full Mobile Construction Battalion to deploy to Vietnam in May 1965. They built the Chu Lai Marine Air Base.

335 “Going Up.” All Hands, No. 598 (November 1966), 23.
A pictorial article which shows progress made by the Steelworkers from the 11th Seabees in Da Nang.

336 “Gulfport: Seabees Golden Gateway to the South.” All Hands, No. 629 (June 1969), 34-6.
The history of Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, MS, services available for families residing on base and base housing are featured in this article.

337 “Home from Deployment.” All Hands, No. 631 (August 1969), 34.
The 12th Seabees, a reserve battalion called up for the Vietnam war, return home to their civilian lives.

338 “Honor Roll of Ships and Units.” All Hands, No. 634 (November 1969), 54-7.
Lists ships and units which have been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation and Meritorious Unit Commendation. Many Seabee units are named among the recipients, including Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 301 (a PUC for Detail Bravo and NUC for the whole unit), 30th Naval Construction Regiment (the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 40th, 58th, 62nd, 71st, 74th and 133rd Seabees were attached during the period of the award), 10th Seabees and the 1st Amphibious Seabees.

339 “Horn Alert.” All Hands, No. 613 (February 1968), 40.
The 3rd Seabees develop an system using two truck horns connected to an oxygen bottle.

340 “Hospital in Da Nang.” All Hands, No. 594 (July 1966), 39.
Seabees rebuild a hospital destroyed by enemy attack in Da Nang.

341 Hough, Dave, James E. Messner, Bill Saughter, and Steve Wulff. “USS Friendship Underway in Vietnam: Operation Positive Approach.” All Hands, No. 622 (November 1968), 2-7.
A compilation of news shorts on American civic action efforts during the Vietnam War. Efforts by three Seabee units, the 8th and 10th Seabees and Seabee Team 6201, are reported.

342 Huffman, Bud and Mike Murphy. “Salior’s Dry-Land Convoy.” All Hands, No. 618 (July 1968), 31.
The 4th Seabees sends men and equipment north from Da Nang to Dong Ha in a joint Army-Marine convoy of over 200 vehicles. The 100 mile trip took two days. The northern terminus was the 8th Seabee camp.

343 Johnson, D. “Your Ideas Are Worth Money!” All Hands, No.612 (January 1968), 30.
Lt. George. W. Partlow of the 4th Seabees is awarded a cash prize for his suggestion for his design to harden trucks against mine damage.

344 Johnson, Thomas A. “Saliors In Green Uniforms.” All Hands, No. 622 (November 1968), 8-12.
An up to date brief on Seabee activities in the Republic of Vietnam. Major in-country Seabee camps are identified, accomplishments listed, and unit and personal awards summarized.

345 Jordan, Bob. “Bridge Over River Tourane Built for Keeps This Time.” All Hands, No. 587 (December 1965), 31.
The 9th Seabees, with assistance from the 3rd, reconstruct a bridge in 16 days.

346 Kurtz, Lewis A. “U. S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Seven.” All Hands, No. 624 (January 1969), 32.
Following naval tradition, this is the 7th Seabees’ first log entry for the new year. It is written in verse.

347 Martens, Bob. “One Example: Seabees Pass the Test In the Field.” All Hands, No. 614 (March 1968), 11.
Construction Mechanic First Harley O. Tillman of the 121st Seabees maintains three million dollars of construction equipment at his Phu Bai, Vietnam, base.

348 Merdinger, Charles J. "Civil Engineers, Seabees, and Bases-Viet Nam." United States Naval Institute Proceedings, No. 807 (May 1970), 254. Higham (1975): 218.

349 “MCB Forty: Can Do¾Done Did.” All Hands, No. 610 (November 1967), 27.
The 40th Seabees, in Davisville after an eight-month tour, built runways, a tank farm, buildings, galleys and ammunition bunkers while in Vietnam.

350 “MCB Seven Goes Local.” All Hands, No. 632 (September 1969), 40-1.
An eight-man civic action team from the 7th Seabees trains Vietnamese craftsmen and build a school.

351 “MCB 71 Has a History.” All Hands, No. 599 (December 1966), 40.
The 71st Seabees, fifth of six Mobile Construction Battalions to be recommissioned in 1966, returns to active duty with a proud history.

352 Middleton, William D. "Seabees at Dong Xoai '... a New Kind of Fighting Man.'" United States Naval Institute Proceedings, No. 827 (January 1972), 30-6.
The work and subsequent defense of the Dong Xoai camp of Seabee Team 1104 is portrayed by the former executive officer of the 11th Seabees. 1104 is the first Team to deploy to Vietnam in 1964.

353 ________. "Seabees in Viet Nam." Naval Institute Proceedings, No. 774 (August 1967), 54-64.
Chronicles early employment of the 3rd Naval Construction Brigade in Vietnam. The 10th Seabees, landing at Chu Lai on May 7, 1965, is the first full battalion to arrive in country. Total strength reaches nine battalions by April 1967.

354 “Navy Outstanding ‘Teams’.” All Hands, No. 606 (July 1967), 8-12.
This article lists Navy and Marine Corps ships and units awarded the Navy Unit Commendation. Seabee Team 1104 and the 10th Seabees are included.

355 “Navy’s Seabees Sprout Wings of Steel.” All Hands, No. 607 (August 1967), 12-3.
The 9th Seabees, based in Da Nang, use Australian STOL aircraft and Marine helicopters to airlift men and equipment to remote construction sites.

356 Olsen, A. N. "Teaming up to Build a Nation." United States Naval Institute Proceedings, No. 800 (October 1969), 34-43.
Outlines the table of organization and equipment for a standard 13-man Seabee team. The work of the Teams in Vietnam is thoroughly studied.

357 “Port Hueneme: Where the Builders Travel West.” All Hands, No. 629 (June 1969), 30-3.
Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme, CA is home base for thousands of Seabees who serve in the Pacific. A brief history of the bases inception and growth in World War II, its development on the fifties and how it functions today. A guide for families stationed at Port Hueneme is included.

358 Roth, Gary. “Dig Those Seabees Dig.” All Hands, No. 588 (January 1966), 14.
A 12-man well drilling team from the 10th Seabees drills for water in several locations.

359 “Roundup On Vietnam Rotation for Seabees.” All Hands, No. 624 (January 1969), 50-2.
Seabees who serve one year assigned in country or two consecutive Vietnam tours with a MCB may be exempted from further Vietnam tours.

360 “Runaway Runway.” All Hands, No. 590 (March 1966), 23-4.
Three Civil Engineer Corps officers lay the last aluminum mat on the Cam Ranh Bay Air Base. The airfield was built by civilian contractors.

361 Schultz, Mort. "Vietnam Report: The Seabees Swarm Again!" Popular Mechanics, 129 (March 1968), 82+.
While Vietnam Seabees were younger then their World War II fathers, they are just as ingenious at building.

362 "Seabee Brigade Recommissioned." United States Naval Institute Proceedings. No. 763 (September 1966), 154. Rpr. from Navy Times, June 22, 1966.
The 3rd Naval Construction Brigade, a veteran of World War II, is recommissioned in Vietnam under the leadership of Rear Admiral R. R. Wooding. The Brigade is headquartered in Saigon. Captain N. R. Anderson, Commander of the 30th Naval Construction Regiment in Da Nang, is the Brigades Deputy Commander.

363 “Seabees Earn ‘Well Done’ for Job in Vietnam.” All Hands, No. 582 (July 1965), 17.
A team from the 9th Seabees drills wells in the Mekong Delta village of Tan Hiep.

364 "Seabees Play a Peace Corps Role." Engineering News-Record, 172 (June 18, 1964), 68-9.

365 “Seabees Shape Up to Ship Out.” All Hands, No. 595 (August 1966), 17.
The 10th Seabees, from Port Hueneme, CA train to defend themselves at a local county park. They soon relieved the 5th Seabees, also stationed in Port Hueneme, in Vietnam.

366 “Seabees Train Vietnamese.” All Hands, No. 630 (July 1969), 43.
The 121st Seabees are training Vietnamese students the tools of the trade.

367 “Seabees Work With Korean Marines in Vietnam.” All Hands, No. 620 (September 1968), 29.
The 58th Seabees build a camp for the 2nd Republic of Korea Marine Brigade at Da Hang.

368 “Shields Memorial.” All Hands, No. 591 (April 1966), 24.
The Chu Lai Seabee Camp is renamed Camp Shields in honor of the first Seabee to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

369 Stephen, W. “Seabees Learn to Protect What They Build.” All Hands, No. 588 (January 1966), 18-9.
The 6th Seabees, veterans of Guadalcanal, receive combat training in preparation for their next deployment to Vietnam. They are homeported at Davisville, VA.

370 “The Sun Never Sets On the Seabees.” All Hands, No. 629 (June 1969), 24-5.
The lead article in a special report on the Seabees. Seabee bases at Davisville, Port Hueneme and Gulfport are featured in the other articles of the series. This article makes the statement: “Seabees don’t have to go to Vietnam to find excitement or a challenging assignment.”

371 “The Brave and Gallant.” All Hands, No. 625 (February 1969), 12-3.
The 30th Naval Construction Regiment is awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and Seabee Team 1108 is awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for Vietnam service.

372 “Training with Vietnam Navy.” All Hands. No. 568 (May 1964), 13.
The 5th Seabees hit the beach on Guam during a joint US-Vietnamese exercise with the VNNS Thi Nai, a former U. S. Navy LST.

373 Weesner, Bill. “Needed: A Battalion of Cargo Handlers.” All Hands. No. 595 (August 1966), 18-9.
This article describes training and work of the Navy’s two Cargo Handling Battalions, the 1st, stationed in Da Nang, and the 2nd, homeported at the Cheatham Annex to the Norfolk Naval Supply Center. About 25 per cent of the crew are Seabees, led by a Civil Engineer Corps officer.

374 “Whant’s in a Name: A New Life for MCB 40.” All Hands, No. 594 (July 1966), 55.
The 40th Seabees are the first of several distinguished World War II battalions to be recommissioned for service in Vietnam. The 58th was soon commissioned again. The 62nd and 133rd Seabees are expected to follow.

375 Wilkerson, Joseph F. "For Construction Chief A. C. Husband...Vietnam is the Navy's Busiest and Biggest Site." Engineering News-Record. 178 (March 30, 1967), 36-40.
Vietnam Construction by contraction conglomerate, RMK-BRJ, and the Seabees is featured in an article introducing the Navy’s construction chief, Rear Admiral Alexander A. Husband.

Other Publications

376 Chew, Peter T. “From Iwo to Da Nang; Continuing Seabee Saga: With Their Old Friends, The Marines, They Battle Enemy While Building Bases.” United States Navy Construction Battalions: Seabees in Action. Washington: , United States Navy. Naval Facilities Engineering Command. 1967. 4p. Rpt. from The National Observer, 5 (June 27, 1966).
This is a recruiting and public affairs pamphlet commemorating the 100th Civil Engineer Corps and 25th Seabee anniversaries. The article features the 30th Naval Construction Regiment, stationed in Da Nang, Vietnam. Included are several anecdotes from the 1st and 10th Seabees.

377 Thackrey, Ted, Jr. “He Operated Under Viet Cong Fire.” United States Navy Construction Battalions: Seabees in Action: , United States Navy. Naval Facilities Engineering Command. 1967. 4p. Rpt. from Los Angeles Herald Examiner, 96 (June 7, 1966).
This is a recruiting and public affairs pamphlet commemorating the 100th Civil Engineer Corps and 25th Seabee anniversaries. This is the story of Doctor Harvey M. Henry. He was the Medical Officer for the 9th Seabees when Viet Cong sappers attacked the Marble Mountain Marine Air Facility on October 28, 1965, destroying the yet to be completed hospital.

378 ________. “Bloddy Baptism While Building: Viet Seabees Retrain” United States Navy Construction Battalions: Seabees in Action. Washington: United States Navy. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 1967. 4p. Rpt. from Los Angeles Herald Examiner, 96 (June 4, 1966).
This is a recruiting and public affairs pamphlet commemorating the 100th Civil Engineer Corps and 25th Seabee anniversaries. The 9th Seabees retrain in Port Hueneme, Ca after an eight-month deployment to Da Nang, Vietnam. The article also highlights accomplishments during their recent tour in Vietnam.

379 United States Navy. Naval Facilities Engineering Command. “The Marvin Shields Story - Congressional Medal of Honor, 13 September 1966: Action at Dong Xoai - 9¾10 June 1965, Seabee Team 1104 - Mobile Construction Battalion 11.” United States Navy Construction Battalions: Seabees in Action. Washington: GPO, 1967. 6p.
This is a recruiting and public affairs pamphlet commemorating the 100th Civil Engineer Corps and 25th Seabee anniversaries. Several newspaper articles from the New York Times, Evening Star of Washington, DC, and Seabee Coverall are reprinted. Shield's Medal of Honor citation is also reprinted.

380 United States Navy. Naval Facilities Engineering Command. “Seabee Teams: Seabees in Civic Action, The Navy Peace Corps.” United States Navy Construction Battalions: Seabees in Action. Washington: GPO, 1967. 14p.
This is a recruiting and public affairs pamphlet commemorating the 100th Civil Engineer Corps and 25th Seabee anniversaries. Articles describing the work of Seabee Teams in the Central African Republic, Thailand and Vietnam are reprinted. Although the source periodicals appear to be military newspapers, they are unidentified.

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