SeaBees

Vietnam War

Seabees were in Vietnam twice in the 1950s. First in June 1954, as elements of Operation Passage to Freedom and then two years later to survey and map the roads. Seabee teams 501 and 502 arrived January 1963 as the first Seabees of the Vietnam War. They went to Dam Pau and Tri Ton to build Special Forces camps. In 1964 small 14 man Seabee groups were tasked to the U.S. Army advisors in the Special Operations Group. ACB 1 was the first CB in the theater that year. In 1965 the Marines arrived, making an amphibious landing at Chu Lai, with Seabees attached. Entire Naval Construction Regiments followed. Seabees supported the Marines at Khe Sanh and Chu Lai combat bases. The U.S. had many civilian contractors in the country, however the Seabee construction included numerous aircraft-support facilities, roads, and bridges. For every mile of road they improved, they built 100' of bridge-deck. They also worked civic action projects throughout the country. In June 1965, Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Marvin G. Shields of Seabee Team 1104 was at the Battle of Dong Xoai. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and is the only Seabee to receive the award. Seabee Teams were part of a propaganda program to promote support for the RVN through positive community engagement, typically building schools, clinics, or drilling wells. In 1966, Seabees repaired the airfield at Khe Sahn covering an area of 3,900'x60' with aluminum matting in four days. General Westmoreland "called it one of the most outstanding military engineering feats of the war." MCB 4 had a det at Con Thien whose actions were a near repeat of Dong Xoai.