middot Issue No 5 15 November 1943

SEABEE NEWS SERVICE

REPORTS INDICATE SEABEES AT BOUGAINVILLE

Under perhaps the worst conditions American tr9ope( h~Ve ltPtountered n

according to a descriptiqn wired by Frank Tremaine front-linEU P corresshypondent with Allied forces on Eougainville Jt bullbullbull oonstruction battalions labor unceasingly to keep traffic moving through the jungle 11

Tremaines story dated Novemoer 12 continues 11There is no roaa parallel to the shore so tr~tkc -ploughs along the beach with two wheels in the water until a vehicle gets stuck fording an inlet ~en =gtther vehicles pull it out with winches

The construction battalions are operating in jungle so thick thatrthe Marines do not dare to use mortars or grenades because they cant loft them out of their own territory

Rain falls almost continuously and the g~ound is a spongy mess where it isnt churned into a quagmire by trucks aad jeeps

The hardships middotthe Seabees are QVtgt~C~ in carrying outthe1rmiddotassign ment can be judged in the light of the reports of Marine veterans of the initial Solom6n Islands landings in Augu3t 1942 who say that fighting and li Ving condi tiona are worse than Guadalcanal middot

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COMMANDER GESSNER ANP 64th COMMENDED BY GENERAL

The pile drivine detachment of the 64t4 ~eabe~ bat~liltJp_was on sche~ dule Tey thow3ht they had a day and a haj_f of -dr~ ving to do ~nd everr~ thing was under con-rol Suddenlymiddot the sharp shrillmiddot of -the telephonegtbells pierced the hltavy deep thump of the driver middot middot

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11 This is Commander Ges~ne~ If the voice said to Chief Paul Ive promis~d the Army they can have y0w pile driver at 0700 you fin- h then 111

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Thompon s only comment was 11Aye Aye sigt middot ( i

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Thompsonmiddotmiddot tomorrow bull

Lights weremiddotrigged and despite a 32 knot wind that played tricks with the hanging timbers middotmiddotthe middotmen worked middotsteadily and-t-i-rel~ssly 1hl9ugh tJje night~middot Atmiddot0530 middotthebull job was comicropletedmiddotmiddotwithan--~o~r and-a half to 8pare in redeeming the commanders promiaeuro

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For this typical eicampleof Seabee cooperation and willingness to help regardlemiddotss of condi~ions th~64th Battalto~middota~-~itia co~9J_ng Officer Comdr Edward R bull middot Gessner ClilC UHNR have bee~ ~Olljlll~nd~gPlr~JPf Gener~l John B bull Brooks of the U bull S middotAOJfY-middot i middot1 ~Femiddot middot middot middot middot middot1 middotbull

-The job was undertak~n aft~t tgE Seab~sect wtr~~ot~f~~g ~Y the army that theLr pile driying eqvip~Ilt)l-d broken_4ownc~ltb1reg~~~4 pper~~t_ons at a very

NAVDOCKS 1 -

critical time during the comple~ion qf high priority construction Comshymander Gessner immediately oft_~red the us~ of the~ S~abees ow eq~ipment

Such co-operation anct assistance by the U S Navy to the Army is important to the war effort and sets a high standard vhich if f9llowed i~

an immeasurable helpmiddot in the furtherance of the war middot effort General Brooks letter of commendation notad

tvembers of the double shift crew were Toxie Polk CCM R L Ellis CyenJ2c RR bull Greeninl Slc V J Gargulak Slc R F Harmon Slc L G Walker CVJ2c F M bull McGowan ClJUc R C Mci~re CM3c and M I Di-Trapani EMlc

General Brooks letter also not~d 11 bullbullbull (the) fabripation (of) the necesshy

sary repair parts for the Army equipment This work was done so efficiently and rapidly that the spare equipment and repair parts were available the next day bullbullbull (and) enabled the resumption of critical construction forces

This was in reference to four twelve inch piston rings manufactured by H J Yeates MMlc and L bull C Cordea MM2c which was a routine machine shop joo although the e100rge~cy made more than normal speed necessary Although the Seabees had the original catal0gue dimensions on the size of the rings they had to take into consideration middotmiddotthat the Army machine hed seen considerable service and wear middotmiddot middot

Yeates said the following morning iTh~~ goodness our suess was right The rings fitted middot middotmiddot middot middot

middot Iri a middot forwarding letter to- the middoto6imhendat-ioh Commander Victor W Buhr CEC USNR wrote in part middot ~

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This officers actfon middotin makirigmiddot this vitaL item of middotequipment ~vailable to the Army engineers bullbullbullbullbull ie typical of the 11Can and Will Do spirit that prevaila izi the 64trr tr s middotNavalmiddot Co~middotstruction Battal1on

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JEEP FOR ~ middotEOG

An army unit at Guadal~anai had an extra jeep arid Lieutenant C-ommander William W Davis CEC USNR had an extra hens egg It was a deal The Sea bee commander drove off it the je~p1 bull and the arnzy- cltgt~nder dined on a friedegg middot~ middot middotmiddotfmiddot_ middot middotmiddot ~middot--middot ~middot middot middot _ middot middotmiddot ~1 ~~1 middotT middot

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I figure I got the best of the(oargain aaid Lieutenantmiddot Coinmartder Davis but the army officer tpiplcs it was tle other way l(ecaue you cant eat a Jeep middotmiddot middot middotmiddot middot middot middot - i ~ middotmiddotmiddot middotmiddot bull middot middot middotmiddot middotmiddot middot middot middot

middot fbe Sea~ee co~~de~ middot middot~~id th~ ti~ht~ ~~iideXis haq ti SEl~~t ~ik~d~~~~middot steward of a middotsupply ship out middotof 60middot dbz~n eggs wnfoh Were portionemiddotd OU~ to the entire battalion and 25 tons- ~)at~a rigt ~ tone - - of oranges Each man had better than a crate IImiddot grinrtedDa1-is middott1nd theymiddot Swapped them with the marines for fresh vegetables We did all right

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As a further eupplemen t to regular rat ions the Sea bees 11 sweet talked

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the Marine~ 9~tof ~ breiid_ ~iX~IlB imicroachine according to Davis and fresh bread was added to the menu

JAPS BEWARE _ middotmiddot -

According to competent observers Sea bee William E Tiny Taylor 6 foot 3~ inch 248 pound giant iemiddotQllemiddotof the best heavyweight boxers ever to enter the annual Army-Ifavy-Marine boxing tournament held at the Canal Zone

The 20- year-old 11Fighter-Buiidemiddotr middotrt has five straight wins to his credit defeating the best the Army and Mar-inea could send into the ring and has never been knocked off the middotsize l5smiddot that support him In his last bout Tiny battered a Marine to the canvas middotseven times for nine counts -before winning

Prior to his enlistment in June of this year Taylor was Golden Gloves champ in Charlotte North Carolina and a member of the Atlanta Journal Boxshying team

1riny middot odds-on choice to win the title feels middotitmiddot would beglieat sport to tangle with 8 or 9 Japs in a rdugh and tumble-fight --

middot middot

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SEA13EES IGNORE ENEMY AL~N

middot middotSubjected -to 63 air rai-ds andair re1dalertS middotlastitlg 55 hours since middot their arrival 1nmid- M9y Navy Seabees nnmiddot aSouth Pacificmiddotmiddotisland pointmiddot~- middot

with pride to the fact that they have only lost 5 man hours during that period

Typical ofmiddot the- disWiin inmiddotwhich the Seebees hold the enemy airmen is one week 1 s record of no work hours lost during eleven air raid alerts lasting 12 hours and 20 minutes

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YANK PAYS TRIBUTE TO SEABEES

The No 1 feature middot inmiddot the October 29th issue of Yank is an arti cle by Sgt Dave Richardsonmiddot entitled Bulldozing Busy Bodies middotwhich pays tribute to the 11U S Navys middotcrack Construction Reg iment that set a record for speed in air stTip construction by building a runway -on Woodshylark Island within 13 and one-half days of landing with the f i rst wave of an occu~ation force

The article is accompanied by a full page ofmiddot pictures showing Beashybee s in action middot

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middot

the Marine~ 9~tof ~ breiid_ ~iX~IlB imicroachine according to Davis and fresh bread was added to the menu

JAPS BEWARE _ middotmiddot -

According to competent observers Sea bee William E Tiny Taylor 6 foot 3~ inch 248 pound giant iemiddotQllemiddotof the best heavyweight boxers ever to enter the annual Army-Ifavy-Marine boxing tournament held at the Canal Zone

The 20- year-old 11Fighter-Buiidemiddotr middotrt has five straight wins to his credit defeating the best the Army and Mar-inea could send into the ring and has never been knocked off the middotsize l5smiddot that support him In his last bout Tiny battered a Marine to the canvas middotseven times for nine counts -before winning

Prior to his enlistment in June of this year Taylor was Golden Gloves champ in Charlotte North Carolina and a member of the Atlanta Journal Boxshying team

1riny middot odds-on choice to win the title feels middotitmiddot would beglieat sport to tangle with 8 or 9 Japs in a rdugh and tumble-fight --

middot middot

----~o----

SEA13EES IGNORE ENEMY AL~N

middot middotSubjected -to 63 air rai-ds andair re1dalertS middotlastitlg 55 hours since middot their arrival 1nmid- M9y Navy Seabees nnmiddot aSouth Pacificmiddotmiddotisland pointmiddot~- middot

with pride to the fact that they have only lost 5 man hours during that period

Typical ofmiddot the- disWiin inmiddotwhich the Seebees hold the enemy airmen is one week 1 s record of no work hours lost during eleven air raid alerts lasting 12 hours and 20 minutes

---middot30-middot---

YANK PAYS TRIBUTE TO SEABEES

The No 1 feature middot inmiddot the October 29th issue of Yank is an arti cle by Sgt Dave Richardsonmiddot entitled Bulldozing Busy Bodies middotwhich pays tribute to the 11U S Navys middotcrack Construction Reg iment that set a record for speed in air stTip construction by building a runway -on Woodshylark Island within 13 and one-half days of landing with the f i rst wave of an occu~ation force

The article is accompanied by a full page ofmiddot pictures showing Beashybee s in action middot

--- 30----

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SEABEE RESCUES MATE FROM DROWNING

Kenneth L Enos ClgtIlc of the 49th Battalion earned the commendation of his commanding officer Commander J~shall p ~ Barnett CEO QSNR and the plaudits of his mates for disregarding his own s~~W to reiio~ ~ middot fellow

Sea~e f-rom drowning

Wai tinc for a liberty boat Enos saw the Seabee fall off the dock trike his head a sharp glancing blow against a middot boat moored alongside and disappear into the water Ihspite the fact a number of Marines sailors and SeaRees were on the dock at the time Enos clacl in dress blues immediately dived into the water

After considerable middotsea+ching Enos located the unconscious man under the stern of the boat which he had struck in his fall and after several dives from the water surface succeeded in bringing him up Both men were hauled onto the pier by the anxious onlookers

Soaked and exhausted by his exeptions Enos insisted on helping administer artificial respiration to the man he had rescued until the arrival of an ambulance

middot Co~der Barnetts commendation noted bullrt is wi tll muoh pride that we know we have men in our midst wbo willmiddot disregard their qwn safety in an emergency11 bull bull

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One of the first construction projects one battalion had upon landshy ingon rsland X was the buiJding ofmiddot an addition to the Station Brig Before the month was over rec~lQi trants of the complement ha~ spent 61 man-days inside-looking out middot

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SEPBEE FIXES WEAGHAJvlACALLIT

The fact that hemiddot didnt know the name of the instrument -had never s~en one before and couldnt pronounce its nrune didnt prevent Solomon

~l Blum EM3c of CBMU 516 from repairing it

The device an otoscope isused to exrunine the inner reaches of the earmiddotand had been discarded by the medical officer aa useless

--middot-30----

CBMU EXPECTS WORSTmiddot-FINDS BEST

Steelinc themselves t o expect the worst CBMU 516 disembarked at a South Atlantic i sland to find what amounted t o the motion-pictures premiddot war version of 11 south sea i aland paradi se 11

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Exc~llent ~uarters-middotnew two-storied barracks serving the dual purpose of housing and turricane sheltersmiddot-semimiddottropical weather considerate liberty

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schedule opportunities ~or- t~~ middot~ri middotto middot d~ the work for ~hi~t~~Y enlisted and n~rious recreatio~i middot raciliti~middots weremiddot among the ~tlrpris_es that_ did much to absorb the shock of being suddenly transplantemiddotd to amiddot strarige country

Becreatiqn ranged

1

from aeepseci fishing to ~ountain o~tings soft-ball1

basketball movies ~9- th~middot Usuai entertairilDSrit proviaedmiddot on a baa~ already established middot middot middot middot _ middot middot middot

John R~bertson C~c ~ R middot D~ __ Kohler ~c _ disdajned the modernity Of fishing tac)de and faehioned harpoons_ landihg _ ~middot total 6f 624 pounds of

- - ( -middot -shark in _t~~~-- -~~~middotches and _a ~~ant 75 P~md ~~Y_ -__ middot_ _ middotmiddotmiddot middotmiddot-

Al though the unit believe a i _ia _eXplo+ts ~re hardly comparable to those of other Seabee battalions its achievemehts were middotperformed with typical Seabee efficiency and in so mucJ r~izt t~~t- waes amongst the personnel suggested taking soundings to determ1ne where the island ended and the sea be~armiddot

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Pomforts of the base wer_e leesened ~m-ly bi ~th~ pre~ence of ravenous little flyiiig middot~tilia fleas calla d among otheimiddot things m~emie 8 II bull Obviously hmicrolfgry and without white meat for moptha the ~-~mies caused considerable ihsmiddots of sle~p Another eource of ~-~~-olllfort ~re the isl~d mos_qui to~s-shySlllB11 enoligh to enter thr ough_ the emall mesh screens on the barracks windows middot bullbull ~ bull middot bull

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middot TEMPus~ rr~wim AtD oF PIN ~

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c~~lie L Z~c~ki~ middot si~ -th ihe 56th Battalion~ ~ fbrciier ~t~~-rep~irshyman frommiddot Teicas doosn t let th~ lack of proper watch repiacemerit partsmiddot worry him -

When a shipmates watch brok~ dowp for want of a jewel Charlie snipped the head off an ordinary straight pin dressed it down and set it in place~ --

middot Tie 9~er report~ that the watch is keepiig a~ =~pci time-- ~~middot middotit Pid vhen new ~ - _

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s~~EEs middotMAKE GRAND SLAM SOL TING BRIDGEmiddot PRoBLEM bull ~ bull bull bull bull bull bull l bull bull bull bull bull bull bull -

Faced with the problem of installing a 20-ton overnead bridge crane in -~ fmicrolly-operating power plapt without damaging the expensive and critical equipment already ins~lted a crew of ~~1tgte~s ltf __ the_ 56th Battalion under the direction of Carp Ja]4l6s R Harrisl displayed typical Seabee ingenuity to overcome the numerous difficulties which confronted them bull

~

Th~ - ~pan of the cr~ne was equa~ t9 the full ~idth of the engine rqom and had a gross weigpt- of sixie~n tona~ the large~rt piece_ of which weighed aix tons Clearan9e ab)ve tne rails on wnich tP~ degJridse q_r~~middot had tope ~rected was middotiiot suffiltfent ~o perini t the r+ggil1f$ o~ a df~rick or gi~-pltgtle nor was there e~ough ~loor space to jack up ~pebridge into po~ition since the entire floor area except for a narrow passageway was t8ken up by the huge generators switching gear and other equipment

- 5 -

schedule opportunities ~or- t~~ middot~ri middotto middot d~ the work for ~hi~t~~Y enlisted and n~rious recreatio~i middot raciliti~middots weremiddot among the ~tlrpris_es that_ did much to absorb the shock of being suddenly transplantemiddotd to amiddot strarige country

Becreatiqn ranged

1

from aeepseci fishing to ~ountain o~tings soft-ball1

basketball movies ~9- th~middot Usuai entertairilDSrit proviaedmiddot on a baa~ already established middot middot middot middot _ middot middot middot

John R~bertson C~c ~ R middot D~ __ Kohler ~c _ disdajned the modernity Of fishing tac)de and faehioned harpoons_ landihg _ ~middot total 6f 624 pounds of

- - ( -middot -shark in _t~~~-- -~~~middotches and _a ~~ant 75 P~md ~~Y_ -__ middot_ _ middotmiddotmiddot middotmiddot-

Al though the unit believe a i _ia _eXplo+ts ~re hardly comparable to those of other Seabee battalions its achievemehts were middotperformed with typical Seabee efficiency and in so mucJ r~izt t~~t- waes amongst the personnel suggested taking soundings to determ1ne where the island ended and the sea be~armiddot

0a 1 ~ t t bull 1

1

t gt I bull l l bull bull middot ~ ~- I ~

Pomforts of the base wer_e leesened ~m-ly bi ~th~ pre~ence of ravenous little flyiiig middot~tilia fleas calla d among otheimiddot things m~emie 8 II bull Obviously hmicrolfgry and without white meat for moptha the ~-~mies caused considerable ihsmiddots of sle~p Another eource of ~-~~-olllfort ~re the isl~d mos_qui to~s-shySlllB11 enoligh to enter thr ough_ the emall mesh screens on the barracks windows middot bullbull ~ bull middot bull

--middot~30~~-shy - middot t bull - - r ~ bull bull

~

middot TEMPus~ rr~wim AtD oF PIN ~

~ ~ ~

~

c~~lie L Z~c~ki~ middot si~ -th ihe 56th Battalion~ ~ fbrciier ~t~~-rep~irshyman frommiddot Teicas doosn t let th~ lack of proper watch repiacemerit partsmiddot worry him -

When a shipmates watch brok~ dowp for want of a jewel Charlie snipped the head off an ordinary straight pin dressed it down and set it in place~ --

middot Tie 9~er report~ that the watch is keepiig a~ =~pci time-- ~~middot middotit Pid vhen new ~ - _

----30----

s~~EEs middotMAKE GRAND SLAM SOL TING BRIDGEmiddot PRoBLEM bull ~ bull bull bull bull bull bull l bull bull bull bull bull bull bull -

Faced with the problem of installing a 20-ton overnead bridge crane in -~ fmicrolly-operating power plapt without damaging the expensive and critical equipment already ins~lted a crew of ~~1tgte~s ltf __ the_ 56th Battalion under the direction of Carp Ja]4l6s R Harrisl displayed typical Seabee ingenuity to overcome the numerous difficulties which confronted them bull

~

Th~ - ~pan of the cr~ne was equa~ t9 the full ~idth of the engine rqom and had a gross weigpt- of sixie~n tona~ the large~rt piece_ of which weighed aix tons Clearan9e ab)ve tne rails on wnich tP~ degJridse q_r~~middot had tope ~rected was middotiiot suffiltfent ~o perini t the r+ggil1f$ o~ a df~rick or gi~-pltgtle nor was there e~ough ~loor space to jack up ~pebridge into po~ition since the entire floor area except for a narrow passageway was t8ken up by the huge generators switching gear and other equipment

- 5 -

After numerous suggestions and careful consideration middotit was decided to bring the middotbattalion motor crane up to the main door of the plant with th(3 middot u boom in a horizontal position The boom was elevated and it was discovered that there was not enough overhead clearance to permit the mounting 0f-the bridge crane beams in place by the conventional method of suspending middot themiddot beams from the end of the boom with slings bull

middotUndaunted the Seabees middot blocked up the beams on the f)oor dropped ti+e motor crane boom under the beams and by delicate and precarious balancing boosted the beaxns into place one at middota time

After the beams had been placed the carriage for the crane was moved to the center of the floor temporary hangers fasted to it and bolted to the end of the motor crane boom Then the boom was raised with the carriage sequred to it and the latter was lowered exactly in place

Considering the conditions under which the job was done the speed with which the work was accomplished was almost unbelievable~ After the plan had been devised and the equipment assembled the bridge crane was completely erected in approxilllately 8 houra working time

(middotmiddot

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SEAEEE FATHER WELCOMES MARINE SON TO ISLAND X

When Chief Boatswains Mate H T Sherlock was in tr~ining at Camp Peary his son was with the Marines across the continent at San Diego The senior member of the fighting Sherlocks headed westward for emshybarkation looking forward to a visti with his youngster When he found that Sherlock Jr was en route to Norfolk at the same time it looked like the meeting would have to be postponed until after the war

Soon after middott~e youn8 Marine larided at what appeared to him to be just about the smallest dot on the map anyone could find

Looking forw8rd to action he stepped ashore bull to be greeted by his old Seabee pappy Sherlock Sr who had previousiy landed with a Construction Battalion

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SEABEES WASH IN G I CAN

The worrisome Seabee probiem of how to do their washing with the least amount of effort challenged the inventive natures of Don Litrell Mlc J F Glass SF3c and T H Sontag SFlc of the 56th Battalion stationed somewhere on Island X11

After scouring the junk pilesmiddot the embryo Edisons salvaged 1 G I can 1 refrigerator belt 1 truck tie-rod 1 worn-out concrete vibrator motor and an old washer agitator

Mixing well before using the intrepidmiddotSeabees came up with something that may not ~esemble a washing machine but acc0rding to reports middotfrom the battalion does a fine job--and thats all that counts chorus the proud inventors -

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------------------~--------------------~---~--middot-middotmiddotmiddot------- middot-----middot-

-middotWE BUILD---AND REPAIR TOO

CBMU 516 is proud of the versitility of its crew

When a freighter pulled in for unloading the captain complained about the workings of a generator--one vhich had defied permanent repairs in the States for months Harry M Thompson CEM and Henry Itzkoibull HMc 1 v~nt below to examine the faulty dynamo

Within eight hours they had realigned the bnish assembly fitted new brusheamiddotmiddotand dceased dawn the commutator to place the generator in first class middotcondition bull

Meantime the units s_tevedores had started to unload the cergo and removed 1 600 tons in 40 hours

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SEABEE1 S QUICK -ACTION PREVENTS RUGE FIRE

William C Tolliver Flc of the 55th Battalion reached up grabbed a hand extinguisher thrown to him and quickly smothered licking flames that threatened to burst into a blazinB inferno thereby averting the destruction of two PT boats a ste~l barge laden with high octane gas a launch aI)d the lives of the Seabee refueling crew

The fire was caused when an unknov person not amember of the crew dropped an igni tecl matyh in the g~soline bull

For his heroi~ deed Tolliver earned the coirmendation of his company commander Lt bull Jolm N Spaulding CEC USNR for bullbull his quick thinking and quick action (fhich has) added to the traditions of the Seabees 11

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35TH DOES FINE JOB DESPITE JAPS WILD CATTLE ETC

Numerous Jap air raids and alerts wild cattle and a hundred-and-one

other troubles did not prevent the 35th Construction Battalion from hackshying an air field out of tangled Jungle in twenty-one days and according to Chief Machinist Mate Kenneth L J ordall of Portland Me doing one damn fine job

Jordan who has just returned to the United States for reassignment after several months -duty overseas recalled some of the obstacies his battalion was forced to overcome before completi ng its task

bull

~- __ bull 11Besides the job of clearing miles of underbrush and pallns to prepare

the site we had everything from Jap air raids to vild cattle the chief iaid

Our first raid came the -day after we middot1anded on Island xbullbull I was standing out in the middle of the field watching the bulldozers knock down palms when I heard the planes At first I didn1 t pay any attention to them but when one of them ski mmed the tops of the palms I looked up I didnt looktoo _l~ng but middot I could see tJl~ buck-toothed Nip gunner g~inning as he strafed middot ~er fie1d bull Then I saw the bombs ~ave tle wing-racks so I left 11

bull

- 7 -

Jordan deiieribed another incident in which an unn8ll1ed Seabee dis shyregarding t~e- middotconsequences drove hie heavy roller over the aide of the partial~y COllP~eted strip to perniit a crippled fighter plane to make a landingmiddot middotmiddot middot middot middot middot middot middot i

It middot~a~ ~-t~middot ~~rat plane -~o ~in~ 0n t~~ -~~~ip~ and darn near the last too bull The landing gear was all shot up and the pilot had to make a belly l~di~ bull After _he skidded to a stop they found an unexploded 2 000 pound bomb in ttie _bom~~ri9k middot middotrrmiddotthAt boy hadleft the roller out on the strip the plane middotmiddotmo~t certalnly wouicFmiddotfia ve bullmiddotera shed into - _it and that bomb would have bl~ ~1t~P~~3n~ ev~ryt~ing ~ls~--to bits Jordan said

middot bull ~~1~~~~f )hemiddot _went on to - tel~ ~~w h~~ -- ~~~~ of wild cattle imp~rted by the~plantation owners to keep the cocltgtanut gr9v~s free from vegetation -war~ e cons~ant source of discomfort to the Seabees

bull ~ bull bull

middoti_~~Yiouid graze al6hgi~ide the tsn~s and kept middotthe men awake half the nighf~th thetr lowingmiddot~ middot Fina1Iyoneofmiddotmiddotmiddotthemore enterprising Seashybees deP~ded middotto take matters intomiddot his QWnmiddothands ~ He- put up a barbed wire remiddotncearouiid his tent a rid frbm thatmiddotmiddotmiddot day on middothe was the only one that wasnt bothered by the cattle He was so proud of himself and his accomplishnlentmiddotsmiddotthat -he laidmiddotmiddotoutmiddot a graesmiddotlawn middotend christened the area 1 Shady Acres 11

0ost of ~~~ men amused themselves in their spare time by making kntves and otJieimiddot trinkets fi6mmiddotodd strips of metal bull Others raised flocks of chickens and middotauc~a middot There WaSmiddot OPe Seabee middot who had a middotbleating goat no bigger than a fiarsized wire-hairedmiddot terrier

Jordah who _volurtteered middotbemiddotcauae-middot he middot 11middotcouldnt see myself sitting around making middot1ots bf money~ ~hilEidegmiddot-all middotof middot-my frie~ds were making sacrifices by going into the services formerly worked for the Murray Machinery Co of E~Ja~wrth Me bull

middot -- ~-30----

HUNGRY JAP RECEIVES SEABEE HASH MARKS

When the 26 Battalion took overmiddot 11 Ialand X11 CPief Charles E Ke ilig

relates how a few Japs left behind were starving and et night would rove around in sma ll bands attempting to steal food

lhe p~y-off crune when a Nip went through the Seabee chow line at noon using a sto1en pair of overalls middotand a helmet as camo-microflage bull

The bowlegged bandit his tray licked clean then got back on line for honorable secondBi pleas~middot middot middot middot

This time the Seabee hash slingers spotted their man and Two-time Tojo quikly found himself the irate cooks target for tonight

-----30--- ~-

- 8 -

-middotWE BUILD---AND REPAIR TOO

CBMU 516 is proud of the versitility of its crew

When a freighter pulled in for unloading the captain complained about the workings of a generator--one vhich had defied permanent repairs in the States for months Harry M Thompson CEM and Henry Itzkoibull HMc 1 v~nt below to examine the faulty dynamo

Within eight hours they had realigned the bnish assembly fitted new brusheamiddotmiddotand dceased dawn the commutator to place the generator in first class middotcondition bull

Meantime the units s_tevedores had started to unload the cergo and removed 1 600 tons in 40 hours

----30--- -

SEABEE1 S QUICK -ACTION PREVENTS RUGE FIRE

William C Tolliver Flc of the 55th Battalion reached up grabbed a hand extinguisher thrown to him and quickly smothered licking flames that threatened to burst into a blazinB inferno thereby averting the destruction of two PT boats a ste~l barge laden with high octane gas a launch aI)d the lives of the Seabee refueling crew

The fire was caused when an unknov person not amember of the crew dropped an igni tecl matyh in the g~soline bull

For his heroi~ deed Tolliver earned the coirmendation of his company commander Lt bull Jolm N Spaulding CEC USNR for bullbull his quick thinking and quick action (fhich has) added to the traditions of the Seabees 11

----30----I

35TH DOES FINE JOB DESPITE JAPS WILD CATTLE ETC

Numerous Jap air raids and alerts wild cattle and a hundred-and-one

other troubles did not prevent the 35th Construction Battalion from hackshying an air field out of tangled Jungle in twenty-one days and according to Chief Machinist Mate Kenneth L J ordall of Portland Me doing one damn fine job

Jordan who has just returned to the United States for reassignment after several months -duty overseas recalled some of the obstacies his battalion was forced to overcome before completi ng its task

bull

~- __ bull 11Besides the job of clearing miles of underbrush and pallns to prepare

the site we had everything from Jap air raids to vild cattle the chief iaid

Our first raid came the -day after we middot1anded on Island xbullbull I was standing out in the middle of the field watching the bulldozers knock down palms when I heard the planes At first I didn1 t pay any attention to them but when one of them ski mmed the tops of the palms I looked up I didnt looktoo _l~ng but middot I could see tJl~ buck-toothed Nip gunner g~inning as he strafed middot ~er fie1d bull Then I saw the bombs ~ave tle wing-racks so I left 11

bull

- 7 -

Jordan deiieribed another incident in which an unn8ll1ed Seabee dis shyregarding t~e- middotconsequences drove hie heavy roller over the aide of the partial~y COllP~eted strip to perniit a crippled fighter plane to make a landingmiddot middotmiddot middot middot middot middot middot middot i

It middot~a~ ~-t~middot ~~rat plane -~o ~in~ 0n t~~ -~~~ip~ and darn near the last too bull The landing gear was all shot up and the pilot had to make a belly l~di~ bull After _he skidded to a stop they found an unexploded 2 000 pound bomb in ttie _bom~~ri9k middot middotrrmiddotthAt boy hadleft the roller out on the strip the plane middotmiddotmo~t certalnly wouicFmiddotfia ve bullmiddotera shed into - _it and that bomb would have bl~ ~1t~P~~3n~ ev~ryt~ing ~ls~--to bits Jordan said

middot bull ~~1~~~~f )hemiddot _went on to - tel~ ~~w h~~ -- ~~~~ of wild cattle imp~rted by the~plantation owners to keep the cocltgtanut gr9v~s free from vegetation -war~ e cons~ant source of discomfort to the Seabees

bull ~ bull bull

middoti_~~Yiouid graze al6hgi~ide the tsn~s and kept middotthe men awake half the nighf~th thetr lowingmiddot~ middot Fina1Iyoneofmiddotmiddotmiddotthemore enterprising Seashybees deP~ded middotto take matters intomiddot his QWnmiddothands ~ He- put up a barbed wire remiddotncearouiid his tent a rid frbm thatmiddotmiddotmiddot day on middothe was the only one that wasnt bothered by the cattle He was so proud of himself and his accomplishnlentmiddotsmiddotthat -he laidmiddotmiddotoutmiddot a graesmiddotlawn middotend christened the area 1 Shady Acres 11

0ost of ~~~ men amused themselves in their spare time by making kntves and otJieimiddot trinkets fi6mmiddotodd strips of metal bull Others raised flocks of chickens and middotauc~a middot There WaSmiddot OPe Seabee middot who had a middotbleating goat no bigger than a fiarsized wire-hairedmiddot terrier

Jordah who _volurtteered middotbemiddotcauae-middot he middot 11middotcouldnt see myself sitting around making middot1ots bf money~ ~hilEidegmiddot-all middotof middot-my frie~ds were making sacrifices by going into the services formerly worked for the Murray Machinery Co of E~Ja~wrth Me bull

middot -- ~-30----

HUNGRY JAP RECEIVES SEABEE HASH MARKS

When the 26 Battalion took overmiddot 11 Ialand X11 CPief Charles E Ke ilig

relates how a few Japs left behind were starving and et night would rove around in sma ll bands attempting to steal food

lhe p~y-off crune when a Nip went through the Seabee chow line at noon using a sto1en pair of overalls middotand a helmet as camo-microflage bull

The bowlegged bandit his tray licked clean then got back on line for honorable secondBi pleas~middot middot middot middot

This time the Seabee hash slingers spotted their man and Two-time Tojo quikly found himself the irate cooks target for tonight

-----30--- ~-

- 8 -

Jordan deiieribed another incident in which an unn8ll1ed Seabee dis shyregarding t~e- middotconsequences drove hie heavy roller over the aide of the partial~y COllP~eted strip to perniit a crippled fighter plane to make a landingmiddot middotmiddot middot middot middot middot middot middot i

It middot~a~ ~-t~middot ~~rat plane -~o ~in~ 0n t~~ -~~~ip~ and darn near the last too bull The landing gear was all shot up and the pilot had to make a belly l~di~ bull After _he skidded to a stop they found an unexploded 2 000 pound bomb in ttie _bom~~ri9k middot middotrrmiddotthAt boy hadleft the roller out on the strip the plane middotmiddotmo~t certalnly wouicFmiddotfia ve bullmiddotera shed into - _it and that bomb would have bl~ ~1t~P~~3n~ ev~ryt~ing ~ls~--to bits Jordan said

middot bull ~~1~~~~f )hemiddot _went on to - tel~ ~~w h~~ -- ~~~~ of wild cattle imp~rted by the~plantation owners to keep the cocltgtanut gr9v~s free from vegetation -war~ e cons~ant source of discomfort to the Seabees

bull ~ bull bull

middoti_~~Yiouid graze al6hgi~ide the tsn~s and kept middotthe men awake half the nighf~th thetr lowingmiddot~ middot Fina1Iyoneofmiddotmiddotmiddotthemore enterprising Seashybees deP~ded middotto take matters intomiddot his QWnmiddothands ~ He- put up a barbed wire remiddotncearouiid his tent a rid frbm thatmiddotmiddotmiddot day on middothe was the only one that wasnt bothered by the cattle He was so proud of himself and his accomplishnlentmiddotsmiddotthat -he laidmiddotmiddotoutmiddot a graesmiddotlawn middotend christened the area 1 Shady Acres 11

0ost of ~~~ men amused themselves in their spare time by making kntves and otJieimiddot trinkets fi6mmiddotodd strips of metal bull Others raised flocks of chickens and middotauc~a middot There WaSmiddot OPe Seabee middot who had a middotbleating goat no bigger than a fiarsized wire-hairedmiddot terrier

Jordah who _volurtteered middotbemiddotcauae-middot he middot 11middotcouldnt see myself sitting around making middot1ots bf money~ ~hilEidegmiddot-all middotof middot-my frie~ds were making sacrifices by going into the services formerly worked for the Murray Machinery Co of E~Ja~wrth Me bull

middot -- ~-30----

HUNGRY JAP RECEIVES SEABEE HASH MARKS

When the 26 Battalion took overmiddot 11 Ialand X11 CPief Charles E Ke ilig

relates how a few Japs left behind were starving and et night would rove around in sma ll bands attempting to steal food

lhe p~y-off crune when a Nip went through the Seabee chow line at noon using a sto1en pair of overalls middotand a helmet as camo-microflage bull

The bowlegged bandit his tray licked clean then got back on line for honorable secondBi pleas~middot middot middot middot

This time the Seabee hash slingers spotted their man and Two-time Tojo quikly found himself the irate cooks target for tonight

-----30--- ~-

- 8 -

TORCH SONG ~ middot r ~

A man-sized ~middotlding job was handled by 64th Sattalibn s machine shop when the Seabees went to work on a pile driver piston which had split in half

bull bull )~ I bull bull

The piston was made of tool steel 18 in diameter 36 in- length and weighed 800 lbs Welders ~orked continuously for 106 hours used 300 lbs of welding rodmiddot

The actual middot-relding was completed in four days and nights and another day in the furnace was suificient for gradual cooling of themiddot piston middotmiddot

----30----

BUILDOZER TURNS TANK JAPS IN PiLLBOX BURIED ALIVE

Attacking a Japanese machine gun nemiddotst with a bulldozer an uiridentifiedmiddot American single-handedly wiped out the pillbox qnd its crew during recent Allied lan~~~ on the l1eas~y Islands

A New Zealand officer whose men were held off shore by strong machineshygun fiibulle wamiddots an eyevi tness as the giant middotbulldozer lumbered off a iand~ng craft

1bull

middotThe light of battle came into the American s eye Associated Press quotes the New Zealand officer With blade uplifted asmiddot a shield he bargenmiddot thrm~h the undersrowth and then as he reached the enemy pillbox he dropped the blade scooping up earth qn the Japs burying them

Halfway over the hole he swerved his improvised tank around and tren pulled away leaving a flat smooth area and no trace of the Japs or the lJachine 8UilS II

No reportmiddot has came in on themiddot middoturiit to whi ch the _American wasmiddot attached But where theres a Seabee theres usually a bulldozer And where theres a bulldozer theres usually a Seabee in the drivers seat

----30 __ ~

SEABEE STAGES BATTLEFIELD RESCUE

How an unidentified Seabee risked hie life to save a wounded soldier i e told by Cpl Jack L Croeatt of Forth Worth Texas in a V-mail letter to hie parent~ bull

cr9eatt ~~ -~eiQ~aly _woUJid~d by ~hr~~idegieJ_ P~emiddota_~QfYmiddot)n the Sicilian invasidegn aiid middotwhile l_ii~ -~lpless was also sht tbo~ t~~ le6 lgtY ~ snip~r bull

After ~n minut~s 11 Cr-~satt ~r-i te-~ middot k~ middot Geniian first middot-~imiddotd mBn middot cam~ middotu~middot ard fixed my- rigt am) He dldn -t ha-v-e anything to fix my left leg so he went back tq get middotaa~th1ng _ 1ut he -didn t inake it back Latermiddot on a Sea bee fotmd me H~ middot~qiirci13ci ~ bayk imd middot pli( me on -the middotboat middot and then to~k memiddot to middotthe middot hospitaJ~ middot middot middot middot middot middot middot middot middot - middotmiddot

( middot ~ ~

The Seab~e apparently didn1 t evEiPeaVe hi~ -~middot - _ It ~as all in his days work middot middot middotmiddot ~ middot middot middot=middot - middot middot

middot--- 30~-middot-~

- 9 -

TUNNEY HEENEY middot SPAR FOR SEPBEES

Bring~lS back vivid memories of the days when they tra98d punches more thart a decade ago Lt Comdr Gene Tunney USNR and Carpenter s Mate le Tom neeney of the Seabeee climbed through the ropes of a middotmiddotring pitched in a clearing in a South Pacific jungle recently to box for the pleasure of servicemiddot men many or-degwhom had seen them when the heavyweight crown and a fabulou~ purse awaited the winner middot middot

The sea-going student of ~h~espeare arid the iron man from d~Wn under ~lthough both a good bit heavier than they were when tvo continents gathered a round their ra~ios to h_e~+P~mi-by-blo defCriptiltgtgs _of tbe~r enco~tei-s put on a show that had the Seabees and other Army and Navy men up on their feet and cheering

u - ---30----

SPARKS SPONSORS THBEE-WAY HOOK-UP

Seabee Keith Blackwell Radioman rd Class7 9f Lebanon Indiana now stationed somewhere in the South Paific _is the father of triplets two boys andmiddot a girl

r middot bull

Under the Breaks for Blackwell -department put this Keith~ th~middot new dependency allotment scale will ~ntitle your family to an additional $70 per month

--- 30-middot- -

SOUTH SEA SIREN AIDSmiddot SEABEE 1 INVASION

Plowing triumphantly out of the surf astride the Amazonian shoulders of a dark-hued native beauty Benny Floyd middotCMJc middotex-lightweightdighter 322 South Riverside Avenue yenedford Oregon hit the beach of a Caribbean island in an invasion unique in mili tary history according to Lawrence J Holter GM who participate~ middotin th~ ~aron middotMunchausen landiilB

Floyd and I were with a detachment of Seabees on a special mission 11

middotre1ates Holter

When we reached tbe island we foUnd we had to wade through half amiddot mile of wai st deep -water to reach shore I began the trek shoreward holding my rifle and pack over my head -to keep middot them dry

As soon as I reached the beach I looked around and there camins in right behind me was Benny He was happily astride the shoulders of a native middotgal about six feet four plenty dark and wi th a smile as widemiddot as the Potomac River middot

=11Havirig waded out to the landing boat to see if she could be of any help

She backed up right along side middotof Floyd and motioned him to cli mb aboard

11 80 Benny )Jopped on complete with rlfle steel helmet and full pack middot~ J

Semiddotabee resoureef~lness i a tr~-ditional but Benny Floyds mataa will havemiddot to go eome to top h~ improvised_ iJlVaeion craft

SEABEES LEAD AFRICAN NINE TO TITLE

The [Uzew All-Stars comprised mostly of members of a Naval Construction Battaiton stationed in _Northwest Africa won themiddotPAlgerian-American League chruzwionahi p by _ s~utting out the Arcole Quartermaster All-Stars 7 to O and 3 to 0 i n a doubleheader played a t the Navy Seabee baseball park at Arzew Africa

The Arzew nine won the right to compete for the title by winning a two-out-of-three game series from Cpl Zeke Bonura 1 s Army All-Stars the cream of twenty crack army teams After the series Bonura former majorshyleague infield star who is known as the Judge Landismiddot of Nor~~ African baseball stated that not oQly did the Seabeee play big-league ball but that the Seabee-constructed diamond was the bes~ in Africa bull

--middot-30---middotmiddot

THE SAD TALE OF A MONK

This i~- about the trials and tribulations middotof Cobo hangs a tale

and thereby

Cobo is the pamp~ monkey of a Seabee platoon stationed somewhere in the South Atlantic and according to the Caribbean the battalions pubJication his depor~nt 113s middot~iwaYl3 been perfect -- until he 1earned through some dark and devious manneri ~o elter the platoon barracks

Thats when th~ trouble started Cobo after having endeared himself to all sundry by his friendly mannerisms has g6ne too far Once rated as EFlc (everybodys friend first class) he baa been busted doWll to GNNC (general nuisance no class) and is in danger of going on report Furthermore it has become necessary for Ccbos own safety that he be placed in the protective custody ofmiddot middotthe brig Several of his victims are pledged-to c~use the monk a speedy and unpleasant end middot

middot 1~~middotmiddot middot

Formerly the boys got a big kick out of watching Cobo drink cokes but whenmiddot he playfully started to drop the ~mpties on the unprptected and unsuspecting skulls of his 11mesters that was a little too much That wasnt ~11 he did either He took an unlioly 4eligh~ iri ~pilling i odine on clean beddmiddoting upsetting arti cles walkiilg middot over clean whites and upsetting buckets of wash Fortunately Cobo always beat a speedy r~treat after committing his crimes or he might have become the victim of some irate mate

There is however a better middotaide to Cobo a dual nature He is a voilent anti-tobacconist When handed a cigarette he rips it to bits and throws it afay This probably traces back to the time one of the men handed him a lightedmiddot cigar After puzzlmiddoting over it_for several minutes and burnipg himself in various unmentionable places he proved hie aversion to the evil weed by dropping it like a hot potato~ middot middot 1

Cobo middothas one vice (so far) -~ ~he ]i terally begs to be seized by the tan middot and flung through the air to any nearby landing where he makes perfect threeshypoint landings by grabbing with hands and tail middot Sometimes when aimed at a tre~ Cobo re-ierses middotthe Pidcedlmicroe ~ld cowes in middotwith a p_e~feet one-point middot

bull bull f bull 1 ~ I bull middot bull bull bull bull bull

lanling Themiddot only tr-0ubhf irt Pl~~I-Ti8 this ~rune ~ith Cobo istl)at the tossee uaually middottires middotn-imamiddotelf middotout befo~~middotCOilo 1~ middotr~ady to quit bull

bull bullbullmiddot rmiddot bull bull ~ ~ bull bull bull bull middot

- 11 -

SEABEES LEAD AFRICAN NINE TO TITLE

The [Uzew All-Stars comprised mostly of members of a Naval Construction Battaiton stationed in _Northwest Africa won themiddotPAlgerian-American League chruzwionahi p by _ s~utting out the Arcole Quartermaster All-Stars 7 to O and 3 to 0 i n a doubleheader played a t the Navy Seabee baseball park at Arzew Africa

The Arzew nine won the right to compete for the title by winning a two-out-of-three game series from Cpl Zeke Bonura 1 s Army All-Stars the cream of twenty crack army teams After the series Bonura former majorshyleague infield star who is known as the Judge Landismiddot of Nor~~ African baseball stated that not oQly did the Seabeee play big-league ball but that the Seabee-constructed diamond was the bes~ in Africa bull

--middot-30---middotmiddot

THE SAD TALE OF A MONK

This i~- about the trials and tribulations middotof Cobo hangs a tale

and thereby

Cobo is the pamp~ monkey of a Seabee platoon stationed somewhere in the South Atlantic and according to the Caribbean the battalions pubJication his depor~nt 113s middot~iwaYl3 been perfect -- until he 1earned through some dark and devious manneri ~o elter the platoon barracks

Thats when th~ trouble started Cobo after having endeared himself to all sundry by his friendly mannerisms has g6ne too far Once rated as EFlc (everybodys friend first class) he baa been busted doWll to GNNC (general nuisance no class) and is in danger of going on report Furthermore it has become necessary for Ccbos own safety that he be placed in the protective custody ofmiddot middotthe brig Several of his victims are pledged-to c~use the monk a speedy and unpleasant end middot

middot 1~~middotmiddot middot

Formerly the boys got a big kick out of watching Cobo drink cokes but whenmiddot he playfully started to drop the ~mpties on the unprptected and unsuspecting skulls of his 11mesters that was a little too much That wasnt ~11 he did either He took an unlioly 4eligh~ iri ~pilling i odine on clean beddmiddoting upsetting arti cles walkiilg middot over clean whites and upsetting buckets of wash Fortunately Cobo always beat a speedy r~treat after committing his crimes or he might have become the victim of some irate mate

There is however a better middotaide to Cobo a dual nature He is a voilent anti-tobacconist When handed a cigarette he rips it to bits and throws it afay This probably traces back to the time one of the men handed him a lightedmiddot cigar After puzzlmiddoting over it_for several minutes and burnipg himself in various unmentionable places he proved hie aversion to the evil weed by dropping it like a hot potato~ middot middot 1

Cobo middothas one vice (so far) -~ ~he ]i terally begs to be seized by the tan middot and flung through the air to any nearby landing where he makes perfect threeshypoint landings by grabbing with hands and tail middot Sometimes when aimed at a tre~ Cobo re-ierses middotthe Pidcedlmicroe ~ld cowes in middotwith a p_e~feet one-point middot

bull bull f bull 1 ~ I bull middot bull bull bull bull bull

lanling Themiddot only tr-0ubhf irt Pl~~I-Ti8 this ~rune ~ith Cobo istl)at the tossee uaually middottires middotn-imamiddotelf middotout befo~~middotCOilo 1~ middotr~ady to quit bull

bull bullbullmiddot rmiddot bull bull ~ ~ bull bull bull bull middot

- 11 -

--

Cobos diet is a little on ~~e _increQib~e ~imiddot~middot H~middot hae given up the traditional monkey fare ltf ~p~ltmiddotanuta ban~smiddotn etc ~nd_ Slbsti tuted a dlet middot of_ shaving cream The la~~11 w~~q thoro~y mi~~Hl-viimiddot~h shav~ng lpti0n middotamL talcum is a gourmets deltBfit ~ ~ccor~$ toqo~o~ middot F middot middot ~ - middot middotmiddot

Cobo is the la~t of hi8

1

bull species ~ th~ camp ori~i~~~ then~ We~middot middotfour but three Of them made the mistake of clhiibing too high and tangling with some high-tension wires Cobo remained aamp the lone and unlamenting survivor

_ middot ~middot ~ A note from themiddot editor of th~middot Caribbean stateei t~tmiddot~rfemalemiddot monk has

been fmpolted for Cobo to pJay 14th bull And acoordingmiddot to Editol ]~middotmiddot Cehan Co~ how he playsmiddot middot middot middot middot middot middot middot middot

middot middot middot---30middot---~-middot

ARMY co LAUDS 9thand 28tif I

Major General 1T s middotKey co~d~ng officer of the theatre of operations to which- they were assi~ed has ~mi words of praise f~r the p~r t the 9th and 28th seabee battalton~ playedmiddot in ~shing a vital air fieldmiddotpfoject to completion

General Key ~scribed the Seabee effort as outstanding performance of vital miss ion middotrequiring the maxilnum in leaders~iJ middot te~wor~ individual skill and devotion to duty bull

middot

~

bull1c1uif1J middot ~ bull ~ bull 11liHAM middot

Mates Edwin F Kochinski CBM and w R Harwood GMlc stationed in the Aleutians decided betw~enmiddot themstillves -that the middot stick loading method of getting blastinc pqwder intltgtmiddota hole tookmiddotmiddotjust about six times too long bull

~ middot j_i j

According to a JJ~pohtfrOm E bull D Neasemiddotmiddot PhoMlc the two men scavenged the neare st scrap heap for parts for their better mousetrap A pot bullbullbull a pipe bullbull a coIlpr~ssor bullbull and lo~ the Flodyn Thats what Kochinaki and Harwood call ~he new gadget middot Lt remiddotducesmiddot timemiddot needed for the job by no less than 85 middot

The Flodyn consists of a pot for the powder with a hose on one end connecting it to a compressor and a pipe onmiddot theother end feeding into a hole The powder is l oaded into the pot and the compressor does thework

The - two resourceful Sea bees have also rigged up a jack-hammer alida which saves about 13 the time requirea for drilling powder holes and does away almost completely with body jar of ~he hammer

----30-bull--

SEABEES HIT FOXHOLES -- FOXHOLES RETALIATE~

One of- the first tas~Q assigned to a battalion of Navy Seabees landing on the isiamicrocl or Vella LaY~lla was t-he construction of foxholes to protect the personnel ag~inst ene~ air bombings middot middot middot middot

But aceording to Ensign Portyr Lee middot CEC USNR who has just returned from

- 12 -

the Pacific some provision should have been made to protect the ~en from the foxholes

Medical facilities were strained after a Jap raid when 135 men reported t o sick-bay for treatment of injuriesmiddotmiddot- suffered while diving into foxholes

Incidentally tho Jap bombs fell harmlessly into the bay bull bull ~ J bull I

----30----

~ S]JBEE A ~r$ WA~R qHQRTAGE middot - -bull

The story of an unidentified Seabee machinist mate of the Second Battalion middotwho averted a water spqrtage on a South Pacific island by melting down old motor parts anq making a patt~in for th~middot neqessary replace~en-~ wa~ told bymiddot Fredmiddot erick LaTou~ PhoM2c middotof Pasadena Calif recently returned middot fo~- assgnmeAt to sea-duty middot middot middot middot

We had one feilow who was really a machinistmiddot LaTour said Re melted down this metal and junk and made a pattern for the piston I dont know a ereat deal about it but I do know that they just had to have this part for one

pf our wator distillers and without it why we just had to do without water bull lt bull bull bull bull

As it wasn LaTqur ~ontinued we went about six weeks withot middotmiddot water other than what middotwe had in our tanks middotWe were allowed middota 9anteen a daymiddot

middot middot I bull bull bull

LaTour feels tha-t he can r ightfully claim middotthe ~itlemiddot ~f championmiddot Seabee jack-of-all-trades middot having wo-rked at 17 different trJ1des -- everytMpg from digging heads ahd cleaning middotunderbrush to drivingmiddot bulJdozers deep aea divingi logging --1

middot bull

middot~ He narrowly ~scaped serious injury or even death wllHe engaged in diving

opera ti onf middotWorking 30 feet below the surfaco 1 plant~ng dynamtte to blast huee coral reefsmiddot a tilin manila line was his only connection middotwith thos~ qn the tendermiddot

middot ~middot middot ~ Sudd~nly h~middot felt middottwo rapid tugs on the line - middotthe Dangermiddot si8naJ

iaTcur --discardeQhis heJinet and swam swiftlrtmdezyat~r to themiddot side of- the - boatmiddot His ma~es pulled him aboard an1 pqint~ng towa+d t~e middotspot wli~re middotbe had

been showed him two large sharks cavort~ng middotin th~ waters middot middot middot J bull bull I bull bull r bull bull bull middot ~ -

middot The ~harks were attracted by the buhblesmiddotfrommiddot--my- helmet aqd if I haO middotcome up middotwithmiddotmy helmet theymiddotwould middothave middotfollowed the bubbles and eventuaily got middotmiddotme 11 LaTour relate-d 11 They ~Elpt - playing around withmiddotthe bubbles theY tickle middot theni or so~thing middot middot middot middot middot middot

lt- middot middot bull - ~30-- middot ~ ~ I bull bull bull )~ (

I ~ - ~

~~ ~j middot bull ~ SR_O~T ~PORT SPQT$

1

middot

imiddot~ middot

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keep re~old UnSUllied winni1113 46~l9 over Marquette for seventh Victory Purdue remained Undefeated in eiBht straight middotgames by upsettiqg Mmicromesota bullbullbull Washington Redskins Eastern Division lea-ders after trouncine Brooklyn Dodgers 48-10 held to 14-14 tie by surprising Phila-Pitta Steagies bull ~middot Skins record now 4 wins 1 tie bull bull bull Chicago )ears virtually assured of Western middot D~yi~io~ title by blasting Detroit Lions 35 to 14 and Green Bay Packers 21-7 bullbullbull Be9-rs nomiddothave 6 wins 1 tie bull bull Don Hutson broke five league records as the P~qkers blasted the New York Giants 35 to 21 the week previously bullbullbull Detroit Lions ru+d Giants play scoreless tie bullbull Brooklyn Dodgers after dropping six games score ftrst victory defeating Chicago Cardin~ls 7 to 0 bullbull Loss was Qa-ds i3eventh without winmiddot bullbull Slingin SrumniBaug~ middotsets new league bull records in Broo~lyn middotgame _ tossing six touchdown passes and gainine 376 yards by yassing bullbullbull Andy Farkas tallying two toucbdowns in same game set new allshytime recorcl for most points scored by one manmiddot during car~er bullbull ProHockey in 3rd week middot league as middotwhole ~aker than usual bullbull middotT9ronto leads league with 3middot winsect 1 tie 1 loss bull Rangers have ltlroppedall 5-g~s Angelo Bertelli star Irish quarterback wounltt up footoall lt~reemiddotr in middotNavy game by tos~ing three touchdown passes scoriIJ6 once on quarterback sneakmiddot and kickinc 3 poin-ts after touchdown now with Marines at Parris Island bullbull Tami Mauriello NY scored second vic-tory over Lee Savo14 of St Paul Minn in

10 rounder bullbull Dixi~ Wa lker bec9meamiddot first Dodger ~ middotsifin 1944 contract squelching story he hated by Manager Leo DUrdcher wbullmiddot Chubby Dean Cleveland Indians southpaw inducted into Army bullbullbull Walker Cooper Cardinals star catcb~r passed Army l)hysical bull Spud Chandler Yankees mound star andmiddot voted the American iea8ue s most valuable player re-classified 1-A bullbull Major Lea5ues draft only 15 players at annual middotmeeting at Chicago bull N Y Giants franchise reportedly fo1~ sale ~ Joe Gordon claims he was misquoted will not middotretire fro~ baseball bull St~n Musial Cardinal right fielder voted Nat~onal League most valuable player award bull Mickey Witek Gi ants second baseman inducted into Coast Guard bullbull Hiram Bi thorn qhfcago Cub r i ght-hander middot who WQn 17 games last ~eason1 inducted by Army will txi~sfer to Navy bullbull Pit~sburgh Pirates Rip Sewell 20-game winner last season rejected for military serviqe bullbullbull Yankees Ken Sears sacond-stIing catcher sworn into ~~ -

----30----

CBMU 516 FIND LOTS OFmiddot TIME ON MX HANDS

With the intentionmiddot of middot buildinB up the moraie of CBMU 516 the welfare unit before embarkipg for a aouth Atlantic island carefully stowe4 away a phonograph ~d 125 records middot middot

Upon arriving at the island the welfare unit proudly unpacked the records and much tomiddot tpeir embarrassment found ti~re was only seven different aelections

Amond middot the plattEr~ ~~ 50 middotreco~d~ngs or Time on My Rands and 25 copies

of No Ietter Today middot middot

----30---middot bull middot middot

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~

keep re~old UnSUllied winni1113 46~l9 over Marquette for seventh Victory Purdue remained Undefeated in eiBht straight middotgames by upsettiqg Mmicromesota bullbullbull Washington Redskins Eastern Division lea-ders after trouncine Brooklyn Dodgers 48-10 held to 14-14 tie by surprising Phila-Pitta Steagies bull ~middot Skins record now 4 wins 1 tie bull bull bull Chicago )ears virtually assured of Western middot D~yi~io~ title by blasting Detroit Lions 35 to 14 and Green Bay Packers 21-7 bullbullbull Be9-rs nomiddothave 6 wins 1 tie bull bull Don Hutson broke five league records as the P~qkers blasted the New York Giants 35 to 21 the week previously bullbullbull Detroit Lions ru+d Giants play scoreless tie bullbull Brooklyn Dodgers after dropping six games score ftrst victory defeating Chicago Cardin~ls 7 to 0 bullbull Loss was Qa-ds i3eventh without winmiddot bullbull Slingin SrumniBaug~ middotsets new league bull records in Broo~lyn middotgame _ tossing six touchdown passes and gainine 376 yards by yassing bullbullbull Andy Farkas tallying two toucbdowns in same game set new allshytime recorcl for most points scored by one manmiddot during car~er bullbull ProHockey in 3rd week middot league as middotwhole ~aker than usual bullbull middotT9ronto leads league with 3middot winsect 1 tie 1 loss bull Rangers have ltlroppedall 5-g~s Angelo Bertelli star Irish quarterback wounltt up footoall lt~reemiddotr in middotNavy game by tos~ing three touchdown passes scoriIJ6 once on quarterback sneakmiddot and kickinc 3 poin-ts after touchdown now with Marines at Parris Island bullbull Tami Mauriello NY scored second vic-tory over Lee Savo14 of St Paul Minn in

10 rounder bullbull Dixi~ Wa lker bec9meamiddot first Dodger ~ middotsifin 1944 contract squelching story he hated by Manager Leo DUrdcher wbullmiddot Chubby Dean Cleveland Indians southpaw inducted into Army bullbullbull Walker Cooper Cardinals star catcb~r passed Army l)hysical bull Spud Chandler Yankees mound star andmiddot voted the American iea8ue s most valuable player re-classified 1-A bullbull Major Lea5ues draft only 15 players at annual middotmeeting at Chicago bull N Y Giants franchise reportedly fo1~ sale ~ Joe Gordon claims he was misquoted will not middotretire fro~ baseball bull St~n Musial Cardinal right fielder voted Nat~onal League most valuable player award bull Mickey Witek Gi ants second baseman inducted into Coast Guard bullbull Hiram Bi thorn qhfcago Cub r i ght-hander middot who WQn 17 games last ~eason1 inducted by Army will txi~sfer to Navy bullbull Pit~sburgh Pirates Rip Sewell 20-game winner last season rejected for military serviqe bullbullbull Yankees Ken Sears sacond-stIing catcher sworn into ~~ -

----30----

CBMU 516 FIND LOTS OFmiddot TIME ON MX HANDS

With the intentionmiddot of middot buildinB up the moraie of CBMU 516 the welfare unit before embarkipg for a aouth Atlantic island carefully stowe4 away a phonograph ~d 125 records middot middot

Upon arriving at the island the welfare unit proudly unpacked the records and much tomiddot tpeir embarrassment found ti~re was only seven different aelections

Amond middot the plattEr~ ~~ 50 middotreco~d~ngs or Time on My Rands and 25 copies

of No Ietter Today middot middot

----30---middot bull middot middot

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