FReeper Canteen~Happy Anniversary Seabees~05 March 09

Thank you Troops, Vets, Military families & supporters! | Canteen Crew

[AZamericonnie]

The Freeper Canteen Honors



The 67th Anniversary Of The Seabees

The Seabees are the Construction Battalions (CBs) of the United States Navy. The Seabees have a history of building bases, bulldozing and paving thousands of miles of roadway and airstrips, and accomplishing myriad other construction projects in a wide variety of military theatres dating back to World War II.

On March 5 1942, all Construction Battalion personnel were officially named Seabees by the Navy Department. The official motto of the Seabees is "Construimus, Batuimus" – translated into English as "We Build, We Fight." The Seabees have several unofficial mottos as well. Their best known unofficial motto is the simple phrase "Can Do!", featured on much of their promotional material. The "Song of the Seabees" was written in 1943. The lyrics were composed by Sam M. Lewis and the musical composition was written by Peter DeRose. The first verse of the song, however, is usually the only verse to be sung or played at official functions.

*Ratings*

There are seven source ratings for the Seabee community:

• Construction Mechanics (CM) maintain and repair the construction machinery used by the Seabees, such as power tools and heavy equipment.
• Equipment Operators (EO) operate heavy construction equipment and coordinate rigging operations.
• Utilitiesmen (UT) install, maintain, and operate a building's mechanical and fluid systems.
• Construction Electricians (CE) install a building's electrical distribution and emergency power systems.
• Builders (BU) are responsible for general construction, including carpentry, concrete, masonry, and finish work.
• Steel Workers (SW) are responsible for erecting structural steel and reinforcing steel in concrete construction.
• Engineering Aides (EA) are responsible for construction surveying, drafting, and project estimation.

At the Master Chief Petty Officer level, each of the ratings merge with at least one other ratings.

• Construction Mechanics and Equipment Operators become Equipmentman Master Chiefs (EQCM).
• Construction Electricians merge into the Utilitiesman rating, although the rating's abbreviation is changed to UCCM.
• Builders, Steel Workers, and Engineering Aides become Constructionmen Master Chiefs (CUCM).

The first decorated Seabee hero of the war, Seaman 2nd Class Lawrence C. "Bucky" Meyer, USNR, was among the Seabees of the 6th battalion who worked on Henderson Field. In his off-time, he salvaged and repaired an abandoned machine gun, which, on 3 October 1942, he used to shoot down a Japanese Zero fighter making a strafing run. For this exploit, he was awarded the Silver Star. It was, however, a posthumous award, for 13 days after shooting down the plane, "Bucky" Myer was killed in action when the gasoline barge on which he was working was struck by Japanese naval gunfire.

**Seabee Video**

Another milestone in Seabee history was in the making in 1943 -- but the location was Hollywood rather than the South Pacific. Made in 1943 and released in early 1944, the motion picture The Fighting Seabees, starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward, made "Seabee" a household word during the latter part of the war. This picture also began a relationship between John Wayne and the Seabees which was to last more than three decades. In fact, John Wayne's last motion picture was Home for the Seabees, a Navy documentary filmed in 1977 at the Naval Construction Battalion Center, Port Hueneme, California. This was most appropriate, since the exteriors of The Fighting Seabees, had been filmed in and around the same base during World War II.





The Song of the Seabees
(1943)
Words by Sam M. Lewis
Music by Peter de Rose


We're the Seabees of the Navy
We can build and we can fight
We'll pave the way to victory
And guard it day and night
And we promise that we remember
The “Seventh of December”


We're the Seabees of the Navy
Bees of the Seven Seas

The Navy wanted men
That's where we came in
Mister Brown and Mister Jones
the Owens, Cohens, and Flynn
The Navy wanted more
Of uncle Sammy's kin
So we all joined up
And brother we're in to win

*Seabees Today*

Seabees continue to play a major role in the Global War on Terrorism. In support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Seabees repaired runway facilities at Camp Rhino and Kandahar in Afghanistan. Twenty-six Seabee units deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and 15 Seabees were killed. The construction of multiple 20-acre aircraft-parking aprons, munitions storage areas, a 48,000-square-foot concrete pad, bridges, a 1,200-person camp and repaired various roads have been proven invaluable to coalition forces.

There are currently about 18,000 Navy Seabees serving worldwide. Two thirds of today's Seabees are reservists. Active duty Seabees serve in eight active Battalions, two Amphibious Construction Battalions (ACB's) and two Underwater Construction Teams (UCT's).

The Seabee reserves are organized into 12 battalions, two support units, and four regiments located throughout the United States.

With a primary mission of providing continuing construction in a war zone, the Seabees are ready to deploy on short notice to any point on the globe. Upon arrival, they work night and day.

Seabees also conduct humanitarian missions worldwide, including earthquake and hurricane recovery efforts in the United States.

The true spirit of the Seabees is their "Can Do" philosophy. It’s a timeless belief representing Seabees past, present, and future.

"WITH WILLING HEARTS AND SKILLFUL HANDS,
THE DIFFICULT WE DO AT ONCE,
THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A BIT LONGER
WITH COMPASSION FOR OTHERS
WE BUILD - WE FIGHT FOR PEACE WITH FREEDOM"
Seabee Memorial, Arlington, VA

[AZamericonnie]

[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners.

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Our Flag Flying Proudly One Nation Under God

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Lord, Please Bless Our Troops, They're fighting for our Freedom.

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God Bless Our Republic

Prayers going up

[AZamericonnie]

Supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen
at more than 1,000 places across the U. S. and around the world.

~Tribute to Our Troops~

[SandRat]

The SEABEE Memorial at Arlington, VA was sculpted by a former SEABEE, Felix de Weldon who also sculpted the world famous USMC Memorial, also at Arlington. The SEABEE Memorial has a number of large panels depicting the many missions that SEABEES have undertaken around the world, in war and peace since 1942. At the focal point of the back panels is a large sculpture depicting a bare-chested, muscular SEABEE, rifle slung over one shoulder, offering a helping hand to a small child. The panels and sculptured figures together perfectly symbolize the nature of U. S. Navy SEABEES as Builders who Fight, and who also extend humanitarian aid wherever and whenever needed. Inscriptions in golden letters proudly proclaim in words the messages which the panels and figures convey visually. They are: "SEABEES CAN DO " above the panels, and "With willing hearts and skillful hands, the difficult we do at once.The impossible takes a bit longer! ", below the panels. On the base which supports the SEABEE and child sculpture is inscribed: "With compassion for others, we build, we fight for peace with freedom."

[AZamericonnie]

Hiya Hope and good evening to you!

Thank you for our pledge......hand over heart & prayers up! *Hugs*

[philly-d-kidder]

Hello.. AZ

[Radix]

Close but no cigar!

[Army Air Corps]

One of my great uncles (RIP) was a Seabee.

[AZamericonnie]

Six lousy seconds.....LOL!

[darkwing104]

Good Eveing Canteen FReepers!

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

March 5, 2009

Idols In The Heart

ODB RADIO: Listen Now |  Download
READ: Ezekiel 14:1-8

Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts. —Ezekiel 14:3

When my husband and I first went out as missionaries, I recall being concerned about the growth of materialism in our society. It never crossed my mind that I myself could be materialistic. After all, hadn’t we gone overseas with almost nothing? Weren’t we choosing to live in a shabbily furnished, rundown apartment? I thought materialism couldn’t touch us.

Nonetheless, feelings of discontent gradually began to take root in my heart. Before long I was craving hungrily after nice things and secretly feeling resentful over not having them.

Then one day God’s Spirit opened my eyes with a disturbing insight: Materialism isn’t necessarily having things; it can also be craving them. There I stood—guilty of materialism! God had exposed my discontent for what it was—an idol in my heart! That day as I repented of this subtle sin, God recaptured my heart as His rightful throne. Needless to say, a deep contentment followed, based not on things but on Him.

In Ezekiel’s day, God dealt thoroughly with this kind of secret idolatry. His throne on earth has always been in the hearts of His people. That’s why we must rid our heart of anything that destroys our contentment with Him.

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne
And worship only Thee. —Cowper

An idol is anything that takes the place of God.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 34-36; Mark 9:30-50

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening Connie. Hugs.

Happy Birthday to the Seebees.

[philly-d-kidder]

Hello Hope..

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening Hope, Hugs.

[SandRat]

FIRST HUG - U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dennis Horlador embraces his newborn, Natyala, after returning from Iraq to Misawa Air Base, Japan, March 1, 2009. Horlador, assigned to the 35th Operations Group, missed the birth of his daughter while deployed. U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening Sandy.

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening philly.

[philly-d-kidder]

Hello How are?? Better i hope....still Cold in philly 11F last Night... in the 20’s Tonite

[AZamericonnie]

Prayers up for Barbara Bush after open heart surgery today.

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening Radix.