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This Week in Seabee History: September 5 - 11

Sept. 7, 2021 | By U.S. Navy Seabee Museum, Naval History and Heritage Command

September 5

1943: 126th NCB formed at Naval Construction Training Center (NCTC) Camp Peary, Magruder, Virginia.
1969: Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 advance party deployed to Camp Kinser, Okinawa, via government aircraft.

September 6

1945: 52nd NCR commissioned. 97th NCB inactivated at NCTC Camp Endicott, Davisville, Rhode Island.
1968: NMCB 5 presented with the Best of Type Battle E from Rear Adm. A.C. Husband, CEC, during regimental pass-in-review at Construction Battalion Center (CBC), Port Hueneme, California.
2012: Capt. Darius Banaji, CEC, relieved Capt. Kathryn Donovan, CEC, as commander, 22nd NCR, at NCBC Gulfport, Mississippi.

September 7

1942: NCTC Davisville, Rhode Island, is designated Camp Endicott (concurrent with redesignation of Camp Hollyday at Gulfport, Mississippi and Camp Rousseau, at Port Hueneme, California).
1944: 39th NCR activated.
2011: Capt. Darius Banaji, CEC, relieved Capt. Allan Stratman, CEC, as commander of the 25th NCR at NCBC Gulfport, Mississippi.

September 8

1945: Section II of 106th NCB inactivated at Iwo Jima.

September 9

1943: Before dawn, initial Allied landings took place at Salerno, Italy. For these landings, the 12-mile beach was divided into two parts. The north section was invaded by the 46th British Division that landed from tank landing ships with the aid of the 1006th Seabee Causeway Detachment (CBD 1006). The south section was invaded by the American forces that also landed on causeways laid down by Seabee pontoon crews. The Germans, however, were prepared for battle at Salerno. The landing ships carrying the Seabees and their pontoons took a frightful beating. Many pontoon strings were sent ashore and blown up on the mined beaches. Allied ships guarding the beaches were bombed by German guided missiles, dive bombers and torpedoes, and shelled by German submarines and patrol craft. During the first 10 days of battle, the Seabees bivouacked on the Salerno beaches while they unloaded ships, built unloading-slips and roadways, and cleared traffic doing it all while under constant fire. CBD 1006 suffered 28% casualties.  Lt. Carl M. Olson, CEC, officer in charge (OIC), CBD 1006, and seven of his men were killed in action during this conflict. The Allies won the battle at Salerno, and Seabee operations were invaluable in the great victory.
1967: The first flight of NMCB 9 advance party arrived at Camp Hoover.

September 10

1943: First CEC officer killed in action, Lt. Carl M. Olson, at Salerno, Italy.
1945: 8th and 42nd NCRs inactivated. 84th NCB inactivated at Palawan, Philippines.
1965: NMCB 10 renames Camp Banister at Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam (RVN) as Camp Shields, in honor of Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Marvin G. Shields, fallen hero of the Battle of Dong Xoai. Shields is the first and so far only Seabee to receive the Medal of Honor.
1968: Seabee Team 4002 arrived in Davisville, Rhode Island, from RVN for reassignment to NMCB 40.
2010: Capt. Louis V. Cariello, CEC, assumed command of NCBC, Gulfport, Mississippi, and 20th Seabee Readiness Group, from Capt. Ed Brown, CEC.

September 11

1943: The 11th Naval Construction Regiment (NCR) was commissioned.
1945: The 62nd Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) was inactivated at Iwo Jima.
1965: The main body of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 8 moved from Port Hueneme, California, to Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam (RVN), via Military Airlift Command.
1966: NMCB 3 received message notification from Commander, Naval Construction Battalions, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMCBPAC) of its selection as fiscal year 1966's Best of Type, Pacific Fleet.
 

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