We re thankful for our Seabees who have been paving roads to victory since World War 2. We're also thankful for their families and friends at home who support them day and night. Thank you!
Below we have collected a series of menu covers, photos, and stories of our Seabees celebrating Thanksgiving through the years.
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Construction Electrician 3rd Class Bryan Sheridan of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 serves a Thanksgiving lunch to homeless families at Ventura County Rescue Mission in Oxnard, Calif. Nov. 21, 2012. Sheridan was one of 30 Sailors from Naval Base Ventura County volunteering at the mission, serving over 800 meals to those most in need. (Photo by Andrea Howry, NBVC public affairs)
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On November 27, 2014, Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 both serve and eat their Thanksgiving meal together during their deployment.
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The Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 Thanksgiving cake on November 27, 2014.
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On Nov. 27, 2005, Commander, Disaster Assistance Center Pakistan, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mike Lefever, right, talks with Navy Seabees before they eat their Thanksgiving Dinner at the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. The U.S. government is participating in a multinational humanitarian assistance and support effort led by the Pakistani government to bring aid to victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the region Oct. 8, 2005. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton Russ)
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On Nov. 25, 2004, Commander, Naval Reserve Force, Vice Adm. John G. Cotton views a Seabee project at the Al Asad airfield in western Iraq. Reserve Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Two Three (NMCB-23) have taken on this extensive project, which includes making permanent repairs to 39 swimming pool-size impact craters on different sections of the airfield s runways. The craters, a result of bombing during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, have left the airfield inoperable for more than a year. Vice Adm. Cotton was in Iraq over the Thanksgiving holiday to met with mobilized Navy reservists deployed to the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer s Mate 2nd Class Michael D. Heckman)
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"How many people am I cooking for again " (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy Seabee Museum)
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111 NCB Normandy, France on Thanksgiving. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy Seabee Museum)
The 100-Hour Community Service Goal
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Equipment Operator 1st Class Pete Izarra from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3's First Class Petty Officer Association (FCPOA) performs a jumping high-five with an Okinawan child during a daylong English-through-play exchange at the Heshikiya Community Center. The event allowed NMCB 3 Seabees to enjoy a day of fun activities while also teaching English. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chris Fahey)
AICHI, Japan - Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 s First Class Petty Officer Association set an ambitious goal during their final November meeting before Thanksgiving Day to perform 100 hours of community service before returning to their homeport in Port Hueneme, Calif. in 2013.
This declaration came as NMCB 3 s main body continues construction on four different projects across Okinawa however, according to FCPOA President Engineering Aide 1st Class Willie Blanding, the opportunity to serve the local community is just as important as their deployed mission.
Learning about and helping our host nation is something we absolutely have to do while we are here, said Blanding. We recognize ourselves as temporary fixtures in Okinawa but that doesn't mean we can t make a considerable impact to the overall quality of life.
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Equipment Operator 1st Class Pete Izarra from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3's First Class Petty Officer Association (FCPOA) receives kisses from Ace, a rescue dog living at Camp Canine, an Okinawan dog kennel that specializes in caring for abandoned dogs. NMCB 3's FCPOA spends every-other Saturday at the kennel to give its furry residents some one-on-one attention and perform small custodial jobs around the property. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chris Fahey)
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"Thanksgiving Greetings", V-mail, 6 November 1944. Seabee artists created stock V-mail messages that were used to send messages home. The messages were then filmed, sent home, and then printed back to paper upon arrival. V-mail was created to ensured that thousands of tons of shipping space could be reserved for war materials. The 37 mail bags required to carry 150,000 one-page letters could be replaced by a single mail sack. The weight of that same amount of mail was reduced dramatically from 2,575 pounds to a mere 45 lbs. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy Seabee Museum)
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"Thanksgiving Day at Camp Thomas, Naval Advance Base Depot, Davisville, R.I", menu and program, 25 November 1943. Both at home and overseas, the millitary attempted not only to feed the troops but feed them well. However, the food got worse the closer you got to the front. The exceptions were Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day when extraordinary efforts were made to get holiday food to combat areas. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy Seabee Museum)
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Thanksgiving Greetings from the 104th Naval Construction Battalion, [1943] (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy Seabee Museum)
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Thanksgiving Greetings from the Island of Guam and the 134th Naval Construction Battalion: dinner program, 1945. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy Seabee Museum)