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This Week in Seabee History (Week of April 3)

April 4, 2016 | By donrochon
Consolidated by Dr. Frank A. Blazich Jr., Historian, U.S. Navy Seabee Museum
11793
VIRIN: 160404-N-ZY182-1793
NCB 58 Seabees building Bailey Bridge on Guadalcanal in 1943. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy Seabee Museum)

April 3

1944: 30th Special Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) organized at Naval Construction Training Center (NCTC) Camp Peary, Magruder, Virginia. 1967: Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 began construction of the Liberty Bridge at Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam (RVN) with a 22-man crew.

April 4

1943: Camp Endicott, Davisville, Rhode Island is formally dedicated with Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox in attendance. The 84th NCB lead the review of battalions for the SecNav. 1968: Main body of NMCB 71 departed Davisville, Rhode Island for Chu Lai, RVN.

April 5

1968: NMCB 6 main body of 21 officers and 585 enlisted men arrived in Davisville, Rhode Island. 1968: Seabee Team 0408 arrived in Ca Dau Ha, RVN and Seabee Team 0409 arrived in Vinh Long, RVN to begin engineering construction support.

April 6

1943: 8th Special NCB formed at NCTC Camp Peary, Magruder, Virginia. 1966: Main body of NMCB 7 departed Davisville, Rhode Island for assignment to the 30th NCR for duty at Phu Bai, RVN. 1966: NMCB 7 main body moved from Construction Battalion Center Davisville, RI to Hue Phu Bai, RVN. 1968: In the Republic of Vietnam, the Hill 494 Quarry Cantonment and Rock Production was dedicated as Camp DeShurley by Rear Adm. J.V. Bartlett, Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), commander, 3rd Naval Construction Brigade, and Cmdr. J.A. Wright, CEC, commanding officer of NMCB 9, in honor of mortar crew leader Builder (Light) 3rd Class George R. DeShurley and the five other Seabees of Detail Echo, killed in action in the defense of the facility on the morning of March 31 at Phu Loc. 1968: Construction Mechanic (Heavy) 2nd Class Teddy J Baker and Construction Mechanic Constructionman Michael D. Chascsa, of NMCB 4, were wounded while riding a truck which struck a land mine in Mai Lang, RVN.

April 7

1942: Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox announced that the Navy would enlist African Americans for general service, with open enlistment for messmen and the Seabees. Over 12,500 African Americans would serve in the Seabees during World War II. 1967: Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 201 commissioned at Construction Battalion Center (CBC), Port Hueneme, California. 1967: NMCB 40 departed Chu Lai, RVN. 1968: Main body of NMCB 6 arrived in Davisville, Rhode Island from Chu Lai, RVN.

April 8

1942: 2nd NCB commissioned. 1946: 28th NCB inactivated on Okinawa. 1967: Main body of NMCB 71, consisting of 16 officers and 684 enlisted men, departed Davisville, Rhode Island on C-141 aircraft for duty at Chu Lai, RVN.

April 9

1966: Rear echelon of NMCB 1 transported on three C-130 aircraft from Davisville, Rhode Island to Da Nang, RVN. 1967: Main body of NMCB 40 arrived at Davisville, Rhode Island from Chu Lai, RVN. 1971: Seabee Team 0105 departed Bac Lieu, RVN. 1971: Main body of NMCB 40 departed Davisville, Rhode Island for deployment to Diego Garcia, Reindeer Station.