This memorial to the members of the US Navy Civil Engineer Corps and the Naval Construction Battalions "Seabees" stands in a place of deep honor at Memorial Circle in the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga TN.
The memorial reads as follows:
"NAVY SEABEES
[Seal of the Navy Civil Engineer Corps]
Estb. 1876
[Seal of the US Navy Seabees]
Estb. 1942
[design]
SEABEES CAN DO
With willing hearts and skillful hands the difficult we do at once, the impossible takes a bit longer.
WE BUILD, WE FIGHT"
The Civil Engineer Corps and the Seabees are truly exceptional. In WWII, the Seabees were often on contested islands BEFORE Marines arrived to storm the beaches, building airstrips, clearning beachgeads, stringing communications wires (using glass coke bottles for insulators).
For more on the Civil Engineer Corps, see Wikipedia: (
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For the Seabees, see here: (
visit link)
To hear the US Navy 'Song of the Seabees' played by the US Navy Band, see: (
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Lyrics, here:
"Seabee Song
We're the Seabees of the Navy
We can build and we can fight
We'll pave our way to victory
and guard it day and night.
We promise we'll 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, the Cohens and Flynn
The Navy wanted more
Of Uncle Sammy's kin
So we all joined up
And brother we're in to win
[unofficial third verse]
We're the Seabees of the Navy
The "Can Do" men in green
In war or peace you'll find us
ready on the scene.
And no matter what our mission
we'll uphold our proud tradition
We're the Seabees of the Navy
Bees of the Seven Seas.
Words by Sam M. Lewis
Music by Peter de Rose"