The Fighting Seabees

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

So begins the anthem of the U.S. Navy Seabees, who supported the World War II effort by bulldozing foreign islands and constructing airfields, even using their equipment to fend off the enemy when necessary. Originally formed as a civilian construction corps, however, they were not always a part of the military; in fact, many of the men in the “CBs” (Construction Battalions) were much older than their Armed Forces counterparts. The Fighting Seabees tells the fictionalized story of how Wedge Donnovan (played by John Wayne), a strong-willed construction boss concerned about his men’s safety, was instrumental in integrating the Construction Battalion into America’s fighting forces. Produced in 1944 during the war, this movie is an inspiring depiction of all that the Seabees did to “pave the way to victory”.

*Seabees enlistment poster (source); song lyrics by Sam M. Lewis (source)