I just discovered this video today right now and made the mistake of listening to it while driving. I have chills and I’m crying. Wow I appreciate this more than you could even begin to know. That being said…I am a 49 year old woman and I was raised by my wonderfully complicated impossible to describe crazy father who was a Navy SeaBee Vietnam vet. The stereotype of “not talking about Nam” was not my dad. He talked about it and I’ve tried explaining to people the way he talked about it. He told me so many stores so many times throughout the 43 years I had with him. I of course tuned half of it out because I had no idea what he was talking about even though I enjoyed them and they made me laugh. He would laugh to himself while he told them. Talking about the pranks back and forth with the marines…or he would always talk about some mission or project they were working on and they would come up with a better more efficient and time effective way to do it so they could get it done earlier and faster …then go drink booze. He talked about how the official way they were supposed to do the job was designed or made by some asshole sitting in his office on the other side of the world….he would go on and on and on and on … They somehow tricked a marine into giving them liquor or beer and maybe some food that was supposed to be for the boss head guys. I could have it backwards too lol I’m so sorry I forgot what he called him. If I remember correctly this wasn’t a small amount of food and booze but maybe a truckload. It was hilarious and you would almost think he was telling a story about summer camp. I wish I recorded him because now those stories are gone. When I try to explain to people how my dad did talk about Vietnam, it was the funny stuff he did or his buddies did while working. Many looked at me strange as if funny stuff can’t happen during a war and of course vets don’t talk about Nam. Well he did talk about a part of it …but he talked just how you guys are talking and told the same type of stories in the same way. Were y’all edited a lot for this clip 😆😆😆😆because he would tell a hour long story about some small job he or another was doing and chuckle to himself as he tried explaining things knowing I have no idea what any of it means and can not connect at all to his tales of Seabee work in Viet Nam. I think the funniest part about it for me was how funny he thought it was because I sure the hell didn’t understand what the eff he was talking about 😆😆😆 I wish I remember the story he told about the burning of the latrines or the hole under them or some situation prank disaster story he told me. My father was so proud to be a Seabee and if you dare call him a sailor he would correct you ..but with humor…his very dry, extremely intelligent and witty sense of humor for everything in life is what shaped me. It’s also what got his ass in trouble a lot and in the end why he left the navy…something about them not knowing what to do with his ass and Diego Garcia island ??is that familiar? He was too smart for his own good yet he had a total blue collar salt of the earth way about him. The Seabees were perfect for him and there is no way for anyone that doesn’t know a Seabee to understand their character, their humor, their intelligence, their ingenuity, their flaws, their ability to do anything they had to in order to complete a project or a personal life crisis. I am trying so hard not to curse like I was raised by a sailor …pun intended …but he was a Seabee not a sailor. Of course when he got older he forgot how he used to curse and wonders where my foul mouthed, sarcastic ass attitude came from. He still blames my mother for ruining me at 13 😆😆😆😆they divorced when I was four. Anyway I am so sorry for the ramble but hearing y’all made me so happy I had to pull over. Every single day of my life involved some Seabees can do lecture….sometimes mixed with a Vince Lombardi quote and many not so great renditions a Buddy Holly song. I feel like Seabees were my extended family I never met. I was even born on a Navy mass in Puerto Rico. They don’t make men they way they used to. There will never be another of my dad. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!! This meant everything to me. Thank everyone of you for your service. Happy Veterans Day and… SeaBees can do!!! 💙💛💙💛
I was a corpsman with MCB 10 and know exactly how you feel. Have many stories about the greatest bunch of guys ever. I will pass on your wonderful sentiments to some Seabee pals from Viet Nam.
I was at Da Nang the night the airstrip was attacked, had gone from our Seabee camp across dogpatch to the Air Force repair shop to swap some parts we needed, got back to our base about an hour before the attack. Going there I had admired the air conditioned Air Force barracks, after seeing them after the attack didn't mind our tin roofed huts with a small fan to cool it down . Was also there when the B 52 crash landed and hit the mine field at the end of the runway, only person who survived that was the tail gunner when the tail broke off before jumping the ditch at the end of the runway before hitting the minefield.
One of the funny things I remember. That was when my good friend slept through a rocket attack and came out laughing his ass off. Saw us, all covered in mud. another thing I remember as funny now but not at the time was when I was in the army camp next to us and played a joke on us but tear-gassing us.
Had an Uncle in WW-2 and I ended up in RVN in the Engineers. He said I took after him. That was a great honor. Still is. Still burning diesel and thinking of him.
The Marines wore the same Greens as we did so, if they needed a truck or something for something, they'd just come to the motor pool and grab one. the man checking out the vehicles would see the green hat and wave them through. The Marines usually brought back the truck, usually almost out of gas though. Civilians were known to "borrow' a truck and even a dozer sometimes but they never brought them back, just painted them yellow and we didn't see them till they were worn out. There was a tradition called "Comshaw", that covered those situations and it was the Sea Bees who did the comshaw most of the time. We liked Marines, they kept Charlie off our necks. Scuttlebutt has it that Uncle Ho wrote a letter to Tricky Dick, thanking him for all the good work the sea Bees on his future infrastructure and, when the NVA came to Saigon, they came down the road the Sea Bees had built!
I just discovered this video today right now and made the mistake of listening to it while driving. I have chills and I’m crying. Wow I appreciate this more than you could even begin to know.
That being said…I am a 49 year old woman and I was raised by my wonderfully complicated impossible to describe crazy father who was a Navy SeaBee Vietnam vet. The stereotype of “not talking about Nam” was not my dad. He talked about it and I’ve tried explaining to people the way he talked about it. He told me so many stores so many times throughout the 43 years I had with him. I of course tuned half of it out because I had no idea what he was talking about even though I enjoyed them and they made me laugh. He would laugh to himself while he told them. Talking about the pranks back and forth with the marines…or he would always talk about some mission or project they were working on and they would come up with a better more efficient and time effective way to do it so they could get it done earlier and faster …then go drink booze. He talked about how the official way they were supposed to do the job was designed or made by some asshole sitting in his office on the other side of the world….he would go on and on and on and on …
They somehow tricked a marine into giving them liquor or beer and maybe some food that was supposed to be for the boss head guys. I could have it backwards too lol I’m so sorry I forgot what he called him. If I remember correctly this wasn’t a small amount of food and booze but maybe a truckload. It was hilarious and you would almost think he was telling a story about summer camp. I wish I recorded him because now those stories are gone.
When I try to explain to people how my dad did talk about Vietnam, it was the funny stuff he did or his buddies did while working. Many looked at me strange as if funny stuff can’t happen during a war and of course vets don’t talk about Nam. Well he did talk about a part of it …but he talked just how you guys are talking and told the same type of stories in the same way. Were y’all edited a lot for this clip 😆😆😆😆because he would tell a hour long story about some small job he or another was doing and chuckle to himself as he tried explaining things knowing I have no idea what any of it means and can not connect at all to his tales of Seabee work in Viet Nam. I think the funniest part about it for me was how funny he thought it was because I sure the hell didn’t understand what the eff he was talking about 😆😆😆 I wish I remember the story he told about the burning of the latrines or the hole under them or some situation prank disaster story he told me.
My father was so proud to be a Seabee and if you dare call him a sailor he would correct you ..but with humor…his very dry, extremely intelligent and witty sense of humor for everything in life is what shaped me. It’s also what got his ass in trouble a lot and in the end why he left the navy…something about them not knowing what to do with his ass and Diego Garcia island ??is that familiar? He was too smart for his own good yet he had a total blue collar salt of the earth way about him. The Seabees were perfect for him and there is no way for anyone that doesn’t know a Seabee to understand their character, their humor, their intelligence, their ingenuity, their flaws, their ability to do anything they had to in order to complete a project or a personal life crisis. I am trying so hard not to curse like I was raised by a sailor …pun intended …but he was a Seabee not a sailor. Of course when he got older he forgot how he used to curse and wonders where my foul mouthed, sarcastic ass attitude came from. He still blames my mother for ruining me at 13 😆😆😆😆they divorced when I was four.
Anyway I am so sorry for the ramble but hearing y’all made me so happy I had to pull over. Every single day of my life involved some Seabees can do lecture….sometimes mixed with a Vince Lombardi quote and many not so great renditions a Buddy Holly song. I feel like Seabees were my extended family I never met. I was even born on a Navy mass in Puerto Rico. They don’t make men they way they used to. There will never be another of my dad. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!! This meant everything to me.
Thank everyone of you for your service. Happy Veterans Day and…
SeaBees can do!!! 💙💛💙💛
I was a corpsman with MCB 10 and know exactly how you feel. Have many stories about the greatest bunch of guys ever. I will pass on your wonderful sentiments to some Seabee pals from Viet Nam.
Black Pill Red Thank you for sharing your memories and your love of your Dad. This was a very touching and meaningful read. God bless you.
I was at Da Nang the night the airstrip was attacked, had gone from our Seabee camp across dogpatch to the Air Force repair shop to swap some parts we needed, got back to our base about an hour before the attack. Going there I had admired the air conditioned Air Force barracks, after seeing them after the attack didn't mind our tin roofed huts with a small fan to cool it down . Was also there when the B 52 crash landed and hit the mine field at the end of the runway, only person who survived that was the tail gunner when the tail broke off before jumping the ditch at the end of the runway before hitting the minefield.
Much love for the seabees from a marine engineer. You guys are the best at what you do!
One of the funny things I remember. That was when my good friend slept through a rocket
attack and came out laughing his ass off. Saw us, all covered in mud. another thing I remember as funny now but not at the time was when I was in the army camp next to us and played a joke on us but tear-gassing us.
Had an Uncle in WW-2 and I ended up in RVN in the Engineers. He said I took after him. That was a great honor. Still is. Still burning diesel and thinking of him.
Chief Squirrel Murphy was in Nmcb21 Reserves still in late 90s and early 2000 when I was in.
The Marines wore the same Greens as we did so, if they needed a truck or something for something, they'd just come to the motor pool and grab one. the man checking out the vehicles would see the green hat and wave them through. The Marines usually brought back the truck, usually almost out of gas though.
Civilians were known to "borrow' a truck and even a dozer sometimes but they never brought them back, just painted them yellow and we didn't see them till they were worn out. There was a tradition called "Comshaw", that covered those situations and it was the Sea Bees who did the comshaw most of the time. We liked Marines, they kept Charlie off our necks. Scuttlebutt has it that Uncle Ho wrote a letter to Tricky Dick, thanking him for all the good work the sea Bees on his future infrastructure and, when the NVA came to Saigon, they came down the road the Sea Bees had built!