Editing Seabee (section)

===Vietnam War===
[[File:STAT 1104.jpg|thumb|STAT 1104 in Port Hueneme L-R standing: John Klepher, Dale Brakken, William Hoover KIA, Ltjg Peterlin, Cmdr L.W.Eyman, Douglas Mattick, James Keenan, J.R. McCully, Marvin Shields KIA, kneeling: Richard Supczak, F.J. Alexander Jr, James Wilson, Jack Allen. For their actions in the [[Battle of Dong Xoai]], STAT 1104 received a [[Navy Unit Commendation]] a Medal of Honor, 2 Silver Stars, 6 Bronze Stars with Vs and 9 purple hearts. (USN)]]
[[File:Vietnam era Seabee Equipment Operator collar devices.jpg|thumb|Vietnam era EO3 – EO1 collar devices]]

Seabees were in Vietnam twice in the 1950s. First in June 1954, as elements of [[Operation Passage to Freedom]] and then two years later to [[surveying|survey]] and map the  roads. Seabee teams 501 and 502 arrived January 1963 as the first Seabees of the [[Vietnam War]]. They went to Dam Pau and [[Tri Ton]] to build Special Forces camps.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{Cite web|url=https://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/2016/02/16/this-week-in-seabee-history-week-of-february-14/|title=This Week in Seabee History (Week of February 14)|access-date=7 August 2019|archive-date=7 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807093327/https://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil/2016/02/16/this-week-in-seabee-history-week-of-february-14/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1964 small 14 man Seabee groups were tasked to the U.S. Army advisors in the Special Operations Group. ACB 1 was the first CB in the theater that year.   In 1965 the Marines arrived, making an amphibious landing at Chu Lai, with Seabees attached.  Entire Naval Construction Regiments followed.<ref name="NAM">Seabees in Action in Vietnam, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, U.S. GPO 1968 O-323-015.</ref> Seabees supported the Marines at Khe Sanh and [[Chu Lai Base Area|Chu Lai combat base]]s.  The U.S. had many civilian contractors in the country, however the Seabee construction included numerous aircraft-support facilities, roads, and bridges. For every mile of road they improved, they built 100' of bridge-deck.<ref name="NAM"/> They also worked civic action projects throughout the country. In June 1965, Construction Mechanic 3rd Class [[Marvin Glenn Shields|Marvin G. Shields]] of Seabee Team 1104 was at the [[Battle of Dong Xoai]]. He was posthumously awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] and is the only Seabee to receive the award. Seabee Teams were part of a [[propaganda]] program to promote support for the RVN through positive community engagement, typically building schools, clinics, or drilling wells. In 1966, Seabees repaired the airfield at [[Khe Sanh Combat Base|Khe Sahn]] covering an area of 3,900'x60' with aluminum matting in four days. [[General Westmoreland]] "called it one of the most outstanding military engineering feats of the war."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/16/opinion/the-largest-military-construction-project-in-history.html |title=The Largest Military Construction Project in History, Vietnam '67|work= [[The New York Times]]|author= Mel Schenck, Vietnam|date= January 16, 2018}}</ref> MCB 4 had a det at [[Con Thien]] whose actions were a near repeat of [[Battle of Đồng Xoài|Dong Xoai]].

In 1968, the Marine Corps requested that the Navy make a change. The Marines were using "MCB" for "Marine Corps Base" while the Navy was using "MCB" for "Mobile Construction Battalion", it was causing confusion in logistics. The Navy agreed and added "Naval" to MCB creating the NMCBs that now exist. During that year the 30th NCR had five battalions in the Da Nang area and two at Chu Lai. The 32nd NCR had three battalions tasked near Phu Bai and one at Dong Ha. In May 1968 two reserve battalions RNMCB 12 and 22 were activated, bring the total number of battalions in Vietnam to 21. Both ACBs were in theater as well as CBMUs 301 and 302. In 1968, NMCB 10 drew an atypical Seabee "task" supporting the [[101st Airborne]]. It happened again in 1969 when CBs 10, 40 and 121 sent EOs to Fire base Fury. During 1969 the number of Seabees in theater reached 29,000, from there their draw-down began.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-last=Tucker |editor-first=Spencer C. |title=Seabees |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qh5lffww-KsC&pg=PA1023|year=2011 |location=Santa Barbara, CA |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |isbn=978-1-85109-961-0 |page=1023 |access-date=18 October 2017}}</ref> The last battalion withdrew late 1971 with the last Seabee teams out a year later. When it was over they had sent 137 Seabee teams, built 15 CB camps, and deployed 22 battalions.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mPJRDwAAQBAJ&dq=Seabees+railroads+vietnam&pg=PA171 ''U.S. Navy Seabees{{Snd}} The Vietnam Years'', Terry Lukanic, ', 2017]</ref> [[Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 302|CBMU 302]] became the largest CB ever at over 1400 men and was homeported at [[Cam Rahn Bay]]. On 23 April 1975 it was announced that U.S. involvement in Vietnam was over.
That day CB 4 started construction of a temporary camp for [[Operation New Life]] on Guam. In seven days 2,000 squad tents were erected and numbered 3,500 when done.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://denix.osd.mil/cr/legacy/factsheets/reports-and-other-products/regional-cold-war-history-for-department-of-defense-installations-in-guam-and-the-northern-mariana-islands-legacy-09-454/ |title=Temporary Facilities, 4.5.1.1 Role in the Cold War, Regional Cold War History for DOD Installations in Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, Jayne Aaron, July 2011, DOD Legacy Program, p. 4–26 (94/198) |access-date=1 August 2019 |archive-date=1 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801014121/https://denix.osd.mil/cr/legacy/factsheets/reports-and-other-products/regional-cold-war-history-for-department-of-defense-installations-in-guam-and-the-northern-mariana-islands-legacy-09-454/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

During Vietnam the Seabees had a few uniform variations. One was the stenciling of unit numbers across the back of the field jacket M-65.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/museums/Seabee/Cruisebooks/postwwiicruisebooks/NMCB/nmcb1-cruisebooks/NMCB%201_1966.pdf| title = MCB 1 Cruisebook 1966, p. 57–58, Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, CA}}</ref> Another was the collar and cover devices for enlisted E4-E6. The Navy authorized that the "crow" be replaced by the rating insignia of each trade. Nametags were another, they started out white with a multicolored seabee. In 1968, the USMC OD green pattern was copied. The NAVCATs became the only Seabees to ever be authorized to wear a shoulder patch.<ref>[http://cqrcengage.com/Washingtonrollcall/app/document/16106529;jsessionid=crywbfgxui3s55usnlwbfpms USN Seabees to drop anchor in Walla Walla Oct. 6-9, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, 2016-09-28]</ref>

'''NAVCATs Naval Construction Action Teams'''

CBMU 302 had 23 NAVCATS(Naval Construction Action Teams) total with 15 the most active at one time.<ref>[https://www.ljmilitaria.com/navypatches/749eb35e0.jpg NAVCAT 12 patch, Lee-Jackson Militaria, San Jose, CA]
</ref> Teams were numbered 1-23. They were Vice Admiral [[Elmo Zumwalt]]'s expansion of the Seabee Team concept. He submitted it in November 1968 to General [[Creighton Abrams]] commander of [[Military Assistance Command, Vietnam]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Koejt5WIaFAC&q=CBMU%20310%20NAVCAT&pg=PA459 Southeast Asia, Building the Bases, Richard Tregaskis, U.S. GPO, 1975, p. 403]</ref>

'''Agent Orange'''
Many Seabees were exposed to the [[defoliant]] [[herbicide]] while in Vietnam. NCBC Gulfport was the largest storage depot in the United States for [[Agent Orange]]. From there it was shipped to Vietnam.<ref name="WLOX">[http://www.wlox.com/story/22793893/agent-orange-clean-at-navy-seabee-base-is-the-focus-at-public-meeting/ Agent Orange clean at Navy Seabee base is the focus at public meeting, reported by Natalie Campen, WLOX TV, Gulfport, MS, July 9, 2013 at 3:04 PM CDT]</ref> In 1968, the NCBC received 68,000 [[barrel]]s to forward.<ref name="Orange">[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302510859_Monitoring_Studies_of_Former_Agent_Orange_Storage_Sites_in_Mississippi_and_Johnston_Island ''The History, Use, Disposition and Environmental Fate of Agent Orange'', Chapt 7: Monitoring Studies of Former Agent Orange Storage Sites in Mississippi and Johnston Island, Alvin L. Young, Springer Publishing, 2008]</ref> Long term barrel storage began in 1969. That lasted until 1977. The site covered 30 [[acre]]s and was still being cleaned up in 2013.<ref name="WLOX"/><ref>[https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/pha/navalconstructionbattalioncentergulfport/ncbcgulfportfinalrelease041205.pdf Public Health Assessment, Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Mississippi, Facility ID No. MS2170022626, April 2005, prepared by: Federal Facilities Assessment Branch, Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry]</ref>