The Navy’s Fighting Seabees

With their trademark of a fierce and determined bee carrying hammer in one hand and a Tommy gun in the other, no other branch of the U.S. Navy has served in more theaters of war or tackled more challenging missions than the Seabees.

Admiral Ernest J. King, chief of Naval Operations during World War II, said: “Seabee ingenuity and fortitude have become a legend in the naval service.”

Indeed it has.

The Seabees are the U.S. Navy’s construction battalions. From the sweltering jungles of Guadalcanal, to the arid deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, they’ve upheld their proud tradition as fighters who build and builders who fight.

In this riveting episode of “War Stories With Oliver North,” we pay tribute to the often-overlooked men and women of the Navy’s fighting Seabees.

You’ll meet Joseph Shawinsky of the 133rd Naval Construction Battalion, who landed beside the Marines on Iwo Jima and lived to tell the story. You’ll also hear from two members of Vietnam-era Seabee Team 1104 — Johnny McCully and Frank Peterlin — who served with Marvin Shields, the first and only Seabee to have received the Congressional Medal of Honor. And go along for a day in the life of the new generation of Seabees at Ft. Hunter Liggett, California and you’ll hear how these warrior builders are being trained today for the global War on Terror.