Seabees of the Navy, 1942 - 1997: A Bibliography

World War II: Establishment and Growth

By Steven C. Karoly

Books

20 Aaron, Hugh. Letters from the Good War: A Young Man's Discovery of the World. Belfast, ME: Stones Point Press, 1997. 712p.

21 Bowman, Waldo G. American Military Engineering in Europe, from Normandy to the Rhine: A Series of Articles on Army and Navy Construction Work Written from the European Theater of Operations Between December 1944 and April 1945. Rpt. of Engineering News-Record articles. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1946. 102p. Smith: 596 and 9873. Ziegler: 482.
Although this work primarily records the deeds of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in the ETO, Bowman does incorporate some data on Seabee units.

22 Bowers, Nathan A., Waldon G. Bowman, Archie N. Carter, Edward J. Cleary and Harold W. Richardson. Bulldozers Came First: The Story of U. S. War Construction in Foreign Lands. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1944. 278p. Smith: 9876.
Tells the story of overseas construction by the Seabees and Army Corps of Engineers. They impress upon the reader of the necessity of engineers in modern warfare.

23 Castillo, Edmund L. The Seabees of World War II. New York: Random, 1963. 190p. Enser: p. 458. Smith: 9878. Ziegler: 491.
Written as a juvenile book, Castillo portrays the history of the Seabees in World War II. Retired Admiral Ben Moreell wrote the forward.

24 Cave, Hough B. We Build, We Fight. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1944. 122p. Enser: p. 458. Smith: 9879.
Recounts the early history of the "miracle men of the Navy." He discusses Seabee organization and training and tells of their accomplishments in the South Pacific, Aleutians, Iceland, Bermuda, Africa and Mediterranean.

25 Cooper, Philip C. Pete. The Engineer in War and Peace: From Guadalcanal to Main Street. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1996. 206p.

26 DeLaurenis, Rocky. Laughing & Griping with the 97th Seabees. National City, CA: Bay Port Press, 1983. 189p.
An autobiographical account of DeLaurenis' tour with the 97th Seabees in the United Kingdom.

27 Hoyt, Edwin P. Now Here This: The Story of American Sailors in World War II. New York: Paragon House, 1993. 298p.
Third in a series. Hoyt describes the life of World War II servicemen from their personal stories. Several Seabee stories are included.

27 Huie, William Bradford. Can Do!: The Story of the Seabees. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1944. 250p. Smith: 9891.
Huie, editor of the American Mercury and author of two books (Mud on the Stars and The Fight for Air Power) before joining the Seabees, presents the Seabee story, often in their own words. He introduced the concept of the five roads to victory so often seen in World War II Seabee writings. Appendices include lists of awards and casualties and an introduction to Seabee poetry. The introduction is written by (then) Vice Admiral Ben Moreell. The books has recently been re-printed by the Naval Institute Press.

29 ________. From Omaha to Okinawa: The Story of the Seabees. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1945. 257p. Enser: p. 314. Smith: 9892. Ziegler: 2613.
Huie continues his earlier work, sharing Seabee adventures during the last year of the war. Appendices include a listing of every Seabee battalion and were they served in World War II.

30 ________ and Ervine Metzl. The Seabee Roads to Victory: A Brochure of Maps Depicting the World-wide Activities of the Naval Construction Battalions. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1944. 34p. Smith: 9894.
As announced by the title, Huie again explains the work of the Seabees. Where wartime censorship allows, he lists achievements of individual Seabee battalions and their locations.

31 Lane, James B. and Stephan G. McShane, eds. Skinning Cats: The Wartime Letters of Tom Krueger. Chicago: Calumet Regional Archives and Catttails Press. 1985.

32 Lent, Henry B. SeaBee: Bill Scott Builds and Fights for the Navy. New York: McMilliam, 1944. 176p.
One of several books by Lent during the war. He tells the story of one sailor's experience as he learned to be a Seabee during boot camp and advanced training. Other titles include PT Boat and Aviation Cadet. His books follow the same format:. They tell the story of the training it takes to be a Seabee or PT boat sailor or aviator or bombardier.

33 Miller, Max. The Far Shore. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1945. 173p.
Miller gives the landing craft coxswain's and Seabee bulldozer driver's view of life on the Far Shore. In his view, these are the heroes of the Normandy and Southern France landings in 1944.

34 Miller, Max. It's Tomorrow Out Here. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1945. Enser: p. 315. Ziegler: 2646.
Miller describes life in the Pacific, especially after the combat troops have moved forward to the next island landing. His story centers on the garrison force left to build up the island to support future operations. He includes several descriptions of the Seabees.

35 Poulton, Jane Weaver, ed. A Better Legend: From the World War II Letters of Jack and Jane Poulton. Charlotteville: University Press of Virginia, 1993. 272p.
Jack Poulton served with the 27th Seabees on Tulagi, Guadalcanal, Emirau and Okinawa. Titled A Better Legend because Jane Poulton believes the "saying that lovers make better legend than heroes do."

36 Preston, Walter H. A Part of My Life in World War II: A Report by an Ex-Seabee. n. p. 1993. 36p.
A self-published, personal account by a World War II Seabee. A copy of his story is found in the library of the historian's officer in Port Hueneme, CA.

37 Raitt, Nathan S. The Navy Seabees: Their Early Days. Venice, FL: Raitt, 1983, 20p.
As a Chief Yeoman stationed with the Seabees at Davisville and Camps Allen and Peary, he recounts early history of the Seabees at these bases. Commissioned in 1942, Raitt left the Seabees for the Naval Air Force.

38 Sill, Van Rensselaer. American Miracle: The Story of War Construction Around the World. New York: The Odyssey Press, 1947. 301p. Smith: 9915. Ziegler: 567.
Describes American war construction by all Federal construction agencies during World War II, civilian and military. Includes a report on Navy construction, civilian and Seabee, by Rear Admiral John Manning, post-war Seabee chief. It's full of wartime construction statistics and appropriations data. A chronology of war construction activities is added at the end.

39 Skordiles, Kimon. The Seabees in War and Peace. 2 vols. California: Argus, 1972.

40 Smith, S. E., ed. The United States Navy in World War II. New York: William Marrow, 1966. 1049p.
Smith compiled a collection of accounts written by the participants and correspondents of World War II. Three reprints from Huie's Can Do! are included: Huie, "Men and Mud," 441-9; W. J. Burke and Huie, "The Panzers Were Waiting for Us," 545-52; and Dee Harden, "I Got the Pipe You Sent Me," 708-9.

41 Stanford, Alfred B. Force Mulberry: The Planning and Installation of the Artificial Harbor of U.S. Normandy Beaches in World War II New York" William Morrow and Company, 1951. 240p.
Stanford details the design, assembly and construction of the American artificial harbor, called Mulberry "A," at Omaha Beach. Much of this book deals with the 108th Seabees, the unit which was responsible for construction of the Mulberry. Stanford was deputy commander of harbor during the invasion.

42 Sweet, Alton. My Seabee Story. n.p. c. 1973. 78p.
An autobiographical account of Sweet's tour with the 33rd Seabees in the Solomon Islands. A copy is found in the CEC/Seabee Museum library in Port Hueneme, CA.

43 United States Navy. Bureau of Yards and Docks. Build and Fight with the Seabees and Follow Your Trade in the Navy. Washington: GPO, April 30, 1943. 28p.
A recruiting brochure directed at the construction industry.

44 United States Navy. Bureau of Yards and Docks. Building the Navy's Bases in World War II: History of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and the Civil Engineer Corps, 1940-1946. 2 vols. Washington: GPO, 1947. Coletta (1981): 3121. Higham (1981): 556. Smith: 9924.
This is a detailed work on the history of Naval construction in World War II. Volume I focuses on construction in the continental U. S. by contractors, describes Seabee establishment, organization, equipage and training. Overseas construction by the Seabees is outlined in Volume II. This work is very difficult to find. Few libraries have on their shelves.

45 United States Navy. Bureau of Yards and Docks. The Civil Engineer Corps of the United States Naval Reserve. Washington: GPO, 1942. 31p.
This recruiting brochure describes the mission of the Navy's Civil Engineer Corps. Included are Navy officer pay and allowances, the qualifications for a Naval Reserve commission and typical assignments.

46 United States Navy. Bureau of Yards and Docks. The Seabees: United States Naval Construction Battalions. Washington: GPO, c. 1944. 80p. A report of Seabee progress during the first part of the war.

47 White, Robert J. Tamarick White, Orygun Seabee in War and Peace. Hillsboro, OR: Sagebrush Heritage, 1990. 298p.
White tells his life story starting in 1942. He served with the 16th Seabees in World War II and the 18th Seabees in the Naval Reserve.

48 Woodbury, David O. Builders for Battle: How the Pacific Naval Air Bases were Constructed. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1946. 415p. Smith: 10085. Ziegler: 610.
Tells the story of how civilian contractors built the Pacific Naval Air Bases in the years preceding World War II. Introduces the Seabees later in the book. The introduction is written by Admiral Ben Moreell.


Fiction

49 Aaron, Hugh. When Wars Were Won. Belfast, ME: Stones Point Press, 1995. 270p.
This is the only work of Seabee fiction I have seen. The author was a World War II Seabee with the 113th Seabees.


Other Publications

50 Gallant, Jack. "Long Ago and Far Away: The Story of the 63rd Seabees." World War II Fact Sheet. Washington: Navy & Marine Corps Commemorative Committee, c. 1992. 2p.

51 Germinski, Robert A. "The Fighting Seabees." World War II Fact Sheet. Washington: Navy & Marine Corps Commemorative Committee, c. 1992. 2p.
Brief, two-page history of the World War II Seabees.


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