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By Edward D. Scruggs
Scruggs asked if I knew the difference between a fair tale and a sea story? After pleading ignorance, he explained, "Well, a fairy tale begins, ‘Once upon a time.’ But a sea story starts with ‘This ain’t no bull.’"
He then told me the Seabee beer story from Wolmi Do. After concluding, "That’s the 100 cases of beer story." He added, "This ain’t no bull."
We were getting ready to leave for Yokosuka when Lt. Cmdr. Jacobs come down to where we were finishing our welding. He told me, "Cut the top out of that pontoon in the middle of that Rhino barge." "Captain?" "Yes, Scruggs. I said cut the top out of that pontoon. I got something to put in it."
A little while later he came down there with a deuce and a half with 100 cases of beer in the back. A couple guys put it inside that T6 pontoon. Then Jacobs said, "Alright, you steelworkers put the lid back on that T6 pontoon and weld it up."
He told us that stuff would be better that gold when we landed at Inchon. We could trade it for a jeep, a machine gun, hand grenades or anything we else needed. He said you could get at least a jeep for a case of beer. So I did.
After the Marines secured the beach, Jacobs came down to the barge and told us to cut the pontoon open. We moved the beer into the galley and put two guys on it to watch it. Then the galley tent caught fire. That whole battalion went through hell. It was total chaos.
Scruggs began his naval career in 1947. He retired 30 years later as a chief steelworker. He recently retired from a career in law enforcement.
This story is found in No. 5 (Winter 1999) of the Seabee Log.
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