Home for the Seabees with John Wayne

An educational video about the work Seabees perform on Naval Base Ventura, Port Hueneme narrated by and featuring John Wayne.
Courtesy of the United States Navy Seabee Museum Archive

[@peterturner5618]

One time when I was wearing my Seabee cap a guy stopped me and said, "Seabee, you guys were the craziest bastards I ever met." That pretty much sums up the Seabees.

[@DaveCMH-MD80]

Truth!

[@Albe3331]

Can do. NMCB 62, 1972-73.

[@stemmentor9700]

Best 20 years of my life. Made 10 pay grades and still retired as an EA1😂. But great memories and some of the est people and times. A school in PORHUE. 2 year’s Bermuda, NMCB3- NAVFAC PAC BEACH WA; USNS Chauvenet; NMCB4: NAS Corpus Christi: NSA Bahrain and retired from CBU-418 Bangor WA. and happy belated Birthdsy Seabees.

[@josephmazzotta8813]

if we need John Wayne we need him now God please bring back John Wayne

[@scottw5253]

My father was a Seabee in Vietnam and he embodied the John Wayne "persona." Seabees are everything John Wayne said and then some. Salt of the earth, hard as nails, smart, industrious, ingenious, capable of being mean as hell and crazy enough to prove it

[@MILLERBEE74]

I have been looking for this video for years, I’m so glad that i finally found it!!!

[@SeabeeMuseum]

Enjoy!

[@kirkhensley5870]

Said I wouldn't join the Marines after watching Full Metal Jacket. Scared the tar out of me. Joined the Navy instead and still dressed like a Marine...with these guys. I don't regret one minute of it.

[@stemmentor9700]

Lol. And we trained like Marines. Def good times.

[@georgehawes5308]

@@stemmentor9700 Yeah, 2 weeks a year at Camp Pendleton in California with the Marines. Seabees & Marines were like brothers. We had a Marine Gunny assigned to our unit (Mobile Construction Battalion 4). He was a fairly small, quite guy, but everyone respected him very much. It was in 1970, 55 years ago, and I remember it like it was yesterday.... I was a Ltjg at the time. I'll never forget one piece of advice that he gave me. IF i was out in a combat area supervising some guys, DON'T POINT WITH YOUR HAND! The snipers like to shoot the guy in charge, and when you point, they know who is in charge. I never was in a combat situation, but if I had been, it very well could have saved my life.

[@georgehawes5308]

On the other hand, the sniper might have shot one of my guys, which would have been a very, very bad thing.

[@garyplankenhorn9806]

I proudly served as a U.S. NAVY Seabee from 1970 to 1978.

[@georgehawes5308]

i was in MCB 4 from 1970 - 1973. where did you serve?

[@TheBTG88]

My grandfather was part of the first ever Seabees unit. Departed Bremerton WA for Dutch Harbor Alaska to build airfields and sun pens in 1942.

[@hollandmin]

I remember when this was filmed. My father was in NMCB 5 stationed at Port Hueneme. I actually got to see John Wayne from a distance. I'll never forget it.

[@CBeard849]

My father retired from the Seabees in 1975 as an EO Chief after 21 years. Oxnard was our home.

[@georgehawes5308]

@@CBeard849 I was based out of Port Hueneme from 1970 thru 1973 with Mobile Construction Battalion 4. If your dad was with MCB 4, I might have known him...

[@randymassey1559]

The greatest generation

[@SafetyJujitero]

everyone loves a Seabee!!!! hoorahh

[@JerryDGossel]

Proud Seabee 1965 I was on the first flight with 60 Bees from D'Ville to open GulfPort Ms. 1966... Then to the NMCB-74 A Co CM-A company Cleark State side! OUT IN 1969 CM-2! Still a rachet Head! Have a Great 2022!

[@hbwblacksmithing]

My dad was Navy Seabees in Vietnam he was a UT2 sadly dad is not here No more but it is nice to see were he was he top me and my brothers a lot and always said when you go into a job underestimate an overachieve and always say can do ..jack of all trades master of none better to be a Jack of all then a master of 1

[@johnscharff7830]

Seabee Trivia - John Wayne's son Patrick played a Seabee in the movie "Green Berets" - he has a great dialogue with David Janssen after Patrick gets blown off a bulldozer - Janssen asks Patrick if he can walk & Patrick replies, "Get me to my feet & I can run!"

[@headweasel93]

My dad was a seabee. Respect.

[@maryjones3123]

Thank you for this and for your service. Love you Bees.

[@johnscharff7830]

I just found this - I was there that day in Port Hueneme, CA with NMCB 5 when the Duke was filming & we all gathered by the museum to catch a glimpse of him in fall of 1977 - he died about a year later. So interesting that they showed the Navy boot camp I was at in Orlando, FL which no longer exists. Also my base in Gulfport, MS where I did “A” school. Notice the “New Navy” uniform I wore then which were phased out by the early 1980’s & replaced by the "Cracker Jacks" I still have those uniforms & my Marine greens (also replaced w/ the new camo)

[@bobbyread6883]

Was there also, the Duke stood hands above all stepping off the Huey ! MCB 5 was the best of the best. 76 - 79 CE 3 on DD day.

[@rikroknews1601]

A proud Seabee

[@gben7084]

The music was by the band leader on "The Gong Show" Milton DeLugg ! USNMCB-10, NCR-31. Port Hueneme CA, NAVSTA GTMO, Diego Garcia....

[@chuckjohnson2564]

Any where any time any place Can Do . Best time of my life just to young and dumb to know it at the time .

[@FrankIsAlwaysRight]

WW2. Uncle Seabea. Uncle Gunners Mate. Dad CPO.

[@Joelontugs]

Thank you for all your service

[@privatepilot4064]

Can Do!

[@elricbohn6483]

The music here is why I became a SEABEE, Skal We Build and don’t fight us.

[@kevincottiers5483]

Any Gulfport Seabee immediately recognized the warehouse on Nixon

[@donnarouse9432]

Been there done that but as a seabee 's brat . Loved it in Port Hueneme.

[@badlaamaurukehu]

I was TAD for an indescretion with the Seabee's at Miramar. Cute female Petty Officer in charge...

[@thomasjohnson7735]

After BEE school in January reported to CE A school Gulfport, April of 81 followed by orders to NMCB 74 til March 86. The footage of NCC look very familiar. After 4 other duty stations returned to NMCB 74 in May 95 to May 97.

[@johncarson222]

I signed my contract two days ago, I wanted to be a sailor turns out I was gonna be more like a marine....

[@stemmentor9700]

Seabees are Seabees. “ not sailors”. Unique in every way.

[@mokooh3280]

Well i was a bee 67-70 nam, never wanted to kill anyone but. They were the best group of men i ever served with. i have a alot of ptsd and agent orange complications. most if my friends i served with are dead from the orange. I am nothing. The bees are what my dad was ww2, me nam, my spm Gpd b;ess tje bees

[@a2j.holyloveaffairreyna757]

MET & KNEW Some Seabees 197880s One OF Many Rhyuku Islands OKINAWA 🏝. Christ-Centered Soldiers & Brothers. Fellowship: Wonderful Experiences & Memories. IN USAF A.erospace G.round E.quipment | S.trategic A.ir C.ommand Unit 🙏 🇺🇸 🙏

[@ericschwarz9718]

I’m a seabee for life and I was in NMCB 4 . 72 / 76

[@georgehawes5308]

I was in MCB 4 from 1970 - 1973. Maybe we have met, years ago. I got out in 1973, just before they deployed to Diego Garcia. I heard that Diego Garcia was a lovely place to spend 10 months!! They said that if the plane got half way there and the plane wasn't working perfectly, they turned around and came back, because there was no alternate place to land in the middle of the Indian Ocean!! And the highest elevation on the island was only about 10 feet above sea level. At least that was the scuttlebutt.

[@robertwolfe6369]

Can Do...

[@gben7084]

DID !

[@wrightsimpson8671]

Can Doo !!

[@DDGVET4]

NMCB - ONE 1986-1988.

[@takebackamerica.8720]

DONE DID IT!!

[@thomasleblanc3513]

MCB 133 1969/1973 Gulfport Mississippi l Googled some of my fellow Seabees their deceased l stopped with the Google RIP my Brother Seabees

[@stemmentor9700]

Tough learning many we served with are no longer with us. It’s a special bond. 😊

[@jamesalexander3530]

I was 133 in 66-67 in Vietnam as an EOH alpha co. I stayed on in Vietnam when I arrived with MCB 6 early 66 with the security platoon and stayed with 133 did two tours back to back. I regret I didn't do my 20 years. Welcome home brother.

[@donnarouse9432]

My daddy was in mcb10 and mcb3. As was my ex husband. Both EOs

[@georgehawes5308]

I spent 3 years in MCB 4. For those readers who don't know, an EO is a Seabee who is an Equipment Operator, one who specializes in operating heavy equipment.

[@pauld9561]

7 month deployment overseas. 7 months homeport. The wife has to remove all traces of the battalion boyfriend whom left for deployment while you came homeport, but how to explain the extra miles on your Harley?

[@flobrombach3481]

telephone lines?

[@kentduryea7109]

I wonder why John Wayne signed up to do this. 18 minutes and not much of a significant part. He's used to big parts in Hollywood not somewhere in a small coastal city hardly known as Port Hueneme is. By the way, Port Hueneme is a great sounding name. I love it.

[@jerryjohnson7050]

He made the movie, The Fighting Seabees, and has visited the base in Port Hueneme.

[@jonathannovak5961]

05-08 NMCB-26 SW2 OEF Camp Virginia, Camp Moreell, KAAOT OPLAT. CAN DO