Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1945-01-06

| strating that American working
men, drawn from sixty different
trades, are able to substitute guns
for tools and put up a first clash
fight.
IL was from bases hey the Sea-
bees and their Civil Engineer
Corps officers helped to build that
much of the strength was concen-
trated for the blow at the Philip
pines. Combat supplies were issu-
ed from Seabee-build warehouse,
naval craft were fueled from Sea-
Demonstrated fuel dumps, and
aircraft lew from Seabee-built
airfields to guard the prepara-
lions. From these forward bases,
the invasion machine was sent
into action in the peak of fight
ing trim. Most of the Eeabees had
to stay behind, but they made
good use of their time-as witness
ed by the fact that the airfields
in the Marianas r e now ade-
quate to send giant B-29's a d
their deadly loads winging over
the Japanese homeland.
HELP BUILD ROADS
Earlier in the year, the Seabees
helped build the road to the
islands that launched the Philip
pine attack. They had come "up
the slot" from Guadalcanal build
ing as fast as the combat forces
could fight space clear for them
to start construction. In March,
they rebuilt the Jap airfield at
Los Negroes, which walled up the
Japs in the Solomons. At the
same time, the Japs made their
last desperate effort to drive or
forces off Bougainville. Whether
{ h e y could succeed depended
largely on whether they could
knock out the airfields the Sea-
bees had built. Mortar Shells and
bombs poured down on the fields
for nearly two weeks, but as fast
as they fell the Seabees repaired
the damage. AT no time were the
fields out of operation for more
than 30 minutes, and not once
were flights interrupted.
Meanwhile, far to the north
other Seabee battalions W er e
building another invasion road
through the Marshalls.
They brought ammunition to
the marines, brought in supplies
over the beaches, and restored
the Japs' wrecked airfields in
time for land-based air cover to
protect the new advances. Ware
| houses, docks, fuel storage facili-
ties and all other requisites Of a
naval base were erected by the
American wOrkmen In Navy blue.
While supplies continued to flow
in over the peaches of Normandy.
other Seabees helped to bring the
ports OF Cherbourg and LeHavre
back into operation. They were
among the men whom General
Eisenhower praised as the UNI
sung heroes Of the supply battle
of Europe.
OTHER UNSUNG HEROES
The SeabeeS boast other unsune
supply heroes in the approxi-
mately $4,000 men assigned to
N va Construction Battalions
, (SpeciaD, who have been trained
In the loading and unloading of
ships. Organized to meet criti-
cal needs for stevedore at ports
IN the combat zones, the "Spe-
Gals" with primitive docking ia
cilities have set records for cargo
handling under fire that compare
favorably with the best perform
ances at major ports in the u. S.
In addition, Seabees have been
given special training and organ
lied into attachments, devoted to
automotive repair, the handling
OF spare parts. fog generation,
pontoon assembly and the build
ing of petroleum facilities.
With these units experimenting
the work of the reg liar batta-
lions, the Seabees o. the NAVY
have given conviction to their
motto of Can Do" AS they COM
mence their 18th year, they have