Father of the Seabees
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About the SeabeesBorn in the early days of World War II when the nation was in dire peril, their mission was to build bases for the combat forces, to defend those bases, and to provide other support of whatever kind required.
Organized and commanded by officers of the Civil Engineer Corps of the Navy, recruited largely from the building trades of organized labor, buttressed by the construction industry, the Seabees quickly proved their total competence.
High morale, expert skills, versatile ingenuity, strong devotion to duty, and deep sympathy for the needy are the hallmarks of their record. Their motto "can do" symbolizes their tradition and their achievements.
Generations of Seabees have added to the laurels of their forebears. In war and in peace they have maintained their high repute as builders, fighters, and humanitarians.
-Ben Moreell
Admiral
Civil Engineer Corps
United States Navy
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About Ben Moreell
1892 -1978Brilliant engineer, industrialist, and humanitarian; noble in spirit and stature, dedicated to God and country.
He was thirty years a naval officer, twelve years an industrial giant, fifteen more years a national spokesman.
Commissioned in the Civil Engineer Corps during World War I, he attained four star rank in 1946, the first staff corps officer to be so recognized.
As chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks during World War II, he directed a world-wide construction program, contributing greatly to victory in the Pacific and in Europe.
He founded a naval construction force, the SeaBees, comprised of a quarter million men whose fame and accomplishments were legendary.
He helped set the course for the 1955 - 1980 building modernization at the Navy Academy.
He was honored twelve times with doctoral degrees, elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and was named as one of the ten leading construction men in the United States during the fifty-year period, 1925-1975.
Ben Moreell possessed a warmth for people, born of his belief in the value of each individual. He left a legacy of creativity. He was a blessing to all who knew him and to countless others.
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