U.S. NAVY CWO CIVIL ENGINEER CORPS SOFT EPAULETS

us navy soft shoulder board wo2 civil engineer corps

While the United States Navy Civil Engineer Corps erected an impressive number of shore facilities during World War I, none of these were in combat areas, and they invariably employed civilian workers under the command of Reserve officers.

But the nature of the war in the Pacific Theater during World War II forced the CEC rethink this paradigm. Winning the war meant going on the offensive and taking the fight to the Japanese, which in turn entailed the construction of a myriad operational facilities—airfields, supply depots, bridges, ports, and so forth—in combat areas. The Navy was forced to reconsider the use of civilian workers in these settings for a couple of reasons. First, if these civilians came under attack by the Japanese and picked up weapons to defend themselves, they would be classified as “guerillas” and be subject to summary execution. Second, while civilian workers undoubtedly had the gung-ho to offer full-blooded resistance, they lacked the military training to be effective in doing so.

The solution was proposed by Rear Admiral Ben Moreel, Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks: a Naval Construction Force composed of workers who had also undergone naval and military training. Moreel began recruiting master journeymen to form the first Naval Construction Battalions; the initials of the new units, “CBs,” were transformed into the word “Seabees,” which formed the basis of their logo, a bee wielding a Tommy Gun and workers’ tools.

Over the course of the next three-plus years, roughly 325,000 Seabees left an unforgettable legacy. They were among the first of the troops to hit the beaches during Allied landings in Sicily, Italy, and France, and they took part in almost every amphibious landing in the Pacific Theater. By the wars’ end, they had built over 400 bases in combat areas, and almost all military historians agree that the Seabees were a major factor in the success of Allied operations in the Pacific.

The Seabees also changed the Civil Engineering Corps: For the first time, the officers in the CEC had troops to command. Though the Bureau of Naval Personnel at first objected, CEC officers were grudgingly given permission to command the new Construction Battalions because they had the engineering know-how necessary to make the most of the workers’ skills. In a compromised, CEC officers were not allowed go by the title of “commanding officer,” and instead were designated “officer in charge.” This changed in 1949, when the Secretary of the Navy released a directive specifying that CECs who were in command of units were, both in deed and in name, commanding officers.

Important: Due to the extremely low demand on this item, it is manufactured on order. While we might have some in stock, please allow for up to 10 business days processing time.

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Rank

Price

$32.39

Quantity

USPHS

Merchant Marine

AUXILIARY

U.S. NAVY CWO CIVIL ENGINEER CORPS SOFT EPAULETS