Seabees are not bees at sea but they are busy.

Their motto is “We build, we fight!” They have built many bases and bulldozed and paved thousands of miles of roadway and airstrips since their founding early into World War II.

After the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into the war, the use of civilian labor in war zones became impractical. Under international law, civilians were not permitted to resist enemy military attack. Resistance meant summary execution as guerrillas.

Rear Adm. Ben Moreell saw the need for a militarized Naval Construction Force. On Jan. 5, 1942, he gained authority from the Bureau of Navigation to recruit men from the construction trades for assignment to a Naval Construction Regiment composed of three Naval Construction Battalions.

This is the actual beginning of the renowned Seabees, who obtained their designation from the initial letters of Construction Battalion.

Since their conception, you will find Seabees throughout the world, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq, Louisiana or at Wounded Knee, S.D., building homes, schools, roads and any type of infrastructure to help the local civilians. The Seabees were extremely important in building and maintaining living spaces and laboratories for the scientists in Antarctica from the early 1950s up until present time, yet Seabee history remains a mystery to many. When a terrorist killed a “Navy man” aboard an aircraft and threw his body on to the tarmac it was not reported that this was a Seabee.

When CBU 417 stood up at NAS Whidbey Island, dozens of multi-talented men and women walked through their doors. Work they did on a number of projects still reflects their professionalism but they were somewhat hampered by the Bacon Act that states if work can be done locally, the Seabees will not be used. Still, the Seabees managed to execute several community projects done on the basis of “training,” and a few years ago, CBU 417 was moved to Gulfport, Miss., during a reorganization of assets.

On Friday, April 13, the Seabee detachment working at NAS Whidbey and manned by members of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74, said farewell to Whidbey. Steelworker 1st Class (SCW) Don Farewell, detachment petty officer in charge, said it was unfortunate the detachment was pulling out. The Whidbey Island Seabee detachment started in April 2005 and members of seven Seabee battalions have deployed to the detachment during that time.

The detachment was set up after CBU 417 left and there was a backlog of jobs that still needed to be completed. In their short time here, however, they have completed four large projects and several small ones, bringing more than $2 million worth of labor and materials to the base. Projects included five pre-fabricated buildings, a marsh bridge and detour road environmental projects and construction of a sloped concrete wash rack.

Seabees in the detachment can be proud of their sand-bagging efforts at the Anacortes water plant during flooding last November.

Said Lt. Ryan Bylsma, assistant resident officer in charge of construction, “They have completed much needed projects that might not have happened using conventional contracting methods. We will miss their contributions to the base and community, but understand the skills and professionalism that made them so valued here make them even more valuable in the global war on terrorism.”

Frank Pulu, a former Marine and owner of Frank’s Place, honors the military from all branches at his restaurant on Highway 20. The walls are lined with articles and photos preserving local history and providing instant history lessons to newcomers. Pulu’s wife Wanda retired from the Navy.

Last Tuesday, Pulu accepted the replica of the Seabees’ angry bee and his machine gun which had been on display at the old Seabees office on base. It has been placed outside the restaurant, next to the Statue of Liberty reproduction.

Retired CECS Leonard McGregor and retired EOC Maurice Aasland of the Seabee Veterans Association, Island X 5 Whidbey Island, witnessed the presentation.

The Seabees Veterans, who meet at Frank’s every second Tuesday of the month, said, “Stop by and check out the Seabee for yourself and then stop in and say hello to Frank. He has plenty of coffee and loves to share stories with his customers.”