What is a Seabee?
Between the awkwardness of a Soldier and the dignity of a Marine, lies a Seabee. Seabees come in assorted sizes, shapes, weights, and colors; but all enjoy every second of every hour of every day, whether at work or at play; and protest, by griping, when issued an order.
Seabees are found everywhere, on top of, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or more likely than not, turning to. Mothers and sweethearts love them, fathers are proud of them, brothers look up to them, sisters adore them, airdales hate them, division officers tolerate them, and Chief Petty Officers drive them.
A Seabee has the appetite of a horse, the energy of a pocket size atom bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the lungs of a Paul Bunyon, the slyness of a fox, and the spirit of a fighting cock. He likes liberty, leave, holidays, weekends, girls, chow, movies, gedunks, sleep and comic books. He doesn't like duty, night watches, taps, reveille, discipline, officers, drills, or secured heads!
Nobody else is so early to rise without actually wanting to get up. No other person gets so much fun out of liberty or Shore Patrol. No one else can have so much fun on so little money.
A Seabee has many abilities: he can weld, build, drive, repair, and fight. He can make something out of nothing, he can wreck or beautify. Work never seems to tire him nor does he seem to tire of it.
A Seabee is a magical creature, you can chew him out but you can't get work done without him. He is sometimes dirty, oftentimes overbearing and sometimes reluctant.
The typical Seabee won't admit to it, except in defense of his corps, that his is the best job in the Navy. Without him the Fleet would have nothing to gripe about, civilians would have nothing to talk about, and history would have nothing to write about.
His motto is "can do", to which he has added, "have done and did."