The Seabees On Iwo Jima | Full Documentary



THE SEABEES ON IWO JIMA focuses on the United States Naval Construction Battalions in World War II, which built all the infrastructure for the Allies in Europe and the Pacific in WWII. The Seabees were construction workers by trade and signed up to become part of a special battalion in the war that built the airfields, runways, and bases needed in the war. The Seabees, some 60 years of age, were best known for their work on coral islands in the Pacific, where they helped build runways out of the jungle which helped the United States take the war right to Japan’s doorstep in 1945.

The Seabee’s motto was “We Build; We Fight.” Not only did these men have to build bases, but many times they had to put down their shovels or get off their bulldozers and pick up a rifle or machine gun to fend off enemy attacks. The Seabee’s most violent fight was on Iwo Jima, where they went ashore in the first wave with the Marines. It’s on Iwo Jima where their motto “We Build; We Fight” was most famously put to the test in World War II.

Director and Writer Tim Gray

Licensed by 4Digital Media from, Eastern Educational Television Network, Inc. APT Worldwide

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26 thoughts on “The Seabees On Iwo Jima | Full Documentary”

  1. Why was there no mention of the 12500 black Americans who enlisted in the US Navy sea bee battalion during WW2. As a veteran, I found this documentary lacking and an erasure of Black American participation in WW22.

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  2. Excellent movie that covered just about everything. I was an EO-2 NMCB133 A co, My Dad was the senior BM-2 on a LSM, my Uncle was a USMC Corporal at Iwo. I was in during the1970's, Dad was in WW2 his ship got blown up at the Leyte invasion so he missed the Iwo invasion which was supposed to be his next stop, my Uncle was in the initial invasion at Iwo, got wounded twice in action and we all made it home. I'm the only one alive now but I remember what they had told me about the war and Iwo and the Pacific in particular and while watching your video it was almost like them talking to me again. I appreciate your efforts with the movie and will be sending the movie information to the Seabee brothers I'm still am in contact with, I know they will appreciate it as much as me. Being in MCB133 we were taught about every detail of that battle and how we needed to honor those that came before us by being the best we could possibly be, just as they did.
    Many Thanks for a really Great effort at remembering seldom told history.

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  3. US Marine here.

    We'll make fun of and fight with any member of any other service. But SeaBees and Corpsmen…we'll always have their backs and lay down our lives for them because they fight for us and keep us alive.

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  4. As a US Army Combat Engineer in the early 70's I had no idea as to what combat truly entailed nor what and how the US Navy Seebes endured in the Pacific theater during WWII. I Salute to the United States Navy Seebees and all my fellow veterans.
    Thank The Good Lord we endured and over came… May God continue to bless our Great Republic… Amen

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  5. My Dad was in the 5th Marine Division, 5th Tank Battalion, Company B on Iwo Jima. Great video! I was fortunate that he shared at least some of his experiences. He was driving his 4th tank when they finally left the island.

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  6. My father was ww2 seebee the island of Trinidad he was a frogman one of the things he did was under water demolition.
    He would also put mines on ship they felt was supplying the german uboats.
    At his funeral we found out from a speaker that part of what he was doing led directly to the formation of the navy seals.
    Didn't expect to hear that.
    He was a big man and just as ought as he was big.
    Little known bit of the war from the island of Trinidad.

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  7. Saying Iwo is "dormant" is a bit deceptive. If you look at images from around the invasion, and compare them to modern images, you'll see the beaches are wider now than they were in WWII. That's because magma is starting to build up under the island again, and some time in the future, it could erupt again.

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  8. My mother, a Army nurse, took rifle training. She was North Carolina farm girl and a crack shot😂. Dad was in the Navy. My mother called him a 'ninety day wonder' because he was sent to Annapolis for a ninety day course on how to command an LST and was assigned to do just that for D-Day. He delivered tanks and jeeps to the Normandy beaches.

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  9. My father was on Iwo Jima, 133 CB's Headquarters company. He and several of his WW2 brothers told many horrific stories (some humorous) about their time on the island. Brave souls each and every one. 🇺🇸

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  10. This Documentary was my idea. I helped provide some of the Bees interviewed and some that didn't make the film, as well as helped edit the originally script.. My Father was a WW2 Seabee, 27 months in the Pacific. After reading and researching volumes of Seabees history, In my opinion, they never got the credit they deserved. A tough bunch indeed!

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  11. That was a great documentary.
    My Dad was in the Sea Bees during WW2. He was one of those older guys they mention. After the war, he was a civilian instructor at Port Hueneme.
    I live in Ventura CA, just a couple of miles from the base.

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  12. My Grandfather was a SeeBee. I have a few patches of his. I also have a letter he sent to my grandmother. He could not say where he was, but he wrote of the heat, and that he and his buddies were working hard. He believed in what he was doing.

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