MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Seabees, Marines, sailors and guests all attended the 68th Seabee Ball and the 143rd anniversary of the Civil Engineer Corps at the Club Iwakuni ballroom here March 5.
The evening event commemorated the service of the station’s civil engineers and men of the construction battalions with a ceremony celebrating their history.
The evening commenced with the honoring of those who have been lost or passed by Seabee Chief Petty Officer Michael Jenson sounding a bell once for every Seabee lost.
“The Seabee Ball differs from the Marine Corps Ball from just what we celebrate,” said Gary Bernhard, retired Navy command master chief petty officer and family readiness officer for Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242. “We celebrate our brotherhood.”
Bernhard was the guest speaker of the 2010 Seabee Ball where he explained the story of how the Seabees were created.
The Seabees came about in 1942 because of the need for construction workers in a combat zone. The men chosen to be Seabees undergo military and construction training.
March 5, 1942 is the official birthday of the Seabees. The 2010 Seabee Ball demonstrated both the military training as well as the construction training as the Seabees built most of the decorations for the ball, which had an Australian outback theme.
“We still have the standard formal portion the ball,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael R. Stowe, a Seabee serving here. “We like to do things a little bit different.”
The Seabee community gets together every year to decide what type of theme they are going to use to celebrate their history.
“We try to throw in a different theme each year,” said Stowe. “Last year was the old west, the year before was a Caribbean and this year we are doing an Australian outback theme.”
Following Bernhard’s speech was the Seabees cake-cutting ceremony in which the oldest and youngest Seabees were recognized.
The youngest Seabee, Seaman Apprentice Anthony West, came into the ballroom wearing a kangaroo costume and was lassoed by the oldest Seabee, Chief Petty Officer Denzil Bauer.
After the youngest and oldest Seabees completed the cakecutting ceremony, it was nothing but fun and games for the rest of the night. The Seabee community provided hand-crafted, Australian outback themed games.
“It is important to have a Seabee Ball every year so we can celebrate our birthday,” said Stowe. “We work hard to have this ball.”