08 Dec The Fighting Seabees
The Fighting Seabees, starring John Wayne
(1944) The Fighting Seabees is the story of the beginning of the U.S. Navy’s Construction Battalion. At the beginning of World War II unarmed construction workers were building bridges, bases and airstrips in the Pacific. Unarmed because they were civilians. As the need for their services increased the Navy provided the necessary military training and established the Seabees as official battallions. Their motto became “We Build. We Fight.”
John Wayne played the construction boss who fights for his crews to be able to defend themselves. Susan Hayward is the war correspondent who provides the necessary romantic triangle. It was fun to see William Frawley, already 57 years old, in a memorable role. (He played Lucy and Desi’s landlord Fred Mertz in the 50’s.)
If you read about the true history of the Seabees during WWII, you will learn that this film is a fictionalized tribute, using the popularity of Wayne and Hayward to bring attention to the skilled, hardworking Seabees.
Highly deserved.
The Fighting Seabees at amazon.com
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