Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 (NMCB 11) is a United States Navy Construction Battalion, otherwise known as a Seabee Battalion, presently home-ported at the Naval Construction Battalion Center (Gulfport, Mississippi). The unit was formed during World War II as the 11th Naval Construction Battalion at Camp Allen on 28 June 1942. On 1 July, she moved to the new Seabee base Camp Bradford. Seabee battalions were numbered sequentially in the order they were stood up. The battalion lost one man during the war to a construction accident. The 11th CB was inactivated on 1 December 1945, at Subic Bay, Philippines.
The unit was reactivated as Mobile Construction Battalion 11 in the fall 1953, only to be decommissioned again in December 1969. However, MCB 11 made four tours in Vietnam. Eleven's fourth Seabee Technical Assistance Team (STAT) was sent to a Special Forces camp near the junction of two jungle routes, one called the Ho Chi Minh trail. It was the main route for the Viet Cong into South Vietnam, and led to the most decorated group of Seabees in Seabee history. The battalion's 1967 tour exposed the men to the most severe combat the Seabees had seen since World War II. They came under fire 128 times, costing them 12 KIA. There were construction fatalities as well. In addition, the battalion suffered 102 wounded. NMCB 11 had one man make all four tours, getting a ribbon that matches the battalion's battle streamer. The battalion was deactivated in 1969.
Reactivated in 2007, NMCB 11 has since deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. It has also undertaken international engagement activities in the Pacific, and supported the relief efforts of Hurricane Sandy. Homeport for NMCB 11 is NCBC Gulfport Mississippi
History WWII
From Camp Bradford, the battalion caught a train to the Advance Base Depot, Port Hueneme.The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: "U.S. Reinforcements 1941–42" NCB 11 was the very first CB to embark from that port for the Pacific.Seabee Online Magazine, "Harbor-Base-Neighbors: When the Navy Came to Port Hueneme, 1942–1945, and Beyond", 26 November 2014, Dr. Frank A. Blazich Jr., Historian, U.S. Navy Seabee Museum In the early record, 11th's first assignments are referenced by their code-names: Straw-hat, Straw-stackNew Hebride Islands, Military Postal History of the United States Forces, 1-42-1946, Stanley C. Jersey, Collectors' Club of Chicago Publisher, 1994, , Appendix C, p. 177 and Fetlock. "Straw-hat" was Upolo, Samoa, "Straw-stack" was Tutuila, Samoa, and "Fetlock" was Pago Pago. Eleven's primary projects were the construction of a Cub destroyer base and harbor facilities at Tutuila, fuel tanks, pump system, and fuel dock. A detachment was also sent to assist the 2nd CB on Upolo. From Samoa, CB 11 was transferred to Nouméa, New Caledonia when CBMU 506 relieved them on Samoa. Nouméa was Hq for SOPAC. The main project on there was Naval Mobile Hospital 5. There were 3 detachment sites: Magenta, Ducos, and Ile Nou. They were then sent to New Zealand for R&R. The next stop was Banika Island in the Russells to build a dock for Acorn.Liberty University DigitalCommons@LibertyUniversity, Obscure but Important: The United States and the Russell Islands in World War II, David Lindsey Snead Summer 2003, p.8
From there, the battalion embarked the USS Wharton (AP-7)Southern Cross Duty, Eleventh U.S.N. Construction Battalion 1942–1944, Army and Navy Pictorial Publishers, Army and Navy Publishing Company Building, 234 Main Street, Baton Rouge, LA 1944, p. 39, Seabee Museum Archives, Port Hueneme, CA for the Admiralty Islands campaign. On Los Negros Island 11 built the operational home for the 2nd NCR and started a Lion for the 7th Fleet. Shipmates with them on AP-7 was the 58th CB. At Milne Bay, Los Negros the 11th and 58th CBs joined the 71st. Projects the 11th had were the construction of three repair bases on Seeadler Harbor for seaplanes,Pacific Wecks Website landing craft, and the fleet. The seaplane base became home for VPB-52 and their PBYs. From Los Negros the 11th returned to CONUS. After an extended R&R the battalion shipped out along with the 35th and 80th (colored) CBs for Subic Bay, Philippines. At Subic Bay, the 11th took over projects started by the 115th CB as well as team-worked with them on others. These included the completion of an Amphibious Training Center, Advance Base Construction Depot,"Building the Navy's Bases in WWII", Dept of the Navy, U.S. GPO, Washington, 1947, ABCD project taken over by 11 NCB a 400' marine railway.NHHC, U.S.Navy Seabee Museum website, Seabee Unit Historical Information, Naval Construction Battalions, 11th Naval Construction BattalionMarine railway, CEC Bulletin Vol 2, No.22, Sept. 1949 BuDocks, U.S. Navy and a 1,200-foot pier to serve a supply depot. On 1 December 1945 the battalion was inactivated. The record does not give the date that the men reached CONUS. One of the Seabees first Civic action projects, possibly the first, happened on Island X early in the war. A project was formulated that CB 11 would build a dam and reservoir to supply an airfield, naval base, hospital as well as a neighboring village. The site chosen was inaccessible to transport, a mile from the village. To get close to the site, a trail had to be grubbed and corduroy road laid and a 20' bridge built. Even so, the last 500' materials had to be man-handled into position. For this the villagers were approached for the labor. The dam itself was constructed by them under Seabee supervision. Each laborer got his wife, mother, aunt, and daughter to carry the cement materials in head baskets to the cement mixer. In all 200 women were part to the work party.Natives Cooperation Helps Complete Dam, Lt. C.B. Middleton CEC, Seabee News Service, Issue 25, 20 June 1944, p. 3 11 NCBs original WWII Log and documents are at the NHHC-Seabee Museum website (click on "Naval Construction Battalion").Seabee Unit Historical Information NHHC: Seabee Museum/ U.S. Naval Heritage and History Command website] AP-7, formerly SS Southern Cross, was one of the ships for Antarctic exploration by Admiral Byrd. When the battalion published its cruise book in 1944 "Southern Cross Duty" was chosen for the title. The inspiration for the name came from the USS Wharton's history and being the battalion's transport south of the equator. duty stations: Samoa 10 months, New Caledonia 5 months, New Zealand 1 month, Banika 2.5 months, Los Negros 6 months, on ship 2.5 months, Port Hueneme 6 months, Philippines 5 monthsSouthern Cross Duty, Eleventh U.S.N. Construction Battalion 1942–1944, Army and Navy Pictorial Publishers, Army and Navy Publishing Company Building, 234 Main Street, Baton Rouge, LA 1944, p. 39
Cold War era
In August 1953, the battalion was reactivated as Mobile Construction Battalion 11 (MCB 11) at Port Hueneme, CA.Naval History and Heritage Command, U.S. Navy Seabee Museum web page, Port Hueneme CA. The battalion did not deploy to Korea. Instead, her first deployment returned the battalion to its last World War II duty station, Subic Bay. The project was constructing Naval Air Station Cubi Point with its adjacent pier. Along with CBs 2, 3, 5 and 9 MCB 11 was involved in the leveling of a mountain that civilian contractors said could not be done. It cost of $100,000,000 in 1956 ($ in dollars). In November 1955 MCB 11 landed on Kwajalein to build Department of Defense housing totaling 78 buildings. On Halloween 1959, the battalion relieved MCB 9 on Okinawa. The job was building base infra-structure: five 100'x400' warehouses, four shops, plus supply and administration buildings. Sent to Midway Island in December 1961, the battalion worked on a seaplane ramp, the station's roads, as well as civilian and military housing. However, MCB 11 had three atypical projects for the Atomic Energy Commission on Kwajalein, Eniwetok, and Nevada. The battalion repaired massive damage caused by the 11 November 1962 arrival of Typhoon Karen on Guam; an advanced party left for the island just days after the storm on 15 November, followed by the main body on 5 December. In 1965 MCB 11 had two Seabee teams sent behind the Iron Curtain to deal with a bug problem the State Department had discovered in U.S. embassies.
Vietnam CM3 Marvin Glenn Shields Mobile Construction Battalion 11.
1965 in late January, the battalion made history when it deployed to Okinawa. MCB 11 was the first Mobile CB to deploy by air. In February, Seabee Technical Assistance Team 1104 was sent to Ben Soi, Vietnam where they built a camp for U.S. Special forces.NHHC: Seabee Museum: Seabee Team 1104 and the Battle of Dong Xoai "Seabee teams with Secret Clearances were sent to Vietnam to assist the U.S. Army's Special Forces in the CIA funded Civilian Irregular Defense Group program (CIDG)".Seabee Teams in Vietnam 111963-69, Thomas A. Johnson, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2010, In June the program gave STAT 1104 another Special Forces assignment, construct a new camp at Dong Xoai. Nine of the team-members departed Ben-Soi to join Captain Bill Stokes (5th Special Forces Group) commander of the 10 men of team, A-342 at Đồng Xoài. The camp had two adjoining compounds: The Green Berets, Seabees, and 200 odd Montagnards(CIDG) were in one, while 200 plus RVN Army were in the other. On the night 9 June the camp was attacked by over 2000 Viet Cong, beginning what is now called the Battle of Đồng Xoài. The combined Green Beret Seabee force lost 3 men, 16 were wounded and one was unscathed. Nearly all of the RVN Army and Montagnards were casualties. Steelworker 2nd class William C. Hoover became the first Seabee to lose his life in Vietnam.This Week in Seabee History June 10 - June 16, Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme Ca. Though already wounded twice, CM3 Marvin Glenn Shields helped retrieve a badly wounded Stokes and then volunteered to carry ammo for 1st Lt Charles Q. Williams assault on a machine-gun position. They took that gun out but both were wounded again returning to their positions. For Shields it was fatal. Both men received the Medal of Honor for their actions. The next day, nearly out of ammunition and under heavy fire, the survivors were extracted at 1300 by three Hueys and a gunship from the 118th Aviation Company. Except, LTJG Peterlin and EOC McCully had gotten separated from the others and were left behind while Dong Xoia was declared a free-fire zone.Battle at Dong Xoai, BY DANA BENNER, OCTOBER 2018 (VIETNAM MAGAZINE), HISTORYNET, 1919 Gallows Road, Ste 400, Vienna, VA 22182 Both men survived the night and were awarded Silver Stars. The other team members all received Bronze Stars with Vs for valor. Every man received a Purple Heart and the team received the Navy Unit Commendation. CM3 Shields is the only Seabee to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor.This Week in Seabee History June 3 - June 9, Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme Ca. The Republic of Vietnam awarded Marvin Shields posthumously with the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and the Military Merit Medal.Curator’s Corner: Marvin Shields Memorial, Seabee Museum web page, Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme Ca. For their part, the Seabees named their bases at Chu Lai, Vietnam and on Okinawa "Camp Shields" in his honor and named their base in Da Nang for SW2 Hoover. 1965 USMC base Camp Hansen on Okinawa was completed after 29 months of construction by MCBs 3, 9, and 11 repurposing Chimu Airfield.Camp Hansen completed, This Week in Seabee History, Seabee Magazine Sept 16-22, Dr. Frank A. Blazich Jr., NHHC Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, Ca 1966 1st Tour: Battalion deployed to Camp Adenir at Da Nang from February–October. John Wayne paid the battalion a visit in June to dedicate the enlisted-men's club.MCB 11 Assoc p. 3