My father, Everett Adams, served with the 53rd ncb 1st Marine Amph as a Seabee during WWII. According to his discharge papers he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He died in 1976 without ever telling us about the medal... no surprise there. We are working on our family history and would like to know the story behind the medal. I've been searching and googling and ran across a post by Thurmond about Guadalcanal (where Dad spent a good deal of time). We know he did underwater demolition work along side his buddy, Vinny Healy and are hoping to find some connections to his time there.

When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, he was on Guam running the water purification for his unit.

His active duty was from September 1943 to October 1945 - honorably discharged from the Navy. We were always surprised to see him in both a Navy and Marine uniform in photos.

Thanks to all of you for this great forum...

Good morning. Actually saw your post last night, but was too tired to reply...

It's nice to have a daughter of a Seabee here, and I'm sure Thurman will be delighted to get to know you.

The UDTeams performed very hazardous tasks in the waters of the invasion beaches many days BEFORE an invasion. they would map approach gradiants, water depths at different tides, locate obsticles & prepare them for demolition just prior to the landing & recon enemy beach defences.

UDT - 3 "SEABEE DEMOLITION TEAM" Welcoming in the Marines at Guam. Look at the date on the sign. 7-14-44. The invasion of Guam started on 7-21-44 ! They were there seven days before the invasion.

As far as the uniforms, for invasions and operations, the Seabees always wore the same battle dress as the marines which caused a lot of the problems we encounter now in researching the Seabees. To the combat correspondents & reporters they were indistinctable from the marines and identified as marines in films and photos. Even Orders of Battle and After Action Reports would list them as Marine Battalions.

NAVY SEABEES IN MARINE CORP UNIFORMS

Nice bit of research there, Larry. Excellent! Go to the head of the class, sir!

:The Queen:

SUE - HERE IS THE HISTORY OF THE 53RD, I HAVE THEIR CRUISEBOOK. I'M CHECKING OUT WITH MY SOURCES. - THAT IS MY PHOTO OF SEABEE DEMO TEAM 3 ON GUAM. THE SEABEES HAD DEMOLITION SQUADS, THAT WERE DIFFERENT THAN THE "UDT" (UNDERWATER DEMO TEAMS). THE DEMOLITION SQUADS REMOVED MINES THIS IS MOST LIKELY WHAT YOUR FATHER DID.- THE UDT TEAMS DID RECON ON THE BEACHES PRIOR TO THE ASSAULT FORCES. I'LL GET BACK YO YOU.

53RD BATTALION

Alter activation at Norfolk Dec. 22, 1942, the 53rd NCB moved to Davisville, R. I., Dec. 28,

and was divided into two sections Jan. 16. 1943. The Second Section left Davisville Feb. 7

with orders to join a section of the 17th NCB to form the 120th NCB. Exact movements of

Second Section are unreported following departure from Davisville. On Feb. 12, one

company and one fourth of Headquarters Company of the First Section moved to Hadnot

Point, New River, N. C. for duty with the Fleet Marine Force. Another company, with

Headquarters group, went to San Diego for duty with FMF The Hadnot Point detachment

was transferred into Naval Construction Replacement Group, Camp Lejeune, New River,

N. C., Feb. 15. The 53rd was assigned 13 officers and 541 men from the replacement

group at Lejeune, and seven officers and 268 men from replacement groups at Camps

Elliott and Pendleton, San Diego. The contingents joined at San Diego Feb. 26, and sailed

for Noumea, New Caledonia, March 11, arriving March 25. The 53rd was designated as

Naval Construction Battalion, First Marine Amphibious Corps, April 14. The Battalion

switched operations to Guadalcanal Oct. 12, 1943, and from there sent one detachment to

Vella Lavella and several groups to Bougainville in November and December. The

Battalion regrouped at Guadalcanal in January 1944, and on May 12 was redesignated the

53rd NCB. In six echelons, the unit moved to Guam, participating in the invasion, and was

on duty there when the war ended.