53rd Naval Construction Battalion Seabees
The Fifty-Third Naval Construction Battalion was commissioned on 22 December 1942 at Camp Allen in Norfolk, Virginia. The outfit was divided into two sections on 16 January 1943. The second section was ordered on 2 February to join a section of the 17th Naval Construction Battalion to form the 120th Naval Construction Battalion. They arrived in Noumea, New Caledonia on 25 March 1943. Regrouped in Guadalcanal in January of 1944. Redesignated the 53rd Naval Construction Battalion on 12 May 1944. The unit went to Guam in six echelons, participated in the invasion there at war’s end.
After World War II the 53rd participated in Operation Crossroads Research Project at Bikini Atoll. Unit was deactivated in Bikini in August, 1946. Mobile Construction Battalion 53 was recommissioned at Davisville, Rhode Island 30 June 1967. Battalion was deployed to Danang, Vietnam from January, 1968 through September, 1968 and again from March, 1969 through November, 1969. MCB 53 was decommissioned at Davisville, Rhode Island on 10 December 1969. The 53rd had five (5) CO’s from 1942 through 1946. The First CO was Roy M. Harris, followed by Edward M. Denbo, Charles A. Thompson, and J. P. Mac Bean. The last skipper was John D. Burky. On the 1968 tour the CO was Richard A. Bowers and the XO was R. H. Knauf. On the 1969 tour the CO was Robert K. Miller and the XO’s were William A. Simmons and David L. Forney.
53rd Battalion, Where they worked and fought in World War II and Vietnam December 1942 – August 1946
After activation at Norfolk December 22, 1942, the 53rd NCB moved to Davisville, RI, December 28, and was divided into two sections January 16, 1943. The Second Section left Davisville February 7 with orders to join a section of the 17th NCB to form the 120th NCB. Exact movements of the Second Section are unreported following departure from Davisville. On February 12, one company and one fourth of Headquarters Company of the First Section moved to Hadnot Point, New River, NC for duty with the Fleet Marine Force. Another company, with Headquarters group, went to San Diego for duty with FMF. The Hadnot Point department was transferred into Naval Construction Replacement Group, Camp Lejeune, New River, NC, February 15. The 53rd was assigned 13 officers and 541 men from the replacement group at Lejeune, and seven groups and 268 men from replacement groups at Camps Elliott and Pendleton, San Diego. The contingents joined at San Diego February 26, and sailed for Noumea, New Caledonia, March 11, arriving May 25. The 53rd was designated as Naval Construction Battalion, First Marine Amphibious Corps, April 14. The Battalion switched operations to Guadalcanal October 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. Because of their exceptional war record, the 53rd was assigned to participate in Operation Crossroads at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The “Bees” unloaded a mountain of supplies arriving on LST’s, constructed several towers, and protected the huts and recreational facilities for the 35,000 men engaged in the atomic testing program. With the tests completed, the 53rd Battalion was finally deactivated on Bikini Atoll on August 3, 1946, after 38 months of continuous overseas duty.