I chose the Navy Seabees because I knew I belonged there. I had a friend who had been a Seabee, and he shared his experiences with me. In high school I majored in shop. The course was labeled "manual training," and included two periods of shop my junior and senior years. I also learned blueprint reading, electricity, and metalworking. After high school and during summers, I worked with contractors doing carpentry and masonry work.
When our country entered the Korean War, I joined the Seabee Reserves as a petty officer builder. I thought I would be activated soon since we were at war. Instead, I was assigned to attend a drill each Monday evening for two hours in Perth Amboy, N.J. After a few months, I went to the Third Naval District Headquarters in New York City and volunteered for active duty. I had volunteered for duty in Korea since I was single and thought I could save a married man from being sent there. However, the Good Lord and good government had other ideas.
After 12 days in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, I was sent to the western Sahara Desert in French Morocco, where we built a Navy base. I became a member of U.S. Mobile Construction Battalion 4. After nine months there, we returned to our home port of Davisville, R.I., for 30 days. Our next tour was to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. We then built a base on Leeward Point, an area separated from the main base by five miles of jungle and swamp.
In the summer of 1952 we returned to Davisville, R.I., for a month. We then went to Argentia, Newfoundland. While there, I supervised construction of an aircraft taxiway from hangar to runway and then worked on an aircraft tower.
During my time in Argentia, our work hours were reduced from our regular 12-hour day to nine-hour days. We also had the opportunity to attend Catholic Church novena services three evenings each week. A priest from the neighboring town of Placentia came onboard and held services. A novena service is conducted to ask a saint for prayers to help with any need. Monday service was asking for prayers from Holy Mary, mother of Jesus. Wednesday service asked St. Anthony for prayers. Friday service asked St. Jude for prayers. In each service, I asked for help to find a sweet partner in life.
After serving two years on active duty, I was released in January 1953. On Jan. 9, 1954, God answered my prayers. I met my sweetheart! One dance and I never let her go. We were married Aug. 28, 1954. We now have been happily married 70 and a half years with seven adult children. Thank you, Lord, and thank you, U.S. Navy! Once a Seabee, always a Seabee!
Albert Schollenberger, American Legion Post 1000, Trenton, N.J.
