The Proud History of "Can Do!"

On December 28, 1941, Rear Admiral Ben Moreell, Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks requested specific authority to activate, organize, and man a new, unique, and very special group of servicemen within the United States Navy. With a war on two fronts, including the vast spaces of the Pacific Theatre, Moreell’s recognized the need for a specialized group of construction workers that could build bases, ports, airfields, and more for the Navy and Marines in remote combat locations throughout the globe while still being able to defend themselves if attacked. On January 5, 1942, he was given that authority, and the Naval Construction Battalion was formed at Camp Endicott, located in Davisville, Rhode Island.
 

The first unit to actually deploy from the United States, the First Construction Detachment, left Davisville less than two weeks later, on January 17, 1942. By March 5, all Naval Construction Battalion personnel were officially named “Seabees” by the Navy Department. Admiral Moreell personally furnished them with their motto Construmus Batumius – We Build, We Fight. To distinguish the new outfit a special insignia, the Fighting Bee, was created by a Rhode Islander at Davisville. 

Although the Seabees' official motto is We Build, We Fight," soon after they were deployed their strong attitude, bravery, and ability to complete construction projects in the worst of conditions – including under enemy fire – garnered them the motto "Can Do".

Quonset Point Naval Air Station (NAS Quonset) was commissioned on July 12, 1941, as part of the Lend-Lease Act with Britain. It encompassed what was once Camp Dyer and included a port, seaplane base, airfield, repair and replenishment buildings, and administration facilities. NAS Quonset Point was a major naval facility throughout World War II. Beginning in 1943, pilots of the England’s Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm were trained on the F4U Corsair at Quonset Point. US Navy squadrons flew anti-U Boat patrols from NAS Quonset Point, and the port was home to many naval vessels fighting the war in the Atlantic. During its wartime heyday Quonset’s workforce, which included the adjacent Davisville Construction Battalion Center, was the largest in the state of Rhode Island.

NAS Quonset Point continued as a major naval facility well into the Cold War. Boasting a deepwater port, NAS Quonset Point was the home port for up to seven aircraft carriers, as well as their carrier air groups. Its strategic Atlantic location also allowed it to continue in its role as a home for land-based patrol squadrons and carrier-based antisubmarine and airborne early warning squadrons. In addition to flying squadrons, the air station was also home to a major aircraft overhaul and repair facility. 

NAS Quonset Point was decommissioned on June 28, 1974, as part of a series of defense cutbacks following the end of the U.S. engagement in Vietnam.