This week’s Veteran is Forest Waddill, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 – 1945. Forest trained at Camp Peary, in York County, Virginia, now known in The CIA as ‘The Farm.’ It was a Construction Battalion, or CB, which took on the moniker, Seabee. And Camp Peary was its training center during WWII. Seabees are the Navy’s constructors, known for building and fighting to support naval and military operations. Their mission includes constructing bases, roads, bridges, and airfields, as well as providing support during disaster recovery operations and performing civic action projects. The Seabees motto is ‘Can Do.’ and whether they were constructing a runway at a base under enemy fire, or taking up arms themselves, sending bullets downrange against the enemy, the Seabees were well respected by other primary warfighters, who did not have a bulldozer in their arsenal. Waddill and his unit made their way across the US from Virginia, to Rhode Island to California, then Hawaii. Forest finally arrived at his destination, Tinian Island in October 1944. The island had been captured by Allied Forces in July that year, and Seabees began building even in the midst of the battle. Waddill’s arrival had him busy building the North Airfield, then in the southern parts of the island building the West Field for the 58th Bombardment Wings, and then later the area of operations for the 509th Composite Group, which conducted the Atomic Bombs against Japan in August 1945. What the Seabees did on that island, building roads, airstrips, etc, had Tinian Island virtually built-out, and it was Seabees like Mr Waddill that made it possible for completion of the mission to drop the bombs and end the Second World War. Mr Waddill will be celebrating his 104th Birthday on December 18th at The Landing at Watermere in Conroe. Good Luck Forest, and Congratulations on being MCNs ‘Veteran of the Week’.