OUR KOREAN WAR STORY: 'Sandhog Schollenberger'

Albert Schollenberger, a member of American Legion Post 1000 in Trenton, N.J., submitted his story of Korean War-era service to Legiontown:

“When the Korean War began at the end of June 1950, I joined the U.S. Navy Seabee Reserve. I thought that since the war had begun, I would be activated at any time. I had enlisted as a petty officer. I had five years’ experience in construction and entered the Navy as a builder third class. When I had not been called to active duty by January 1951, I went to Headquarters, 3rd Naval District, New York City to ask why. I saw a warrant officer and he processed my orders to active duty. I volunteered for duty in Korea. I felt the single men should go there so married men with families would not have to serve on the front lines in the war zone. I felt God would take care of me. However, it was not meant to be. The government and good Lord never sent me to Korea. Twelve days of active duty in Brooklyn Navy Yard, N.Y., and my orders came to send me to Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Va., FFT (for further transportation). That meant I would only be at NAS Norfolk until a flight was available to fly me to Bermuda to meet USS LST 515, Caddo Parish, which would carry me to the Western Sahara Desert near Port Lyautey, French Morocco. Although the Seabees code is ‘We Build - We Fight,’ my duties became the ‘We Build’ portion only.

After 14 days in Norfolk, I was flown to Bermuda. A short time later I was one of a 100-man advanced draft heading to French Morocco to build a Navy base in the Western Sahara Desert. We left Bermuda in a storm which stayed with us 10 of the 14 days' journey. On two of the days the storm was so severe we could not go on deck to tighten the turnbuckles on the chains which held our equipment as one unit. The chains would stretch, so tightening the turnbuckles would keep everything taut so we would not lose trucks and heavy equipment overboard.

We traveled 15 miles up the Sebou River and beached at a curve in the river so the bow doors could be opened for unloading. When we reached our destination, we slept in five-man tents while we erected Quonset huts for battalion housing.

During our first three days in French Morocco, I drove a 10-wheel six-by-six truck unloading equipment and supplies. Then, as a builder I worked on erecting the Quonset huts and concrete buildings for officers quarters, chow hall, head, laundry and utility buildings. We completed construction and returned to the States in November 1951, to our home port in Davisville, R.I. During our time in Davisville, I was in charge of a carpenter shop. We made furniture and repaired various furniture items.

Early in January 1952 we sailed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. We were stationed on Leeward Point, an area separated from the main base by five miles of jungle and swamp. We built a naval base and airfield runway there. I was involved with construction of barrack buildings, laundry, chow hall, head and utility buildings. We returned to Davisville in the summer.

In August 1952 we sailed to Argentia, Newfoundland. During my tour in Argentia, I was in charge of construction of an aircraft taxiway leading from aircraft storage area to the runway and construction of an airport operations building.

One Saturday night we had an emergency situation. A pending storm required that a three-foot diameter pipe under the aircraft runway, which was blocked with sand, be cleaned. Since I was the shortest member of USNMCB4, being only 65 inches tall, I volunteered to clean the pipe. I then became the subject of an official Navy photo which shows me at work.

The tour in Newfoundland was my last overseas tour of duty. Upon completion of two years of overseas duties, reserve sailors were released from active duty at that time. USNMCB4 returned to Davisville in December 1952. I was released from active duty on Jan. 16, 1953, and received my honorable discharge on Oct. 20, 1954, via mail. A publication, ‘4's Log,’ shows some of our work during the history of USNMCB4. A photo of me cleaning the pipe is included. The caption states ‘Sandhog Schollenberger.’

Please note, USNMCB4 is still active and an important part of our U.S. Navy. I recently sent to Captain Brown, current commanding officer of USNMCB4, a history of my time as a member with several pictures. ‘Once a Seabee, Always a Seabee.’”