In 1944, John Wayne and Susan Hayward starred in “The Fighting Seabees” a blockbuster that showed how not one American plane in the Pacific would have ever been able to get off the ground during WWII, if not for the Navy’s Construction Battalions (CBs), nicknamed the Seabees.

Ever since, the Seabees have played heroic roles in every American war, all over the world. They are the first ones the Navy sends into any warzone, building the bridges, roads, airfields and bases, as well as delivering humanitarian services.

To honor their accomplishments, the Seabee Museum was built shortly after WWII, on the naval base at Port Hueneme, “Home of the Pacific Seabees” in Ventura County, California. Unfortunately, public access has been greatly restricted since September 11, 2001.

When the Seabees set the mission of re-building their museum for the public, they enlisted the design-build services of Lexington Design + Fabrication.

VP of Design-Build Services, Patti Drum, commented, “The CEC / Seabee Historical Foundation told us they chose Lexington because they saw a lot of the Seabees and Civil Engineer Corps in us. Like them, we are all about ingenuity and industriousness, and getting every detail right.”

“We were delighted when they started calling Lexington the ThemeBees!” Patti added. Lexington is working closely with the CEC / Seabee Historical Foundation to provide museum visitors with a most poignant experience. In 20,000 square feet of exhibit space, we’re designing six major gallery areas with unique immersive and educational environments, to give a feel and appreciation for the achievements and heroics of the Seabees and Civil Engineer Corps.

The U.S. Navy Seabee Museum is one of only 12 official U.S. Navy Museums across the country, and this design build will make it the newest.

Stay tuned for more details on what will be an exciting contribution to the telling of military history, and another gem on the California coastline.