Size: 22.5 x 26. inches

This WWII era cloth stitched artifact reads ‘15th Battalion’, ‘1944’, and contains the United States Naval anchor and pair of signal flag patches. Believed to be the United States 15th Naval Construction Battalion, this decorative and commemorative artifact was a part of many ‘sweetheart’ pieces soldiers and sailors would send to their girlfriend, wife, and family to commemorate their training before being shipped off  to various theaters of war. The 15th Naval Construction Battalion Extremely important role in the Pacific Theater. 
The men earmarked for United States Naval Construction Battalion 15 met at Camp Allen, Norfolk, Virginia on 1 July 1942 to begin their boot training. The battalion was joined by Lieutenant Commander William S. Lee Jr., CEC, USNR the prospective officer in charge. On July 23, the men finished their boot training and marched to Camp Bradford for their advanced military and technical training. On July 27 the battalion was officially activated at Camp Bradford. The 15th Battalion remained in Virginia until August 20 when it was put aboard trains and departed for the west coast. Five days later the 15th Seabees arrived at the Advance Base Depot, Port Hueneme, California. At Hueneme's Camp Rousseau the Seabees received more training and then on September 9 left for Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay where they were outfitted for an overseas deployment. On September 15 the Battalion left Treasure Island for the Oakland Supply Base and boarded the MS Island Mail. On October 5 the ship arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia and laid over, but the men did not debark. The ship sailed again after several days and on October 13 arrived at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides. The first night at Espiritu became a memorable one for the men of the battalion because that night they were shelled by a Japanese submarine. There was no damage and no casualties. After landing, the 15th Seabees established a camp and started working on their assigned projects. Their major project was the improvement of an existing bomber strip from which B-17 aircraft could bomb the Japanese on Guadalcanal. The Seabees also worked on a Marine fighter strip, camps, barges, and hospitals, and repaired the battle damaged cruiser USS Pensacola and two other ships. The 15th Battalion remained on Espiritu Santo for about thirteen months, and on November 24, 1943 it left the island for New Zealand. The 15th Seabees arrived at Auckland four days later and were given ten r days leave. When they returned from leave, the battalion was broken up into small detachments and worked on a number of projects around New Zealand. Among these was the construction of air facilities at a Royal New Zealand Air Force base, a mess hall, galley and roads and other facilities around New Zealand. Two days after the New Year in 1944, one half of the battalion left New Zealand for the Russell Islands. The first echelon arrived at Banika in the Russells on January 8, and on the 12th the remainder of the battalion left for the same destination. The second group landed at Banika on the 25th and the entire battalion worked on Banika. At the end of March one half the 15th Seabees went to Pavuvu in the same island group. On Pavuvu, the detachment worked on a pontoon dock, roads, and a hospital until May 31, then they rejoined the battalion on Banika. On February 22, a section of the 15th Seabees went to Green Island. The section, consisting of approximately 460 officers and men, worked on strips for bombers and fighter planes, a tank farm, roads and a pontoon dock, on April 1 the men returned to Banika. On September 9, 1944 the entire battalion sailed for the United States. The men arrived at Camp Parks, Shoemaker, California on October 1, and then dispersed to their homes for leave. When the 15th Seabees gathered again at Camp Parks they began preparing for another overseas assignment. They left Camp Parks on February 24, 1945 and went to Port Hueneme, California. The 15th Seabees arrived at Port Hueneme on the same day, and after becoming settled at Camp Rousseau, began training and outfitting again. On June 4, 1945 the 15th Naval Construction Battalion sailed from Port Hueneme. The battalion's ship joined a convoy at U1ithi and ten days later landed at Okinawa, in the Ryukyus, at an anchorage in Buckner's Bay. On Okinawa, the 15th Seabees worked on the construction of three hospitals, a tank farm, a Joint Communication Center and offices and quarters for the Commanding General of the Tenth Army. The men of the 15th also worked on the construction and maintenance of roads and 2 built a complete water works. Another detachment of the battalion maintained a pontoon barge pier, while other members of the battalion built and maintained the Seabee Camp. World War Two came to an end in September 1945 and on November 19, 1945 the battalion was inactivated on Okinawa Shima.