Story by Equipment Operator 2nd Class Dillon Francis
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 Public Affairs
PORT HUENEME, Calif. (NNS) – Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 participated in the 30th Annual Canoga Park-West Hills Chamber of Commerce Memorial Day Parade on behalf of The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2805 in Canoga Park, California, May 27.
The theme of the 3-mile parade was “Saluting the Price of Freedom,” and included military units, patriotic floats, equestrian groups, marching bands, youth groups, and classic cars.
Retired Master Chief Builder Marty Yingling, post commander of VFW Post 2805, expressed his gratitude for the Seabees representing the Naval Construction Force in the parade.
“It’s so good to have you all here,” said Yingling. “It’s important to have Seabees represented outside of Ventura County because not many people know who we are.”
NMCB-3 Sailors drove two up-armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles and one up-armored MK28 cargo truck in the parade to give spectators a glimpse of the machinery Seabees operate.
“It’s surreal that we got to be part of this,” said Builder 3rd Class Rian Bjork, assigned to NMCB-3. “The atmosphere was intense and humbling. I was proud to be part of something that means so much to so many.”
The Seabee flag flew on the rear of the lead vehicle and after the parade, the NMCB-3 Seabees signed it and donated the flag to the VFW post.
“I appreciate how all of you came down here squared away,” said Yingling. “It means so much to me that Seabees like yourselves stepped up to help get our name out there.”
NMCB-3 is home-ported in Port Hueneme, California. Seabees are the expeditionary engineering and construction experts of the naval service. They provide task-tailored, adaptable and combat-ready engineering and construction forces that deploy to support global Navy objectives.
For more information about Seabees and NMCB-3, visit http://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil or https://www.facebook.com/NMCB3/
