“Construimus, Batuimus” 

“We Build, We Fight”

The MILITARY TEE / SEABEES 21 is a ringer tee that pays homage to the Seabees. In the midst of supporting amphibious landings and participating in surface combat, it was the Seabees who took on the responsibility of constructing baseball fields and recreational athletic facilities at military bases during the Second World War.

The MILITARY TEE / SEABEES 21 features a rubber print, applied by hand at our Kobe based factory. The tee is cut true to those popular in 1950s Sportswear with its boxy, slightly cropped vintage-style fit. Built using a tubular-body construction with no side seams and ribbed with a contrasting collar & cuffs.

The United States Naval Construction Battalion were affectionately named the “Seabees”, after the initial letters of “Construction Battalion”. Commissioned at Camp Bradford on August 28, 1942, the 21st Battalion of Seabees, also known as the Blackjacks, emerged as a distinguished construction battalion within the United States Navy.

The Blackjacks were a nomadic battalion embodying a diverse cross-section of all-American society, comprised of skilled engineers, mechanics, electricians, and artisans from various trades. Clad in the dungarees and work greens of the Seabees, they ventured to far-reaching ports across the globe. Serving with distinction in various theatres, including the Aleutian Islands, Dutch Harbor Alaska, the Hawaiian Islands, Saipan, and Okinawa, the Black Jack Battalion played a pivotal role during World War II. Their mission: to diligently support the needs of the fleet and contribute to the relentless march of war efforts towards victory.

Though post-war, in alignment with the general drawdown of military forces, the 21st Battalion was decommissioned. In 1962, amidst the tensions of the Cold War, NMCB 21 were recommissioned as a reserve battalion and found there home at Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The battalion's formation resulted from the amalgamation of several reserve Seabee units under the Fourth Naval District's command.