Sea Power – Seabee involvement during the Vietnam conflict began as part of a humanitarian effort assisting refugees emigrating from the north to the south, in response to the 1954 Geneva Convention agreements recognizing Ho Chi Minhís communist government. The June 9, 1965, ambush at Dong Xoai, 55 miles north of Saigon, is particularly important because the first Medal of Honor given to a Seabee, Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Marvin G. Shields, was bestowed for extreme valor during the assault.

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