On July 2, 1944 — just a few weeks after D-Day — a Frenchwoman in the village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont went into labor.
Seabee medical officers in Normandy received word that the woman was in need of emergency medical assistance, so they sent a doctor.
(The Seabees are part of the U.S. Navy. The word “Seabee” comes from the acronym C.B., which is short for Construction Battalion.)
The Seabee doctor arrived just moments after the birth of a baby girl. He immediately began to render postnatal care.
“In the days that followed, the medical staff of the battalion paid many visits to the home of Henri and Marie Fouchard.”
In honor of the Seabees, the French couple named their daughter Séa Beé Paule Fouchard.
Sources:
- Birth of Seabee Paule, 2 Jul 1944 – U.S. Navy Seabee Museum – Facebook
- “Memory.” Virginian-Pilot 3 Jan. 1995: A12.
- “Norman Parents Name Baby Girl ‘Seabee.'” Hartford Courant 8 Aug. 1944: 16.
- What Happened to Baby Seabee? – Seabee Museum and Memeorial Park
Images: U.S. Navy Seabee Museum