The Gardiner Cemetery in Gardiner, Washington is the final resting place of Marvin G. Shields, native of Port Townsend, Washington, and the only Seabee to ever be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.  Shields was killed in the line of duty on June 10, 1965 when Shield’s base, and that of his shipmates, was overrun with Vietcong troops while constructing an airstrip in Dong Xoai, Republic of Vietnam.

Today, nearly forty years later, Gardiner Cemetery, which has seen many seasons come and go had begun to experience serious drainage problems over the past several years. 

It is maintained through a County co-operative and many local Veterans volunteer in keeping the Cemetery in tip-top shape. Still, the cemetery was in need of dire repair above and beyond the capabilities of these dedicated volunteers. Enter the Seabees of CBU 418. 

“I received a call from Capt. Tex Lewis, a retired Civil Engineer Corps officer a few months back informing me the Cemetery was in dire need of some drainage improvements. We were well aware that this was the resting place of our only Medal of Honor recipient,” explained Lt. Jeff Bartlett, officer in charge, CBU 418. 

“We had participated in numerous Veterans Day ceremonies at the cemetery and done work at the American Legion post in Port Townsend named after Marvin,” he added. “We felt the least we could do was lend a helping hand in getting the drainage issue resolved. The cemetery is very small and the funds to maintain the site are limited. We provided the labor and equipment, the co-op was able to scrape enough money together to purchase all the needed materials.”

The cemetery is situated in a small clearing, surrounded by huge Douglas Fir trees and overlooks the beautiful and scenic Discovery Bay. Heavy winter rainfalls in Washington State create drainage issues everywhere. 

In the past few years, the heavy rains have begun to settle in to the middle of the cemetery plot causing headstones, including that of Shield’s, to begin sinking.

With sixty linear feet of twelve-inch polyethylene pipe, two hundred linear feet of four inch perforated plastic pipe, three rolls of geotextile fabric, two rolls of visquine, and the friendly advice of the Seabee Veterans of America, six members of CBU 418 headed North to trench and culvert their way to an improved Cemetery drainage system.

To address specific drainage issues on site, the Seabees cleaned out, by hand, one hundred feet of existing ditch line, and added two twelve by thirty foot culverts at the cemetery entrances as well as excavating a ninety-foot long by three-foot deep trench on the cemetery’s upward slope in order to install a French drain. 

“The Seabee Vet’s of America and some of the other volunteers didn’t really like it when we said we were going to install a ‘French Drain’.  We decided to rename it an ‘American Drain’ instead. After we cleared that up, the Vet’s allowed us to go to work,” said Bartlett.

In only five days, the project was completed.

Engineering Aid constructionman James Kleve stated his level of pride in saying, “It was a great honor to show respect for the resting place of a fallen hero.”

This project was completed only two weeks shy of the annual Marvin G. Shields Veteran’s Day luncheon where Seabees from all over the Pacific Northwest gather at the Cemetery for a memorial service to not only honor Shields, but all Veteran’s. 

After the ceremony, Veteran’s and family members of all ages and branches of service gather at the Marvin G. Shields American Legion Hall to reminisce and tell stories about the military, past present and future. It was at this same Legion hall that the six members of CBU 418 were served lunch each day of the project by the friendly Seabee Veterans of America and their wives. 

As utilitiesman second class Noal Velasco, project crew leader, stated, “The vet’s of the Seabee Veterans of America showed us hospitality like no others, mixed with great stories and a healthy helping of wisdom.”

Although the project was small, the opportunity to give something back to Marvin G Shields and the other Veterans who maintain his resting place was big in every way.