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Life After Vietnam

Dick Stapleman, EO2, Alpha Company

Stapleman returned to Idaho and his family when he left the Seabees and went to work on construction for a few years. In the early 70s, Charley Boardner, the Texas well driller, called saying he was going to Alaska to join Tuffy Lake in Anchorage. Dick bought a 1959 pickup and build a camper on the back, then drove the thing to Alaska with Charley. Dick went to work for Western Airlines as the liquor agent, that got him interested in flying. Dick bought an old tail-dragger, singel engine plane in Reno. NV and flew then thing back to Alaska, no pilot license, no radios, no electronics—with nothing but a road map, landing on the TransCanada Highway to fuel up at gas stations. As a bush pilot, Dick flew hunters into the outback, before returning to Idaho, where he bought another plane, formed his own construction company putting in gas pipelines. Dick became an expert and inspector of gas and oil pipelines, still is. Retired? Not yet. He’ll be inspecting and consulting this winter where it's warm. He lives part time in Washington State, when not on the road.

Francis “Tuffy” Lake, EA1, Engineering

Tuffy got out in June of 1968, and returned to Anchorage, AK and went back into construction and location surveys. A bunch of the boys from Seventy-One showed up: Bob Wagnor, Dick Stapleman and Broader, the Texas well driller. Tuffy organized the Alaska Seabee Reserve Unit, with 64 construction men. He did such a good job, the Navy offered him a job as a Recruiter in Michigan for three years. He then returned to Anchorage to work on the pipe line, than back to Wyoming to become an oil prospector for a large survey company. Tuffy is retired now, living in Mountain View, Arkansas, and is still active in his late 80s.

Dennis Smith, HM, Corpsman, Medical Department

Dennis went right on sticking needles into peoples' bums on his return from Chu Lia. Despite being eligible for E-5 at the tender age of 21, he was not about to reenlist. He worked at several hospitals in Rhode Island, putting his medical training to good use. Got married 6 months later. Joined  MEDEX I, the first Physician Assistant program in New England which sent 23 ex-medics and ex-corpsman out to work with New England physicians.  Dennis went to Vermont and worked for his first physician for 9 years.  He retired in 2014 and is now snowboarding, sailing, SCUBA diving, a enjoying grandchildren.

In researching the book, I got in touch with a dozen former 'Bees from Seventy-One ('67) to get their stories of life after Vietnam. I wrote and spoke with the son of our CO and the and daughter of our XO. Both sent me touching remembrances of their fathers, which are included with the book.

     Here are a few of those recorded in the book. If you have a story to share, send me an email: Editor@Seabee71.com. If you recognize someone in the photographs on this website, please let me know.

CMDR Coughlin, CEC

Commanding Officer of MCB-71

The CO went in to business upon leaving the service in 1972. He passing away peacefully in San Diego, CA at the age 81 following a 34 year battle with Parkinson's Disease.

CMDR Brown, CEC. Executive Officer of MCB-71

Commander Brown was transferred to DC to pursue an MBA at George Washington University and then ultimately to Little Creek Amphibious Base in Norfolk as the Public Works Officer. He was was diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away in July of 1974 at the age of 43.