Author of The King Bee: A Biography of Admiral Ben Moreell, Founder of the U.S. Navy Seabees at Navy Memorial

Captain A.N. Olsen Will Discuss and Sign His Book Followed by a Q&A 

Friday, September 25, 2009, 12:00 NOON 
Free and open to the public

Part of the Navy Memorial’s “Authors on Deck” Series of Navy-related Book Lectures. Captain A.N. Olsen will present his book, The King Bee: A Biography of Admiral Ben Moreell, Founder of the U.S. Navy Seabees, followed by Q&A and book signing.

The Navy Memorial welcomes retired Navy Civil Engineer A.N. “Ole” Olsen as a part of the Memorial’s ongoing “Year of the Seabees and Civil Engineer Corps.” The King Bee tells the story of Ben Moreell, who, after 7 December 1941, realized the need for a military naval construction force. Working with the Navy, labor unions, the construction industry and professional organizations Moreell directed the formation of what was to become the premier military construction force in history. The Seabees quickly emerged as an essential element in the fighting in every theater. Seabees built every type of facility and they were involved in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Alaska and throughout the Pacific. Moreell was the first non Naval Academy graduate, and the only staff corps officer ever to be promoted to four-star admiral.

Captain A.N. Olsen, CEC, USN (RET), A.N. Olsen is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Navy; he retired as a Captain in the Civil Engineer Corps after serving numerous command tours with the Seabees, including two in Vietnam. He is a frequent contributor to Navy and engineering publications. He lives in Manhattan, Kansas with his wife, Inger.