We Are the Best of All Time...We Are the Class of 1999
Zion-Benton Township High School
One Z-B Way 3901 W. 21st Street
Zion, IL 60099
847-731-9300
We will be attending the Homecoming game see Reunion info for more details on this event.
Check this page often to keep up with what is going on with your class and fellow 99ers
Why Are We Called the "Fighting Zee-Bees"?
By Galen Panger and Mr. Gomez
To our cheerleaders, the nickname is pure marketable genius. To our athletes, it"s an inspiration, a stronghold to defend. To the rest of our cynical, baggy-eyed students, it"s just another cheap pun. An apology, cynics. The nickname is a shameless pun (obviously Zion-Benton = Z-B = Zee-Bee). Shameless, too, is the myriad of puns that can be derived from the name (you better BEE-lieve it!). However, not so shameless is the pun that put the "Fighting" in the "Fighting Zee-Bees." In fact, there is a rich legacy behind our school"s nickname - it all began with World War II. After the Allies had made Victory in Europe (in 1945), America turned its attention toward Japan in the Pacific Ocean. However, it could not just attack the main island. First of all, the distance between the United States and Japan was immense. Second, and most important, there were thousands of small islands in that immense distance of ocean - and Japan had had over 10 years to build strong defenses on some of them. While a part of the U.S. Navy fought for control of the fortified islands (two famous ones being Iwo Jima and Okinawa), another part, called the Construction Battalions, took advantage of the islands that weren"t being heavily defended to build airstrips, harbors, and re-fueling stations. The work of the Construction Battalions (simply called C.B."s) was vital to closing the gap between the U.S. and Japan. The men who served in these units later became know as "Seabees," and because they often faced hostile Japanese soldiers who were left on the islands, the men had to be prepared to defend themselves in addition to their work. After that, they were called the "Fighting Seabees." Zion-Benton Township High School, built by the Public Works Administration in 1939, later became known as the "Fighting Zee-Bees" in appreciation of the men who performed this dangerous and vital service to their country.
Regardless of any puns, we are honored to remember these heroes.
By Galen Panger and Mr. Gomez
To our cheerleaders, the nickname is pure marketable genius. To our athletes, it"s an inspiration, a stronghold to defend. To the rest of our cynical, baggy-eyed students, it"s just another cheap pun. An apology, cynics. The nickname is a shameless pun (obviously Zion-Benton = Z-B = Zee-Bee). Shameless, too, is the myriad of puns that can be derived from the name (you better BEE-lieve it!). However, not so shameless is the pun that put the "Fighting" in the "Fighting Zee-Bees." In fact, there is a rich legacy behind our school"s nickname - it all began with World War II. After the Allies had made Victory in Europe (in 1945), America turned its attention toward Japan in the Pacific Ocean. However, it could not just attack the main island. First of all, the distance between the United States and Japan was immense. Second, and most important, there were thousands of small islands in that immense distance of ocean - and Japan had had over 10 years to build strong defenses on some of them. While a part of the U.S. Navy fought for control of the fortified islands (two famous ones being Iwo Jima and Okinawa), another part, called the Construction Battalions, took advantage of the islands that weren"t being heavily defended to build airstrips, harbors, and re-fueling stations. The work of the Construction Battalions (simply called C.B."s) was vital to closing the gap between the U.S. and Japan. The men who served in these units later became know as "Seabees," and because they often faced hostile Japanese soldiers who were left on the islands, the men had to be prepared to defend themselves in addition to their work. After that, they were called the "Fighting Seabees." Zion-Benton Township High School, built by the Public Works Administration in 1939, later became known as the "Fighting Zee-Bees" in appreciation of the men who performed this dangerous and vital service to their country.
Regardless of any puns, we are honored to remember these heroes.
ZBTHS School Song
Sing it loud, sing it proud!
Hurray for Zion,
We know you're tryin'
To bring us all to victory.
We know you're loyal,
Through all your toil,
And to good old Z.B.T.
RAH! RAH!
Throughout the ages,
We sing your praises, As we fight on for your name.
We got a rooter,
In every village,
To bring us All American, All American
All American fame. Hey RAH! RAH! RAH, RAH, RAH,
Hey RAH! RAH! RAH, RAH, RAH,
Hey RAH! RAH! RAH, RAH, RAH,
TEAM, TEAM, TEAM! Next Page
