The Book Shed

light wear to book, sunning to covers and spine; jacket is worn along the top edge with several short closed tears, clipped. Introduction by Vice-Admiral Ben Moreell, the founder of the legendary Seabees, (the Navy Construction Battalions) to whom the book is dedicated. Moreell states that the Pacific Naval Air Bases contract was the single greatest construction contract in the history of the world and the greatest single construction contract with respect to national security. The PNAB program started in the 1930's and continued into WWII. Many of the Seabee and civilian workers were killed or ended up in POW camps. An almost forgotten story of the extension of USmilitary power around the world. Inscribed by the author to Vilhjalmar Stefansson. Beneath Woodbury's inscription Stefansson has written a paragraph describing the circumstances of the visit by Woodbury and Russell Porter, the Arctic explorer,engineer and astronomer. Stefansson was living in Vermont at the time, in or near Porter's hometown of Springfield. Stefansson gave Woodbury a copy of "Mysteries" presumably "Unsolved Mysteries of the Arctic" which had been recenty republished at the time of the visit. A wonderful association copy. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Hard Cover.