When William Bradford Huie, a reporter for H. L. Mencken's American Mercury, joined the U.S. Navy in 1943, he received a commission as a public relations officer in the little-known Civil Engineer's Corps Construction Battalions--the Seabees. With the publication of Can Do the following year, Americans soon came to appreciate the significance of the corps' work and the danger of their wartime activities. As readable and entertaining today...