This book still is missing some history on topic.
This book is incomplete regarding the Seabees. After reading the initial book by Richard Tregaskis I knew that the history of the Seabees in Vietnam was incomplete at best. I had hoped that any addenda/afterword editions would correct the omissions, but the 'afterword' merely repeats the errors of the original book. One glaring omission is the exclusion of any mention of MCB 12 and its 1968-1969 tour of duty in Vietnam. I've been told that MCB 12 was one of the highest decorated Navy units that served in RVN, but it did not make the book. MCB 121 had three tours of duty in Vietnam, but only one tour is briefly mentioned in the book. These units either continued the work of prior Seabees, or completed projects they started. The book does not mention any of the Civic Action projects both units were a part of. The construction projects they did are mentioned, but the work is attributed to other Seabee units.
While Brown & Root and other civilian contractors are excessively covered. The CEC The Civil Engineering Corps played as much a roll as B & R but are not covered. The War years prior to 1968 are covered well, but there is sorely lacking information regarding War years 1968 through 1970. This seems incredible because the events during those years (Tet '68, bombing of Cambodia, total US withdrawal, Vietnamization, all slightly mentioned in Tregaskis's book ) were all major parts of the Vietnam War. Construction projects did not stop in 1967. War efforts did not stop in 1967.
Resource materials available are the units' Cruise Books of each tour, after action reports, news letters sent to families back home, public domain photographs and other 'Seabee' publications just to name a few.
While my book 'A Tramp's Tour' also has omissions, it is full of Vietnam photographs of Seabees in action, construction projects, and Seabees who served in Vietnam. My book also has an accurate glossary of terms used during the Vietnam War. It also describes events and experiences, common to all American Servicemen that occurred in RVN.
I understand that Tregaskis's book's focus was to be 'Building the Bases, The History of Construction in SE Asia', it seems that RMK-BRJ did the bulk of the work. That is simply not true.