Ready on the Right

Ready on the Right, first published in 1946, is a down-to-earth, firsthand account of an enlisted man's service in the Seabees in the Pacific in World War II. Author Ralph Donahue, who also served in Europe during the First World War, enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and was assigned to the 27th and 45th Naval Construction Battalions - the Seabees. Donahue saw duty in the extremes of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, to the tropical islands of the South Pacific (including Eniwetok, Guam, Ulithi, and Okinawa). In addition to his military duties, Donahue was an avid naturalist, exploring the areas in which he was deployed, and collecting specimens of insects, lizards, and plants; when possible he sent his collections to various museums in the States, where they were of lasting value to researchers. Included are Muster Lists for the Battalions and 14 pages of maps and photographs.