Bragg offers a vivid portrait of the peacetime Army of the late Fifties and bridges the gap between WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. The main story follows a Jewish second lieutenant, Sy Margolin, trying to succeed in a strict, no nonsense volunteer airborne regiment and two drafted enlisted men, Willie Patterson and Scott Breslin who challenge authority and learn life's hard lessons. Together, they make up an entertaining and unique story about innocence; an American Graffiti in khaki and jump boots as the tragedy of Vietnam looms. In the end readers will experience a vanished part of American life, meet some unusual personalities, endure spine-chilling adventure, and discover places and feelings they never knew existed.