Vinnie Castagno finds himself behind enemy lines, wounded, in an inhospitable climate, enduring freezing temperatures, snow and rough terrain, trying to find his way back to American forces. Vinnie is a meek mild-mannered radio technician and has had no combat training other than six weeks of basic training. As he struggles to improvise in an unknown country, fighting for survival against a brutal enemy, he goes through a metamorphosis. The cowardly innocence of youth is transformed into a hardened killer in a matter of days, and Vinnie is surprised to find that he actually looks forward to the next opportunity to kill the enemy. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn about his earlier life, growing up in NYC during the 1930's and 40's. This was the time of the Mafia and the great depression, a difficult time for our hero. We also meet some army friends through these flashbacks. Just as Vinnie is about to lose hope, he comes across a beautiful Korean girl whom he rescues from a disastrous fate, and together they continue their trek for survival. His new companion proves to be invaluable in their struggle to survive, as well as becoming the object of a budding love. Can this unlikely couple survive, and can their new love survive the torments of such disparate backgrounds? This story is only one of the many thousands of young men, throughout history, each having his own story to tell. Each young man experiences a "growing up" as he looses his innocence, or in may cases, a shattering of his life which will never return to normal. This is a story of those that survived---the lucky ones---those that beat the odds.