What four men and two women had in common was The Antique Bazaar, a historic bar in Sacramento, California. Before the time of the story, Jack Higgins was wounded in Korea and taken to the 8088 MASH; James "Sailor" Fornoy was assigned to the 8088; Mark sat out the Korean War with a student deferment; and Rick was medically unfit for service in Korea. At the time of the story, Addie Booker and Mark were fired from the Welfare Department for striking. Lydia Prentiss continued working, opting not to strike. To get survival money, Jack, Sailor and Mark worked part-time at the ports of Sacramento and Stockton., while Rick had an inheritance that kept him in materials for his passion: welding and brazing. All of their wants and needs become the essence of the story.