Richard Berkey was a third year pre-med student at Indiana University when he received a letter from the draft board. He withdrew from college in November 1942 and answered the Army's call. Equipped with more courage and compassion than medical supplies, he served as a combat medic with the 14th Armored Division, 68th Armored Infantry Battalion in France and Germany. During 1944-1945, he treated casualties in the field, lost friends from his unit and hometown, was wounded in action and was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. His journals reveal a sober and reflective young man, while his letters home are filled with humor and tenderness. The voices of Richard's family and friends intertwine with his own framing a portrait of an American family during the defining event of the twentieth century.