The clouds of war were forming over the Pacific as the Japanese war machine was being prepared. A young man from a small town on Maryland's isolated eastern shore had just graduated high school and was struggling to find work while trying to figure out if he could go to college. He soon learned that jobs were scarce, and any thoughts of college were just dreams.

Alex Smoot enlisted in the army to support himself while hoping to contribute something to his family's sustenance. The struggles of this young 19th infantry soldier preparing the defense of Hawaii while trying to cope with the harshness of the Great Depression abound. These are detailed, anecdotal stories about a young soldier's travails and treasured moments while stationed so far from home for three years with only letters to link him to his family.