Liz Bryn was 15 years old and had just returned home from her summer job as a waitress in Martinsville, Va. As soon as she saw the two army officers approach her house, she knew the worst had happened. Her brother Jonathan, had been killed in Vietnam. The story follows Liz as she goes on to graduate from college and eventually uses her skills to mentor and counsel veterans their families. Her efforts coincide with the untimely deaths of several members of Jonathan's rifle squad who survived the war. Collateral damage from the often criticized and unpopular war. Coincidence brings Liz to meet two surviving members of Jonathan's platoon. Although both traveled different paths in life, Liz is able to assist them, paying it forward and fulfilling part of the void left in her life after the death of her brother.