The main character was a real person known to the author as a friend in his youth. That part of the story is true, but most of his stories after his youth is fictional. Danny was born to immigrant parents in the small town of Kiel, Wisconsin, with population a little over three thousand, but Dan went on to achieve success in his life. A humble soul, he never aspired greatness, though he would have been capable of it. He eventually married his lovely childhood girlfriend after horrendous experiences in the war, and he went on to have a successful career. This is a love story and a war story, and it illustrates a high sense of moral values and deep devotion and patriotism to his country and, like many of his comrades, a life well lived. As a veteran of WWII, the author draws on his experiences and knowledge of the war in the southwest Pacific.