Primarily documents the life of Mary "Larry" Young Hines and her service with the American Red Cross. Hines recalls choosing to go to Vietnam with the American Red Cross as a way for her to participate in history and perhaps gain a better understanding of why the United States was a part of the war. She describes the horrors she witnessed, including Vietnamese who had been burned by napalm, and the body bags of deceased soldiers. Personal topics include Hines becoming lifelong friends with the mother of Sharon Ann Lane, the only American nurse killed in Vietnam as a result of hostile fire, the connection she felt to those who had served honorably and died honorably, and the satisfaction she experienced later in life at Vietnam reunions when soldiers expressed their gratitude for her service and dedication.