Maria R. Eckhoff was puzzled by her late father’s unwillingness to talk about his experiences in World War II. With this and other questions in mind, she embarked on a journey of discovery that tested her knowledge of history. After piecing together bits of memorabilia, haunting antique stores, crawling through vintage planes, touring a Landing Ship Tank (LST), and learning more about the War in the Pacific, she tells a universal story focusing on the activities of Larry and others from the Class of 1943, often in their own words. Maria is the author of two other books.