Between May 1943 and April 1945 George Lucas, an ensign on board a service tug in the Pacific, wrote more than three hundred letters home to his beloved wife, Betty. Tucked safely away and discovered only after her death, those letters - the best of which are presented here - provide a fascinating record of World War II behind the lines and an intimate look at a young naval officer's professional and emotional development.

A keen observer of his surroundings, Lucas describes life at sea, his shipmates, and exotic island cultures as well as the horrors of war, made particularly apparent to him during a clean-up assignment after the three-day pitched battle for Tarawa. Always informative, often lyrical, these letters stand as a tribute to all those who lived through the war, regardless of their rank or service.