- Kenneth Penn served in the Vietnam War after graduating from college in 1967. He was initially stationed in Oklahoma for training before being sent to Khe Sanh in South Vietnam.
- At first, life in Khe Sanh was quiet and peaceful, with hot meals and movies. However, on January 21, 1968 the Battle of Khe Sanh began, with mortars and rockets raining down on the base from dusk to dawn in an attempt to take it over.
- Penn and his fellow marines faced chaos during the battle, but learned resilience and how to survive during war through working together to secure food, water, and ammunition until the siege was over.