"Stories from a Lifetime" is a collection of short stories from World War II veteran Hugh Aaron, who has collected the stories he has written throughout his life, even as he was at war. His stories draw on what surrounded him in his life, and provide an intriguing bit of insight on the changing pace of life.
Set amidst the last two years of the Pacific war, this story follows a young, naïve Seabee (U.S. Naval Construction Battalions) from California to the harsh, tropical jungles of New Guinea and the Philippines. The war provides twenty-year-old Hal Arnold with his first venture into real life, where his youth and naivete are dashed and where reality and maturity emerge.