Here is the story of a boy growing up in Germany prior to the Second World War that describes family life, schooling, and time in the military. Horst Baier became part of the German military, first as a youthful Brown Shirt and in 1942, when he was conscripted. His life in the German army is colorfully described, including the training. The long journey to the Russian front and the fighting there eventually led to his hospitalization and his chance meeting of a girl who would eventually become his wife. He was captured in Italy and became a prisoner of war in Egypt. Horsts marriage, travel to Canada, and eventually employment with the Ford Motor Co. in the United States of America and citizenship makes a happy ending.