On an ordinary day, a deranged man goes on a rampage in a diner and randomly shoots the costumers. The survivors of the tragic episode are deeply affected by the shooting, each having a different reaction: the youngest, Anne Hagen, becomes popular at school telling her version of the shooting; her friend Jimmy Jaspersen becomes mute and closes himself to the outer world; waitress Carla Davenport neglects her baby and has several vulgar relationships...

The remarkable true story of one soldier's death in battle, another soldier's journey of discovery and a nation's reverence and gratitude toward its war dead. After hearing of the heroic death of a young Marine in Iraq, veteran officer Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl volunteers to escort the remains of Lance Corporal Chance Phelps back to his hometown in Wyoming. As Strobl crosses America's heartland, he will find himself on an unexpectedly emotional journey...