In 1942 Nazi submarines sink ships along the Florida Coast. Off Vero Beach Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteer Kit Johnson in his small fishing boat rescues 22 survivors from the tanker Java Arrow. The ship has been torpedoed by famed U-boat Commander Peter Cremer. Forty years later Johnson's son, author Rody Johnson, wants to know the details. His father has never talked about the war and has Alzheimers. The son tracks down Cremer and travels to Germany. In telling the story the author recreates vivid scenes from the naval encounter while describing his search into the lives of what he discovers are two heroes, each from a different side of the war.