As the second World War comes to an end, Pence Mefford returns from active duty to New Castle, his small hometown in north central Kentucky. Now armed with his typewriter, Pence writes columns for the local paper, commenting on everything from rural life to world affairs. When war breaks out in Korea, Pence finds himself back on the battlefield, far away from home. He continues to write for the paper, reporting his first-hand perspective on a conflict that threatens to begin another world war. From Kentucky to Korea and back again, Pence's columns chronicle the path of a growing, booming America through the 1950s.