The Lost One – Four Friends Who Were Drafted Together During the Korean War

When three of them return home and one remains, the unanswered question of “why” reverberates among them for the rest of their lives. This is more than a story of heroism; it is a story of war and the change it makes in the men who fight it. The three who return home continue their education, meet young women and fall in love and have families, but what happens when the fourth returns? Will the bond still remain? One has become a minister, one is a lawyer, and one is an engineer. All three have married, have families and careers.  Is there a place in their lives for someone considered a traitor to his country?

The one who returns becomes jealous of the others, and resents not only their successful careers, but their happy families. He sinks into a sea of despair and depression. Using references from military archives, Dr. Smith does not spare the harshness of a war most of the country disagreed with; and without hiding the sacrifices the men fighting it made. Many readers will be spurred to look up the references listed to satisfy about the true story which inspired the novel. It also examines our belief that we, as a country, are better than the rest of the world and that we, too, make some of the mistakes we condemn in others. The story is not a “doom and gloom” tale, but has many humorous antidotes told within the friendship and family ties of the characters. What makes this novel enjoyable is that the characters are very fleshed out and believable. We, as readers, get to know and understand them. The novel dispels the “Happily Ever After” easy ending, and yet leaves the reader with a sense of optimism.