When Ben lands in Oakland, California, after one year in the Vietnam War, he decides to take a slow journey across America to ease back into "the world." Joining another Vietnam vet, the pair leave California in an old bread truck headed for Boston. Along the way, they reflect on episodes that occurred in Vietnam, help some stranded students, attend anti-war rallies, meet other veterans of the war, and, ultimately, must deal with the sad consequences of the war. Ben has a promise to keep before returning home. But home seems further away than he ever imagined. His journey continues as he learns and reaches his own conclusions about America.