They were walking to class on 9/11 when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were struck. These midshipmen, the men and women of the Class of 2002, lost their youth to a decade of deployments and their innocence on battlefields in distant places. Each story provides a glimpse into the lives of modern day Navy or Marine Corps officers who were faced with unique challenges and sacrifices. Their stories poignantly explain the trials of war and reveal a world many don't understand.

Foreword / David Gergen -- Introduction: Non sibi sed patriae -- Four years by the bay / Inside the Gates of Annapolis -- The leadership laboratory, fleet tested -- Honor tested / Will Carr -- Selflessness from the ICU / Anita Susan Brenner and Rachel Torres -- Ship, shipmate, self / Mike Johnson -- Fulfilling a top gun dream / Meagan Varley Flannigan -- Find a way, or make one / Meghan Elger Courtney -- Courage under fire -- A lovely afternoon over Baghdad / Jay Consalvi -- Bad karma / Wes Pass -- We serve where we're needed / Johnathan Van Meter -- The real hurt locker / Eric Jewell -- Evacuating the injured / Rocky Checca -- From the cradle to the grave / Anonymous -- Dhow in distress / Pat McConnell -- From Fallujah to Now Zad / Ben Wagner -- Beyond battlefield bullets -- Military diplomats / Graham Plaster -- Shaking the hand of fate / Courtney Senini -- Visit, board, search, and seizure: unsung heroes / Jason Jackson -- Lending a hand in tsunami relief / John Cauthen -- Training with the enemy: Iraq and U.S. naval partnerships / Travis Bode -- UN peacekeeping in practice / Dave Augustin -- Casey v. the volcano / Casey Bruce -- Inland sailor / Joshua W. Welle -- Integrity, teamwork, and sacrifice -- Sacrifices for country / Alex Katauskas -- Sometimes dreams do come true / Carol A. Andersen -- Forward deployed to ... Louisiana? / Kevin Stepp -- Working where the land meets the sky / Kate Kranz -- On building submarines and building character / Lucas Adin -- Lost at sea / Glyndell Houston -- Dual military couples: twice the challenge / Brooke Waller -- When no one's watching / Matt Freeman -- The next great generation -- Wild and precious life / Joshua Awad -- Serving beyond the uniform / Elizabeth Kreft -- Rings of courage and love: fighting for gay rights in the military / Gary Ross -- Command, citizenship, and government / Seth Lynn -- Conclusion -- Epilogue / Adm. Mike Mullen -- In memory of fallen Naval Academy graduates since September 11.