Among her late parents' belongings, Steinman discovers a rusty ammo box holding almost five hundred letters written by her father during his service in World War II. It also contains a silk Japanese flag inscribed to Yoshio Shimizu. Reading the letters, Steinman finally understands what her silent, emotionally remote father experienced in combat. She also begins a decade-long search for Shimizu -- a quest culminating in a trip to Japan to return the flag to his family.