Virgil Dawson was born in 1922 in Iowa. At age 19, he enlisted in the Navy. After training, he became Gunner's Mate aboard the ship LST-523. The ship hauled supplies to soldiers fighting in Normandy and then carried wounded soldiers to England. On the fourth trip, the LST-523 hit an undersea enemy mine. Luckily, Virgil survived the explosion and got to witness Japan's surrender later in Tokyo Bay. Author Hailee Dehner and illustrator Shelby Lantau did an excellent job telling Virgil's story.