In 2003, Larry "Doc" Shepherd visits the bar of Sal Nealon, a former Marine that he served with in Vietnam. Sal willingly joins Doc on an impromptu drive where Doc reveals that he's also tracked down another friend from Vietnam, now-Reverend Richard Mueller. Sal and Doc are invited to dinner with the Muellers, where Doc reveals he is recently widowed and just lost his only son in Iraq. He admits he tracked down Sal and Mueller in the hope that they would accompany him to collect his son Larry Jr's body and take him to his scheduled burial. Sal agrees, though Mueller is hesitant, claiming that Sal and Doc represent a dark period in his life. His wife urges him to do it, so he reluctantly agrees to accompany him.