In 1941, the brutal war raged in its third year, but from an aristocratic boy's school, it seemed like an exciting time for 17-year-old Sellier and his friends. They lived in the country that, by all indications, was winning the war. Newspaper headlines told of the latest victories, and pictured proud Adolph Hitler pinning medals on war heros. Sellier and his classmates didn't see this as propaganda, and swelled with pride. Typical of any teenage boy, Sellier's fears revolved around the fact that he might miss out on the thrill of victory and glory of being a soldier. When draft cards arrived, the boys hollered for joy. Sellier was thrilled at the thought at being a decorated war hero. The future seemed bright, not to mention that he would escape final exams. The reality of being a soldier would nearly devastate Sellier. He was thrown into punishing and life-threatening situations during some of the most extreme battles in Eastern Europe. With terrible weather, the constant threat of starvation and inferior equipment, the odds were against him. Yet somehow, through the harsh conditions and brutality that he would experience, Sellier would find himself a hero in a losing battle.