Private Berger searches for his place in the world during his military service. He has the uniform on his body, the oath to the flag in his ear, questions such as those about the meaning of life in his head, doubts about belief in his Catholic breast, the taste of C rations in his mouth, curiosity about the pulse of night life in his veins, too little pay in his pocket,the dream of real love in his heart, a hard on in his pants and a pencil in his hand with which he writes "NL 33 T" ("33 days till I go away") on the toilet door.