Three U.S. servicemen from three different branches of the service find themselves stranded at the very last minute of the last day of the U.S./North Vietnam conflict.

Jake, a special forces sergeant; Harry, a dedicated Marine weapons specialist; and Robert, an Air Force engineer trained in helicopters, find each other after being abandoned by the U.S after the fighting.

They come together with only one objective: to find their way back to friendly territory in Thailand. They move through Laos with the help of the Montagnard tribal people, and the story follows their constant fear and fights with the Viet Cong and the North Vietnam regular soldiers up the Ho Chi Minh Trail. After five years, they finally reach their goal.

This compelling story shows how men determined to make their way to freedom found that their only choice was The Longest Way Home.