Samantha (Sam) Hughes - The protagonist, a 17-year-old girl who has recently graduated from high school. She is determined to learn more about her father, Dwayne, who died in the Vietnam War before she was born.

Emmett Smith - Sam's uncle and her primary guardian. A Vietnam War veteran who struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the aftermath of his experiences in the war.

Irene Hughes - Sam's mother, who has remarried and lives in Lexington. Irene is somewhat distant from Sam, having started a new life with her new husband.

Dwayne Hughes - Sam's father, who died in Vietnam before she was born. Although he is deceased, his presence looms large in Sam's life as she tries to learn more about him and his experiences.

Mamaw (Samantha's Grandmother) - Dwayne's mother, who provides some background on Dwayne's life and helps Sam in her quest for understanding her father's past.

Tommy and Dawn - Sam's friends. They represent the more typical teenage life that Sam sometimes feels disconnected from due to her focus on her father's past.

Lonnie Malone - Emmett's friend and fellow Vietnam veteran who also grapples with his own issues stemming from the war.