Reem, the middle child and youngest son of a Kuwaiti millionaire and oil engineer has set out to conquer his own world. He will not inherit the bulk of his family's wealth. That honor goes to his older brother Rico. No, he must set his own path and achieve his goals if he wants to make a mark in this life. Work hard and set goals for yourself Reem's French Canadian mother always said, but that did not account for what life was going to throw at Reem. A family vacation to California would set in motion hard work, goal setting for the young man, and heartache and despair.

What is it about that Sunshine state? Why does it keep calling out to him? Attending the architectural program at USC would be one of the biggest goals Reem could set for himself, and just five years away. With an architectural degree, Reem could change the landscape of his own country and make his mark forever, Reem thought to himself. With help from his uncle Dennis and a five-year goal, Reem finds himself achieving his goals.

Falling in love was not in the five-year plan, but neither was skydiving for fun. Also hiding his true wealth and bodyguard from his college friends was something the five-year plan never mentioned. But at the end of summer classes his junior year, on August 2, 1990, all the goals and dreams would be destroyed. Life had a new plan and a new goal for Reem. To save his family. The Iraq invasion of Kuwait had cut off all communication with his family. Have they been captured or killed? Or are they in hiding waiting for someone to rescue them? Maybe the American heroes will come in to save the day. The despair and anguish that is forming, it's almost too much for him to bear. With some of the college student body and, yes even roommates, started protesting "No blood for oil" the anger builds up to a breaking point. What Reem does next will transform him into An American Hero.