It is through his eyes that the reader experiences both the war against the alien Taurans and the changes in society and technology on Earth during the thousand-year conflict (made possible by time dilation, a relativistic consequence of faster-than-light travel between battles).
During the war, he falls in love with Marygay Potter. Upon the conclusion of the war, he marries her and the move to the distant planet "MF" to raise their two children.