 Would the main character had fought as hard in World War III if he knew that his family would not be home when he returned?
They were nearing a river; the water would be welcome on tired bodies and dry throats. Then both man and horse plunged headlong into the waiting torrent, deep into the cool embrace of the clear liquid. Refreshed and momentarily content, he sat staring into the dying fire, seeing the bright glowing coals as living fingers clutching at the wood in consuming embrace, taking all and returning nothing but ashes. Images began to appear, drawn from inexhaustible files, wherein are kept all thoughts, past, present, and future.... World War III had been declared, and he had enlisted, receiving his old rank of captain. When he opened it, he found a picture of her in one side, and in the other a picture of the children. Three days later they had landed in Spain, merged with another division, then crossed the Pyrenees into France, and finally to Paris where the fighting had begun. Three years later they were on the road to Moscow. The Russians had not yet used the H-bomb; the threat of annihilation by the retaliation forces had been too great. But the planes had passed over, the sun glinting on their bellies, reflecting a blinding light. When the all-clear had sounded, the men clambered from their shelters. Across the Atlantic, over the pole, via Alaska, the great bombers flew. In cities, great and small, the air raid sirens sounded, high screaming noises which had jarred the people from sleep in time to die. Many bombers fell, victims of fanatical suicide planes, or of missiles that streaked across the sky which none could escape. But too many bombers got through, dropping their deadly cargo upon the helpless cities. The retaliatory forces had roared away to bomb the Russian cities. Those who had remained alive had found a resting place on the crown of some distant mountain. Others had preferred the silent peaceful sea, where flesh stayed not long on bones, and only darting fishes and merciful beams of filtered light found their aluminum coffins. Most of the cities and the majority of the population of both countries had been destroyed. Even their governments had vanished, leaving a silent nothingness. The armies that remained were without leaders, without sources of supplies, save what they could forage and beg from an unfriendly people. They were alone now, a group of tired, battered men, for whom life held nothing. Their families had long since died, their bodies turned to dust, their spirits fled on the winds to a new world.
 No, because he would have nothing to come back home to anyways.
 No, because he would be too devastated to fight.  Yes, because he wanted to make sure that he and his men won World War III.  No, because he would have nothing to come back home to anyways.  Yes, because he was adamant on surviving World War III.