During the summer months of 1912, thousands of visitors arrived on passenger trains to visit the resort town of Culver, Indiana and enjoy sparkling Lake Maxinkuckee. They stayed in the hotels that dotted the town and lake and danced the night away on the floating dance pavilion, The White Swan. It was a time of new beginnings when everything seemed possible.
Grayson is haunted by his past, but is doing his best to change his ways and make something of himself. Shane is living his dream and is content—until he meets Grayson. The two young cadets of the Culver Military Academy see something in each other they have never seen in another boy. Both know they are different, but one tries to turn from that life while the other indulges in it. Together, perhaps, they can find happiness. Cadets of Culver is a tale of love, friendship, and coming to grips with a tragic past.