Family together. >> reporter: so michael and his four kids and kathleen and her daughter became a blended family. he was a former u.s. marine-turned-full- time writer who liked to draw on his wartime experiences in vietnam. one of his vietnam books got a big advance, money that went towards buying that fine house. >> they said, "we're thinking about moving into this house." and they drove us over. we didn't even go inside. we just looked and we thought, "oh, my goodness," you know, "this is amazing." >> reporter: there in his office he wrote his war stories and churned out sharp-elbowed column...