As Lieutenant Gene Sinclair lands on his first Pacific island he begins the island-hopping journey that will mature and harden him. Attached to the 24th Infantry division, he stays close to the front lines of the Pacific war. He soon meets all that World War II can throw at him. Surviving accidents, injuries, a typhoon, supply shortages, and malaria accompanied by hallucinations, watching comrades die from friendly fire and succumb to battle fatigue and tropical diseases, Gene develops the fortitude to lead his battery and survive this hell on earth. That is, until a special mission almost proves to be Gene's undoing, and he struggles to find the strength to go on.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend Sarah Gale grows from a naive farm girl to a world wise WAC photo interpreter, keeping Gene up to date on her adventures through frequent letters.