The conflict between duty and conscience is explored in this WWII drama. Alan Ladd stars as Naval gunnery officer Alec Austin, a Quaker whose sincere pacifist sentiments do not sit well with his crew members. When he refuses to fire upon an unidentified plane, the word spreads that Austin cannot be relied upon in battle (never mind that the plane turns out to be one of ours). to prove that he's worthy of command, Austin volunteers for a dangerous mission: The rescue of a group of US pilots on a Japanese-held island.