Frank Spig Wead (John Wayne) is instrumental in advancing the cause of American air power, but he endures a troubled personal life, becoming estranged from his wife, Minnie (Maureen O'Hara) after the death of their baby. During a bout of drinking, he tumbles down the stairs of his home and is paralyzed. With the help of happy-go-lucky Navy mechanic Jughead Carson (Dan Dailey), Wead regains some use of his legs and eventually restores meaning to his life.