The story takes place on a film set in the Second World War. It is about the life of John Stryker who gets many problem which he never could has imagined in the deadly battle of Iwo Jima.
In one of his best roles, Wayne's Stryker is a sergeant disliked by his recruits due to his ruthless training and rigid code of ethics. The film established the two-generational plot as a Wayne staple, here contrasted with John Agar's "soft" soldier.
