Larry Curtis is broad sided by the call to serve in the "Korean Police Action." Anguished over leaving his young wife, Jean, alone to care for their two-week old daughter, Larry departs to serve his country in the Korean War. Adjustment from civilian life is traumatic. In the ill-prepared Navy, Larry is assigned to a new crew activating a mothballed amphibious ship. Mechanical failures, training accidents, and tension between the diverse shipmates cause challenges and delays. They finally reach the war just as Chinese Communist troops intervene and the United Nations forces are in full retreat.
In Korean waters the crew experiences a variety of transport and service jobs, interspersed with dangerous combat assignments. Larry and his shipmates struggle with their fears, internal conflicts, and casualties, while maturing into a proud, cohesive, and effective Navy crew.