Robert "Dutch" Holland (James Stewart) is a professional baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals, who also serves in the United States Air Force Reserve. During spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida, he is unexpectedly recalled to active duty for 21 months. He reports to Carswell AFB in Texas to qualify on the Convair B-36 bomber. Arriving in civilian clothing—since his old uniforms are outdated—he immediately runs afoul of General Hawkes (Frank Lovejoy), a strict commander whose character mirrors that of real-life General Curtis LeMay. Dutch is assigned a staff job in the bombardment wing at Carswell, which requires extensive flying. Forming his own B-36 crew with a trusted World War II colleague as flight engineer, he quickly grows passionate about flying and the importance of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in deterring war. His wife, Sally (June Allyson), struggles with his frequent absences and the inherent dangers of his duty, but remains supportive as long as they can be together. Facing technical issues with the B-36, Dutch and his crew are sent on a dangerous mission to Thule Air Base in Greenland. When a new repair fails and an engine fire forces them to abandon the aircraft, Dutch and his Radar Navigator attempt a forced landing, leaving Dutch with a serious arm injury. Favored by General Hawkes, Dutch is promoted to full colonel and given command of the new Boeing B-47 Stratojet wing at MacDill AFB in Tampa. Despite Sally's reservations, Dutch chooses to continue his Air Force career over returning to baseball. During a challenging wing exercise from MacDill to Japan, adverse weather and Dutch's worsening arm injury threaten his flying career. Ultimately, his injury forces his discharge from the Air Force and jeopardizes his future in baseball, but General Hawkes encourages him to consider managing a team. Cast includes: - James Stewart as Lt. Colonel Robert "Dutch" Holland - June Allyson as Sally Holland - Frank Lovejoy as General Ennis C. Hawkes - Bruce Bennett as Major General Espy - Barry Sullivan as Lt. Colonel Rocky Samford - Alex Nicol as Major "Ike" Knowland - Jay C. Flippen as Tom Dolan - Harry Morgan as Master Sergeant Bible Runtime: 112 minutes.