Grover Gilfilan lives 1941 West Virginia and decides the prospects of war hold a better future than continuing to live with his drunken, abusive father. He enlists in the navy and on the train to Great lakes Naval Training center he meets Judy Perman who is traveling to Milwaukee to attend college. Grover chooses Gunner's Mate school following recruit training in order to stay close to Judy for a few months. Judy's roommate introduces her beau, Toby, who will be commissioned following graduation. Grover leaves school and is assigned to the Armed Guard and sails on a merchant ship. The ship is sunk during the return voyage, Grover is the sole survivor and is decorated for heroism. Toby becomes an officer and engages in a variety of shipboard money making schemes. He learns of Grover's fate and brags he is a good friend. Naval authorities are suspicious of Toby and recruit Grover to get close to him. Judy gets a job with the war effort and is restricted from contacting anyone who is in a war theater. Grover is heartbroken as he goes off on the USS Arkansas to support the invasions of France. Based on his success with Toby, ONI recruits Grover to become an operative. Following training, he is sent first to Baltimore and later to Lebanon. As he is leaving Lebanon, he realizes his activities are mirroring the corrupt activities he wanted to leave behind, only on a more sophisticated scale and, with the war over, he decides to pursue his dream as a civilian.