It stars Gregory Peck as Brig. General Frank Savage. Moulton for Best Sound Recording. Convinced that it is the same jug which used to stand on the mantel of the airfield's officers' club, he buys it and journeys to the derelict airfield, where he reflects on his wartime experiences.
In a flashback , the setting shifts to , when the th Bomb Group at Archbury has gained a reputation as the "hard luck group". After a particularly disastrous mission, group commander Colonel Keith Davenport appears exhausted and demoralized. His defeatist attitude spreads to other senior leaders of the group, including his Air Exec, Lieutenant Colonel Ben Gately. Later, Savage reluctantly shares with Major General Pritchard, the commanding general of VIII Bomber Command, his belief that Davenport has become emotionally too close to his men and may no longer be fit to command.
That night, Pritchard and Savage visit the group headquarters to investigate the cause of the mission's heavy losses. After a discussion that ends in Davenport's refusal to demote failed navigator Lt. Zimmerman, Pritchard realizes that Savage is right, relieves Davenport of command, hands the command to Savage.
Savage takes a harsh approach to restoring the group's discipline and morale. He begins by reprimanding Gately, demoting him to aircraft commander and insisting that he henceforth fly every mission. Savage assigns Gately only the most incompetent crewmen, ordering him to paint the name "Leper Colony" on his airplane.
Savage conducts a series of training missions and waits for an opportunity to restore the group's pride in its abilities. Upset by the contrast of Savage's stern leadership with Davenport's easygoing ways, all of the group's pilots apply for transfers. Savage asks the Group Adjutant , Major Stovall, to delay processing their applications to buy him some time.
