When the United States enters
World War I, Rocky Thorne has no interest in joining the military, but just wants to pursue his career as a sculptor. He is cynical about the purpose of the war and the enthusiasm of those who have enlisted, comparing them to
lemmings that will
swim until they drown themselves. But his fiancée, Nancy Adams, becomes a Red Cross nurse; she mocks his pacifism and accuses him of cowardice. To prove his bravery, he enlists and becomes a fighter pilot as part of the
American Expeditionary Forces. Arriving at his assigned squadron, he is concerned about the people he is going to be shooting at. On his first mission, he gets behind a German fighter, but cannot bring himself to shoot. His opponent takes advantage of this and reverses the situation. When he is shot at, he loses his scruples and shoots his foe down. Rocky now renounces his past attitude and becomes completely committed to the war in the air, even taking solo flights against orders, to get more chances to shoot down Germans. In a few months, he becomes a leading
ace. Then, while on furlough in Paris, he runs into his former love, who is a nurse on the front lines. She has been impacted by her experiences and is torn by guilt. When Rocky says that he does not want to waste his valuable leave time on talking and makes it clear he wants to spend the night with her, she reluctantly lets him. Back at the squadron, a German cadet drops a note over the airfield, telling the Americans that one of their pilots who was shot down is alive as a prisoner. At this point, Rocky flies overhead. Not having seen the note being dropped, he shoots down the young German, who is badly injured. Rocky himself is injured. At the hospital, Rocky is placed in the bed next to the German's. The young man is in agony and is not allowed liquids because it would kill him, due to his stomach wound. Eventually he begs for water, saying he is going to die anyway, and Rocky leaves a bottle of wine by his bedside. Rocky's ruthlessness is shaken. Then Rocky is told he is being transferred away from the front to become an instructor. But before it takes effect, he learns that a pilot in another squadron has that day overtaken him for the lead in victories, 44 to 42. He requests a solo mission, but Captain Blake turns him down. He flies anyway. He spots five Germans and gets on their tail unnoticed, but as he is about to shoot, he has a vision of the German cadet and cannot bring himself to fire. One German sees him and shoots him down, but he survives. In the final scene, he still feels guilty for what he became, and says he has been unable to sculpt. But Nancy is supportive and still wants to marry him. ==Cast==