Air Force

On December 6, 1941, the B-17D Mary-Ann is ordered to fly from San Francisco to Hawaii with eight other Flying Fortresses. Master Sergeant Robbie White, a long-time crew chief, coordinates the mission alongside pilot Michael 'Irish' Quincannon, co-pilot Bill Williams, navigator Monk Hauser Jr., bombardier Tom McMartin and gunner Joe Winocki. The crew prepares for a long flight that will thrust them into the opening days of the war.

Mary-Ann and the formation reach Hawaii as the Japanese attack unfolds over Pearl Harbor. They land at Hickam Field and, exhausted from the flight, learn they must continue to Clark Field via Wake Island. The news of war is reinforced by radio broadcasts as America enters World War II.

During the voyage toward Clark Field, Mary-Ann stops at Wake Island to pick up two passengers: fighter pilot Lt. Thomas 'Tex' Rader and the Marines' mascot Tripoli. The stopover takes place amid the escalating war in the Pacific. The crew remains focused on the next leg of the journey.

The Mary-Ann arrives at Clark Field where Master Sergeant White learns his son was killed in aerial combat. The airfield is under strain as Japanese forces press in, and the crew steels themselves for the next fight. Quincannon, though wounded, orders the crew to prepare to bail out as the plane struggles to stay aloft.

Mary-Ann engages a Japanese invasion fleet but is swarmed by enemy fighters and forced to abort after losing two engines. Quincannon is fatally wounded and orders his men to bail out before collapsing. Winocki remains at the controls and pilots Mary-Ann to a successful belly landing.

With the airfield under threat, the crew works feverishly through the night to repair Mary-Ann using parts from damaged B-17s. They manage to refuel and keep the wounded aircraft battle-ready as the Japanese close in. Chester, the assistant radio operator, volunteers to fly as gunner in a two-seat observation plane to reinforce their defenses.

During an enemy air raid, the pilot is killed and Chester bails out of the observation plane. He is machine-gunned while descending in his parachute and is later fatally strafed on the ground. The loss underscores the peril facing the crew as they cling to Mary-Ann.

Winocki and White shoot down a Zero fighter and kill the escaped pilot from the burning wreck. The crew finishes repairs and refueling just as Japanese forces overrun Clark Field. They prepare to depart toward Australia with Rader and Williams at the controls.

En route to Australia, with Rader acting as reluctant pilot and Williams as co-pilot, the Mary-Ann spots a Japanese invasion fleet below. They radio the fleet’s position and circle until reinforcements arrive, leading to an attack that devastates the fleet. The sequence mirrors the real Battle of the Coral Sea.

Later in the war, a bombing attack on Tokyo is announced to a roomful of bomber crews, including several Mary-Ann veterans who have moved into new roles. Lt Rader is shown as a B-17 pilot among them. President Roosevelt speaks in a voiceover as the armada heads toward the rising sun.