Battle Cry

In January 1942, Danny Forrester leaves Baltimore with his family and his girlfriend Kathy to begin Marine recruit training. He boards a train with other young men bound for boot camp near San Diego. The farewells set the tone for a grueling journey ahead.

The recruits endure weeks of harsh boot camp and tough basic training before being assigned to radio school. They join a battalion commanded by Maj. Sam “High Pockets” Huxley and receive instruction from Sgt. Mac. Weekends offer passes to San Diego, giving them a glimpse of civilian life amid the grind.

In a sleazy San Diego bar, Ski buries his sorrows while the others end up in a brawl. Mac and the Marines intervene, and Danny is saved from slipping into drinking by Elaine Yarborough. On orders from Mac, Danny calls Kathy, and he eventually elopes with her during a furlough.

Marion Hodgkiss meets Rae, a beautiful and mysterious woman, on the Coronado ferryboat while hoping to write about wartime experiences. Rae is evasive about her life, and their interactions hint at a complicated backstory. Rae later appears at a party with other B-girls, as the regiment receives orders to ship out.

The battalion sails to Wellington, New Zealand, where they are warmly received by the locals. Andy Hookans begins pursuing Pat Rogers, a married woman he mistakenly believes to be available, and later learns about her husband’s fate in action. Pat invites Andy to visit her parents’ farm, and they agree to remain friends despite their attraction.

After Christmas, the Sixth Regiment, nicknamed Huxley’s Harlots, is sent to Guadalcanal to mop up a resistant band of Japanese soldiers. The soldiers endure harsh fighting and brutal jungle conditions. The departure marks a shift from training to real combat.

When the unit returns to New Zealand, Ski is killed by a sniper during combat. Pat nurses the malaria-stricken Andy, and the two resume their attraction, risking a short-term romance while the war rages elsewhere. The men cope with loss and the strain of prolonged conflict.

Huxley orders the battalion to undertake a brutal 60-mile hike to restore stamina, and the men push through blistered, near-collapse conditions. They finish in a record-breaking time, proving their exceptional endurance and teamwork. This feat solidifies Huxley’s belief in their unique skills.

Despite fears of losing Pat to the war, Andy and Pat marry with Huxley’s help. Andy contemplates deserting to stay with Pat, but Huxley asks Pat to persuade him to return, underscoring the difficulty of personal choices during wartime. The couple’s commitment persists as they await the next deployment.

At Tarawa, Huxley’s men carry out their mission while facing heavy fire and logistical challenges. Marion and many others are killed in the fighting. The battle marks another brutal test of the battalion’s resolve amid the broader Pacific campaign.

After Tarawa, the unit rests on a Hawaiian island as they recuperate and await new orders. Huxley senses that more combat is coming and weighs the next dangerous assignment. The mood shifts from relief to readiness as the soldiers prepare for Saipan.

In the Saipan campaign, the battalion faces isolation from the rest of the division and takes heavy casualties on the Red Beach. Huxley is killed, and Danny and Andy are seriously injured, with the Navy destroyer finally pinning down the Japanese to allow the mission to succeed. The losses are a turning point for the unit.

On the Hawaiian rest camp, Andy recovers from the loss of a leg and begins to accept Pat’s enduring love with the support of Mac’s stern encouragement. He ultimately reunites with Pat and their baby, finding a measure of peace after the ordeal. The campaign’s human costs become personal and intimate.

Danny is medically discharged and returns by train to Baltimore with Mac, visiting families of men killed in action along the way. In Baltimore, Danny reunites with Kathy as new recruits board the train, signaling the end of one war chapter and the quiet anticipation of others. The film closes on the homefront after the long separation.