Flight Nurse

Polly arrives in Tachikawa, Japan for her first assignment with the Medical Air Evacuation Unit. She meets her roommates, Lieutenants Ann Phillips and Kit Ramsa, but does not see Mike. The chief nurse warns that flight nurses rarely end up with the men they love.

Polly is taken to a C-47 transport aircraft to meet medical technician Sergeant Frank Swan and pilots Captains Bill Eaton and Tommy Metcalf. Her first experiences of war in Korea are jarring, but she regains her composure quickly under pressure. Bill watches Polly calmly save a young man's life and begins to fall in love.

Back in Tachikawa, Mike takes Polly on a date and talks about marriage. Polly feels hopeful about a future together, even as the war continues. When Mike is called away on a mission, Polly is left waiting and uncertain.

Mike's helicopter, carrying wounded men, is overdue. Bill volunteers to attempt a rescue, stepping into a dangerous mission. Polly learns of Mike's danger and resents Bill for not telling her sooner.

During bombing runs, Bill steadies Polly and helps her stay calm under fire. He saves her life when she is almost killed while rescuing a wounded soldier. Their trust deepens as they endure aloft perils together.

During the Inchon landing and the retaking of Seoul, 50,000 prisoners of war are freed, and dog tags of the dead are retrieved, including Mike's. Several liberated Americans reveal that a captured Korean was in charge of killing Americans, deepening Polly's grief. Bed Check Charlie’s nightly bombs nearly claim Polly's life again, but Bill saves her.

Frank worries Polly is nearing a breakdown; Bill talks to Ackerman, who grounds Polly for rest. The tense pause signals a shift in Polly's trajectory as she grapples with her role in the war.

Kit reports Mike is alive and hospitalized near the Chosin Reservoir. Ackerman orders Polly to join him, sending Polly on a flight in Bill's aircraft. Polly rides the mission with cautious hope.

On the flight, a crazed soldier opens a door, hitting the stabilizer and causing a crash. Polly, trying to aid an unconscious passenger, suffers a concussion. The crew loads the survivors into lifeboats as Bill helps Polly into a raft.

Bill takes Polly into the crew raft and they wait for rescue. A delirious Polly calls out for Mike, clinging to the hope of a reunion. They persevere in the rough conditions until rescue arrives.

Polly and Mike are rescued and recover in the same hospital, where Mike has been receiving care packages from his former hometown girlfriend. The proximity intensifies Polly's internal conflict about her future. She begins to see that her life may follow a path beyond quiet marriage.

When Mike is well enough to be shipped home, he asks Polly to marry him. Polly realizes she cannot embrace a quiet life while she is needed in Korea, and tells him to return to his real love. The conversation marks a pivotal shift in their relationship.

Polly rejoins Bill and the rescue team, ready to start a new life with him. She resolves to stay with the mission and build a future alongside Bill rather than pursuing an ordinary life with Mike.