To the Shores of Tripoli

Chris Winters, a wealthy Culver Military Academy dropout and playboy, enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he meets his drill instructor Dixie Smith and falls for Navy nurse Mary Carter. The young recruit soon learns that life in uniform isn’t just about bravado and fancy clothes; Smith has a long memory of service, having fought in World War I under the elder Winters, and he affectionately calls Winters “The Skipper” as a sign of reluctant respect. This clash between a carefree socialite and a disciplined Marine sets the tone for a story about growth, loyalty, and the costs of changing one’s world.

Helene Hunt, Winters’s society girlfriend, pushes him toward a cushy civilian post in Washington, D.C., wielding her uncle’s influence with the base commander to steer him away from combat service. The non-fraternization policy becomes a recurring obstacle, highlighting the friction between the romantic world Chris has known and the rigid structure of military life, especially when the officer is a woman and the enlisted man is male.

To prove himself, Winters is put in charge of a platoon. The drill is rough and sometimes slapstick, as the Marines tease and test him during close-order drills. Yet, after a tense session, the platoon returns nearly flawless, and Smith—initially amused—begins to see the man behind the swagger. Winters’s pride surfaces when he declares, with a hint of defiance, “I was captain of the boxing team at Culver.”

[Winters] is selected for Sea School, and during gunnery practice, he performs a daring rescue by saving Dixie Smith from danger while repairing the targets. A confrontation soon follows, with Winters and the drill instructor clashing over who struck first. Smith ultimately takes the blame, taking a rank penalty to shield the younger man from Naval Prison, and the act earns Winters a hard-won respect from Smith and the rest of the unit. Still, the pull of civilian life proves powerful, and Winters contemplates leaving the Marines.

The shadow of war grows closer when Winters learns of the Pearl Harbor attack. He’s in a car with Helene when the news hits, and the road is soon blocked by his old platoon marching toward a Navy transport ship. In a decisive moment, Winters races to Sgt. Smith to re-enlist, donning his old uniform again (save for his two-toned shoes) as he moves to rejoin the ranks. On the transport ship, he is finally reunited with Mary Carter, signaling the start of a new chapter shaped by duty, romance, and the unyielding march of history.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:26