The epic tale of pre WWII enlisted men, their women and the grim destiny that overtook them all. Robert E Lee Prewitt arrives at his barracks in Pearl Harbor. His new commander promises that if he boxes on the company team he will be given the job of bugler, which he very much wants. But he refuses, haunted by previous ugly experiences in the ring. In revenge for this obstinacy, he is given all the dirty jobs. Meanwhile, the officer who assigns these tasks is having a secret affair with the wife of the company commander.