 Seeking experience to improve the unit history he is writing, Lt. Murphy (Ken Berry) tags along on a patrol during the Korean War. The patrol comes under fire. The commanding officer and his NCO are killed or incapacitated, so Murphy takes command of the badly outnumbered patrol. The situation is desperate and the men recognize that Murphy has no formal tactical or leadership training. Murphy blossoms before their eyes as he leads them to employ tactics he adapts from historical battles.