Three American infantrymen—Carter (Arthur Franz), Ferguson (James Griffith) and Small (George Cooper (American actor))—are returning from patrol in a bombed-out town when they are pinned down by an enemy machine gun. Meanwhile, Coke (Richard Kiley), who was separated from the patrol, returns on his own to the squad's basement outpost where goof-off Private Collucci (Bonar Colleano) is sleeping, dreaming of beautiful women. A runner from company headquarters delivers a package for a squad member and tells the men that the regiment is moving out of the line that night. Shortly after another patrol returns with Sgt. Mooney (Lee Marvin) and privates Sapiros (Nick Dennis) and Muller (Dickie Moore (actor)).