The Korean War provides the background, including combat footage photographed by producer Robert Cohn and a camera crew near the front lines.

"[1] In June 1950, while stationed at Kimpo, South Korea, Captain George Slocum finds out from his friend, Lieutenant Jerry Barker, that he has to go to Japan.

George reports the loss and attempts to convince Major Hacker to mount a rescue mission, but is turned down, as the base is now cut off and under constant attack.

When Private Swenson and Sergeant Maxie Steiner install a powerful radio in his L5, it allows Pete to signal fighter jets overhead that North Korean tanks are about to attack.

With principal photography done over a two-week span, from February 4–18, 1953 in California, the script was adapted to incorporate a portion of the 85,000 feet of location footage photographed by producer Robert Cohn and a camera crew near the Korean front lines.

[6] The review in The New York Times, observed that the film being released at the time of the Korean armistice was "(a) belated, bedraggled salute to American Air Force valor during the early stages of the Korean conflict, this low-budget Columbia drama manages to stir up a stale, sophomoric batter of optimism, heroics and philosophical goo.