When the United States enters World War I, Rocky Thorne (Richard Dix) has no interest in joining the military, but just wants to pursue his career as a sculptor. He is cynical about the purpose of the war and the enthusiasm of those who have enlisted, comparing them to lemmings that will lemming#Misconceptions. But his fiancée, Nancy Adams (Elizabeth Allen), becomes a Red Cross nurse; she mocks his pacifism and accuses him of cowardice. To prove his bravery, he enlists and becomes a fighter pilot as part of the American Expeditionary Forces. Arriving at his assigned squadron, he is concerned about the people he is going to be shooting at; but his initial reluctance lasts only until he is shot at himself. Then he retaliates, shooting down his first enemy aircraft.