Trama

Three World War II veterans, two of them traumatized or disabled, return home to the American midwest to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.

The story concentrates on the social re-adjustment of three World War II servicemen, each from a different station of society. Al Stephenson returns to an influential banking position, but finds it hard to reconcile his loyalties to ex-servicemen with new commercial realities. Fred Derry is an ordinary working man who finds it difficult to hold down a job or pick up the threads of his marriage. Having lost both hands in a demolition training accident during the war, Homer Parrish is unsure that his fiancée's feelings are still those of love and not those of pity. Each of the veterans faces a crisis upon his arrival, and each crisis is a microcosm of the experiences of many American warriors who found an alien world awaiting them when they came marching home.—alfiehitchie

At the end of World War II, a soldier, a sailor and an airman return to their home town of Boone City and must re-adjust to the society they had left several years before. Al Stephenson was a banker before joining up. He is older than your average war veteran and gets home to find that his children have grown up and faces the difficult task of re-establishing an intimate relationship with his loving wife. At work, Al is promoted but now finds it difficult to be the hardhearted banker he seemingly once was. Fred Derry was an Air Force Officer and Bombardier but realizes on his return that he has no marketable skills and finds himself in his old job at the pharmacy working as a soda jerk. He also finds that he had married in haste and that his wife, whom he'd only known for a few weeks when they married during his flight training, isn't quite as enamored with him now that he's out of uniform. Lastly, there is Homer Parrish who lost both of his hands in a demolition training accident after TNT he was handling, detonated prematurely. He's become quite adept at using the prosthetic devices the military has provided him, but resents the pity he sees in others eyes. He had hoped to marry his childhood sweetheart but is no longer sure he can burden her with his own physical limitations. All three men become fast friends and with Fred Derry's marriage falling apart, he finds himself falling in love with Al's daughter, Peggy. In the end, all three finds ways to move forward with their lives.—garykmcd

Fred, Al and Homer are three World War II veterans facing difficulties as they re-enter civilian life. Fred is a war hero who, unable to compete with more highly skilled workers, has to return to his low-wage soda jerk job. Bank executive Al gets into trouble for offering an unsecured loan to a fellow veteran. After losing both hands in a demolition training accident, Homer returns to his loving fiancée, but must struggle to adjust.—Jwelch5742

At the end of World War II, Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), Al Stevenson (Fredric March) and Homer Parrish (Harold Russell) return home to Boone City. Fred was a decorated captain in the Army Air Forces in Europe, Al a sergeant in the Army who saw action in the Pacific, and Homer a sailor who served on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. Homer's ship was sunk, killing many of his fellow sailors; his arms were burned off below the elbow and he now uses metal hook prostheses. The three men share first a plane trip then a cab ride and become friends.

Although he rose to the rank of captain, Fred was an unskilled soda jerk before the war, while the older Al was a bank executive. Homer was a star athlete engaged to be married to the girl next door, Wilma (Cathy O'Donnell). Aware of how uncomfortable his hooks make people, Homer begins to pull away from Wilma and his family. He feels comfortable only when he is with Al and Fred or hanging out with his Uncle Butch (Hoagy Carmichael), who owns a comfortable tavern. Fred is married to Marie (Virginia Mayo) but can't find her when he returns home, as she has begun to work nights at one of Boone City's night clubs.

Al struggles to readjust to family life. His wife, Milly (Myrna Loy) and daughter, Peggy (Theresa Wright), do their best to make him comfortable, but he develops a drinking problem. On his first night home, he insists they go out drinking. At Butch's, they run into Fred and Homer, who has come there to get away from Wilma. Al and Fred get extremely drunk. When Fred passes out in front of Marie's apartment building, Peggy and Milly take him home with them. The next morning, Peggy drives Fred to Marie's building. On the way, they struggle with the fact they are attracted to one another.

Al is promoted at the bank. He is now in charge of approving loans to servicemen under the GI Bill. He believes in taking risks on the servicemen even if they don't have any collaterol for loans. Although the director of the bank gently upbraids him in private, he applauds Al's slightly drunken public speech that providing the servicemen loans is tantamount to investing in the country's future. Al knows the bank will continue to question his loan approvals.

Fred and Marie initially do well upon his return, when he still has money he earned in the Air Force. But when it runs out, he is forced to return to his job as a soda jerk. This angers Marie, who wants to be married to a dashing, successful, rich military man. Peggy visits Fred at the drug store, and they have lunch together. Afterwards, they kiss. That night, Peggy phones Marie and asks her and Fred out on a double date with a man she is uninterested in. Peggy despises the way Marie speaks of Fred and resolves to break up their marriage. When she tells this to Al and Milly, they tell her that all marriages struggle and that she should leave Fred and Marie alone. The next day, Al orders Fred to never see Peggy again. Fred calls Peggy to break things off, devestating her.

Homer continues to isolate himself. Late one night, Wilma comes over and tells him that her parents want her to break off their engagement, though she doesn't want to. He takes her to his room to show her how difficult life will be with him: removing his prostheses, he shows her that he is unable to button his pajamas or even open a door. Tenderly, Wilma buttons his pajamas and tells him that she loves him and will never leave him. Homer finally accepts that people will accept him.

Fred is fired from his job when he punches out a man who had told Homer that he and anyone else who died in the war were suckers who fought on the wrong side. Marie takes up with a successful serviceman and announces her intention of divorcing Fred. Disillusioned, Fred decides to leave town for good, leaving behind the medals and citations he won during the war. While waiting for an Army transport plane out of town, he reminisces inside a decommissioned bomber like the one he flew over Europe. When the foreman of the company dismantling the planes tells him the metal will be used to build new houses, Fred talks him into a job.

Fred is best man at Homer's wedding to Wilma. He sees Fred for the first time since being ordered to leave Peggy alone. After the ceremony, Fred and Peggy embrace. He tells her that life with him will be hard as he doesn't have much money. She smiles and kisses him.