Andy Lathrop is an unsophisticated Tennessee boy. Flying as Savage's lead bombardier, he saves Savage's life, gets promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and gets recommended for the DFC. On leave, he meets and falls in love with Barmaid Mary Lean and asks her to marry him; she agrees. Later, the pub she and her father have is destroyed during an air raid, and Mary is killed. Crazed with grief, he goes AWOL. He and Savage talk, and he reconsiders and returns to duty a little wiser. Savage works to transform this awkward youth with surprising talents into an able serviceman.

Savage acts on his own initiative when he is caught between his own convictions and a senator's contrary recommendations. Senator Clay Johnson wants to shut down the long-range bombing program because of high aircraft & manpower losses. Savage argues that they just need adequate firepower and long-range fighter support. Since the P-51 Mustang is not yet deployed, they lack long-range fighter cover. Savage wants to bomb Hamburg or Kiel using aircraft armed with 50 mm guns instead of 20 mm guns. Grounded by bad weather, Savage gets a visit from the Vicar of Archbury, who asks him why he has denied permission for Eddie Pryor & April Barret to get married. Perplexed, Savage says he has no such request, then speaks to Pryor, who confesses he is scared of the commitment. The weather clears, and on the next mission Pryor gets trapped in the ball turret after damage. Savage turns the mission over to Major Roberts, and then he & Mewlay land the damaged plane with Pryor still trapped. The mission is a success - no casualties. Pryor marries April Barrett.