Jason tries desperately with his music professor to meet the course's requirements of an original composition; the families of Walton's Mountain argue over who was the first settler.

Jim-Bob finds out he is not eligible to fly in the Air Corps due to bad vision. He realizes he can join to work on the planes even if he cannot fly them. Meanwhile, a friend of Curt's visits and after hesitation, Mary Ellen joins him on a date.

When the family discovers that the new owner of the Dew Drop Inn is an old girlfriend of John's, they worry that John will get tempted to start things back up with her again, while Elizabeth, Erin, and Cindy attempt to open a canteen for the soldiers on leave from the camp at Rockfish.

The family is shocked when Ben returns from a trip with a wife, Cindy. The young couple takes up residence in the shed next to the house and has petty disagreements until the others convince Ben he is bossing her and should back off. Ike buys Corabeth a decorative outdoor fountain.

Emily's memories of Ashley Longworth are stirred up when his handsome son Ashley Jr. arrives on leave from the Navy with news of his father. A confused Miss Emily thinks he is her Ashley returning to her, which causes problems for Erin, who also falls for him. Elizabeth has her problems with just growing up.

With the stress of the price freeze, food rationing, and extra business, Ike suffers a heart attack, and Corabeth blames herself. The Walton children offer to run the store while he recovers. Meanwhile, Ben and Jim-Bob enter the molasses business to resolve the sugar shortage.

Ben begins dabbling in photography and jokingly takes a revealing picture of Erin, which quickly becomes the popular pin-up at Camp Lee. Though Erin enjoys the fan mail, John strongly disapproves. Meanwhile, Mary Ellen becomes overly protective of John Curtis and neglects her nursing career.

While Jim-Bob is working underneath a car, it falls and Jim-Bob has a close call with death and decides to become a minister. Elizabeth catches bugs for a school project and keeps them in the house.

Olivia receives unwelcome news from the doctor. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is making a family cookbook and discovers a surprise ingredient in Grandma's sponge cake. Also, Jim-Bob drives the family crazy by taking up the accordion.

John-Boy's old college roommate Mike Paxton stays with the Waltons after he is injured when his ship is torpedoed by a German U-boat. Meanwhile, Ike and Ben perform a song and dance routine to audition for the USO.

Jason expresses doubt to the army recruiters that he could ever kill a person. Ben is embarrassed by his hesitation to serve. Meanwhile, Jim-Bob cannot wait to serve.

Wanting to make a profit off of the now heavy traffic near Walton's Mountain, Ben, Ike, and Corabeth decide to build an auto court and landscaped town square. They mistakenly believe a busy factory is coming. Yancey studies barbering, practicing on his reluctant neighbors.

Elizabeth falls in love with the minister when he is forced out of the parsonage by a skunk. Erin is helping the Baldwin sisters write their memoirs and Erin finds a ring that was left by Ashley Longworth.

Just as Mary Ellen prepares to join Curt in Hawaii, the attack on Pearl Harbor occurs, forcing the U.S. into World War II and leaving Mary Ellen and Verdie concerned for their loved ones stationed there. Meanwhile, Ben takes out a girl nicknamed "Sinful Cindy", whom Olivia does not approve of. 

One of Grandma's old beaus, a widower from Richmond, comes to visit and bonds with her, taking her on several dates. Meanwhile, Jim-Bob and Yancy distill alcohol strong enough to run their cars on after gas is rationed. Corabeth adds stylish hats to the store inventory.

Verdie Foster's daughter Esther returns to the mountain. Graduated with honors from college, she cannot find a job. Erin helps her get a job at Pickets Plant. Ike Godsey puts up a board of the local boys in the war.

Corabeth, going through a midlife crisis, tries numerous failed business endeavors such as a dance studio, all the while seeking refuge in alcohol. Meanwhile, Jim-Bob tries to teach Elizabeth to drive.

Erin wrestles with feelings of love and fear toward an artist who has devastating memories of German occupied Paris and who attempts to paint her in a mural. Meanwhile, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth buy a canary for Grandma but can't get him to sing.

Strange happenings coincide with Elizabeth's approaching 13th birthday. Meanwhile, Jason becomes the host of a new radio show, giving relationship advice.

Mary Ellen becomes dependent on amphetamines to keep her going during the stressful time leading up to her nursing exams, but struggles to resist further pills. Meanwhile, Sissy walks out on Yancy, tired of their dirty home and the animals in the house, and starts to file for divorce. Elizabeth attempts to reunite the couple.

Boone Walton is placed in the care of Jason after being charged with bootlegging. Boone helps the Baldwins who have misplaced their father's recipe, and can't stay dry and runs off. John-Boy's old love, Daisy Garner, arrives on the mountain with her daughter Melissa.

Jim-Bob falls for the Baldwin sisters' pretty young cousin who's visiting from a convent school, but her plans may not include long term romance. Ben hires a mill hand with a drinking problem.

Everybody mourns the death of Grandpa Zeb and Flossie Brimmer. John struggles hard to fill a huge lumber contract and Mary Ellen and Erin move to Charlottesville and get an apartment.