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1942. The Philippines. Enemy forces take control of the island nation. But as one type of war ends, another begins. Col. Joseph Madden and others like him organize uncaptured American troops and Philippine fighters into effective guerrilla-warfare operatives. With equal parts grit and patriotic zeal, John Wayne portrays Madden in this heroic salute to the Philippine resistance forces who continned the fight in the years leading to General MacArthur's return. Among the true-life incidents in the film's morale-boosting narrative is the liberation of prisoners from Cabanatuan an event underscored by an on-screen roll call of real-life U.S. soldiers freed by that daring rescue. Seeing these haunted but happy faces was a touching moment for audiences then. It remains so today.