Maj. Baldwin (James Stewart) is an American officer stationed in China during World War II charged with stopping the advance of the Japanese army and protecting civilians. One of his tasks is destroying infrastructure to stop the progress of enemy troops. Baldwin is put in command of a unit and is taken aback by how primitive China is. He meets widow Sue-Mei Hung (Lisa Lu) who attempts to explain local customs, but she is ultimately put off by his brutal methods.
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