Two men are on a troopship headed for England. One is a soldier, and the other a sailor. The soldier is thinking of suicide because he is hated by members of his company. The other is a sailor who finds out the soldier's circumstance and talks him into changing places with him rather than take his own life. They get their sergeant and chief to agree to the swap and exchange identities. They are both better suited for their new roles.

The soldier's new name is Alvin Adams, and he is shipped to North Africa for America's first battle of World War II. He meets a sergeant, and they become...