Lt. Billy Straw is at war with an enemy of shadows, his commanders and himself. Born into a religion that runs bone-deep, the struggles to reconcile his love for God with his duty to kill. His combat commanders label him a "misfit" and relieve him of command. His religion and love for Laura, his girl back home, hold him together. As a new Liaison officer. he meets a beautiful Vietnamese secretary, Thuy. On the eve of his furlough to Hawaii and Laura, his best buddy dies in an ambush. Billy goes berserk and is coerced into betraying the trust and friend-ship of Thuy to gain his R&R leave. In...