Three Stripes in the Sun

Master Sgt. Hugh O'Reilly and Corp. "Nebby" Muhllendorf arrive in postwar Tokyo, Japan to join the 27th Infantry Division headquartered in Osaka. While accompanying a fellow GI to a nightclub, Hugh, a Pearl Harbor veteran, finds he is uncomfortable fraternizing with the Japanese and departs. When a street vendor approaches Hugh, he rebuffs the man, knocking over a cart and drawing a crowd. Nebby tries to help and soon a melee breaks out until Hugh and Nebby are arrested by MPs. They are escorted to Osaka under guard and summoned to the commanding officer, who chastises them for their behavior, explaining that as members of the occupying armed forces they are responsible for maintaining good relations. After the colonel refuses his request for a transfer to another theater of operations, Hugh settles into a training regime. One day he discovers his wallet missing from his coat and suspects one of the locals has stolen it. Later at the PX, Hugh sees a Japanese man with his wallet and confronts him. They are all taken to the office of Maj. Charles Rochelle, whose young translator Yuko identifies the accused man as Father Yoshida, head of the Holy Family Orphanage. Hugh is taken aback when Father Yoshida explains that he found the wallet on the street and was trying to turn it over to American officials. Hugh is ordered to drive Father Yoshida back to the orphanage with Yuko as guide. At the orphanage, Hugh and Yuko are offered a brief tour by Sister Genevieve and, when he takes an interest in a little boy, Chiyaki, Hugh is invited to remain for dinner. Hugh is surprised by the abject poverty of the orphanage and dismayed when he realizes the gruel offered for dinner is the children's regular fare. Before departing, Hugh gives Sister Genevieve all of his money, over a hundred dollars, for the children. Several days later, Hugh receives a letter in Japanese and takes it to Yuko for translation. It proves to be a thank-you letter from Father Yoshida, disclosing that Hugh's donation allowed the children to eat well for an entire week. Soon, with the help of Nebby, Hugh begins a raffle among the men to raise money for the orphanage. Shortly thereafter, the colonel summons Rochelle to ask about questionable amounts of food supplies for his unit. On a hunch the colonel goes to the orphanage just as Hugh and several men are unloading food supplies for the children. Sister Genevieve is grateful then distressed when she realizes the supplies are not authorized. Abruptly several soldiers arrive using their liberty to join Hugh in his plan to rebuild the orphanage from funds gathered by donation and the raffle. The colonel initially rejects the project, but then reconsiders, placing Hugh in charge and insisting he get a firm time commitment from a contractor. Yuko accompanies Hugh on his meetings with businessmen and attempts to explain the negotiating customs of Japan to Hugh, but he stubbornly insists on behaving as if he were in America and nearly upsets several generous arrangements. During this time together, Yuko and Hugh grow fond of each other, but Yuko remains worried about Hugh's clear cultural prejudices. Later Yuko suggests that Hugh and the men put together a baseball team as another way of raising funds, and Hugh agrees. Yuko invites Hugh to dinner with her family and Hugh meets her stern father Konoya and experiences several Japanese customs throughout the evening. When Hugh departs, Konoya cautions Yuko about becoming personally involved with an American, and she asks him if he is advising her out of tradition of racial prejudice. Some weeks later, Hugh's baseball team, The Wolfhounds, take on the local Manchi Orion team and sell out the stands. Covering second base, Hugh notices Yuko arrive with a young Japanese man and becomes so pre-occupied that he is struck in the head with a pitch and taken to the infirmary. When Yuko comes to see Hugh, he angrily questions her about being with a Japanese man. She protests his clear bigotry and when she asks why he has offered to help the orphans, he declares that as children they have nothing to do with the Japanese involved in the war. Yuko angrily accuses Hugh of hating all Japanese and departs. Soon after, The Korean war begins and Hugh, Nebby and the division are sent to Korea. Hugh admits to Nebby that he has not written to Yuko during their several weeks apart and believes that it is for the best. When both Hugh and Nebby are wounded, they return to Osaka before being sent back to America. Hugh recovers in time for the dedication of the new orphanage and the colonel forces him to attend. After Hugh's efforts are hailed and he is made an honorary citizen of Osaka, Hugh sees Yuko and apologizes for not writing. He promises her he will return to Japan someday, but she disbelieves him. Later, Hugh requests that he be discharged in Japan so that he might marry Yuko and remain in Osaka, but the colonel refuses, stating that the cultural divide for Hugh is too vast and his marriage would fail. When he asks Hugh why he does not take Yuko to the United States, Hugh admits that he is afraid. After considering the colonel's comments, Hugh goes to Yuko's home and despite Konoya's initial reluctance, insists upon seeing Yuko. Hugh proposes and asks her to go to America and is surprised when she expresses fear of a foreign country. Hugh declares the best they can both do is try and Yuko agrees.