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Paul drinks from his old mug
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The Plot:
Paul's flying squadron in Korea made a date to meet again in 15 years, and he has arrived at the appointed location in Tokyo with the hope that the others will show up. Morgan the bartender remembers Paul, and even the four personalized mugs the airmen left in his keeping.
As Paul drinks from his old mug, memories of Korea flood back to the night when the mugs were initiated to celebrate the return of their comrade Mike Green who had been shot down and hospitalised.
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The couple are toasted with the new mugs
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After toasting the occasion Mike announces his engagement to his long-time sweetheart Janet Ford. Paul asks if he may dance with the bride to be.
On the dance floor, Paul challenges Janet. He is in obvious pain over her decision, and she tells him that Mike proposed that morning and she accepted.
As they dance, it becomes evident that the two had become lovers during the month Mike was in the hospital, but though she no longer loves Mike, Janet insists that she intends to marry him.
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Janet dismisses her romance with Paul
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She tells Paul that she must live up to her obligation to Mike and go through with the wedding since he is only beginning to get his confidence back after being shot down. She withdraws suddenly from Paul's arms and leaves the dance floor, but her attitude towards him is as hardened as her determination to go through with the marriage to Mike. When Paul and Janet return to the table the idea of a reunion is proposed, and they decide to leave the mugs at Morgan's to retrieve them in 15 years when they all promise to meet again and share what has happened in their lives.
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Paul listens to Mike's story
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On their mission the next morning, Mike's first back, he apparently has radio trouble and an engine flame out, and returns to the base while the rest of the squadron is under heavy attack from land and four MIGs from the air, but nevertheless the remaining four return to base safely. Later Paul speaks to their maintenance man who says that he found nothing wrong with Mike's plane, but points out that it's not uncommon for the aircraft not to show evidence of a flame out. When Fred, another member of the team, overhears the conversation, he challenges Paul that he is trying to pin something on Mike.
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Paul consults his commanding officer
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Paul consults his commanding officer, and asks for guidance about a “hypothetical” situation involving a wing man who deliberately aborted a mission, saying that turning him in would ruin his career, but also might save his life.
Major Conway replies that the mission they are going on tomorrow morning will face up to the deadliest and most accurate ground fire the North Koreans have. Paul says that helps, and goes to see Mike whose first words are that there was no flame out or warning light.
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Mike begs Paul to let him fly
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He wants to know whether Paul is going to turn him in, and he asks what Mike himself would do. Mike says that, since his crash, he has been overwhelmed by fear. Paul replies that it's just fatigue.
When Mike says it's genuine fear, and Paul asks why he didn't tell him, Mike replies that Paul would ground him, but what he really needs is to face up to the fear and overcome it by flying.
They tussle back and forth over the issue, and in the end Paul tells Mike to be at the flight briefing in the morning.
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Mike and Janet surprise Paul
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The mission the next day turns out to be very dangerous and demanding, with two of the four fliers shot down, one being Paul. But both are rescued with the help of their comrades in the sky eliminating the people on the ground shooting at them. When Paul comes out of his reverie he tells Morgan to wrap up the mugs, having decided that none of the others are coming. “What's your hurry?” asks Morgan, and Paul realizes that he's looking behind him. There stand Mike and Janet.
Paul shakes hands with Mike and embraces Janet, who asks him if he's married.
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They drink a reunion toast
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They mention cards written but never sent. Janet tells Paul that she and Mike have three daughters, and shows him pictures while Mike goes to answer a phone call. Paul says that he looks at her and sees a happy woman, and she replies, “you wouldn't believe how happy I've been.” Mike returns, and they decide to flip a coin to decide who takes all four mugs. Paul uses Morgan's trick coin, but calls against himself, and Mike takes great pleasure in winning the set. He then suggests meeting for dinner that evening at Morgan's, and Paul agrees, but when they're gone, Paul tells Morgan to say that he wasn't able to make the date after all.
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