Cambodia 1967. Corporal Brandon is on patrol with his squad, which consists of primarily decent guys from all over the U.S.

After a long day's hump, they settle in for a long night. But the warning Clay-mores they set explode, and a brutal fight begins. The enemy is beaten back, but more will be coming. The men must grab some rest. Brandon dreams of his former life back home, his teenage years...

A rebel without a cause, Brandon gives his parents trouble. But then along comes Rosa Lee, a lovely new student. Brandon is instantly smitten with Rosa Lee...and so is James Mitchell, a tough schoolmate. James warns Brandon rudely to stay away and insults Rosa Lee's honor. Brandon can't allow that and beats James up.

Then he discovers from his best friend Tony that James is the leader of a local gang, the Lords — and James wants to rumble (fight). Soon after, Brandon meets Rosa at a dance, and they get to know each other — their connection is instant. Meanwhile, James has his boys beat up Tony outside the dance, and Tony later dies from his injuries.

Now Brandon is ready to kill. But he promises Rosa that he will not get involved in violence. Tony's cousins, however, and their gangs are hungry for revenge. Brandon is caught in the middle. Discovering that Tony's cousins have arranged a slaughter, outnumbering James gang

2-to-1, Brandon attempts to avert disaster for Rosa's sake.

He tries, but James doesn't believe him, and all his attempts fail. One last-ditch effort — to trick James' gang into coming early so Brandon can warn him — dies, and Brandon is forced to fight with a much smaller force. It's a slaughter — all but Brandon are killed, leaving him the last man standing. Brandon then faces James unarmed in single combat and triumphs, killing.

James and his buddies show up and mop the floor with the Lords.

Fast forward to Vietnam. The long night is over. The troops get moving in the morning. But soon, the Vietnamese encircle them and kill most of them. Brandon is one of the few left alive. He passes a long, dark, spectral night as the cries from his wounded counterparts become fewer and fewer and finally stop altogether.

Brandon drifts back to old comforting memories...

We suddenly flash forward to 1975. Brandon has come home. But his old home is not there — it's a vacant lot. An old lady tells him the family house burned down, the children were killed, and the parents died of broken hearts. Their son Brandon was killed in Vietnam in 1967. They never even found his body. All attempts to convince her that he is Brandon fail.

Mystified, Brandon tries to get information from old Gus, the mechanic, but Gus is no help. And he drops a bombshell — it's 1975! Brandon is perplexed. In a church, he goes to his knees to beg forgiveness from God — a heavenly spirit shows up and absolves him, opening the doors to heaven. Brandon's character was fatally wounded in Vietnam, and near his end, Brandon has dying dreams, a metaphorical trip through hell until he can find his way to heaven.