 In addition to entertaining, serving the soldiers and giving French lessons, the Red Cross women are expected to help with the wounded — which Lee initially refuses to do.A Marine Raider battalion comes to New Caledonia after fighting in the South Pacific.Their commander, Lieutenant Colonel Black (William Holden) objects to the Red Cross women treating his men softly; he states that the only place for women in war are "skirts" that the men chase and the "sweethearts" that wait for them back home.