Through a clerical error, superintendent of schools Jack Cole finds himself called to active duty in the United States Navy at the beginning of WWII. Cole was never in the Navy and responds accordingly. Thinking he is trying to avoid military service the Bureau of Naval Personnel has him apprehended and flown to Washington DC where he is given the choice of active duty or Portsmouth Naval Prison.

Cole accepts active duty and finds himself stumbling from one hilarious situation after another, completely out of his element and totally unprepared to deal with Naval policy and procedures. Aided by the misinterpretation of his actions by his crew and his unusual leadership style, Cole succeeds far beyond his abilities and becomes a valuable asset to naval operations in the Mediterranean. Along the way, he encounters several love interests and quite by accident is able to prevent some top brass from falling victim to embarrassing incidents.

When the Bureau of Naval Personnel discovers their clerical error, they realize it would be an embarrassment if the public was to find out. To prevent this from reaching the public, a bloodhound Navy captain is sent to apprehend Cole and remove him from duty without disclosing the Navy's mistake.

As the Navy captain tries to close in on Cole, Cole's crew and superiors do everything they can to keep the Bureau of Naval Personnel from finding him. However, after being recognized for heroic actions during the invasion of Sicily, the Navy captain finds Cole and he is put on trial. Things look dire for Cole, but through the intervention of his loyal crew, his superiors, and his love interest's uncle Lyon, who turns out to be Canadian Prime Minister Lyon Mackenzie King, Cole is exonerated.

Though fraught with potential peril at every turn, the misunderstandings and outlandish actions of Cole and his crew are one hilarious adventure after another, which epitomize the nature of every American who when faced with a challenge rolls up his or her sleeves and gets the job done. You will laugh and cry as you ride along with Cole and his crew in this adventure, but for everyone who has ever seen military duty or who has been placed in a situation far beyond their abilities and training you should find kindred spirits in this tale to enjoy as they fumble their way to success.