Dragonfly Squadron 1954

Brady redeployed to Pusan for pilot training

In May 1950 Major Matt Brady is redeployed to Pusan, South Korea, to train local pilots in defensive air operations and tactics. The plan includes air support exercises in case Americans must be evacuated. He and Captain MacIntyre face a tight training schedule with only 25 days left to introduce U.S. methods.

Assigned to Kungju airbase

Brady and MacIntyre are sent to the airbase in Kungju to oversee the South Korean pilots' training. On the base, Brady reconnects with his former fiancée Donna Cottrell, while her husband Stephen is believed dead in action. The mood mixes professional urgency with personal tensions.

Donna learns Stephen is alive

Donna discovers that Stephen Cottrell is actually alive, having been captured and tortured but surviving. He is unable to return to surgery due to injuries to his hands. Torn between her rekindled feelings for Matt and her duty to Stephen, Donna considers her future carefully.

Training progresses; illness and sabotage hints

The training program shows progress under the watchful eye of Dixon, a reporter who follows the program. Matt is reminded that he no longer flies after a fatal crash with a test pilot years earlier. He receives an encrypted message warning of a serious enemy attack, heightening the sense of urgency. Lieutenant Kim-Sun is unable to fly because his sister is ill; MacIntyre suspects sabotage in Kim-Sun's aircraft.

Kim-Sun dies; sabotage suspicions

Lieutenant Kim-Sun dies in the crash of his aircraft, and the pilots blame Matt for the loss. MacIntyre raises suspicions that the accident was sabotage rather than a tragic misfortune. The incident sours morale and intensifies the pressure on the training mission.

Evacuation ordered; Donna departs

Colonel Schuller orders the evacuation of all Americans and directs Matt to release the South Korean pilots for active service. Stephen remains behind in Kungju to continue his medical work, while Donna departs with a convoy. The withdrawal marks a turning point as US involvement narrows to support rather than presence.

Convoy attacked; air support unavailable

Donna's convoy is attacked by two tanks along the route to safety. Colonel Conners warns that air support is not available, though UN authorization could permit infantry intervention. Matt stays at the base with Veddors and MacIntyre to help defend and coordinate the defense.

Invasion begins; Warnowski arrives

News of the invasion of South Korea reaches Kungju, and Captain Warnowski and his infantry battalion arrive to reinforce. However, the original force is reduced from about 400 men to only around 30 due to brutal tank assaults. The defenders brace for a broader attack as the enemy presses forward.

Donna escapes; Wyler dies with update

Captain Wyler, who was driving the truck Donna was in, is mortally wounded but manages to tell Matt that Donna has escaped. The news confirms Donna's escape and shifts Matt's focus to surviving the brutal fighting. The revelation heightens the emotional stakes amid the escalating combat.

Airfield damaged; retreat begins

North Korean aircraft attack the airfield, forcing Matt and Warnowski to retreat as enemy armor closes in. The retreat tests the resolve of the defenders as they fall back toward safer positions. The bombardment underscores the rapid collapse of the base's defensive position.

Spy identified and executed

The local defenses identify an old woman who had been transmitting information about the base to the enemy by radio and execute her as a traitor. The action underscores the constant threat of espionage in the war. The base tightens security as the fight continues.

Final assault; Matt wounded and Veddors killed

In the final assault, Matt is wounded and Captain Veddors is killed amid heavy fire. The remaining troops struggle to hold their position as enemy forces press forward. The losses underscore the high price of the mission and the peril of the campaign.