The Hook

It's 1953 in the waning days of the Korean War. A four man American team comprised of Lieutenant D.D. Troy, Sergeant P.J. Briscoe, and Privates V.R. Hackett and O.A. Dennison is on assignment to destroy one of their own unused field bases of all usable equipment so that the enemies cannot get their hands on any of it, and transport the oil stored there to the new field base. Captain Van Ryn, a civilian sailor helming a cargo ship under the Finnish flag and thus being officially neutral, has been contracted to transport the military men and the oil. Van Ryn's adherence to maritime versus military rules places him at odds especially with Briscoe. Just before they are ready to set sail, the Americans capture a downed Korean enemy fighter pilot who seemingly speaks no English, he extra "cargo" ultimately to be imprisoned at the POW camp associated with the new base. However, Van Ryn assigns him to be kept on board in the same quarters as the Americans. Shortly after setting sail, the Americans receive a new order due to the circumstance at the new base: instead of transporting the enemy pilot to the camp, they are instead to execute him. This order results in a further conflict between Briscoe, the obedient soldier with the perfect record who will not risk his military pension especially so close to retirement, and Dennison, the intellectual who sees the order as being cold blooded murder, plain and simple, and who further sees Briscoe as a sadist at heart. Caught in the middle is Hackett, who is keeping a secret which pulls him in opposite directions. Affecting what happens is being aboard the ship led by Van Ryn, the fact that they are still in active combat, they all surviving the journey not a guarantee as they could be under enemy attack if in the wrong situation, and what is truly in each of their hearts which may be different than what each portrays on the surface.