Ernie Pyle (portrayed by Burgess Meredith) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent who lived with American soldiers on the front lines during World War II. This film tells Pyle's story as he travels with Capt. Bill Walker (Robert Mitchum) and the men of Company C from North Africa to Southern Italy. The film -- which employs many real veterans of the Italian campaign as actors -- presents an unvarnished portrait of the life of the soldier.