The Best Years of Our Lives begins in an airport as Fred Darry, a captain, tries to get a flight home after fighting in World War II. George H. Gibbons walks over and picks up his tickets as the ticket lady tells Fred to try the ATC. Fred walks across the field to the Army Air Forces Air Transit Command, and a man begins calling out to the men about a cancelled flight. Fred and another man sign up for flights.

Fred sits down to relax, until finally his name is called along with that of Homer Parrish, a sailor from Boone City. Homer has two hooks for hands, and he's offended when another man tries to help him write his name. He and Fred learn that there is finally a flight for them, but it makes lots of stops, so they won't get...