Henry Nixon

In the immediate aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Marine Sgt. John Basilone prepares to ship out and confront the enemy somewhere in the Pacific, while budding journalist Robert Leckie enlists in the Marine Corps. Eugene Sledge, unable to enlist because of a heart murmur, says farewell to his best friend, Sidney Phillips, who is about to leave for boot camp. Exactly eight months after Pearl Harbor, the 1st Marine Division, including Leckie and Phillips, lands on Guadalcanal in order to secure its strategically vital airfield and prepare for the inevitable counterattack.

Basilone and the 7th Marines arrive on Guadalcanal to reinforce Leckie and the rest of the 1st Marine Division as they continue to defend the crucial airstrip. Basilone plays a key role in repelling a nighttime Japanese attack, but suffers a frightful personal loss. After four months of continuous action, the exhausted and disease-ridden members of the 1st Marine Division are evacuated off the island.

Physically and mentally debilitated after the four-month ordeal on Guadalcanal, Leckie, Basilone and thousands of their comrades land in Melbourne, where they are greeted by adoring crowds and viewed as the saviors of Australia. While his buddies carouse, Leckie becomes deeply attached to an Australian woman and her first-generation Greek family. Meanwhile, Basilone is awarded the Medal of Honor and is asked to return home to help sell U.S. war bonds.

When a missing MI6 Officer is linked to a murdered petty officer, Gibbs sends Quinn and Bishop to Philadelphia to work with MI6 Officer Clayton Reeves (Duane Henry). Also, Quinn painfully recounts the NCIS case that made her leave field work. Tony Gonzalez, former NFL player and studio analyst for "The NFL Today," guest stars as NCIS Special Agent Tony Francis.

Challenger and Finn discover the wreckage of a World War I transport plane, and with it, the pilot that has been guarding its cargo for the last five years. The pilot, Lt. Drummond, takes Challenger captive, but they discover that their lives are connected in unexpected ways. Challenger, Roxton, and Marguerite are all forced to recall old memories and secrets from five years earlier.