In 1945, as World War II nears its end, a daring mission is under consideration by the United States Army to rescue over 500 American prisoners of war from the Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp in the Philippines. The prisoners, survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March and subsequent years of mistreatment and malnutrition, are in dire condition. Many are officers who played pivotal roles in the early days of the war, and their morale is as depleted as their health. With the Japanese Army growing increasingly unpredictable in defeat, time is running out to save the men from certain execution as the enemy forces commence their desperate final maneuvers.

The task falls to the 6th Ranger Battalion, led by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci, a determined and strategic leader, and Captain Robert Prince, the operation's tactical planner. They orchestrate a perilous 30-mile journey behind enemy lines to reach the camp, relying on the support of Filipino guerrillas for guidance and assistance. Their plan, fraught with risk, requires precise execution to avoid detection and the consequent massacre of both the rescuers and the prisoners. As the Rangers prepare and proceed with their mission, the POWs, including Major Gibson, who struggles with malaria, and the resilient Captain Fisher, come to grips with the slim hope of survival offered by the distant but approaching promise of rescue, casting a frail beam of hope onto their beleaguered spirits.