Riley Greer is an army lieutenant who was killed in Salerno during the fighting - it was the site of his first funeral, but his body is then sent back home to America for a 'second' funeral. His brother Bob is an ex-soldier as well, who decides that he cannot attend his brother's funeral because of his father's behavior. Mr. Greer had the chance to be a soldier during the First World War, but instead he was assigned to a general as an orderly. He has never been able to shake off that disappointment; his entire life since that moment has been overly militaristic to compensate. Every military parade in town features Mr. Greer - all the memorials, statues, and events are the product of his fervor. After receiving news of Riley's death, he breaks down and turns his son's room into a shrine, complete with over thirty framed photographs and all his effects. Riley's funeral is similarly filled with men-at-arms, ladies auxiliaries, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and even some of the National Guard. Bob is disgusted at his father, who is in league with the local priest to make it seem like Riley 'gave' his life to the cause, when in reality it was taken from him. Every aspect of this funeral is something that he knows Riley would have loathed, but he tries to support his mother through her grief as best he can. Eventually, Bob realizes that nothing is going to stop his father and the priest from making a mess of his brother's funeral by disrespecting everything for which Riley stood. With an air of resignation, he decides that if he cannot stop it, he will simply not attend.