Two young people get married and run away, even though their parents advise them to build up their savings first. After they get settled they can barely make ends meet. When opportunity suddenly presents itself, they start on a downward spiral of crime.

This Best Short Subject Academy Award winning film begins in the spring of 1940, just before the Nazi occupation of the Benelux countries, and ends immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It chronicles how the people of "Main Street America", the country's military forces, and its industrial base were completely transformed when the decision was made to gear up for war. Original footage is interspersed with contemporary newsreels and stock footage.