G.I. Joe #48

Pvt. Joe Burch is assigned to assist Mr. Carlin with a crucial task at an atomic bomb test in the New Mexico desert—but when Carlin reveals his "family" are mannequins meant to be inside the test house, Burch realizes the weight of what he's been asked to help prepare. As the countdown to detonation begins, Sgt. Mulvaney must race against time to locate both men before the bomb is launched.

A seasoned soldier regales a nervous new recruit with tales of his distinguished wartime service, boasting about his European campaigns and hard-won medals. The veteran's casual attitude toward his accomplishments—and his matter-of-fact answer about his lack of advancement—offer a humorous look at life in the ranks during the 1950s.

When Pvt. Alvin "Ugly" Otis accidentally creates a permanent shoe polish in Sgt. Caccitore's mess hall, his bunkmate Cpl. Reilly sees dollar signs—and hatches a scheme to shake down the big shoe polish companies for five million dollars in exchange for never manufacturing the stuff again. The two soldiers head to New York to meet with the panicked executives at Eggleston and Wagstaff, Inc., but they're about to discover that negotiating with the big boys might be trickier than they bargained for.

When Susie receives a long-distance call from Pvt. Joe Burch, a soldier stationed at camp, she makes a devastating decision—ending their relationship over the phone without explanation. Under pressure from her friend Harriet Logan, who warns that Joe has no future prospects, Susie begins seeing the wealthy and ambitious Ben Rogers instead, drawn into a world of country clubs and social standing that seems to promise everything Joe cannot. As Ben makes clear what he expects from a wife, Susie finds herself facing a choice between the security and status she's been chasing and something far more important.