His son dismisses him as a failure ...

His grandson hardly knows him ...

Until late one night when he finally tells his grandson Larry (ALBERT JONES), and Larry's two college friends Kevin (ERIK LARAY HARVEY) and Marcus (JEFFREY NASH), about his ship, the USS Mason.

In the segregated Navy, with the vast majority of black men relegated to duty as stewards or laborers, DuFau and his shipmates were the only crew to take a warship into combat.

As they hear the story, Larry, Marcus and Kevin become the 1940s Mason shipmates: James Graham, Gordon Buchanan, and DuFau himself.

Now the adventure begins as the men of the Mason escort convoys across the treacherous North Atlantic, battle German submarines, and survive the "storm of the century. "

Commodore Alfred Lind (Aidan Quinn) recommends them for commendations, and black journalist Thomas Young (Darnell Williams) writes about their exploits for the folks back home.

The Mason crew does all this while fighting racism from individual sailors and from within the Navy itself -- nothing stops them.

But there are light moments and even romance along the way ...

In Ireland, they're welcomed as true "Yanks," and Barney Garvey (STEPHEN REA) introduces them to Irish dancing until they almost miss they boat, literally.

In glamorous war-time Harlem, shipmate Hank Fields (RASHAAD HOUGHTON) plays sax at the nightclub where Graham falls in love with Buchanan’s sister (KIDADA JONES) and charms her mother (DENISE NICHOLAS). DuFau visits wife Collette (KIESHA WHITAKER).

But back to today, it takes the new generation to right the wrongs of the past. History has forgotten the USS Mason and the young men are determined to change this.

Larry appeals to his father (VERNEL BAGNERIS). He's determined with the help of his friends to reunite the veterans and force Washington to award the men their long overdue honors.

The young men's struggles form the exciting conclusion of the film.