Set against the backdrop of the 1916 war against Pancho Villa, Thomas Thorn, a career Army officer, is given the task of leading five Medal of Honor candidates to the military base of Cordura, Texas. Branded a coward during battle, Thorn hopes to learn what these men possess which he lacks. As the journey through the desert progresses, the "heroes" panic, attempting murder, mutiny and rape as the quest for survival reveals their true characters.