Ace gives Joseph Colton some last minute flight instructions before taking off. Ace has been assigned to deliver Colton to D.C. for a secret mission. Ace asks Colton when the last time he was in the back seat of a combat jet was, and Colton recalls that leading to a flashback story.

Colton is in Vietnam with the last two members of his team, "Top" Wenzel and Angel Vasquez. Colton blows up the ammo bunker to draw the enemy away from their extraction. Colton makes it to the extraction point, but misses a heavy machine gun outpost which destroys their helicopter. Angel is wounded in the line of fire, and Colton carries him to a back up helicopter that arrives.

The pilot of the helicopter is under strict orders to get Colton to Tonsonhut, and from there Colton is to go to Washington. Colton wants only to get to the nearest base camp to administer aid to Vasquez, but the pilot will not disobey his orders. Angel dies on the flight, and Colton postpones his trip to D.C. to take care of Angel's body.

When Colton does get to Washington, he is amazed that it is the president himself, John F. Kennedy. JFK understands Colton's responsibility to his men, and says he has larger responsibilities for Colton. Those responsibilities are to form a new army unit that answers directly to the President, code named "G.I. Joe." Colton says he will consider the offer, as JFK heads to the airport to go to Texas (his aide says they need to be in Dallas by the 22nd). JFK says that he has been briefed on the situation with Vasquez and was impressed. He leaves Colton with the quote, "I was impressed with your devotion; to honor the request of a dead man. I know I can trust you to do the right thing."

Ace interrupts Colton's thoughts, letting him know they are ready to land and flying over Arlington National Cemetery, and comments on the crowd of security there to escort him. Ace notices Colton is lost in thought, and Colton asks for a minute to collect himself.

---