Horsesense Hank does his bit

After Pearl Harbor, a practical-minded scientist from a small university decides to apply his intuitive problem-solving skills to support war production, enlisting at a struggling steel-and-girder plant. The narrator, a friend and admirer, accompanies him and also volunteers. The story follows their awkward entry into industrial life, Hank's unpretentious but brilliant approach to organizational and technical problems, interactions with a blustery company president and ambitious colleagues, and a domestic subplot about Hank's engagement. Through light humor and episodic scenes, the piece depicts civilian mobilization, the value of common sense in engineering and management, and the personal sacrifices involved in shifting to wartime industry.