Call to Glory poster
Seen it?

Call to Glory

TV·1984–1987·1 season, 22 episodes·ABC·Action & Adventure, Drama·57m·Created by Ronald M. Cohen

Not streaming in your region — see every region's options

Call to Glory is an American drama series created by Ronald M. Cohen, and starring Craig T. Nelson as USAF Colonel Raynor Sarnac and his family as they navigated the political tensions and military duties of the early 1960s. Heavily promoted during ABC's broadcast of the 1984 Summer Olympics, the two-part pilot aired August 13, 1984. The first episode is related to the U-2 flights over Cuba during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. During production, the plot came to focus more on the loneliness experienced by wife Vanessa while stationed on base and what she and the family would do to spend time in productive pursuits while enduring the Antelope Valley's isolation from civilization. The series, set near Edwards Air Force Base, blended historical events with the challenges of military family life, featuring themes of duty, family relationships, and the looming Vietnam War.

Cast

Episodes by season

Season0122Episodes1984–87AiredSeason avg
  1. S01E01Call to Glory S01E01PilotAugust 13, 1984During the darkest days of the Cuban missile crisis, Raynor is ordered to fly over Cuba to obtain proof that the Russians are installing nuc
  2. S01E02Call to Glory S01E02The MoveAugust 20, 1984The entire Sarnac family is thrown into turmoil when Raynor receives a lucrative job offer in the private sector.
  3. S01E03Call to Glory S01E03BlackbirdAugust 27, 1984Raynor faces one of his toughest missions as he tries to prevent a bitter ex-pilot from exposing the details of a top secret mission.
  4. S01E04Call to Glory S01E04Paper TigerSeptember 3, 1984A dangerous top-secret mission takes Raynor over Red China to see if the Chinese have developed an Atomic Bomb.
  5. S01E05Call to Glory S01E05A Nation DividedSeptember 17, 1984The violence spawned by the Civil Rights Movement hits home when Wesley and a Black friend are beaten by teenage racists.
  6. S01E06Call to Glory S01E06Go/No GoSeptember 24, 1984Sarnac is sent on a classified mission to Vietnam by Kennedy, to meet with and assess President Diem; to help determine in which direction d
  7. S01E07Call to Glory S01E07Call It CourageOctober 1, 1984Raynor's involvement in a bitter political controversy could cost him a valued friendship...and ruin his military career.
  8. S01E08Call to Glory S01E08A Wind from the EastOctober 8, 1984Forced to bail out of a crippled plane, Raynor and a JAF officer struggle to survive in a dangerous wilderness.
  9. S01E09Call to Glory S01E09A Moment in the SunOctober 22, 1984Raynor is torn between duty and friendship when an Air Force buddy suddenly develops a crippling fear of flying.
  10. S01E10Call to Glory S01E10Cover StoryOctober 29, 1984While testing a new flight system, Sarnac is hounded by an investigative reporter probing for revelations about defense spending.
  11. S01E11Call to Glory S01E11RealitiesNovember 12, 1984Raynor and Vanessa are so involved in their friends' marital problems, they don't notice Carl is facing a crisis of his own.
  12. S01E12Call to Glory S01E12The WakeNovember 19, 1984Tension mounts in the Sarnac household as Raynor prepares for a mission that has already claimed the life of one of his best test pilots.
  13. S01E13Call to Glory S01E13Medals All of BrassNovember 26, 1984Raynor is forced to face the harsh truth that an old friend is really a spy for the KGB.
  14. S01E14Call to Glory S01E14A Wind of ChangeDecember 3, 1984Sarnac is sent on a second fact-finding mission to Vietnam. His helicopter is shot down in enemy territory. Along with Clayton Jones, a enli
  15. S01E15Call to Glory S01E15Give Unto CaesarDecember 17, 1984Stiff penalties await a pilot who disobeys orders and brings a Russian defector back to America.
  16. S01E16Call to Glory S01E16MoonchildJanuary 15, 1985The news that a child is on the way puts a wedge in the Sarnacs' marriage as they both try to cope with feelings of doubt and guilt.
  17. S01E17Call to Glory S01E17ImagesJanuary 22, 1985The Sarnac family faces an uncertain future when Vanessa decides she needs a break from her husband and children.
  18. S01E18Call to Glory S01E18Fathers and SonsJanuary 29, 1985Raynor finds himself on an emotional rollercoaster when he discovers the truth about Carl's illness...and about his daughter's new boyfriend
  19. S01E19Call to Glory S01E19Just in TimeFebruary 12, 1985Sarnac is sent to Vietnam a third time with the knowledge that a coup is planned that will end the rule of Pres. Diem and his family. He hop
  20. S01E20Call to Glory S01E20JFKJune 30, 1985Raynor and his family face difficult personal challenges in the days leading up to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
  21. S01E21Call to Glory S01E21Fathers and DaughtersFebruary 26, 1987Jackie is left to consider her future upon learning that she is unable to enter the Air Force Academy.
  22. S01E22Call to Glory S01E22The End, the BeginningFebruary 27, 1987In Feb. 1973, the North Vietnamese release all their American POWs, including Sarnac, who has been captive for three years. He is accused by

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

Keep exploring top shows