▁his ▁baseball ▁career . ▁General ▁Haw kes ▁suggests ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁make ▁an ▁excellent ▁team ▁manager . ▁ ▁Cast ▁ ▁James ▁Stewart ▁as ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel ▁( l ater ▁Colonel ) ▁Robert ▁R . ▁" D utch " ▁Holland ▁ ▁June ▁Al ly son ▁as ▁S ally ▁Holland ▁ ▁Frank ▁Love jo y ▁as ▁General ▁En nis ▁C . ▁Haw kes ▁ ▁Bruce ▁Ben nett ▁as ▁Major ▁General ▁Esp y ▁ ▁Barry ▁S ull ivan ▁as ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel ▁Rock y ▁Sam ford ▁ ▁Alex ▁Nicol ▁as ▁Major ▁I . ▁K . ▁" I ke " ▁Know land ▁ ▁Jay ▁C . ▁F li ppen ▁as ▁Tom ▁Dol an , ▁manager ▁of ▁the ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Card inals ▁ ▁Harry ▁Morgan ▁as ▁Master ▁Serge ant ▁Bible , ▁a ▁B - 3 6 ▁flight ▁engineer . ▁ ▁Production ▁ ▁In ▁real ▁life , ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁Stewart ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁B - 1 7 ▁instruct or ▁pilot , ▁a ▁B - 2 4 ▁squad ron ▁commander , ▁and ▁a ▁bomb ▁group ▁operations ▁officer , ▁comple ting ▁ 2 0 ▁combat ▁miss ions . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁film ing , ▁Stewart , ▁much ▁like ▁the ▁character ▁he ▁port ray s , ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁colon el ▁in ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁Reserve , ▁serving ▁with ▁the ▁Str ateg ic ▁Air ▁Command ▁when ▁on ▁duty ; ▁he ▁was ▁later ▁promoted ▁to ▁brig ad ier ▁general . ▁In ▁later ▁years ▁Stewart ▁continued ▁to ▁fly , ▁including ▁Operation ▁Arc ▁Light ▁miss ions ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁as ▁a ▁n ond