Dewey Stellarsmith is a fighter pilot. The morning after the 1969 Moon landing, he leaves his wife Rebecca Anne and his young son Sam alone when he is deployed to the Vietnam War. Red Clinklutter is a crotchety World War II veteran who owns the junkyard down the hill from the Stellarsmith home. The old man lost multiple fingers in battle in 1944. Later, he lost his heart to family tragedy in 1952. Through a spectacular accident, Red becomes Sam's unlikely friend and together they build a Moon Swing in hope that one day it will fly, and the boy's own fractured family will be restored.