For realistic close-up shots, William Holden learned how to taxi a fighter on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
F9F Panther jets from US Navy squadron VF-192 were also used to film I valorosi (1954). After the filming of these two movies, the squadron name was changed from "Golden Dragons" to "World Famous Golden Dragons".
The U.S. Navy's cooperation in the movie's making included the use of 19 ships.
The USS Oriskany (CV-34) now sits on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola Florida as an artificial reef. The Oriskany is frequently named as one of the top ten recreational shipwreck diving sites in the world.
Writer James A. Michener wrote the story after spending time aboard the USS Essex. One of the pilots aboard the Essex at the time was Neil Armstrong. It is not known for certain whether any of the characters in the book or movie were based on Armstrong.