The Purple Shirts were a crypto-Nazi gang who fought Uncle Sam. It was founded by a group of gangsters who decided to capitalize on the discontent of the farmers who lost of their livelihoods to the Dust Bowl to propel them to dictatorship of United States. When Erza Smith, an aged activist and a patriot, sought to rally the farmers against the Purple Shirts, the head of the group had him shot. Erza's son, Buddy Smith, fled into the desert. Moved by the boy's plight, Uncle Sam took Buddy under his wing and used his powers to defeat the Purple Shirts.