 from Korea to Germany, from Alaska to Puerto Rico. All over the world, the United States Army is on the alert to defend our country, you, the American people, against aggression. This is the big picture, an official television report to the nation from the United States Army. Now, to show you part of the big picture, here is Sergeant James Mansfield. The story we have to tell today is that of the last American frontier, Alaska. About twice the size of the state of Texas, it is a land in which military operations of almost any kind are extremely difficult. This is because of its barren tundras, towering peaks, and relentless winters, with temperatures dropping to 65 below. Alaska didn't come into the military picture until World War II. The vastly important fact about Alaska today is its key position in the defense of the North American continent. And now for the story of your army in Alaska. Americans are becoming more and more aware of our northern territory, Alaska. And for good reason, Alaska is the United States area closest to the polar regions and to Asiatic Russia. Europe, Asia, and North America close in toward the North Pole. The shortest routes between many of the nations of these areas cross the Arctic regions. Because of its strategic location, Alaska is of vital importance to the defense of the United States. With a total area of 586,000 miles, Alaska is more than twice the size of the vast state of Texas. As to weather, Alaska has plenty of that. But it is not as bad as generally supposed. Actually, the great northern land has every kind of climate except tropical. It may surprise you to know that a good part of Alaska is less cold in winter than such states as Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Only in the most northern area of the territory do you find the desolate, treeless plain known as the tundra. About three-fourths of the people living in Alaska are whites. Most of the remaining fourth are Eskimos, very loyal citizens. They did their part during the war enlisting in the armed forces and working on construction and supply jobs. Many of their young men leave their villages once or twice a year for duty as Eskimo scouts in the Alaska National Guard. For almost three quarters of a century, your army has taken part in the development of Alaska. Surveys and explorations by the army led to the establishment of telegraph and cable communications. Much of this early work provided the only information available about Alaska at the start of World War II. The invasion of the Aleutian Islands by Japanese forces brought world attention to the strategic north land. The campaign that followed resulted in the recapture of Attu and Kiska by American troops and the departure of foreign soldiers from Alaskan soil. But the Aleutian Islands are not part of the present polar concept. The new theory is that he who controls the mainland controls Alaska. The heart of the mainland is the Anchorage Fairbanks region where our three principal military bases are located. Your army's primary mission in the territory is ground and anti-aircraft defense. Because of its climate and terrain, this is a land in which military operations of almost any kind are extremely difficult. This makes thorough preparatory training in the states necessary for troops scheduled for duty in Alaska. These courses are held at Camp Carson, Colorado and other sites. Preparation for arctic training, they call it. As far as I'm concerned, it's a real thing. For the time you're done without ever setting foot outside the states, you feel like you've been through every frozen waste in Alaska. Bet your horn told this is a far cry from Texas where I'm from. You start off with classes in arctic tent pinching. Stick around, this is just the beginning. Then there's instruction in the care of weapons and equipment in extreme cold. After that, you're ready for a few rounds of over snow fighting. Your efficiency as a fighter is held down with the cold in your heavy clothing. But if the aggressor drops down on you on Alaska, he's up against the same thing. Getting tired? Well, you can't do that. This class is in arctic first aid. How to help the fellow next to you if he runs into trouble? Now it's time to learn something about weather and snow characteristics. Practical foresty, woodcraft, and other subjects that have to do with arctic survival and mobility. They're ski training for a pack of bolean coyotes that ain't never been on a pair of skis before. Whoever saw skis in Texas, and snowshoes. Well, that's nothing at all, so we all thought. But try a march of 15 miles in mountainous terrain at high elevation. That, friends, is what's called preparation for arctic training. I don't think I'll ever forget my first look at Alaska, coming up by ship from Seattle to the port of Whittier. At the docks, you see families reunited as dependents arrive to take up residence with soldier husbands and fathers. A modern train takes you from Whittier to Anchorage. Looking out the train window, you don't think of Alaska as an untrodden wilderness. It's more like riding through, well through some parts of the Midwest. Only here, your cow catcher is more apt to pick up a moose. The communication lines, with every pole perfectly in place along the track, make you feel you're not so far from home after all. Before long, you're at Ford Richardson, being interviewed by classification and assignment teams. They say, hope your tour of duty here will be a happy one. And you kind of feel it will be at that. Regardless of the resemblance, these three fellows are not single-core linemen. Although this brown bear will challenge any pole climber in the business. Now, without getting into any argument about how to get to the top and stay there, I'll state this simple fact. Every living thing in Alaska, human, animal or mineral, knows this sign. It's spread from the Arctic Ocean to the Yukon and then some. It's the job of the Alaska communication system to span the great distances of our northern outpost, to link cities together with military installations and provide contact with the outside world. This is a most important chain in the signal core global network. Back in 1900, signal core pioneers started the Washington, Alaska military cable and telegraph system. Womkats for short. Among the Womkats was Lieutenant Billy Mitchell of the signal core, later to be champion of air power, General Mitchell. He often described Alaska as the most strategic area on earth. Despite his foresight, perhaps even Billy Mitchell would be surprised today if he could see this tremendous system of communication landlines overcoming the difficulties of terrain and climate, traversing the long stretches of wilderness. Hard and headquarters of the Alaska communication system is in this federal office building at Seattle. Its message load tells its own story. But the traffic is close to a million messages a month. The engineering and construction division looks ahead, planning projects to meet the tests of tomorrow. Linking those in Alaska with loved ones far away, the ACS system ties into private lines to provide service that can be secured no other way. At headquarters, ACS makes it possible for representatives of the Army, Navy and Air Force working together to reach every part of the Alaskan command. To make this possible, signal corps crews fight rugged terrain and climate day by day in their year-round job of carrying the message through the Arctic. Snow-clad pines may be wonderful scenery, but only a headache to the isolated maintenance man for whom winter means even more vigilance and inspection. Repair jobs, call for technicians with the daring of an Arctic explorer and the skill of an acrobat. Oops, see what I mean? Even the sourdows, the few left of the old-time clondike days, take signal corps miracles in stride. They walk up to and ask for the outside world in a hurry. But one thing hasn't changed. There's nothing like gold to make your credit good. Atop Mount Washington, New Hampshire, the Army Quartermaster Corps field testing unit tries out the latest in cold weather clothing for possible use in Alaska. Field exercises, paralleling the rigors of Arctic warfare show what the well-dressed Alaskan infantryman may be wearing next winter. These tests ensure the fighting man, the best clothing and equipment to keep him warm and dry even when it's 10 below. At its winter field site, the Quartermaster test team lives under actual Arctic conditions and continues its experiment with a new zero-weather zootsuit, the cold bar. Made from a non-absorbent plastic material, this outfit is both water and windproof. The cold bar suit is worn next to the skin and under standard field clothing. All aboard for Operation Iceberg. To check buoyancy as well as body warmth, the suit gets the immersion test, even when loaded down with full pack, you can't sink. Looking like wet walruses, the men emerge, shedding the icy water. With the cold bar suit, body heat is retained even under extreme conditions. Cold weather consultants and research personnel examine the improved cold bar boot, already credited with virtually eliminating frostbite and trench foot among troops in Korea. Body temperature of soldier test subjects is checked before and after they wade through icy waters. Constant Quartermaster research and development are answering the challenge of the elements to make our troops the best equipped and best cloth fighting team today. Proper use of snowshoes is one of the first training subjects at the big Delta Arctic Center Alaska, where indoctrination courses and winter warfare are given. Soldiers are taught correct lashing, adjustment of the bindings, and how the snowshoe can be man's best friend in this part of the world. Ski drills come next. There's an excitement to putting on your first pair of skis with real snow under you. The instructor demonstrates how the glide is done, with the snow, not the legs bearing the weight of the ski. The emphasis here is on safety, for a broken arm or leg is the penalty an over-enthusiastic tire will might have to pay. The step turn is a simple but important maneuver for men traveling in column. The kick turn looks easy as teacher does it, but beware students. The herringbone is a fast but tiring method for climbing. The sidestep is less tiring, but he'll be a long time making the climb this way. The sidestep traverse is the perfect solution. Cross country ski marches familiarize the men with handling skis under various types of terrain conditions. Much of the field training at the Arctic Inductor Nation School is conducted during such cross country marches as these. The survival of the soldier in the Arctic depends greatly upon his over-snow mobility on either skis or snowshoes. A floundering man cannot reach the battle area with enough energy to fight. Trainees get to know the okiyo. This light plywood sled is patterned after those made by Alaskan Indians from hollowed logs. Packs are piled on to simulate equipment. The cross country trip is broken for the men to gain experience in handling these sleds which are used to haul supplies and the okiyo is pulled for the rest of the march. The mobility of ski mounted troops can be greatly increased by towing behind motorized vehicles, particularly the weasel. Speeds of up to 30 miles an hour can be maintained in this manner on a broken trail. Travel is slower, of course, on narrower paths through woods. The march comes to a halt at a bivouac area where the trainees will get a taste of overnight life in the Arctic open. Whenever possible, the bivouac area is located in timber. After supplies have arrived and have been checked and safely stored, then the next important step is to build campfires. The men are taught to lay a groundwork of green wood first to prevent the fire from sinking into the snow. A shelter must be built before dark. The lean-to is the standard timber shelter. It is quickly and easily erected. By now, the men have worked up their appetites. Cooking and eating under these conditions calls for improvising. Here, for example, food cans with wire handles are used to heat water. Gasoline stoves and cook sets, which had been left at the bivouac area, are soon firing up a man-sized meal. Where there is no timber for making a camp, the snow cave is a desirable shelter. You look for an area where the snow is deep and has lain long enough to be compact. This hillside is ideal for digging a cave. The completed cave provides protection from biting winds. Later in the Arctic training course, there is a demonstration of small arms fire. Here, the men see the penetration ability of small arms when fired into ice, then into hard-packed snow, and by contrast, into loose-packed snow. A light machine gun is tested for penetration into block ice. The results of tests such as these have helped to determine which types of weapons are most suitable for Arctic warfare. In a territory where supplies are not easily transported, light yet efficient weapons are most practical. Finally, the 57 recoilless rifle blasts away at the target. Its penetration is excellent, proving its value as a weapon in Alaska. Of all climatic conditions, cold is most unfriendly to man, and in time of war, the most difficult under which to function. When the right precautions are taken, however, the modern soldier can stay healthy and operate effectively in any kind of Arctic weather. Your army is constantly gaining new information from tests made in the field and in the medical laboratory. In the north, perspiration causes trouble. It may freeze to form whorefrost, an icy deposit inside clothing. This carries heat away from the body and reduces the insulating value of clothing. The soldier learns various ways to dry, damp clothing, even without a fire. To avoid overheating, he is taught to open his clothes and remove excess garments before long periods of hard work, and of course, to button up when he starts to cool off again. The danger of frostbite is a good reason for men operating in pairs in cold climates. Through the buddy system, early symptoms of frostbite can be detected and serious damage avoided. Keeping warm is the important thing. This means wearing extra pairs of wool socks. A second pair of lightweight trousers provides heat insulation. There must be protection for the upper part of the body and oversized shoes which hold trouser bottoms. Exposed parts must be protected too. The last garment to go on is the fur hooded parka, which covers most of the body. Now, with camouflaged rifles, these men are ready to go out and face the Alaskan cold. Another danger of the Arctic climate is cold exhaustion. Laboratory tests prove the best defense against cold fatigue and exhaustion is food. When it's chow time, a soldier needs no urging in any climate. The cold weather fighter, however, burns up body energy at a rapid rate. He needs a large food intake. In addition to well-balanced meals, which the body requires in any climate, the man in the Arctic needs large quantities of heat-producing foods, sugars, starches, and fats. Between meals, the Alaskan soldier keeps his engine running with candy as a quick source of heat for the body. With knowledge of how to protect himself, the Arctic soldier can not only survive in the coldest extreme, but he can keep healthy and strong and be an efficient member of his organization. A combined and joint Canadian and American military force was organized on a recent large-scale maneuver in Alaska. To start the exercise, Canadians quickly established a strong point covering the Alaska highway. The Royal Canadian Air Force struck at aggressor installations and movements along the highway. Back at headquarters, the Chief Empire was informed of each new development. This is the nerve center for all activities, with reports coming in from all forces engaged in the maneuver. A running score is kept on the operation's status boards. Weather is an important element in the conduct of a maneuver. Accurate forecasts are especially vital for the effective employment of aircraft. The first elements of the American Battalion Combat Team arrived to join the Canadian position. Other American troops followed. The two forces were then integrated to form an Allied force. Intensive patrolling began. Prisoners were brought in for interrogation. As much as possible was learned about the disposition of the aggressor forces. On the evening of D plus four, the combined assault on the aggressor position began with repeated strafing and dive bombing attacks. And at the same time, a concentrated artillery barrage from Allied gun positions. In the interests of safety, medical aid stations were set up at logical points. Certain casualties in off the road areas were designated by the umpires to be evacuated by the medics. Placed in special medical evacuation bags to keep them warm, they were loaded onto an occhio. Then towed over the snow to a waiting penguin or weasel. The weasel transported the supposedly wounded men to the road, where they could be transferred to an ambulance and finally carried back to an aid station. On the afternoon of D plus six, a major attack was launched across the ice. The Allied forces received much needed supplies and ammunition by air drop. A company of Canadian light infantry was parachuted onto the ice on the aggressor's other flank. Getting free of their harness as fast as possible, they dashed for cover and began to reform. In a short time, they were moving in on the aggressor. With the paratroopers attacking his flank and our main force converging on his front, the aggressor position was doomed. On the morning of D plus 10, the maneuver was officially completed. This exercise was not our first attempt to discover the secrets of fighting in the Arctic and certainly not our last. For the men who took part in the exercise in unreasoning fear of the North no longer exists. Your army continues to learn more and more about how to train men so they can live and fight in the subarctic. In Alaska, as everywhere, American soldiers will always be the world's best prepared fighting men. Alaska, the last American frontier, has entered upon a decisive period in its history. Because of its strategic position as the northernmost US possession and the region closest to Soviet Russia, Alaska can be marked as a vital area in our military future. Next week, the big picture will be presented again on this same station. Join us then. The big picture is a weekly television report to the nation on the activities of the army at home and overseas. Produced by the Signal Corps Pictorial Center. Presented by the US Army in cooperation with this station. You can be an important part of the big picture. You can proudly serve with the best equipped, the best trained, the best fighting team in the world today, the United States Army.