 This is war War and its masses War and its men and its machines together. They form the big picture Big picture. I'm captain Carl Zimmerman The big picture is a report to you from your army an army committed by you the people of the United States To stop communist aggression wherever it may strike The big picture traces the course of events in the Korean campaign Through firsthand reports of our combat veterans and through film taken by combat cameraman of the army signal corps These are the men who daily record on film the big picture as it happens where it happens Today the big picture brings into focus the entrance of the Chinese Reds into the Korean War You'll see our soldiers battling winter cold as well as communists You'll see how we save thousands of lives by the quick evacuation of our wounded by helicopter And you'll see a display of weapons the finest weapons in the world the weapons of your United States Army And you'll hear from Corporal Bill Carpenter and Major Joseph Donahue who saw action with the Army infantry in Korea And now let's go back to October 1950 on 20 October United Nations troops have seemingly sent the bulk of the communist forces fleeing in defeat toward the Manchurian border 100 miles to the north From west to east US British and South Korean troops are pursuing the disintegrating communist forces By 27 October South Korean troops have reached the Manchurian border on the Yellow River near Choson And other UN forces have advanced against virtually no opposition But on the same day a sudden unforeseen factor changes the entire course of the war Chinese communist troops cross the Manchurian border and help the North Korean Reds drive back UN forces Chinese communists fighting in Korea are estimated at 75,000 with another 500,000 across the border in Manchuria posing a more serious threat By 8 November UN forces have been driven back considerably But on this date another unforeseen event occurs Chinese and North Korean communist troops suddenly break off contact with United Nations forces and fight only rear guard Delaying actions as once again UN troops drive toward the Manchurian border On 20 November another United Nations unit reaches the Manchurian border. This time It is a United States unit the first US outfit to reach the border as United Nations troops continue to advance in other areas much depends on what the huge Chinese army will do next The first sign of the growing threat from China Captured in East Coast battles 50 miles from the Manchurian border these troops belong to Chinese Red Army divisions in the combat zone Chinese and North Korean captives are brought out of the hills to Wansan and Hamhung The Chinese are better clothed than their North Korean comrades With their quilted uniforms they wear tennis shoes wrapped in layers of burlap making a kind of shoe pack In contrast with the Chinese the North Koreans are in rags at this stage of the war The prisoners double time across the Wansan airfield. They are being marched to landing craft which will take them to Busan Since the beginning of the war the North Koreans have suffered 460,000 casualties including the dead wounded and captured 130,000 red prisoners have been taken at this time two women are in this room Prisoners of the UN are treated in strict compliance with international law Over 25,000 men have been wounded in Korea, but less than 2% of these men have died Less than two men out of every 100 wounded the main reason for this low death rate is the speed of treatment This is a battalion aid station first stop in a wounded man's swift journey through the echelons of medical aid The average time spent at a battalion aid station is only 72 minutes Many types of transportation are used in evacuation to the next echelon the regimental collecting station Specially equipped jeeps are used in rough terrain near the front, but if the roads are serviceable Ambulances may be used air evacuation is fastest of all and enable certain medical channels to be skipped Behind the collecting stations are division clearing stations and mobile hospitals Medical care takes manpower. It takes several men to carry a litter Evacuation procedures are similar throughout the services. The Navy provides medical service for the Marines The results of speed have been shown by a hospital at Busan out of 18,000 wounded brought in during the first three months of the war only 40 men died Field expedient wooden stands instead of tables speed the movement of letters and allow the aidmen to work at hand level Without bending over there is nothing fancy about these hospitals. They are there to save lives The death rate of wounded in World War one was 8% World War two it was four and a half percent Korea's approximate 2% death rate is a milestone in military medicine Many casualties are evacuated by air to Japan In a parachute drop such as the 4,000 man jump north of Pyongyang in October the parachutists own medics jump with them They carry enough medical supplies to last until contact is made with friendly forces But even before contact is made the injured may be evacuated from the drop zone by air Helicopters with specially constructed containers carry the wounded out Many a man who could not have survived a Jeep or ambulance ride over the rough roads of Korea owes his life to these evacuation planes Japan is the next stop from the hospitals in Korea Japan is only an hour and a half away from Korea by plane But less than half of the incoming wounded remain here the rest are moved on to the United States Many men wounded at the front lines in Korea have found themselves back in the United States three days later Army helicopters are saving thousands of lives in Korea Corporal William Carpenter of the Army 7th Division is with us to tell us a little about them Bill you saw a good deal of the helicopters didn't you? Yes, I did first time I've seen a helicopter evacuation was up in North Korea when My buddy got hit Well, it so happens. I helped bring another wounded person down off to hell To the aid station and while I was down to the aid station. I met my buddy The helicopter had come in and They were getting ready to put my buddy on a helicopter Well when they put him on he He asked the pilot whether or not he was Going to get air in there And the pilot told him that he was going to have fresh air and heat They jog them around any No, sir, it didn't good smooth ride back to medical aid. Yes, sir But now you were with the 7th Division Bell and they drive north that went pretty rapidly and then about the middle of November Something happened. What was that? Well, sir, that was a whole changes to war the Chinese had jumped in and At that time we're in reserve. We didn't know much about it, but about a week later We had our first encounter with them at that time We found out that the Chinese Were better trained or smarter in their tactics They had better firepower in the North Koreans better soldiers all around. Yes, sir. They were Well, you saw a lot of winter weather in Korea Bell. How are you able to keep warm? Well, most of the time we're on the move And we kept warm that way but After we stopped we tried building fires Until it was dark after dark we'd climb in our sleeping bags and that's where we keep warm Keep dressed in those sleeping bags ready to for any attack. Yes, sir. We kept our clothes on all the time Well, how about our weapons in this extreme cold weather Bell? Well, they're automatic weapons Terry take it froze up quite a bit during the winter time. So you have to keep working them most of time at night time But our M1 was always there when we needed it. You like that M1 pretty well, though. Yes, sir I do Well, if we must build weapons for war Bell Let's build the best and our army ordinance our American industry and labor are doing just that At Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland members of the American Ordnance Association meet for an annual exhibition put on by the U.S. Army Ordnance Department. They see both U.S. and foreign equipment A Russian 122 millimeter gun a Russian 85 millimeter anti-aircraft gun a Russian 152 millimeter howitzer U.S. and foreign vehicles are also shown a Russian T-34 tank turret from Korea a USM-26 tank waterproofed and equipped with a snorkel breathing device for use in boarding operations and landings a New waterproof Jeep greater electrical capacity for radio equipment has been added to this Jeep a new six by six Two and a half ton truck is equipped with a snorkel breather and waterproofing next the visitors watch demonstration firing Recoilous rifles give the infantry artillery firepower Paris and firing 50 caliber machine gun an aircraft machine gun Other guns are demonstrated in separate and comparison firing Those are the weapons and machines of your United States Army Now let's talk about the men who use those weapons and machines the man of the infantry And no one is better qualified to tell us than a man who served as a commander of a rifle company in Korea We want you to meet Major Joseph Donahue Well major tell us about this rifleman The American rifleman has been called by many names a mud slinger doe foot dog face These names are not names of a derogatory nature. We have the infantry consider them names of honor Well now it takes a good deal of know-how to be a rifleman, doesn't it? It certainly does The army goes to great pains To technically train a man on weapons and tactics He learns not only to shoot his weapons He learns how they function how to take care of them and how to keep them working Well now when this man knows his weapons He knows his fighting tactics. Does he know why he's fighting? When they first go to Korea it is sometimes doubtful whether they fully realize why they're fighting But after they see some of the things that happen, they lose some of their very close buddies They see the results of some of the atrocities then they know why they fight and he knows that this thing He's fighting is a definite threat To his way of life, right? He certainly does Well, let's talk about the morale of the infantry in Korea. What was it like when you were there? The American infantrymen is a tremendous institution There is always one person in the squad or in the platoon who can make light of or make a joke in the most serious of situations For example and the midst of a motor barrage One person will always pipe up with every mark such as a fellow can get hurt out here doing things like that and It's funny because actually you're looking for something to laugh at But you are Well now from all you've told us major This rifleman is a pretty important jet, isn't he? He's very important if you would stop to realize that the armoured the air and the Navy and do their jobs So that this infantryman May accomplish his mission. The infantry is the queen of battle Well now major let's watch the Navy as they give support to the infantry On 15 November in the Sea of Japan off the coast of North Korea Navy task force 77 was operating in support of ground action in the drive toward the Yellow River Winter weather is closing in naval operations are hampered by high seas and extreme cold The aircraft carrier Philippine Sea receives ammunition mail and other supplies hauled across open water in a cargo net Such operations are difficult in rough weather First load is ammunition. It is quickly taken in and passed back into the carriers magazine At this time Navy and Marine carrier planes were taking the fight into every corner of North Korea below the Manchurian border Carriers were also in operation on the west coast of Korea On both coasts the Navy's task of mine-sweeping was continuing During the resupply operations the Philippine Sea is hit by a snow storm Despite the weather a tanker comes alongside and refueling gets underway As refueling and the transfer of supplies continue the seas get higher and higher and the storm becomes a veritable blizzard This is not an unusually heavy storm. It is typical winter weather in the northern Sea of Japan The crew breaks out snow shovels on the carrier Although air operations are halted during the height of the storm lights from snow and ice cover decks are becoming routine The planes are covered to protect them from the storm Combat maintenance of the Corsairs and Panther jets continues through the storm The Navy reports the typical Korean temperatures in the northern area Average 11 degrees above zero during November and five degrees below zero during December A more familiar kind of winter combat starts on the carrier deck. This is a severe test for carrier planes During World War two most carriers were in the milder climate of the South Pacific at Hager's town, Maryland The US Air Force demonstrates its latest cargo plane This is the Fairchild XC 120 a packed carrier plane with the detachable fuselage Doors are designed like clam shells Cargo capacity is 20,000 pounds. It carries 64 combat equipped troops or 36 litter patients with four attendants The pack has detachable wheels Four electric drum hoist raise and lower the pack from the carrier a Central control operates the release and locking mechanism and the pack lowers to its own wheels Then the hoist lines are detached The five-man crew of the carrier consists of pilot co-pilot radio operator navigator and engineer When the pack is separated from the carrier, it is easily towed away This pack can be used to house various types of shops headquarters units emergency hospitals weather stations It can also be converted into a tanker for carrying fuel Ball socket connections lock the pack to the carrier a rubber tubing seals packed to carrier by compressed air On the carrier the four ball socket locks operate simultaneously The carrier is powered by two Pratt and Whitney engines with reversible pitch propellers Maximum speed is 250 miles per hour The ceiling is 25,000 feet. The landing gear consists of four retractable dual wheel units It's electrically operated and the main or rear wheels have brakes This airplane opens a new field for aviation The cargo pack is to aircraft what the trailer is to highway trucks In Washington the Department of Defense displays the winter uniforms which have been issued to United States troops in Korea And what the Chinese communists are wearing in North Korea's sub-zero temperatures a captured quilted uniform is compared with the US winter uniform Unlike the Chinese the US cold weather uniforms are designed on the principle that the best protection against cold is several layers of clothing In North Korea, US troops are fighting in one of the coldest battle areas in US history Army and Marine winter uniforms are compared Uniform for both services is the same with one exception The army wears a pile line jacket for ordinary cold while the Marines wear a battle jacket inside a field jacket Wet and dry cold weather equipment which has been sent to US troops in North Korea is the end result of much practical experimentation such as the exercise sweet briar cold weather maneuvers held in Alaska in February 1950 With icy winds blowing down from Manchuria bringing snow and sleet storms our troops are fighting in almost Arctic conditions Two types of cold weather boots have been designed rubber shoe packs for wet cold felt line for dry cold Importance of winter clothing in North Korea was emphasized when some units outdistance their supply lines went without full cold weather equipment for a few days Basic and innermost layer of the US cold weather uniform is long woolen underwear Over these are worn two pairs of trousers a flannel shirt a high-necked sweater a jacket and an extreme cold a Pile-lined parka There are two types of mittens the regular mittens have a trigger finger Mittens worn with the dry cold uniform have no trigger finger, but they have cheek warmers Following the separate layer principle three pairs of socks are worn each pair being successfully larger with the boots large enough to take three pair comfortably Experimentation in refrigerated laboratories as well as in the Arctic itself has given US troops newer and better ways of fighting the weather In this parka with fur rimmed hood the US fighting man is equipped to endure the coldest weather Those were the events that comprised the big picture from October 20th to November 20th 1950 Our thanks to Major Joseph Donahue and Corporal Bill Carpenter for being with us Next week the big picture will show how the army in Korea escaped the trap of the Chinese communists You'll see how he made the enemy paid dearly for every inch of ground gain You'll see the army's seventh infantry division on the Manchurian border our troops celebrating Thanksgiving Day along the Yellow River the evacuation of the hungnam beachhead and You'll hear from another Korean veteran an army soldier who saw as it happened a part of the big picture Mrs. Captain Carl Zimmerman inviting you to be with us then