 In many lands around the world people are in need of assistance as they seek a better way of life. These needs take many forms and require the help of a great variety of skilled technicians, agricultural experts, medical men, engineers and scientists. During recent years the United States Army has undertaken a program of civil assistance and self-help guidance as part of our government policy to aid friendly countries who seek our support. In programs of cooperation with host countries, the United States Army is assisting and participating in many unusual and worthwhile projects from Central America to Southeast Asia. Some of these humanitarian achievements are examined in this program as we see the work being done by the men and women who carry out the Army's civil assistance programs, a heartwarming look at the Army's helping hand. Because of the low income level of many Central American and South American countries, the people of these areas such as the river people here in El Salvador lack many of the basic necessities of life. Operating through development and assistance programs, U.S. Army civil assistance teams are showing Salvadorian officials how they can organize and conduct more efficient medical aid missions. Part of the overall project, the United States government is supplying the pills, lotions, medication and bandages required to carry out the program efficiently and with good effect. Guatemala was once the homeland of the Mayan Indians. These ancient temple ruins at Tekpan testify to the resourcefulness and cultural state of these proud people. In the age of space flights, there has been little change in the living patterns of these people in the interior regions of the country. Commerce is limited to local areas due to the lack of roads and highways leading to the country's major markets. To open up some of the country's interior regions for development, the United States Army engineers set about the business of road building with modern construction equipment. From Guatemala City, the engineers proceed by convoy to the end of the existing road which leads into the interior. The final leg of the journey into the wilderness country is made by water. Life here is quite primitive and all necessary fuel and spare parts for the machinery must be taken along. At their destination, the road building crew unloads onto the wilderness shore and a base of operations is quickly established. Lumbering operations will bring the great mahogany trees of the district to the country's marketing centers when the new road is completed with the help of the United States Army engineers. Traveling down the coast of Central America, our next destination is Columbia, South America. The city of Bogota is a charming blend of old world architecture, reflecting both Spanish and Greek influence. There are modern structures such as the magnificent War Memorial Statue of Simon Bolivar. But the greatest part of Columbia is undeveloped wilderness. And it is in this wilderness that the United States is participating in the International Alliance for Progress. U.S. Geological Teams, the U.S. Weather Bureau, and the United States Army engineers are engaged in a long-term effort to build a new inter-ocean canal. The canal will connect the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama with the Pacific coast of Columbia, thus bringing a new era of progress for our Central and South American neighbors. There are numerous programs underway to alleviate human suffering. High in the mountains of Costa Rica, the Army is conducting medical research work to determine the causes and cures for such diseases as Lishmaniasis. This disease is thought to be caused by germs from the triatoma bugs, which infest the Central and South American region. In the field work phase of the research program, members of the medical team collect specimens of the triatoma bug from a variety of locations. In the medical center's research laboratories, the triatoma bugs are examined carefully to determine if they are carrying the germs which infect the patients. Through these studies, the Army scientists are gaining in their efforts to stamp out this dread disease. Silent death, waiting and watching. The abundance of deadly snakes in the interior regions of both Central and South America and the lack of effective anti-snake bite serum presents one of the most serious problems these people have to face. In many places, to be bitten is to be dead in a matter of minutes. A U.S. Army program is now making it possible to save many lives due to the work of a special research center in Costa Rica. The purpose of the center is to develop anti-toxin vaccines which will counteract the lethal venom of deadly snakes. The job of the Army herpetologist is exceedingly dangerous, requiring him to extract the poisonous venom from each of the deadly reptiles so that it may be used in the making of snake bite serum. This giant bushmaster will regenerate his supply of venom and will be milked again at a later date. The laboratory process involves testing of the various venom extracts and a scientific blending with non-toxic carrier fluids. Each snake's venom has certain characteristics. Some species inflict a bite which affects the nervous system. Others attack the blood cells. For each type of bite, an effective antidote is developed by the Army. The finished product is shipped to dispensaries and clinics in the field. This patient bitten by a deadly snake is taken to a field dispensary. Because of the U.S. Army's intensive efforts to produce and distribute these life-saving serums, they are already in wide use throughout the remote regions of Central and South America. Snake bite victims like this woman will survive as a result. In the land of the Incas, Ecuador, the capital at Quito is ablaze with pageantry and excitement as the inhabitants celebrate Quito Day, an annual Ecuadorian holiday. To hear the roar of the crowd at the traditional bullfights, one would never suspect that this is a country where the need for major developmental assistance is great. As with many South American countries, the people living outside of the big cities are poor and education among them is almost non-existent. They have no concept of modern health standards or sanitation. They live as their forefathers before them lived. To prevent typhoid and other endemic diseases brought on by the unsanitary conditions in these communities, the U.S. Army is aiding the people with projects such as this village sewage system. Bolivia is another country where in the Army is undertaking civil assistance programs. Here again, the Army's mission takes various forms. Farm and ranch animals play a vital role in the economy of this nation where agricultural machinery is almost never available. There is a pressing need for competent veterinarians. Here at the veterinary school in Santa Cruz, Bolivian students learn the correct procedures for giving anesthesia to a horse. The U.S. Army instructor is precise and clear both in his lecture and with his demonstrations. Practical demonstrations are not harmful to the animal and serve to drive home the lesson to the young veterinary students. In Paraguay, too, the United States Army is actively engaged in programs to help our neighbors achieve a better way of life. As elsewhere in South America, there is a pressing need for new roads and little equipment to help speed the road building program. This equipment is being supplied by the U.S. government and the Army engineers are charged with the responsibility of seeing that the new owners understand the machines and can use them properly. With the help of their American advisors, these Paraguayan engineers soon will be able to accomplish in one day the work which requires more than a week when done by hand labor. In another phase of the program, U.S. malaria control teams spray disinfectant upon the dwellings of a small community as part of an effort to prevent the spread of this tropical disease. Pamphlets explaining the inter-American program are distributed to the people of the community and in a short while, hundreds have assembled for free medical treatment. Illments of the patients range from internal disorders to broken bones and skin conditions. All are treated and if the patient requires operative procedures, he is removed to a government hospital. Halfway around the world in the heart of Southeast Asia, Thailand is another country beset with growing pains. Here the ancient ways of an ancient people are running headlong into the spreading modernism which is today overtaking the land. Methods of the past are no longer sufficient to keep pace with the needs of the people of Thailand in the 70s. Rich in natural resources, Thailand has been slow in developing a self-supporting economy. The U.S. Army is everywhere helping this member nation of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization to realize greater utilization of mineral resources, timber and waterways. Under the Army's civil assistance program in this country, great emphasis is placed upon the development of a modern highway system which will enable the country's agricultural and mining industries to efficiently move their products to Thailand's bustling seaports. The Thai road construction crews quickly master the big American built machines and under the direction of their U.S. Army advisors perform their jobs well. For a people who have for centuries thought in terms of elephant power, the mastering of these big diesel cats is quite an accomplishment. A building boom is much in evidence throughout all of Thailand and the United States Army is assisting in the modernization of Thailand's undeveloped rural areas. Where once there were shacks, today there are attractive cottages in a typical model village project. Under the supervision of the U.S. Army's engineers, whole new communities are springing up. Even in celebrating the opening of one of these new villages, the Prime Minister of Thailand and the American dignitaries must observe the old rituals of the land. Other projects undertaken as a joint effort between the people of Thailand and the U.S. Army engineers include the creation of this huge reservoir which is capable of serving thousands with potable drinking water and controlled irrigation in the years ahead. The Army's helping hand reaches out to humanity in Korea too. At Paju orphanage, an American dental care team checks up on the teeth of these youngsters once a month. As part of the U.S. Army's medical assistance program, these small tauts are not only the recipients of dental and medical attention but they are taut good oral hygiene habits. In the Tongdu Jo district, still another project is underway as Army personnel direct the work on a new school. When shown what to do and how to do it, the Koreans pitch in with a will and as a result several new schools have been built throughout the country. Over the years some of the construction projects have been carried out by U.S. Army personnel alone. This steel bridge was erected to span the waters of the Sinchon River bordering the town of Tongdu Shan. Through heavy daily use, bayonet bridge began to deteriorate and it became obvious that a new stronger bridge was needed. Once again the Army responded to the needs of the community and a modern four-lane concrete bridge was soon built. The new bayonet bridge now serves the entire district conveniently and safely. Keeping pace with the times this graceful structure has become an important landmark in Tongdu Shan. But it is in Vietnam that the Army's civil assistance program is most widespread. A new electric power plant erected at the seaport town of Vung Tau is one example. The construction of the power plant is only one phase of the work. The builders must then determine where power lines will be strung so as to best serve the community. With the U.S. Army experts supervising the work and providing technical assistance and equipment, the Vietnamese are bringing light and energy to one of Vietnam's largest cities. The availability of modern power through this new generating plant means new industry, new homes and new jobs for the people of this coastal community. Far to the north in the mountain country of the Central Highlands, a team of U.S. Army veterinarians comes to assist the primitive Montagnard tribesmen with the care of their livestock. To these people of the high country, their cattle, plough, buffaloes and wild ponies are vital to survival. Unlike the modern ranches and dairy farms of the U.S., there are no veterinarians with an easy calling distance of these primitive communities. This sturdy mountain pony suffering from a fungus infection of the jaw could well have died if the Army veterinarian team did not treat the little animal with miracle medicines. Over Vietnam, the Army is bending every effort to help the citizens of this republic attain a higher standard of living and to bring the benefits of modern education and medicine to all of those who are in need. Here in the village of Rok Kain, soldiers of the engineer's task force builder construct a new school and medical dispensary with the eager assistance of the local residents. A bigger, brighter marketplace erected with the help of the Army engineers will give the village of Rok Kain a trading center status throughout the region. A sense of pride and the desire for self-accomplishment has hastened the completion of this place of commerce. There has even been a special office provided for the village chief. In this building, he will carry out his duties and guide the people of the community toward a peaceful and fruitful life in the years ahead. At Veen Long, a group of Vietnamese war orphans has been rendered homeless by partial collapse of the orphanage which they occupied. Now, the Americans are helping them to find a new life at a new home hundreds of miles away. Like some giant, benign bird, the Army helicopter gathers the little group into its transport pod and soars upward, whisking the children far away over this war-torn land. Now only a scant few miles from the new orphanage on the outskirts of a large coastal town, the little ones are carefully placed aboard Army vehicles and soon are heading for a new life. For these young members of a newer and hopefully a brighter generation, a new home has been found. And for those who have helped to bring it all about, there is immeasurable peace of spirit and mind. In the United States, the Army's civil assistance activities continue. The town of Troy in North Carolina recently called upon the Army to assist in fighting one of the most persistent droughts in the town's history. Army tank trucks, filled with lake water, rushed to deliver the badly needed water to the almost empty town reservoir. Within 24 hours, the reservoir was filled to normal levels and the water flowed into the system. Following a record-breaking blizzard in Arizona, word came that the Navajo Indians were stranded by great snowdrifts and were in need of relief for themselves and their livestock. Again, the Army responded and a special helicopter airlift of food and medical supplies got underway. Over the treacherous badlands, freak winds buffeted the Army aircraft with icy blasts, but the mission was carried out with determination and speed. Hurricane Camille brought devastation and death to the coastal regions of southern Louisiana. The loss of life and property was staggering. As a result, the federal government proclaimed these stricken coastal towns a disaster area. Working in conjunction with civil authorities, the Army moves quickly to save the lives of many hurricane victims stranded by the rampaging waters. The effort to move people and their belongings continues around the clock, as the Army fights one of the worst hurricane disasters ever to strike the Southland. Every inch of dry storage space is filled with household possessions in an attempt to cut down personal losses. The main thrust of the Army effort is to provide instant assistance in the rescue work and provisions to assure the immediate welfare of the flood victims. Later, the larger mission of flood control and extensive disaster relief work will occupy the men in Army green. Third-working Army rescue teams deliver the homeless to shelters where they can receive medical attention and begin the long road back to normalcy. To provide hope for the people who have no hope, to bring enlightenment and progress to mankind, to bind the peoples of the earth and brotherhood through understanding, to alleviate the suffering of humanity by deeds and by teaching. These are the limitless goals of the United States Army's helping hand.