 This is Korea, where American soldiers patrol a mountainous frontier 24 hours a day. A few short years ago, this rugged Asian peninsula was the scene of some of the hardest and most bitter fighting of modern times, when United Nations troops defended the free world against the North Korean communist aggression. The guns have long been silent, and the measure of sacrifice made by American soldiers in these barren mountains now belongs to history. But the forces which brought about the conflict in Korea continue to exist even though the tiny republic is rebuilding itself with American help under an uneasy truce. To the north of the American lines, quilt-coated communist troops of the North Korean army pose a constant threat to South Korea. Each lonely patrol along the truce line represents another investment in the maintenance of peace and the continuance of freedom below the 38th parallel. The presence of American soldiers helps guarantee the security of the entire free world as well. The army presents the big picture, an official report produced for the armed forces and the American people. Korea today is a symbol of the United Nations determined resistance to the threat of communist military aggression. Every day, United Nations delegates deal with new problems posed by red attempts at territorial expansion. Yet not one inch of ground has been gained by commies in any area where their expansion has been opposed by an American soldier. Fighting in Laos during the summer of 1959 resulted from communist guerrilla activity. This kind of indirect aggression has been favored by some communist leaders since their lack of success in Korea and elsewhere. To understand the forces at work today and their tragic effect upon humanity, we must look to the recent past. To that fateful June Sunday in 1950, when Korea caught fire, the armies swept down out of the north, determined to unify Korea under a communist banner by force of arms. The Republic of Korea could not defend itself against the sudden fury of the Red Assault. Death and devastation spread over a helpless people. In the old United Nations headquarters at Lake Success, United States delegate Warren Austin made clear the full dimension of the communist attack. Whose troops are attacking deep in somebody else's territory, the North Koreans? Whose territory is overrun by an invading army, the Republic of Korea? Who is assisting the Republic of Korea to defend itself, the United Nations, with the support of 53 of the 59 members? Who has the influence and the power to call off the invading North Korean army, the Soviet Union? Who is responsible for the bombing and bloodshed that inevitably ensued from the fact of aggression? The North Koreans and those who support them? Who then can stop the bombing and the bloodshed? The North Koreans and those who support their aggression? What member of the Security Council is supporting the North Korean regime in the Security Council? The Soviet Union. Who then is supporting the United Nations Charter and really working for peace? The 53 members of the United Nations who are supporting the Republic of Korea? Is the Soviet Union one of the 53? No. The arms of enemy soldiers outnumbered desperately fighting American units sent in to stop the aggression. Swept into the rushing cauldron of war where the innocent sufferers, the weary, the hungry and the homeless, pawns in the harsh and brutal game being played for their country, no longer the land of the morning calm, Korea had become a place of 24-hour terror. The South Korean economy was shattered. Nothing and no one was left untouched by the harsh bitter reality of war. Hope returned after the triumphant landings at Incheon poured the needed men and supplies into Korea. But even success exacted its price, often from the innocent. For three tragic years the fighting continued as armies swept the same battered ground. In the end, the communists were driven out of South Korea. Cities and towns bore mute testimony to the effect of the fighting upon Korean trade and commerce. The faces of starving children betrayed the real nature of the communist utopia. With the end of the fighting, the American army offered aging patriot, Shingman Rhee, its full cooperation in rehabilitating Korea. There were many disillusioned by the conflict and uncertain of the future. Poverty and disease, the camp followers of war were everywhere. Thousands of homeless citizens struggled to survive in the wake of terrible destruction and tried to reassemble their shattered lives. The Republic was a shambles. Property damage as a result of the communist invasion was so extensive, accurate estimations were impossible. Nearly a million South Koreans had been killed or wounded in the struggle. Thousands of children were left to wander the rubble strewn streets unfed, unprotected. But where many had been saved by the fighting skill of the American soldier, more were spared through the bigness of his heart. In makeshift orphanages, built by soldiers and supported through their contributions, thousands of tragic victims were clothed and cared for. Slowly the images of savagery and violence created by the war were wiped away with generosity and love. The children faced a difficult future, but one at least free of the prospect of communist rule. Though they could not have understood, they could indeed give thanks for the clothes, the food and the kindness which American soldiers gave so freely. Since 1950, Korea has taught us many lessons, not the least of which was that our modern peacetime army could engage an unknown enemy in harsh and unfamiliar terrain and win. But the American soldier proved himself in many other ways as well. Without his skillful participation, the rehabilitation and reconstruction of South Korea would have been impossible. In the wake of the combat forces, soldier specialists undertook the monumental task of rebuilding the devastated country. Roads and bridges were repaired. As quickly as possible, transportation and communications arteries behind the lines were re-established. It was no longer enough for the United Nations simply to repel the invader. Housing, public buildings, businesses and transportation facilities had to be patched together or constructed from scratch. The Korean railroad system had to be rebuilt and extended. Army know-how, army supervision and army equipment played a vital role in this rehabilitation, working closely with the Korean people. Just as important was the creation of a new Republic of Korea Army. The small force which was available for Korea's defense prior to the outbreak of the fighting is a part of history. Thousands of inexperienced young men have been trained by battle-seasoned American and Korean soldiers and turned into a smooth, well-drilled modern army, equipped with American weapons. Korean training methods and facilities, including a national military academy, are patterned after American models. Today, the ROK Army is one of the world's finest, standing shoulder to shoulder with our own as a deterrent to future communist aggression. The total destruction in Korea was enormous and took time and cost money to rebuild. All too often, the people were helpless to help themselves. If a school was bombed out, classes were simply held outdoors until some shelter could be found. The future belonged to the young, but there were times when it appeared a grim one indeed. Communist military aggression had been stopped, but subversion was always a threat. Only a people's school in the ways of free and democratic living could ensure the future integrity of the Republic. The American Army was and is an important teacher. In the spirit of an old-fashioned Yankee barn raising, an entire division made possible a handsome new school at Kapyeong. Every phase of the construction from the ground up was accomplished with a skilled assistance and teamwork of United States Army personnel. Materials were scavenged from the countryside and tools, equipment and know-how furnished by the United States Army. Contributions in time and money from hundreds of soldiers made the project possible. Yankee ingenuity and generosity built the best kind of monument in Kapyeong, a public school. At the building's completion, a parade was held and in the short ceremony which followed, the Americans turned over the school to a grateful town. Nature was not always cooperative in the rehabilitation of Korea. More than once, the United States Army has assisted in fighting natural disasters which otherwise would have taken a heavy toll in life and property. Today, flood control programs form a part of the vast development plans in the tiny Republic. Such prevention is considered essential to Korean growth and stability. Childhood in post-war Korea is not all work and no play. As gradual improvements in Korean life begin to show themselves, children respond as children will anywhere, anytime. The universal toys and games of childhood are a reflection of the peace and security that has returned to their lives. Kicking a rag-knot is an old pastime with Korean children. An art passed down through the generations. Some become quite skilled while others struggle for hours to master the coordination necessary to keep the knot in the air. A plentiful supply of rags is all these children need for endless hours of contentment. It isn't really a game for soldiers as the mirth of these youngsters makes abundantly clear. For the not-so-lucky children, each year at Christmas time, soldiers in Korea introduce a figure familiar to every American child. This army Santa Claus may be a little thin, but his Christmas spirit is as big as America. A noted Korean scholar said in the darkest days of the war, the light that has long burned in the hearts of my people is nearly dimmed to extinction. But it is alive and only awaits the resurrection that freedom will bring. Once Korea was the cultural and religious center of the Orient, the roots of its ancient civilization ran deep into man's most profound resources. Its arts and sciences were admired, envied and copied even by China and Japan. Although the peace in Korea is not a peace in the true sense today, but rather a watchful, uneasy ceasefire, it has stretched into the years and enabled the people to return a normalcy to the land. Business, stimulated by the large numbers of American dollars spent there, has been restored to a healthy activity. In Seoul alone, many millions have been spent upon building reconstruction and basic city services. The new look of the Korean Republic is one of bustling activity and confidence. A primary agent in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Korea has been AFAC, Armed Forces Assistance to Korea. A broad program of aid extending to many levels of the Korean economy, AFAC has been instrumental in helping to change the face of war-scarred Korea. Office buildings and commercial centers, public buildings and warehouses, colleges and libraries have been constructed with American help. Many millions of dollars have been spent in Korea since the war's end to give the Koreans a foothold on the future. New construction continues today in order to keep pace with the Republic's expanding needs. Korea has always been dependent upon the sea. Shipbuilding is essential to a fishing industry which has helped support the basic economy of the country for centuries. Today, the fishermen of Korea free to move without incident in coastal waters once more fill the market stalls with food from the sea. Agriculture too has helped put the tiny country back on its feet. Truck farmers journey to the town and city marketplaces where their products are eagerly bought by shopping housewives. But the ancient customs are observed. The ancient ways followed even in relative prosperity. In the midst of a new Korea, something ageless survives. Small industry and handcrafts have long furnished a livelihood for many Koreans. Such enterprises flourish in the outlying villages and small cities. All that is needed for this type of craftsman is a good source of clay and his skill. Most businesses are family affairs where the technology of the artisan is passed on from one generation to the next. In such a country nothing can be wasted. In this glass factory, tons of broken glass furnish the basic raw material. The South Korean Republic has had to work particularly hard to develop its own industrial potential in recent years. With generous American help, small industries have been expanded and new ones launched. This expansion better equips Korea to make a larger contribution to her own future. Have become important to the new industrial development and rehabilitation of the country. During the war, many learned useful trades while their men were fighting. Today, they provide a large source of the skill labor needed by the light manufacturing industries in Korea. In this factory, women employees turn out hundreds of pairs of shoes daily, one of the commodities needed in Korea today. In many similar plants, items essential to the everyday lives of a free people are now manufactured in sufficient quantity to put on sale at low prices. After the elaborate hand work is finished on these rubber shoes, they will be vulcanized in an oven made possible through American aid. The rapidly expanding textile industry, too, makes use of women's skills. The cotton cloth turned out by this mill will find its way into shops and market stalls throughout the Republic. With every bolt produced, the wages and profits that result serve to strengthen a growing economy and help a steadily rising standard of living. Heavy industry, too, has benefited from American assistance. Whereas communist troops strip much of the machinery and industrial equipment from North Korea, the American Army has helped the South Koreans to take on an increasing production task with each passing year. The tin cans manufactured in this plant in turn feed other essential industries. Where opposing armies struggle for control only a few short years ago, and artillery churned the wet earth rice is grown and harvested to feed a hungry people. Although the Korean climate is harsh compared with much of Asia, the rice which grows here is of the best quality and highly regarded throughout the Orient. Nowhere so much as in the quiet rice paddies of today is the feeling of peace and serenity more apparent. A moment's pause here and one understands Korea's ancient name, Chozen, the land of the morning con. In the mountains to the north stands the reason for the serenity. Stretching across the narrow peninsula for 151 miles along a well-forged defense line are the last outposts of freedom. The forward positions of the United States Army. Here on a remote hilltop overlooking the demilitarized zone which separates United Nations forces from the communist armies and North Korea from the free Republic of Korea, soldiers of the first reconnaissance squadron, 9th Cavalry, stand guard. Constant surveillance of any communist activity across the valley is necessary and the soldiers report anything they see. They also keep notes for a detailed record of the time they are on watch. Panmunjom today, the ceasefire is administered jointly by United Nations and communist officers. Five high-ranking men from each side compose the 10-man military armistice commission. Theoretically, it is their job to iron out any difficulties arising from violations of the ceasefire agreement. In actual truth, no single difference of opinion has ever been settled through negotiation. The communists have routinely persisted in using the commission as a forum for their propaganda while consistently violating many of the clauses in the truce agreement. The group discussion at the meeting shown here was initiated by the communists on their claim that one of their sentries ended deceptive and captured a South Korean spy. In order to determine the facts of the situation if at all possible, a joint observer team, also composed of officers from both sides, journeys to the scene of the alleged violation. There, they are expected to gain as much firsthand information as possible before reporting to the commission. They study the area and interrogate any of the men connected with the incident. In this case, a well-coached communist sentry furnishes more than enough information, but their experience has shown that little can really be accomplished here. To all realists along the truce line, it is clear that our best hope for peace lies in our image of strength. And Korea today, with her growing prosperity, is a vital part of that image. Her factories flourish. Her food harvests are abundant. Her people working closely with American soldiers and the soldiers of all the United Nations have accomplished a miracle in a few short years. Her defenses, supported by American troops, are strong and ready. The American soldier guards Korea. Superbly equipped and hardened by long training, he watches and waits. He guards Korea. But he guards the city limits of every American community as well. The big picture is an official report for the armed forces and the American people. Produced by the Army Pictorial Center. Presented by the Department of the Army in cooperation with this station.