 This is war. War and its masses. War and its men. War 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 produced by the Army Signal Corps, photographed by combat cameramen. These are the men who daily record on film the Big Picture as it happens, where it happens. Today, the Big Picture shows the United Nations forces withdraw on the face of a red offensive. You'll see the Lincoln Line established. You'll see our troops hold on to that line and later break out in an air ground assault. You'll meet an army nurse, Captain Molly Younger of Kansas City, Missouri. You'll meet an army medic, a man who served with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, Sergeant Mike Perputnik of McAdoo, Pennsylvania. And now, let's go back to April 20th, 1951. During the period 20 April to 20 May, the communists launched two phases of their expected spring offensive. On 23 April, the Reds jump off on their first phase, hitting strongest above Seoul. UN troops are forced to withdraw south as British and Belgian contingents hold off the communists in a spectacular rear-guard engagement. A secondary action of this phase hits in the Huachan Reservoir area. By 30 April, UN forces cease their withdrawal and set up the Lincoln Defense Line a few miles north of Seoul. In the central sector, UN troops withdraw south of the Phukon River and in the east, ROK forces pull back to Yangyang. From 1 May to 16 May, there is only minor enemy activity as the communists build up for the second phase and UN forces recover some ground north of Seoul. UN Air Forces strike at targets of opportunity. The second phase begins on 17 May with the heaviest attack in the central sector, southwest of Inje and east of Cheoncheon. Heavy casualties are inflicted on the Reds in this area. On 20 May, the UN forces shorten their line north of Seoul, strengthen positions in the central sector and move to plug a gap caused by the collapse of two ROK divisions. In the Imjin River area, soldiers of two combat teams quickly break camp. These combat teams are composed of British, Belgian, Filipino and American troops. What may be the last meal for a long time is grabbed as a report has received of a large enemy force which has crossed the nearby Imjin. These UN troops start their withdrawal according to plan. Mortars blast at the approaching Reds who threaten to cut off the combat teams. The withdrawal starts south, down the main highway that passes through Wijongbu to Seoul. Hit by an enemy shell, this UN truck tractor burns. Due to machine gun and mortar fire from infiltrated enemy troops, the convoy halts. Men take cover and wait until the way has been cleared. The long convoy moves southward again with its cargo of men and equipment. The Communist offensive was expected and nothing of use is left behind. En route, battalion commanders discuss the situation. In Wijongbu, a sign aptly states the result of war's devastation on the town. Tanks and trucks race through the battered town to pick up units of the combat team which are redeployed in new defense line south of Wijongbu. Later a battalion of infantry plods wearily through the rice paddates. After fighting off the Chinese all through the night, they slog through the pelting rain to new defensive positions. Their fatigue is apparent in every step. A little more water doesn't seem to matter much as they wait a swollen stream. Full advantage is taken of the chance for a short rest before fighting off the Reds again. Rain-soaked troops hold rear-guard positions covering the withdrawal. This is the third major Red offensive of the conflict. The first was the initial North Korean aggression last June and the second the full-scale intervention of the Chinese Communist on 26 November. Our 155s blast evacuated Wijongbu. Withdrawal continues as UN firepower takes a terrible toll of Chinese. Further south, nearing Seoul, the last UN vehicles cross a bridge south of Yapyeong. Men of an engineer battalion pour gasoline on the bridge which has also been mined with TNT. It is destroyed. Communist human-sea tactics against our superior firepower is costing them dearly for each mile they advance. This was Korea in April and May of 1951. A bit later, we'll return to the riflemen in action. But first, we want you to meet an Army nurse who saw a duty in Korea. She's Captain Molly Younger of Kansas City, Missouri. And Molly served with a frontline surgical team. Now, how did this team operate? What did it do? The 8076 Mobile Surgical Unit activated in July, sent to Korea and assigned to the 24th Division. And there they were, about 10 to 18 miles below the clearing company. As the first aid men picked up the casualties, gave them first aid, sent them to the clearing company, and from the clearing company were sent to our unit, the Mobile Surgical Unit, for further treatment. Now, this is the first time that a spooned soldier was given definitive treatment this close to the front. Is that right? That's right. And they've saved a lot of lives, Molly. Yes, they did. And after the treatment at our hospital, they evacuated by-trained helicopters and ambulances to the evac hospital, which was at Busan at that time. And from Busan, they were sent to Japan and then to the States. Now, how many months were you in Korea, Molly? Six months. Well, certainly in that time you moved around a great deal, didn't you? How did you get around? Well, we had... There are two vehicles assigned to the unit, and most of our trips was by convoy. Well, how many of those were ambulances? Well, we had 18 ambulance... 14 ambulances, that's right. Well, how about the weather in Korea? Saw a lot of different temperatures. Yes, in the beginning it was a little hot. Of course, we didn't have time to think about the heat at that time. And later on, though, it was getting a little bit cold. It would be too cold for some of us, but we remedied that situation too. Mm-hmm. Molly, didn't these extreme temperatures hurt your operations, any? Well, the heat wasn't... didn't hinder anything but the cold. Due to the fact that the... were set up intense in these buildings that were not heated, we did have some oil stoves that we tried to set up and work under those conditions. Mm-hmm. Well, Molly, when did the surgical team see its roughest action in Korea? Well, I'd say right in the beginning. In July, August, and September. When we sustained a lot of losses, didn't we? Yes, and there were long hours of duty for all of us. We worked from 18 to 24 hours, 36 hours, round the clock. This was the whole crew? The entire crew stayed down on... Well, how many operations could you do at one time, Molly? Well, our first setup there, we had... we could make good use of our six tables. We had six operating room tables, and they were in full swing at all times. And patients were taken care of as soon as they came in. And we had three anesthetists, and some of us could hold down two or three tables at a time. That was your job. You handled the anesthesia, right? That's right. Well, Molly, certainly, there are a lot out there watching... a lot of girls watching this program who we would like to see become Army nurses. Now, this is your opportunity to talk to them, Molly. There they are. Yes, we need nurses, and very badly, especially nurses with critical MOSs, specialties. There's the NP, MOS, the surgical, and most of all, anesthetists. Well, Molly, we're asking for nurses, asking these girls to join you in being an Army nurse. We're not doing what the Army used to do and say, uh, join and see the world. In fact, we've given them a pretty rough picture right here. But I think more important than anything else is the fact that you get a great deal of satisfaction out of your job, don't you? Yes, we do. We save lives, and can't think of anything more important than to save lives. Right, Molly, we certainly can't either. Well, now you told us a few moments ago that when you received these wounded men, the only treatment they had received was from the frontline aid man, right? That's right. Well, how was that treatment? Well, it was really remarkable. Considering the circumstance, they had applied the treatment, administered the treatment. They used the improvised a lot of times, the tourniquets and splints, and used string and rope and everything else for tourniquets, in fact. But they all carried their self-apax, but that was the first initial treatment. Well, Molly, a little later in our program, we're going to meet one of these medical aid men. But now let's go back to the action in Korea, April and May of 1951. At the end of the first week of the Communist Spring Offensive, allied units withdraw to defensive positions north of Seoul. In the western sector, where red pressure is heaviest, trucks loaded with troops move rapidly south. UN forces have broken contact with the enemy all along most of the front. As soon as defending forces have taken positions behind the Lincoln Line, the final line of defense between Weijongbu and Seoul, engineers plant an extensive minefield. The anti-tank mines are armed as the field is completed. Anti-personnel mines will also be laid. To augment the minefields, barbed wire entanglements are constructed by the engineers. Working quickly, the wire is strung and stretched taut. A 75-millimeter recoilless rifle covers the valley which the Reds must cross to reach the Lincoln Line. Observers of an ROK division use this high point to advantage and keep close watch on the opposing hills. Artillery is called for to give relief to a UN tank column under enemy fire in the valley. HE shells blast the distant hills giving support and cover to the withdrawing tanks. The armored patrol is returning to the Lincoln Line after contacting two Chinese battalions. A tank nudges a Korean Huttaside to clear the field of fire for a roadblock. As Allied forces retire behind the Lincoln Line, tanks are put into use as defensive weapons. The heavy firepower of the artillery is ready. The tanks wait in emplaced positions to add their forceful punch. In the heart of Seoul on the grounds of the Capitol Building, 155 Howitzers fire a sharp warning at the advancing Chinese. The artillerymen improve their emplacements within view of the Capitol. Although earlier the South Korean government warned the populace to leave, almost half a million remained in the city, showing confidence in our ability to hold despite the growing menace of the Red Advance. The government was finally forced to order the evacuation. Only then did the people leave. The UN troops remained on the Lincoln Line to write the next chapter in the defense of Seoul. A field hospital in Korea. Full facilities must be available here for the first phase of treatment of the wounded. It's the critical phase. An emergency shipment of blood coming in. Whole blood, the doctor's best friend. Oftentimes the wounded man's only chance for life. Donated in New York or San Francisco or St. Louis, typed, stored and shipped with the strictest scientific care, it's here where it's needed. After first aid treatment and an aid station, wounded men are brought to the field hospital. Here they are given only the necessary treatment to put them in shape for speedy evacuation to a base hospital where every benefit of modern medicine and surgery is available. Almost every wounded man has lost too much blood. He needs replacement quickly to overcome or prevent shock to make his system responsive to treatment or capable of withstanding the shock of an operation. If a wounded man can be evacuated to a base hospital in good shape, he's as good as safe. Drop by drop, a young man's precious life is saved for his loved ones, for his country. The gifts of blood must never stop. Troops of the UN forces move along a barbed wire barricade on a ridge near the town of Tokso, part of the line of defense against the communists in this sector. As further determined to the mass assaults of the Chinese, an anti-personnel mine field is planted just beyond the UN-held line. Trip wires are adjusted from the stakes to the mines, which have an effective danger radius of 75 yards. A pressure of 9 pounds against the trip wire will explode one of these lethal traps. Until the field is completely sewn, each wire is marked by a lightweight plate. On the road bordering the mine field, tanks and infantrymen of a recon company survey the defense line. The next morning, the road is strewn with the bodies of 24 members of an enemy patrol which tried to infiltrate during the night. One red soldier still lives. Men of the recon company cautiously move the wounded man onto the road from the gully. The communists is apparently in great pain, but the combat-wise soldiers, used to the tricks of a treacherous enemy, search him for concealed weapons or possible booby traps. In the shelter of one of our tanks, first aid is given to the wounded man. From a vantage point atop a hill, a machine gunner watches the valley below as his assistant adjusts his fire through a BC scope. An observer checks the terrain as a gunner fires at an enemy position in a village ahead. Smoke rises from the battered town. Troops of the United Nations maintain their vigilance and refuse to give up ground to the communist hordes without exacting a heavy toll for every foot of ground. A returning tank brings news that the infiltrating reds have been routed from the village. We'd like to tell you about a very important part of our big picture, the frontline aidman. These are the men who so often are saluted by the men they serve, the riflemen, for the work they do in carrying far wounded under fire, many times while they themselves are hit. Here's Sergeant Mike Propotnik, who saw duty with the Army's third division in Korea. Mike was an aidman there. Well, let's talk about these aidmen. Mike, you travel right with the rifle company, don't you? That's correct. There's four aidmen and a littered team along with the rifle company. We go and attack and take care of the wounded and evacuate them as soon as possible. How about the terrain over there? That makes it a little rough for the evacuation, doesn't it? It does. We look over the terrain before we go in and find the quickest way possible for evacuation that can be done. Well, how do you get them off these hills, Mike? Well, we have these Korean litter-bearers, civilians, and they can move out a lot faster than we can. They know the terrain also. They know how to climb those hills. That's correct. Well, now, what equipment do you have with you to treat these wounded men? Well, we have a first aid kit, which handles emergency treatment along with the company. This is it right here? And this is it right here. And with it, we've got the first aid packet which each soldier uses along with... which he carries with himself so they can... This is right on his belt, every combat soldier. And we've got the triangle bandage, which can be used as a sling or can be used for anything else if necessary. And then we've got the compressed bandage, which we use on larger wounds to cover areas which the first aid packet don't cover. And then we've got our tags, which we mark our patients with if we have the time, which tells of the treatment and when they've been treated. Do you have time to use this? Sometimes we don't have the time, so they're treated. I'd rather mark later on back, further on the back down the line. What do you have on here, just to show what his name is, his serial number and the extent of his wounds? Is that it, Mike? That's it. And also the treatment which he gets. From the aid man. Right. Well, Mike, there's an old expression in the army, the pill roller. Certainly that does not apply to the front line aid man. No, it doesn't. The front line aid man wouldn't be called a pill roller. He hasn't got time to roll pills. He takes care of the wounded and evacuates them as soon as possible, whenever it can be done. That's very important medical work, Mike. He's giving this man the first treatment he receives. It's got to be good and it's got to be quick. That's right. And while you're treating this man over here or two or three over here, you get another call from Medic from the other side of the hill. That's right. Right. Well, Mike, we certainly will not use that expression with the front line aid man, pill roller, because we have all the respect in the world for you men. And certainly the men we've had on our program, the riflemen, will feel the same way. And now let's go back to Korea of April and May of 1951 and see an air ground assault. Just north of Seoul, Allied planes smash Chinese columns, massed foreign attack, a scant thousand yards beyond our main line of defense. Down the historic invasion routes from Munsan and Wijeongbu, the Reds try to break through to Seoul. Officers observe the effectiveness of U.N. air power back in the skies after days of rain, as it plasters enemy concentrations building up for their much heralded May Day attack on Seoul. The planes smother the target with machine gun fire, rockets and napalm. Even the fanatical communists can stand against this sort of coordinated defense. With the full Allied power shattering their formations, the enemy's planned May Day offensive is stalled clear for its start. These are the events that comprise the big picture from April 20th to May 20th, 1951. Our thanks to Captain Molly Younger and Sergeant Mike Papatnik for being with us. Next week, the big picture will show the 8th Army answer the Reds spring offensive with a powerful attack all along the line. And you'll meet two combat veterans who saw as it happened a part of the big picture. This is Captain Carl Zimmerman inviting you to be with us then.