 On a dirt road 30 kilometers north of Saigon, men of the 1st Infantry Division search for mines as they approach Chan Lu Village. In a battalion-sized operation, the village is surrounded on the morning of December 8th. At 0800 hours, psychological warfare teams enter the Viet Cong-controlled village. They take food and Sai war posters and leaflets with them. There is no resistance, and the troopers prepare to feed the people. Later, the children of the village crowd around the soldiers as the Americans hand out candy. Meanwhile, work begins to eliminate all Viet Cong signs and propaganda material in the village. A pro-government slogan is painted on the wall of a centrally located building. One Sai war team hands out specially designed calendars and anti-Viet Cong leaflets as they make the rounds of all village shops and public places. The Communist doctrine must be defeated in the minds of the people. This literature helps to do the job. Posters show how well off other villagers are under government protection. They tell of medical aid, food, and a peaceful productive life. The men of the village are assembled for intelligence interviews. It is known there are many V.C. among them. Some of the hardcore communists, however, hide and open fire on the Americans when the troopers go to round them up. The rest of the village men are kept in order. The situation is soon under control. Nine V.C. are dead and several wounded. American casualties are negligible. At the battalion's CP, prisoner interrogation begins. An easy piece comes to Shan Lu. Activities of the six psychological operations battalion are varied. In Saigon, a small team of advisors to the Vietnamese on television operations works with station WTVN, which operates on Channel 9 and reaches about 1,100 TV sets. Broadcasts are accomplished in modern, well-equipped studios. Under the supervision of Lieutenant Robert J. Sari, the three-man advisory team prepares one 90-minute program per week, film and live, as well as the production of numerous special programs. On another front, a loudspeaker team from the 245th SCIOP's company is assigned to the 2-slash-7 First Air Cav, where they accompany troops in the field on search and clear missions. Along with them, the SCIOP's team carries loudspeakers and amplifiers on their backs. When Viet Cong are killed, members of the team place leaflets on the bodies as a grim reminder to the others. Other SCIOP's men, through the interpreter, interrogate a suspected V.C. Yet another team from the 245th SCIOP's company is deployed with a First Air Cav U-10 on a leaflet-dropping mission. The leaflets have influenced large numbers of Viet Cong to surrender. Along with leaflets, the teams broadcast pre-taped messages to the inhabitants of the target area. The planes fly four or five missions a day, urging the Viet Cong to surrender. In special situations, the arven interpreter talks directly over the loudspeaker set, as in the case of two Vietnamese who are hiding in fish traps. These two men have been talked out of hiding and are being held at bay by the choppers until ground troops take over. Loudspeaker teams have also been employed to assist med-cap teams. Working hand-in-hand, the SCIOP's men are used to tell the people that the medics have arrived in town. This spirit of cooperation between SCIOPs and other units goes a long way toward their common goal of pacification. On 4 December, at approximately 5 a.m., an explosion and fire totally gutted the SCIOP's Battalion Administration Headquarters building in Saigon. It is estimated that up to 1,000 pounds of plastic explosives were used by the Viet Cong terrorists to destroy the building, which was formerly the capital Kendo Movie Theater. The lower auditorium has been used as a storage area. The upper balcony has a temporary transit billet for men on reassignment. Fortunately, of the 12 men in the building at the time of the explosion, none were killed, although at least nine received severe burns. This was the second attempt to destroy the theater building. Once before, it was bombed while American personnel were watching a film. An innocent-looking Vietnamese hut. But if an unwary man were to step inside, look out. Underneath the bamboo rug lies instant death, a 90-millimeter tank round set to explode when a pressure trap is stepped on. The Viet Cong rely heavily on such mines and booby traps to slow the advance of the allied troops on search and clear emissions. These mines can be set off with pressure fuses or can be detonated electrically by a Viet Cong hiding some distance away. A discarded sea ration can may be used to make a deadly booby trap, merely by filling it with TNT and attaching a fuse. Anti-personnel mines and booby traps have been found at helicopter landing zones, on roads and trails, at fence gates or rice paddy dikes. A bamboo basket beside a road might contain enough TNT to blow up a truck. A canteen may be filled with TNT and rigged to detonate when the cap is removed. Anti-vehicular mines can disable a tank or destroy a truck. With such displays, schools at the first and third marine divisions in Vietnam keep marines current on the latest Viet Cong trends in the use of hidden explosives. At the land mine warfare schools, marines are trained to avoid being caught by mines or traps. Classroom instruction is given on the various types of hidden explosive devices, followed by practical work in mock-up villages and the terrain. The explosive booby trap can be found anywhere in Vietnam. A jungle tree with gnarled branches may be picturesque enough to photograph, but it may also be rigged to a foot trap which will explode a shell above your head. The Viet Cong use all their knowledge and ingenuity in fashioning these devices. A punjai pit is made with sharpened bamboo stakes or barbed metal spikes. Another crude weapon is the steel bear trap which can fracture a man's leg in one quick snap. A section of bamboo containing a 30 caliber shell attached to a firing pin can be set off with pressure from a man's foot. A man entering this village hut would be met by a melee and whip, a heavy swinging bamboo pole with sharp stakes implanted in the crossbar. A tripwire usually hidden in high grass triggers this variation of the melee and whip, the dead ball, a spiked weight rigged to drop on a man's head. When found, each tripwire must be carefully checked to determine the location of the explosive. An engineer demolition man places a charge alongside the device, clears the area, and blasts the booby trap. As Christmas rapidly approaches, preparations for it are evident everywhere in Vietnam. Along the sidewalk stalls inside Gaon, servicemen shop for last-minute gifts, searching for that something special to send home. All the military exchanges are jammed and expect to be busy right up to the last moment. The well-stocked shells of the Cholam Exchange, largest in Vietnam, are being rapidly empty and sales for December will exceed one and a half million dollars. At Saigon Airport, cargo facilities are beginning to feel the strain as thousands upon thousands of packages pour in from home. Personnel at the APOs are kept working around the clock but expect to meet their goal of having all packages and mail delivered by Christmas morning. Elsewhere, the business of fighting a war goes on, but with some special differences. As they conduct their Sam Pan search operations, the crew of this river patrol vessel has begun distributing Christmas gifts to many of the Vietnamese families they meet. Though many of the people have never seen Christmas presents before, they welcome the gifts of food and clothing. For the children, there are toys and candy, but so used to secrecy has this boy become that after receiving his gift, he immediately hides it. Amidst the Yuletide spirit, the crew knows it must remain on the alert. The river operation continues despite the holiday season. At the Da Min Orphanage and school in Saigon, the war seems far away as men of the 79th Maintenance Battalion sponsor a Christmas party. No Christmas is complete without Santa Claus and sure enough, he shows up complete with combat boots in the person of Lieutenant Kenneth Burnett. The kids don't know what to think when one by one they are invited to Santa's knees. But after the usual discussion concerning behavior, they quickly relax as each receives a gift directly from St. Nicholas's bag. Then, all together, everyone struggles to open their presents. When it's all over, no one is sure who had more fun, the kids or the GIs. As December 25th draws near, troops at Long Bin, as those in camps all over Vietnam, gather for religious services. Within a well-guarded defense perimeter, chaplain John Sargent begins his service. Let us have our invocation. Almighty God, our everlasting Father, we thank thee for thy divine grace, which has shed abroad in this Christmas season into the hearts of all those thy people and all those who believe and trust in thee. Then the men join him in prayer, expressing the long hope for wish of peace on earth, goodwill toward men. In the spectacular mountains of Bavaria, Germany, in the general area of Oberammergau, seen here in December 1966, a number of U.S. Army schools are located. At Kimbrough-Cassarne, Murnau, students learn to disassemble the transmission of tank recovery vehicles. Guard dog training is another subject taught in U.S. Army schools, Europe. These dogs make an important contribution to the security of vital installations and to the effective patrolling of borders. They learn how to negotiate the types of terrain and the obstacles they may encounter while on duty. Discipline is of paramount importance. So that the dogs may learn to attack an enemy, they are agitated by members of the training staff. A heavily patted man simulates an enemy and the guard dog attacks until he is restrained. At the demolition and mine training area, a warning flag is raised as a signal for all to stand clear, as the training team prepares to set off explosives behind a protective shield. A demonstration charge is ignited. There are many other subjects taught by U.S. Army schools, Europe, both in the classroom and the field. The Christmas 1966 season in Berlin, Germany is celebrated by U.S. and Allied troops stationed in the city. Major General John F. Franklin Jr., U.S. Commander Berlin, speaks to those assembled for the tree lighting ceremony. Heinrich Albert, the governing mayor of Berlin, also addresses the guests. Then the moment arrives for the lighting of the tree, with the mayor of this sector, Hans Schnitzer, and Brigadier General James L. Baldwin, commanding General Berlin Brigade, doing the honors. The following day, 16 December, the traditional Christmas tree lighting ceremony at checkpoint Charlie is scheduled to take place. Although many aspects of the area offer grim reminders of the harsh separation, the checkpoint will witness a joint United States, British, and French celebration. At 1700 hours, all is ready. Taking part in the ceremony is Deputy Mayor Erwin Beck of the American Sector District of Kreuzberg, in which checkpoint Charlie is located. As onlookers watch, the tree on the roof is lighted. The Deputy Mayor gives presents to the personnel of the checkpoint. U.S. soldiers join British and French personnel, who share in the operation of checkpoint Charlie. In the field fleck and training area, Germany, photographed in early December 1966, a very complete and well-equipped crafts shop is available to both U.S. and German soldiers. It gives the men an opportunity to spend their spare time usefully and constructively. One of the crafts most popular with the men is leatherworking. Other men enjoy working with wood, utilizing the modern power tools. A hobby which has wide acceptance in both Europe and the U.S. is photo finishing. Soldiers stationed in the area have fine equipment to bring out the best results in their photography. With experienced advisors, the soldier is able to perform every step through the final print. Automotive maintenance is a practical and money-saving hobby for the individual, while the Army benefits from increased skills. 7 December, graduation day at Columbia's Military Academy in Bogota. In a colorful ceremony held on the grounds of the Academy, 75 cadets are receiving their commissions as second lieutenants. Through the U.S. Army mission, the Academy receives training aids, vehicles and radios. The mission also provides guest instructors and an exchange of cadet officers between West Point and the Colombian Academy. Three classes of cadets are involved in the traditional ceremony. Those who have completed their secondary school subjects, those who are entering the senior class and the current graduates. The event is attended by ambassadors and military attachés from several countries, including the United States. A highlight is the presentation of a West Point sabre to the cadet with the highest grade in military tactics. The island of Guam strategically located 1,100 miles east of the Philippines, today shows few scars of the bitter fighting that began 25 years ago, just a few days after Pearl Harbor. On December 10, 1941, the Japanese launched their invasion on Tamuning Beach, opposed by a poorly armed force of only a few hundred men. In two and a half years of occupation, the Japanese spared no effort in preparing fortifications for the attack they knew would one day come. Though most were destroyed in the fighting, several concrete pill boxes and bunkers still stand silent and deserted. The Japanese also hollowed out hundreds of caves, building extensive connecting tunnels deep into the mountainside. One which served as a bomb shelter during the war finds a similar use today. Japanese guns overgrown and rusted still point skyward against the plains, which pounded the island prior to the Americans return. On July 29, 1944, the 3rd Marine Division led American forces ashore at Asan Point and Agat Bay. The wreckage of a Japanese two-man sub is the only reminder of the landing. The liberating forces quickly pushed inland as the Japanese pulled back to make their stand near Mount Santa Rosa. These quiet hills are strewn with a wreckage of Japanese two-man tanks. The battle broke enemy resistance and many fled into the mountains, whereas late as 1960, two were captured. Not all the wreckage is Japanese. This American tank was destroyed in an attack by enemy aircraft. In many parts of the island, both American and Japanese unexploded shells are still being recovered. Here, a demolition specialist affixes a C-4 plastic charge to detonate them. Almost 25 years after they were fired. Nearly leveled during the war, the capital of Aganya has today been rebuilt into a modern city of 5,000. Here, especially, there is little evidence of the devastation that once took place, but the people have not forgotten. In the center of town stands a Statue of Liberty, where each year, on the day and hour when the American troops landed, a ceremony is held commemorating the liberation of Guam. This national memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, marks the final resting place of the battleship Arizona and the 1,100 members of her crew, sunk by the Japanese during their attack on the American naval base on December 7, 1941. Launched from carriers, planes of the Japanese naval air arm flew in from the sea on that fateful Sunday morning. Approaching from the windward side of Oahu Island, the deadly war planes were shielded from view until the last minute as they hugged the passes and valleys of the Ko'olau mountain range. Retracing their flight path today, 25 years later, Hawaii looks much as it did in 1941. Squadron after squadron of the Japanese aircraft came over the mountains and winged down these verdant valleys on their way to Pearl Harbor to destroy the Pacific Fleet. In a matter of moments, the heavily populated areas were under their bomb-laden wings. It was 07.30 hours. Then Pearl Harbor stretched before them. Most of the U.S. Pacific Fleet lay at anchor here. The attack began and Americans died. Next, they headed for Schofield Barracks. The spot where the first Japanese shell struck is still there. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific was established following World War II and many victims of the Japanese attack lie at rest here. Now on the 25th anniversary of the surprise attack which took the lives of thousands of Americans, many veterans of that day at Pearl Harbor are among those who hear an opening address by the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Admiral Roy L. Johnson. Key speaker of the day is the Secretary of the United States Navy, the Honorable Paul H. Knitze. Thousands listen to the speakers and the prayers and the hymns. A memorial flyby is performed by Navy and Marine jets. 25 years later, Pearl Harbor is remembered well.