 to Germany, from Alaska to Puerto Rico. All over the world, the United States Army is on the alert to defend our country, you, the American people, against aggression. This is the Big Picture, an official television report to the nation from the United States Army. Now to show you part of the Big Picture, here is Sergeant Stuart Queen. One of the basic concepts underlying American military theory is to expose as few men to combat as necessary, while using others in rare areas to increase the efficiency of troops facing the enemy. As a result, US fighting units have had many times the mobility, fire power, and combat strength than any enemy we faced in recent years. Today's Big Picture deals with one of the most important forces behind the lines, the Army Ordnance Corps. Shortly before 10 AM, 27 July, 1953, Lieutenant General William K. Harrison arrives at the Communist-built peace pagoda in Panmunjom, three years and 32 days after the Communist attack. 18 copies of the main truce documents, six each in English, Korean, and Chinese, are signed by the United Nations Senior Delegate and by North Korea's Bimetal General Nam Il. With a final signature, the armistice becomes effective. Meanwhile, for the men at the front, the last day is the longest, the hardest to take. In nine languages, they hear the ceasefire order. For most, there is no jubilation, simply a feeling of sober relief. By early afternoon across the narrow waist of Korea, two million men are briefly at peace. Happiest among the frontline troops are men with a big R coming up. They have figured to the hour when their accumulated points make them eligible for rotation and home. UN forces receive the order. Do not shoot unless you are shot at. But the regs decide to slug it out until the final bell, set for 12 hours after the truce signing. For senseless hours of battle, communist troops pay heavily. For the privilege of announcing that the UN quit first, they display a crude disregard for human life. For men hurt with just moments to go, the wounds are particularly cruel. Next morning, familiar sounds are gone. Usual operations, thankfully forgotten. Briefly, it is a time for rest. In accord with the terms of the armistice agreement, which demand that both sides pull back one and one-quarter miles on each side of the battle line, American units begin the demolition of their bunkers. Material which can be used to build fortifications further back is saved. Nothing which could be of the slightest value to the enemy in case of a sudden attack is left behind. To complete the job, every defense post along the neutral zone is completely destroyed. Following the communist invasion of South Korea, the United States poured more than 73 million tons of supplies, guns and ammunition into the Korean conflict. Our experience following World War II taught a lesson of vital importance. Today, a determined effort is made to collect all reclaimable material. War demands and consumes vast amounts of expensive equipment, but many basic tools of war may be saved to help form a reservoir of power against a future emergency. Just as the Korean armistice prohibits raising the level of existing forces on either side, so it provides that worn out or damaged aircraft, tanks or artillery pieces may be replaced only piece by piece. To the Army's ordnance corps falls the biggest job in maintaining the balance of our fighting strength. Today in Korea, the United States Army is engaged in one of the largest salvage operations in history. From the southern ports of Masan and Busan, used and damaged vehicles and equipment of every description are shipped to Japan for reclamation. The tremendous success of operational roll-up when surplus World War II supplies were restored provided the example for the Korean salvage program. Most transport ships are unloaded offshore because dock space is at a premium. LCMs of the Army's boat battalion augment the usual barges to cut the unloading time when each ship must lie idle. Army seamen who operate the boats not only speed the salvage program, but also gain valuable training which may be useful in some future amphibious operation. With thousands of tons of equipment arriving daily, cargo is transferred from ship to shore on a round-the-clock basis. From the port city of Taurah, the bulk of the material is shipped to nearby Yokohama. Reclaimed supplies are delivered here from all the far east as well as Korea. Maintaining a modern, well-equipped Army runs to millions of dollars a day, but untold millions are now being saved thanks largely to economies affected by the Ordnance Corps. Perhaps the Army's greatest strides in getting the most defense, most economically, are being made in the salvage rebuild operation. Today, vast numbers of vehicles and equipment are rescued from the graveyard to receive a second life. No item is too large to handle and no piece of machinery is so badly damaged that it cannot be repaired or at least provide valuable spare parts. Contracted by the U.S. Army, Yokohama's Sagami Engineering Company is the largest of its kind in the world. From the vast storage areas, machinery to be rebuilt, first receives a thorough cleaning. Hot steam baths blast away dirt collected over a period of months. Simultaneously, sharp-eyed inspectors go over each piece of equipment to estimate the extent of repairs needed. Manpower is supplied by skilled Japanese workmen. Industrial power, which a few years ago worked against us, today is a valuable ally in strengthening our defenses against communist aggression. Here, every machine is stripped down to the last bolt. Every part is examined and repaired. By using modern assembly line methods, the flow of rebuilt machines through the factory has been steadily increased. Before shipment, every item receives a thorough final testing. Rebuilt vehicles, as good as new and in some cases improved, cost for a small fraction of the original model. Impressive accomplishments of rebuilt plants, like Yokohamas, however, are important, but relatively small in the total ordinance picture. In the United States, at the heart of the Army's ordinance network, are 43 major depots, some so vast that trains are needed to bring workers from the gate to their jobs. Depot business is big business. Ordnance is the largest technical service in the U.S. Army and spends nearly half of every Army dollar. The responsibility is tremendous, but ordinance planning and execution are more than up to the job. To the more than 165,000 military and civilian ordinance workers, falls the task of supplying the troops with equipment, spare parts and ammunition today, tomorrow, or 10 years from now, ready for immediate use anywhere in the world. Basically, their job is to make sure that shooting ordinance continues to shoot and that rolling ordinance continues to roll. Taken together, they represent a widespread reserve Army with a background as varied as that of our regular Army forces. Individually, they are skilled technicians whose jobs are as exacting as any in private industry. Responsibility for every weapon from the privates M1 to atomic artillery is theirs. From these men and women at work behind the scenes, the United States Army derives its power for peace. Where parts and equipment received from manufacturers or from depot rebuild shops are to be stored, is decided in the master locator section. Generally, the nature of the supplies and the anticipated demand determine the storage area. Great dehumidified tanks protect equipment kept ready for immediate defense. Box parts processed for long-term storage receive canvas shelter. Into warehouses go not only small and frequently called for items, but guns, gun tubes, and recoil mechanisms needing periodic checks. Above the warehouse bins are reserved stocks for bin refills. Bins are laid out to take care of the smaller parts ordered most frequently in small quantities. Parts grade down in size to tiny items like watch springs. A warehouse blueprint looks like a city map with avenues, cross streets, and places of business. Every item has what corresponds to a street address. Under this system, instead of John Doe residing at 709 11th Street, a specific gasket is stored at row 709 Tier 11. Records maintained in the master locator section pinpoint items exactly and make them readily accessible. With the salvage rebuild program expanding in scope, the number of restored parts received is growing. Reconditioned equipment receives a final inspection before returned to storage. Fundamental to the functions of the Ordnance Field Service are the concepts of unexcelled service to the troops and of economy of operation. A prime example of effective service to the fighting man is offered by the treatment given reclaimed tanks. Every tank is stripped to the bare hull and then sandblasted to remove every particle of old paint and rust. Sub-assemblies and minor parts are ready during painting. Engines are torn down and rebuilt from the bottom up. Reclaimed parts are used whenever possible. Dynamometer testing assures perfect reconditioning. Each component is handled by specialists. Gun and mount are put into top operating condition. Improvements are built in with every overhaul. Rebuilt engines and other major assemblies come together right on schedule. When a completely overhauled tank moves off the line, another is waiting to take its place. Every tank which has been given a second life is double checked for speed, firepower, and mobility. Savings to the American taxpayer can best be estimated in these terms. New medium tanks cost approximately $160,000 each. Ordnance technicians put a reclaimed tank back into service for about $14,000 at less than one-tenth of the original cost. Tanks not worth repairing yield valuable spare parts. Nothing is wasted. Essential to the smooth working of a tank turret are 150 bearings of the finest tolerance. Their steel alloy composition alone makes them valuable. When out of date tanks are scrapped, every turret bearing, as well as any other salvageable item, is recovered. Inspectors pass on each bearing's qualifications for future use. Each year, Army Ordnance saves thousands of dollars by demilitarizing small arms ammunition, which has become unsafe for use. Ammunition handlers start the process along a conveyor into a delinking machine, where cartridges are separated from the belt. Specially designed machines extract the bullet and the powder from the cartridge. Vacuum tubes carry the explosive to an outside collecting room. Bullets and cartridge cases are directed into separate positions on the conveyor belt until the bullets reach a collecting point in boxes. Conveyors now carry the cartridge cases to a deactivating furnace beyond. Where the primer is popped, making them harmless. Brass salvaged is offered for sale. Until recently, such brass had little sale value because no machine had been developed to deactivate the cartridge. Today, reclaimed brass returns approximately $3 million a month. Battle-worn small arms receive a treatment different from ammunition. To prevent corrosion, they are returned with a heavy coat of grease. Detergents remove the protective coat. Immaculately clean after the bath, the rifles are sent to the small arms shop and completely disassembled. Specialists sort each rifle part and determine serviceability. Operating rods of the M1 are tested for wear. If undersized, they are chrome-plated and ground to size for use again. Rifles are rebuilt on an assembly line basis. Every gun is test fired in the gun-proofing room to assure quality. From stock, it will again become some soldier's most valued possession. Accessories to combat receive the same care and attention as the weapons themselves. All worn and damaged Army tires pass through Ordnance Tire Reconditioning Plans. Damaged surfaces are removed and replaced with long-wearing camelback. When baked, tires come out as good as new, ready to be placed once more on equipment which the mobility of a modern Army requires in a thousand different ways. Nearby in the Canvas Reclamation Plant, women who a few years ago worked only at their home machines now lend their special skills to the Ordnance Corps. Of the 13,000 women who work in the depots, a great percentage today have jobs that prior to World War II were held only by men. The mechanism of a carburetor or a thermostat is no longer foreign to these women, rightfully proud of their contribution to the defense effort by taking on more and varied positions. They also free men for other and heavier jobs. Ammunition is basic to war and Ordnance handles nearly 500 types, most of it stored in concrete igloos. Here safety is the password. Thanks to elaborate and rigidly enforced safety measures, there is less danger than in most factories. Special guards are posted wherever ammunition is stored. Authority to enter must be shown and all matches and fire hazards must be left at the gate. Each lot of ammunition is inspected at least once a year to determine that no cause exists that might contribute to malfunction. Ammunition handling is cautious business, calling for constant rechecks. It has no counterpart, except possibly in the chemical industry. In the bomb renovation plant, bomb casings deteriorated by exposure to the elements are restored under conditions as hazard-free as safety engineers can devise. One at a time, bombs weighing up to 2,000 pounds pass on a monorail through doors of three-inch armor plate for shot blast treatment. The room has three-foot thick reinforced concrete walls. No one is permitted in the room while the shot blasting is in progress and the doors cannot be opened while the operation goes on. Perfectly clean bombs move into the paint area where they get a fresh coat of olive drab and identifying stripes. When a bomb reaches the end of the line, it is ready for storage or for delivery where needed. The same meticulous care and planning which material received in the rebuild and renewing stages extends all the way down the line. Great emphasis is put by ordinance on top-grade preservation, packaging, and packing. The condition of supplies when received is in direct ratio to the quality of its packing. Every item is carefully cleaned and the critical service is prepared for protection. Ordinance uses many types of vapor barrier materials and preservatives as well as cartons and boxes in the packaging process. This guarantees that spare parts as well as equipment are in the best possible condition when received by troops. After receiving the right kind of preservative, items are cottonized in an assembly line operation. Wrapped packages are waterproofed with a thick coat of molten wax. Each package is carefully labeled for easy identification. Packaging and identification go hand in hand. While some items must first be wrapped in the package waterproofed, others need only to be dipped in a preservative compound such as plastic. Such compounds resist deterioration and damage. Army packaging procedures must be more rigid than those followed commercially. An individual box may end up on some soldier's back for transportation to the front. His life and lives of his buddies may depend on what's in it. Any shipment may be directed to any area in the world where American forces serve. Just as ordnance is equally concerned with the soldier's rifle and a division's artillery, so every element of the world's climates and terrains is its concern. From a freight car in the middle west, days later, a shipment of badly needed spare parts may be far rolling toward a tank battalion located on the edge of the Iron Curtain in the Austrian Alps. The scope of ordnance's task is enormous, as well as designing, producing, and supplying the major portion of the Army's hardware, finding new products like all-weather lubricants which keep tanks running smoothly is its responsibility. Every factor of weather and geography where American troops are stationed or may be called upon to fight must be considered. Ordnance products must be rugged, long-lasting, and above all, practical wherever needed. Korea's long hard winters and mountainous terrain tested the battle-worthiness of U.S. equipment to a degree impossible even in the best laboratories. Ordnance's quest for the best weapons and fighting machines attainable is an unceasing one. Constant experimentation is an integral part of the Corps' program of improvement. In the remotest, most inaccessible parts of the world, if there are U.S. troops in need of firepower or hard-to-find replacement parts, ordnance can be counted on to come up swiftly and economically with the right amount of the right stuff at the right time. Under the terms of the Korean troops agreement, the Communist and United Nations commands are permitted to rotate 35,000 troops monthly on each side. Of Communist intentions today, no one can be sure. But for the men arriving in Korea who will guard the troops' line, two things are a certainty. Their weapons, equipment, and supplies by any standard are the world's best. And as the mightiest industrial power in history, the United States is capable of producing arms sufficient to smother any future aggression which may threaten the security of the free world. In the final analysis to the American soldier, nothing is more vital, nothing more precious than the weapons giving him his strength in combat. Traditional American inventiveness and imagination in production and supply are staunch guarantees of this strength. In large measure, the United States Army Ordnance Corps contributes to the rightful confidence of the American soldier. Every man in a combat division is backed up by men and women working to make his job safer, constantly striving to increase his fighting power. In battle, there is no place for equipment short of the finest. The Ordnance Corps' diligence and unrelenting improvement of weapons is one of the greatest safeguards to the well-being of the individual American soldier and to his country. Illustrations we've just seen show only a few of the ways today's United States Army gets more defense or less money. The effectiveness of our Ordnance Program depends on good management. Cutting costs and at the same time improving quality are two key contributions to good management. Thereby to the national security. Now this is Sergeant Stuart Quinn inviting you to be with us again next week when we will present another look at the big picture. The big picture is a weekly television report to the nation on the activities of the Army at home and overseas. Produced by the Signal Corps Pictorial Center presented by the U.S. Army in cooperation with this station. You can be an important part of the big picture. You can proudly serve with the best equipped, the best trained, the best fighting team in the world today. The United States Army.