 Today's big picture is based on the true story of Captain Kenneth Miller, United States Army. Captain Miller, his wife, Joe, and the Miller children appear as themselves. Picture of a man on his way to work. His name is Miller. Captain Kenneth Miller, a career officer in the United States Army. He is an executive in an organization whose responsibilities encircle the globe. And as a part of this far-flung community, he feels personally and professionally deeply involved. This is where he works. And the business which concerns Ken Miller today as every day is the defense and preservation of his country. Captain Miller. Lieutenant Howell. Glad to see you back. I'm glad to be back, sir. How's career? Interesting. I know. Have a seat. Thank you, sir. I was looking at you 60-60 the other day. I noticed you didn't have too much longer to go on your ROTC commitment. I know. You staying in? Frankly, I'm not sure. I realize I have to make up my mind soon. The Army has a lot to offer, but when I think of the year that I've been away from Helen and the kids and how often I might be away from them again, well, I would like to be around to see my kids grow up. Believe me, I know just how you feel. I have three of my own now, you know. What made you go regular? You were originally ROTC yourself, weren't you? Right. Cornell. The Cornell University campus that fall was an exciting and challenging atmosphere for a freshman. And Ken Miller was no exception. Here was a whole new pattern of living. A very scenic campus too, it seemed, to freshman Miller. Very scenic indeed. Along with his freshman classes, Ken signed up for the two-year course of basic ROTC. Name? Miller, Kenneth. Your schedule for ROTC on Monday and Wednesday at 9 o'clock. This too was a beginning. And before leaving Barton Hall, Ken and the other ROTC enrollees were welcomed by the PMS, Professor of Military Science. I believe that no man of character will allow himself to remain unsuited for the best possible use of his talents in this essential task. Our course is designed to develop your talent for leadership. I hope that you will not just try to get by, or simply to do well. I hope you will give it your best. Gentlemen, that's all for today. Ken Miller may not have known it at the time, but he had just heard something which would deeply affect his life one day. Meantime, there was much to do. Settling into the world of academic challenge, which was now his world, there was time, though, for other things. To try out for the football team and make it. Not a spectacular player, but steady. A cool head, a good teammate. And many of his teammates were also part of that other team, ROTC, the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Here, though the uniform was different, the effort was much the same. To learn to work together smoothly with precision. Ken also began to learn something of the military heritage on which today's Army is founded. Cadet Miller, were Washington's men as well trained as the Hessians? Or was it surprise that won the battle? Actually, the affair in Trenton was more surprise than it was a battle. Other important developments were in the offing, too. As Ken passed a magazine subscription stand on the campus one day, there she was again. Ken wasn't sure he wanted the magazine, but he was certain about that last name and address on the subscription list. Her name, it turned out, was Joe, and she was a freshman, too. With so much in common, it was inevitable. I suppose I could. Swell, tell you what, I'll meet you in front of Ezra Carnell. I'll wear a red jacket and my freshman cap. Did Ken Miller know that here was another of those moments that would change the course of his life? Probably not, but there would be plenty of time to find it out. Four years of busy college life lay ahead. From the start, Ken's ROTC training, like his academic studies, opened up a whole new world of knowledge and skills to him. The months passed swiftly. Cease fire, end of mission. Ken showed a natural aptitude in both the theoretical and the practical aspects of military training. By the time he was a sophomore, his talent for leadership was attracting notice. What's the drill on the platoon? That's Miller. He's a sophomore. Looks like a pretty good man. Things were going well, but the sophomore year had brought a share of problems too. What with a part-time job to help meet expenses and an increasing load of classwork to keep up with at night, after football practice in the afternoon, the schedule was becoming a little tight. Ken's junior year was not far off and the pace was not going to get any easier. One day near the end of the semester, he was invited to drop in on his military advisor for a talk. Ken, we've gone over your records. They indicate that you're a pretty good man. In fact, the academic board has recommended you for the advanced course. But understand you don't want it. Well, not exactly, sir. I'm going to have a pretty heavy schedule next year, even without ROTC. Actually, there are only two more hours involved. Yes, sir, I know. But with my other subjects, football and everything else, I went pretty jammed up. Ken, you're the one who has the decision to make. I'm sure you know my attitude in this matter. If you want to do it, you will. You're the type of young man who will manage if you really want to go ahead for a commission. This was a major turning point in Ken Miller's life. And this time he knew it. It was not a decision to be lightly made. For Ken, the time had come when he had to ask himself what he really wanted out of life and come up with honest answers. He felt instinctively that here was something he could do well. And if the word patriotism hadn't occurred to him, the substance of its meaning was there, basic to his heritage as a man. He remembered now the words of a career officer, words spoken here in Barton Hall. I believe that no man of character will allow himself to remain unsuited for the best possible use of his talents in behalf of this essential task. I hope that you will not try to get by or simply do well. I hope you'll give it your best. Next fall, Ken Miller was a junior and a cadet lieutenant in the advanced ROTC course. His decision had been made. All right, Miller, these are your men. I want you to make them the best platoon in the regiment. Yes, sir. Life is filled with new beginnings, Ken was discovering, and here was another for him. As the months passed, Ken Miller, the student, had to learn to function also as cadet lieutenant Miller, the teacher. Now, if your weapon fails to fire, pull the operating rod handle all the way to the rear with your right hand, palm up. It was a busy year, and it was an inspiration for an even busier summer. Between the junior and senior years of college, ROTC students attend summer camp for six weeks. Here, for cadet lieutenant Ken Miller, the word soldier was to take on a deeper and more immediate meaning. It's one thing to puzzle out a tactical problem in a classroom. It's quite another to think quickly and surely in the field when other men must act and succeed or fail on the basis of the decision you have reached. Now, we've concentrated six weeks. Cadet lieutenant Miller learned a lot. Back at Cornell, Ken's maturing character and judgment showed up clearly in his senior year when he was chosen to serve as a member of the cadet disciplinary board. Now, I see it this way. We've had to give this man eight demerits in the past month. Obviously, he just doesn't seem to care. I think we should deny his appeal. I don't agree. I don't think we ought to judge this man for his performance, which has no relation to this case. The cadet says his particular lateness couldn't be helped and it's up to us to decide whether or not his excuse is a legitimate one. Calm judgment, objectivity, fairness. These a good officer must have and Ken Miller was developing them. The main social event of the final year of ROTC was the military ball. And Cadet Miller and Joe decided this was the right moment to break the news of their engagement. Everybody was pleased, but nobody was surprised. Now came graduation. And afterwards, Ken shed his cap and gown to take part in a special ceremony. With other qualified ROTC graduates, he received his commission as a second lieutenant. Gentlemen, raise your right hand and repeat after me. Bye. Do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and that I will well and faithfully and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter upon which I am about to enter so help me God so help me God Again it was a new beginning and again things happen fast. A period of training during which Ken put in for overseas duty. He also found occasion to disqualify himself for bachelor offices quarters. Soon the millers received their assignment to Germany and during their overseas tour, Ken and Joe made the most of their opportunity. They spent one leave in Rome, another in Paris and between times learned to ski in the Bavarian Alps. Back in the States, Lieutenant Miller was assigned to the 3rd Army Missile Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and the Miller household was growing. This new assignment at Fort Bragg was a step forward in command responsibility for Ken. The successful use of a sensitive and deadly weapon system now depended largely on him. It was his job to mold the teamwork, the discipline, precision and the professional skill of the missile men under his command. This was a job which called for a keen, alert and experienced officer and that was what Lieutenant Ken Miller had become. 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 5, 0, Fire! Now after four years of active duty, Ken Miller made two important decisions. The first was to go regular Army. The second was to transfer to infantry and these two decisions brought him to the advanced infantry course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Here in some 1,500 tightly packed hours, he would first review basic infantry principles, then move on to cover just about every type of situation, terrain problem, physical capability and opposition power that an infantry officer may encounter in combat. After completing advanced infantry training in 1960, Miller's next assignment was at Fort Riley, Kansas. This tour too was designed to broaden his experience, further develop his talent for judgment and evaluation. The inspection of troop training within the command became the latest work for Ken Miller and it was Captain Ken Miller now. It was up to him to check details at the source to make certain that training was accomplishing what it was supposed to do. The rate of progress, the quality of the instruction, troop response all received his careful attention. He had to know his subject inside out, be ready to catch any discrepancy. Besides the information he got from the training leaders, first hand observation was a key part of his evaluation. Modern warfare demands a working knowledge of many specialized items of equipment. And this knowledge must cover not only the destructive power of a given weapon, but the safety factors in handling it as well. The Army places great stress on safety control in training its men. Effectiveness and safety. Both must have equal importance in the eyes of the man charged with training American soldiers. A hand grenade makes the foot soldier a kind of walking artillery piece. But here, aiming, range, trajectory and timing are instinctive and instantaneous. To give sharpness and control to this instinctive ability is Ken Miller's training objective. And his work as a training inspector prepared Miller for his next assignment, one most coveted by officers of his rank, Company Commander. To the command of his rifle company, he brought experience reaching back to the days in ROTC when he sat on the cadet disciplinary board. Sir, Private Johnson reporting is ordered. Johnson, the First Sergeant tells me you've missed Reveley formation twice this week. What's the story? Well, sir, my wife hasn't been feeling very well lately. And twice I've had to get somebody in to stay with her and I couldn't get here on time. Did you phone your platoon, Sergeant? Sir, I don't have a phone where we live. You mean you couldn't have found a public phone or used in neighbors? I guess I could. Yes, sir, I could have. The efficiency of this outfit depends upon everyone, not just a few. Yes, sir. Since you have a reasonable excuse, there'll be no punishment this time. But any further infraction, you understand? Yes, sir. That's all. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Johnston? Yes, sir. I hope your wife's feeling better. Well, thank you, sir. As commanding officer, Ken Miller is not only responsible for the discipline, training and welfare of his men, but for the teaching and counseling of his junior officers as well. The Army is constantly on the watch to recognize and promote the young officer who knows how to use what he's been taught about command and leadership. It was in Korea that Ken Miller encountered a demanding test of his training and experience. Among the scarred Korean hills, readiness, constant and complete was the goal, and that goal was pursued without let-up. Day or night, the sound of an explosion could mean either a practice alert or the real thing. Here, Miller and his men were face-to-face with an armistice line, which still knew sporadic death and could erupt into crisis at any moment. This, too, was part of the life work Captain Ken Miller had chosen. Not always pleasant, but always important. If you had it to do all over again, would you stay in the service? Go regular? There's not a doubt in my mind. But in my case, it'd be a pretty big change. I never planned on making a career of the Army. Neither did I, until I got to know something about it. Tell me, Jim, do you like the Army? Well, yes, sir. It's been a very interesting two years, but it's still a pretty big decision to make. It's a decision you'll have to make for yourself. It all depends upon what's really important to a man. We all have to think about job security, finances, career patterns. But there's a lot more to living. It seems to me that the real question is, what do you want out of life? As far as success is concerned, I've always felt that my ROTC training gave me a four-year head start on the first full-time job I ever had. I also like being proud of something, something really important. Not every job gives you that. I know, and it does mean something to me. But at this point, I have to consider all the angles. There's also my wife. Wives are important. Tell you what, why don't you and Helen have dinner with us tonight? I'd like Joe to meet her. Well, are you two getting settled? Honestly, I think we'll still be unpacking boxes and crates this time next year. You'll have to get used to that if you're an army wife. I know. We really appreciate being here tonight, Ken. Our place is, well, still a mess, and I'm glad that Helen got a chance to meet you, Joe. Have you reached a decision about your long-range plans here? No, I can't say that we've decided anything, but we did talk about it last night. How do you feel about it, Helen? I feel we ought to do what Jim wants to do. The army certainly gives you all the security anyone could ask for. We'd have a regular paycheck, financial assistance when we get ready to buy a house, and Jim would be guaranteed retirement at a relatively early age. But you don't like the idea of living out of packing crates for the next 20 years, right? Joe, I love to travel. So does Jim. But what about the children? Don't they deserve to grow up in their own house? Go to the same school, have their own friends in their own community? The army is a community. Ken and I can be transferred from Fort Benning to Hawaii or Alaska and probably find some old friends. It's the same with the children. They're just growing up in a small town that happens to be scattered all over the world. Doesn't it bother you being separated from Ken for months at a time? Actually, there aren't many times when you're away from your family. Ken and I had career, but I've spent more time at home with my family than the average traveling salesman. That's a fact. I read the other day that the average successful business executive spends a third of his time away from home. It's a part of living in the air age, I guess. But doesn't it ever bother you going from one assignment to another? Depends upon what kind of an assignment. I'm working on a master's degree at a university now and I'm in line for a year on campus to finish it. You're working for your masters? Why not? Well, I think it's great. But you mean the Army will really let you meet all the residence requirements and give you time on campus and all that? The Army encourages it, Jim. Nothing makes the career management people in Washington happier than an officer who wants more education. The Army's a complicated affair. It takes educated people to run it. There are always good schools for the children and travel is very educational itself. How many kids get a chance to see Europe or South America or Asia or all three before they're old enough to go to college? I hadn't thought of it before. But I guess it's true. Maybe it's not important. The children and I will be happy anywhere as long as Jim is doing what he wants to do. I wouldn't want him to make any decisions just because he thinks he owes it to us. How about some fresh coffee? Oh, yes, please. Let me help. I'm not rich in the Army, but then a lot of people out of the Army don't get rich either. Now, what I've got to decide is whether the Army is, well, for me, the place where I have the most to offer and the place where I can make some kind of a contribution. Is there a better contribution than the defense and security of this country? No, I suppose not. Frankly, Jim, if you're going to base your decision on what's in it for you, I wouldn't be talking to you like this. The Army doesn't need officers who are in for the PX privileges or the retirement plan. It needs the kind of man who wants to do something for his country. I think you are that kind. Thank you. I hope it's true. You gentlemen think that World Affairs can wait for a moment. We have fresh coffee. Whether Lieutenant Howell decides to return to civilian life or mold a military career, the foundation he has already laid down, the training he has received, the experience in effective leadership will be immeasurably valuable to him. And no matter what his decision, the nation has already been well served by Lieutenant Howell, as it is well served by the Reserve Officers Training Corps which shaped him. The ROTC is the largest single source of officers for the United States Army. And those who become officers of the regular army take their place among the outstanding military leaders of tomorrow. They bring with them their sense of responsibility, their awareness of what is meant by military leadership, their motivation and skill and ability. To them, our nation owes no small part of its continued security in a troubled world.