 weapons coupled with a fighting skill of the American soldier stand ready on the alert all over the world to defend this country view 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 Stewart Queen our story today is about the American soldier in France perhaps it seems strange then that I introduce it by pointing to a port on the North Sea the German city of Bremerhaven today most American troops and supplies are channeled through Bremerhaven the main supply port for United States forces in Germany a quick look at a map reveals why the Bremerhaven port of entry makes for a short supply line but a look at the map shows something else about the Bremerhaven supply line to its closeness to potentially hostile forces to the east in a word its vulnerability it was for this reason that a second supply line had to be established on a standby basis for the location of this supply line that could be put into instant operation in the event of emergency there was no better place no other place than our longtime ally France five o'clock in the afternoon at a small military installation somewhere in France into an ancient courtyard marches a company of American troops it is retreat the traditional ceremony at sunset when the days work done the flag is lowered flags fly overhead the red white and blue and the tricolor of France and now a unit of French troops is drawn up in attention as the standards of two allied nations are slowly drawn down the men standing at retreat in this courtyard no they are the standard bearers of a proud tradition that extends back through the years for this is the third time United States servicemen are on active duty in France the first time in World War one two million American soldiers spearheaded a mighty force that drove out the German invaders the second time some 25 years later again American soldiers fought and bled and died and who can forget the French welcome when victory was won the elation of victory soon faded away but the ruins were still there everywhere grim mementos of the war years and the French will have to pick up the pieces America helped through the Marshall plan and other measures food machinery and consumers goods were sent across the seas in vast quantities things began to look up best of all there was peace and hope for more peace then all at once in 1949 Berlin was blockaded by the Russians America quickly counted with the gigantic airlift night and day supplies were shuttled in the blockade failed but it pointed up the need for alternate supply lanes 1950 war in Korea enemy prisoners gave evidence communists were only paying lip service to peace further reducing our faith in Russian intentions obviously preparation for defense against aggression was a must and to Western Europe were a look at a map affirms France's strategic importance American troops were sent in increasing numbers many of them were sent to France now our presence in France is something special for a military organization as special as the unique monuments and buildings that can note la belle France to all the world we are there somewhat like guests at a dinner table the French are not a defeated people we are not an army of occupation we are in France because of their recognition of the need for cooperation in military defense against any possible aggression all too many people think of France primarily in terms of the glittering nightlife of Paris the pounding rhythms of the can-can who la la and gay Paris perhaps the flash and dazzle tend to obscure for foreigners the real France a great agricultural nation where in many areas fertile black-blown farms extend as far as the eye can see France is also an industrial leader even though wars have hindered the growth of her industries French production records compare favorably with those of any other country French skill working at French machinery represents an important element in the defense production program of the free nations today and its national shipping industry ranks with the topmost and a proud French name is born by more than one queen of the sea France may not have many supermarkets and the pace of life may tend to be a bit slower than in our own land but this is a great country still one of the world's powers with 42 million freedom-loving people who are with us in any future crisis working closely with their French comrades in arms some Americans stationed in France are assigned to duty with NATO the North Atlantic Treaty Organization but the bulk of American servicemen in France are attached to an organization known as com z communication zone for United States Army in Europe headquarters are located in Orléans about 70 miles south of Paris with headquarters at Verdun there is an advanced section in the north eastern part of France at La Rochelle in southwestern France there is a base section all told 25 installations stretch across the heart of France from the coastal ports to the German border com z has one paramount mission operating a supply line across France in support of US combat forces in Germany the task can be broken down into several functions unloading supplies from ships that have crossed the ocean to Frank's ports storing supplies everything the army needs and the modern army needs just about everything the supplies are stored snugly and sprawling depots awaiting shipment eastward when needed unloading supplies storing supplies and maintaining them in tip-top condition this is another key job performed by the men of com z or French civilian employees under their supervision material is regularly examined if in good condition back it goes into stock if not if it has rusted or become obsolete corrective action is promptly taken take a typical grenade maintenance section for example at the refusing area grenades whose fuses have deteriorated from age and weather are made active again by the insertion of new fuses elaborate safety precautions are taken after the fuse is set lightly in the grenade it is placed on a cradle in a protective box with a few turns of a handle the new fuse is tightly screwed into the grenade within the protective box after the grenades are reactivated they will be sent to the other end of the shed for repacking it is a tedious and tiring job where full concentration is a must maybe that's why the mid-morning coffee clutch offers such a welcome break yes supply maintenance means work as is indicated by the piles of five gallon gasoline cans which dominate the landscape of many com z depots gasoline is stored in cans so quick deliveries to all units can be made in emergencies in peacetime however the cans must be emptied because the gasoline is sent eastward by tanker a lot of extra work to first fill then empty the cans but it all comes under the heading of a combat ready army which takes nothing for granted since gasoline is difficult to store for long periods of time and gradually loses its effectiveness in storage a first in first out system is closely followed all kinds of tests are conducted on fuel products their containers and methods of storing as a last step the gasoline is poured carefully into the tanker bound for our forces in Germany most com z supplies are carried across France into Germany by freight car and truck and dispatchers are always busy final checking the shipments but pipelines are not ignored as a means of fuel transport under com z supervision a pipeline has been laid from San Jose on the west coast two Mets near the German border it was a tough weary some job elaborate precautions were taken to protect the pipe both on the inside and the outside multiply this effort by miles and miles of pipeline and the enormity of the project comes through hot sticky tar allows the impregnated craft paper to take hold firmly protecting it from the elements ground abrasions or underwater conditions depending on the locale of the pipe section sometimes the same job can be done much more efficiently by machine and here's the same tar the same paper but so much easier now as much as possible com z pipeline is in tune with today's spirit of automation this giant primer can thoroughly clear four hundred yards of pipe within a matter of minutes whatever the terrain steep hills swamps city areas or rivers the pipeline is relentlessly pushed through another channel in an assembly of supply lines to meet the needs of Western Europe's combat forces an important aspect of the soldiers activities comes under the heading of training and training in France is often synonymous with a coined word no dex new offshore discharge exercises no dex is a training exercise that usually starts off at a briefing session where invited guests NATO officers civilian technicians and key soldier personnel are informed of the specific problems of the exercise in a shooting war the use of ports and harbor facilities is often a luxury that's the reason for no dex operations to train the com z organization to operate at various sites and discharge greatly increased tonnages without the use of fully developed port facilities small but surprisingly rugged boats of shallow draft move the tonnage from the offshore ship onto shore it is both a training of men and a rigid test of the equipment used by the man on the basis of these no dex operations recommendations may be proposed for changes in both equipment design and training techniques a new type of rough terrain forklift gets a heavy workout as no dex puts it through its paces it's a rugged piece of equipment but it also has a touch as light as a French souffle and since a big part of its job is depositing boxes of explosives here there and everywhere gentleness is a virtue a very active form of locomotion in a no dex exercise is the familiar duck as the duck moves into shore it is guided to prearranged positions on the beach trains stand ready to unload the cargo into a line of waiting trucks the trucks will carry the cargo to the railhead in the area a mountain of material and every bit of it accounted for no dex men are everywhere they are on the ships in the holes or operating deck machinery they move through the surf in ducks lcu's or lcm they pile crates in each stacks they work the cranes to load up the freight cars as quickly as possible so the railhead will not jam up yes no dex men are everywhere the no dex exercises usually last four to six weeks without much relaxation except for an occasional bull session when there's a moment to spare the soldier likes nothing better than resting those weary bones and getting some shut eye yes no dex with more than a month of sustained practice in moving cargo across the beaches to our forward troops is strictly all work and no play whatever his duties every soldier is fundamentally a fighting soldier throughout com z bivouacs hikes firing exercises and obstacle courses are frequent activities all designed to toughen the men and keep them tough all enlisted men and officers must pass physical fitness tests annually a top grade fighting man who is ready for anything who knows soldiering from a to z that's one way to describe the com z soldier looking at the neat barracks it's easy to forget that only a few years ago conditions were nowhere like this since french property could not be commandeered some camps were literally rooted out of forests and swaps and are today healthy uncomfortable places to live work train and worship food is served in comfortable cheery surroundings and an honest effort is made to make the three per day necessity of eating less a need and more a pleasure at quash a pole a com z installation in western france one of the largest medical depots in europe is being translated from the drawing board into action it will contain a 1000 bed hospital and many other medical facilities as fast as a section of the new installation can be erected it will be put into operation no stone is left unturned to meet the medical needs of soldiers and their dependents dependents wives and children have accompanied many com z soldiers to france usually soldiers living with their families find billets in french homes which they rent for the duration of their tour of duty the housing shortage in france is acute and sometimes the arrangements are not exactly ideal but it's far better than the family being separated the housing shortage affects the school situation too since american families have to take accommodations where they can find them children often live miles and miles from the schools they attend so they have quite a commuting problem from the ambulances standing by you might get the wrong impression there's been no accident some of those french roads get mighty tight for an army bus so ambulances served to bring the kids back and forth they are the cheeriest ambulance riders you've ever seen every spring the outdoor athletic season starts in earnest with many a pleasant hour pegging that baseball around in the fall football and basketball takeover com z teams often meet french competition in elimination tournaments while basketball is a more recent game in france than in our own country the french team here in the dark shorts usually makes up in zeal what it lacks in polish and our men have to hustle for every basket and after the game congratulations all around whatever side wins score one for better french-american relations one can hardly walk through a street in france certainly one cannot live there without partaking of that national institution the sidewalk cafe after a day's work soldiers may relax at a table often with their wives perhaps a date for the single man and just watch the french world go by by some strange coincidence that it has something to do with money payday is often the occasion when men begin to most enjoy off-duty time first of all they will usually explore points of interest near their duty stations places like a castle in verdun built in 1370 a castle on which the american core of engineers modeled its famous insignia worn proudly by so many american troops off-duty time may be spent in or leon a colorful city drenched in the stirring legend of june of arc the maid of or leon the city is dotted with tributes to her memory go to or leon on june of arc day it's a kind of mardi gras and the fourth of july rolled into one off-duty americans are in the crowd watching a festive parade including a modern june of arc there's a french band as brassy as one of our own beating it out for the marching men of france into the square comes an american unit one very much on duty here in a tribute to a great ally and a great day all are silent as the massayers rings forth throughout or leon and then into the heart of town yes and into the hearts of frenchmen who lie in the streets march the men of calm z paying their respects to the memory of june of arc the parade is over but the festivities continue on throughout the city an off-duty soldier may very well run into a street carnival he feels right at home the same music the same kind of kids having a great time the same atmosphere of fun and frolic and they even have many of the same kind of rides as the carnivals back home so why not go all out at one of the midget hot rides and there are always beaucoup souvenirs to send home to mother and dad but when it comes to a furlough a stretch of time off time the soldier and france will always head for paris there's no end of sights to see left bank or right bank the soldier in france will do the town from top to bottom and no better place to start than the top of the eiffel tower luckily for him he won't have to climb there's an elevator on hand to speed him upward elevator rises in the sky you get a view through the framework of one of the world's most beautiful cities the view stays with you on the way down and it will stay in your memory a long long time nearby another site familiar throughout the world and the comsie soldier on furlough wouldn't dream of passing it by the arch of triumph a monument to victory a memorial to the men who died in its quest his leave over back to duty whatever his rank from general to private the soldier in france is not only assuring a line of communication to our troops he is working side by side with his french ally he is friendly with the french and the french are a means to him for the men of comsie realize that this part of their job working with the french is an extremely important one toward that end on commemorative occasions throughout the year just as much a part of things as the speeches and the parade of troops moving down past the reviewing stands are the frequent exhibitions of american army equipment and techniques and french citizens are cordially invited a model of a bridge especially when a youngster walks carefully very carefully across it may seem a long way from comsie's basic business but it is all part of the all-out effort to maintain close friendly sympathetic relations with french people who are not only interested in our techniques but in our welfare as well so that is why on many an american holiday you will see americans march proudly down the streets of a french town you will see french people young and old watching with respect and a sense of pride they watch the men who man the supply lines the men of comsie today's soldiers in france that is why our soldiers are in france today to provide the strength that will help the western nations repel any hostile attack on free europe this is sergeant steward queen inviting you to be with us again next week for another look at your army in action on 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 army pictorial center presented by the united states army in cooperation with this station you too can be an important part of the big picture you can proudly serve for the best equipped the best trained the best fighting team in the world today the united states army