 United States Army present picture, an official report produced for the armed forces and the American people. Now to show you part of the big picture, here is Sergeant Stuart Queen. Today, the big picture of one of America's not-so-secret weapons. No scientists are working on complicated mathematical formulas about this one. No engineers are studying blueprints on it. It will never come off an assembly line or be fired from a launching pad. But the range and power of this weapon is tremendous, even though about all the equipment it needs is a smile and a heart. Right now, wherever American soldiers are assigned, this weapon, friendship, is doing a big task for us as part of the president's concept of building goodwill on a people-to-people level of communication. Our servicemen, America's ambassadors of goodwill, our winning support for our way of life through the people-to-people idea is the subject of today's big picture. Atomic warfare. It is safe to say all thinking people wish the possibility would vanish with the apparent magic of a screen projector running backwards. And thinking people are aware of the role of the armed forces in preserving the peace by stationing combat-ready forces in strategic areas throughout the free world. By no means are we alone. In alliances like NATO, our servicemen work shoulder to shoulder with military forces of the freedom-loving nations of the world. In realistic maneuvers, soldiers, sailors, and airmen of these alliances for freedom learn to work together. But the serviceman learns not only to get along with other men in uniform, his duties often take him abroad, far from home, where he meets at first hand the peoples of the world. Prompted by the president's interest in people-to-people contacts, more and more Americans are making friends with the citizens of other lands. From the time he has his overseas orders and even a board ship, the serviceman receives a painstaking indoctrination in language, customs, and the cultural background of the country where he will be stationed. Our armed forces, with a sizable portion of their strength stationed or serving in overseas areas, are ideally situated to play a major role in the job of winning friends for America. At times unhappily and unruly nature provides the means. A flood in Japan will bring an anguish plea for on-the-spot American aid. Rendering assistance in local disasters is much appreciated everywhere. But that generally involves the army as units. How about individually, people-to-people? Since the end of World War II, one of the most important avenues for Americans and other nationals to come to know each other better on a people-to-people basis has been the employment of non-Americans for support functions to the army overseas. In South Korea and Japan, for example, thousands of Koreans and Japanese have been working closely with and under the supervision of Americans. A relatively small cadre of Americans, serving primarily as instructors or supervisors, can, after a carefully planned program of training, rely on the national personnel for a variety of tasks. Driving a vehicle is only one out of many. Moreover, the cost of transporting manpower from the United States is eliminated. Use of this large reservoir of locally available workers cuts down the number of troops needed for support area jobs. Being under good conditions, treated equitably, the non-American employee gains an intimate picture of the fair play attitude of the individual American on the job. Postwar Germany, 1945. In the summer of that year, amid the ruins and rubble of a shattered nation, children were hungry, not only for food, but for recognition, gentleness, friendship. These first efforts to win over the youth of a defeated nation were spontaneous gestures on the part of our troops. Here, as all over the world, American soldiers could not, would not ignore the wasteful appeal of children in need. The appeals in those shattered days after the war were many. Not only from children, and not only for the physical necessities. The war the Nazis unleashed had torn asunder the spiritual fabric of German. It too needed rebuilding, a helping hand. Church bells had been melted down in the frantic days of the Nazi defeat. In many towns, army units aided in the reconstruction of a church, the securing of another bell. It was told again for all, German and American, now working together for a peaceful future. But inevitably, the future implies youth, and the major effort during the German occupation was aimed at the children, primarily by the German Youth Activities Program, in which the American soldier played an important role. GYA was designed to organize voluntary assistance to the children by the German people themselves. In the process of working and playing together, they learned respect for others, and how to govern themselves in the democratic way. GYA centers soon became the most popular places in many German towns for the younger generation. On free afternoons and evenings, they became the gathering places for children of all ages. Many of them working on their hobbies, girls sewing up additions to their wardrobe, and thousands taking advantage of the many opportunities for learning practical skills. Sports, here as everywhere, provided a wonderful opportunity for American and German to come to know, to respect each other better in a relaxed atmosphere. Baseball, little known in Germany before the war, is rising in popularity thanks to the missionary work of servicemen on their off-duty time. An activity like a soapbox derby, for example, will lure the German youngsters from all parts of the country. Yes, in the years after the war, ranging down to the present, the servicemen have gone out to meet the people with emphasis on the children. Not exactly a mile a minute, but its go-man go all the way. Hail to the winner, no break, just a nice soft bed of straw. A sports car rally in today's Germany, in a way the post-war program of GYA, with its emphasis on activity, was a precursor of what is drawing together American and German. Sports and hobbies have proven again and again to be bridges to international friendship. In a typical road event, about half the participants will be German, the balance American servicemen or civilian employees. A real contest of skill in handling a powerful automobile at high speeds. The cornering ability of car and driver is tested by carefully spaced bales of hay. MPs aid German police in keeping the track route clear. Sports car racing is extremely popular and American drivers are invariably invited to participate in the rallies of local clubs. The car with the best time will take first prize, but the real winner is German-American friendship. Early Sunday morning, the sound of gunfire cuts through the air, but no alarm. It's a ski shooting range with German and American hunters testing their aim. A difficult sport demanding a good eye and top-notch muscular coordination. From a nearby shack, the targets are arched into the air. But how skillful they are, that's not the important thing. Contact, a chance to observe the person from another country at informal close range. To talk his language, even if it is a foreign language, right there is the meaning of people to people. And in the nearby lodge they will sit and talk for hours, German and American. The subject will start with hunting, but who knows who really cares where it will go from there. That's a special German gun with three bales, we call it a drilling. You can better see it when you make it in parts. What's the maximum range of that gun? The range of the rifle barrel is about between 250 and 300 meters. What's the caliber? The caliber is 7 by 57, that's equivalent to one of our .30 or .6. Okay, I can show you that over here. What is this? That's my design. That's your design? That's my design. No difficulties of language are overcome as men of good will always manage to get a message across. But language knowledge is a priceless boon toward the close contact embodied in the people to people program. And the army is going all out to facilitate linguistic training for soldiers and dependents. Over 33,000 dependent children in France and Germany are learning French or German. Happily, the language barrier does not extend into the world of music. So often described as the international one, people forget how it really is. In Germany, music is woven into the routine of daily living. Communities like Kaiserslautern, near Heidelberg, will have a civic symphony orchestra practicing one night a week. Talented American servicemen often take part in their off-duty time. Composed mainly of German businessmen, retired and active, the orchestra is an amateur organization playing for pleasure only. The rehearsal ends. Time now for a critique and some good talk about a favorite subject. The interest that binds them. Music of course. No, I've asked them about it every time I've seen them. They can't find anything. In order to use it from Frankfurt, you can't seem to get it. I have a copy of Hold Out, which is also from... That's good, isn't it? That's very good. Yes. Do you know that? Yeah. Very fast. Is it the very end of the stroke? Yes. Here. Here is where I want the sound. The studios. Yes, but I have to go to something in Frankfurt. Oh. Oh, sure. Yes. Unfortunately. Yes. But it's nice that they play. It's wonderful. It's good that we play here and then play here. Yes. Yes. How long is the concert? They have... Very often, German civilians are invited to army service clubs to participate in activities of a broad popularity. No question. The appeal of Bingo transcends national boundaries. B9. B9. A28. E28. E12. B12. B3. Under the B3. And again under N37. And 37. And we have a bingo. The last number was N37, and I believe we have a bingo. Open house affairs at a service club with activities like Bingo serve to bring together German and American in an atmosphere of informality, all leading to a closer relationship of people to people. Individual servicemen realize their responsibilities as American ambassadors of goodwill and make special efforts to make German guests feel right at home. You got a chop. Good nabbin. Hello, Fran. How are you? I'm good. Good. I'm not tonight. Bingo. It's good. It's good. But I hope, I hope, I'm lucky. Let's next. Better luck next time. Okay. It works the other way too. When the Germans are the hosts, they make the Americans feel right at home. In all their finery, they're down at the station to meet the troops arriving for a holiday weekend. Communities will often invite servicemen to come visit for a weekend. A few Army men will pass up the chance to meet the people on home grounds. Hospitality is ladled out to the visitors with open-handed generosity. It's a weekend of good eating, chatting over family snapshots. And how do you suppose tomatoes will be next year? Then before you know it, it's Sunday afternoon, a round of goodbyes and off-beaters there. Late afternoon, another town, four servicemen at the local hospital. The receptionist knows them all very well. She should. Their outfit has been donating blood at the rate of four volunteers a week, ever since mid-December of 1957. There have been over 70 volunteer donors so far, with some going back four and five times. It's kind of a routine by now. Nobody has to tell them what to do. Nobody has to tell an Army man the priceless value of blood banks. The way they look at it, they're doing some good in two directions. The hospital needs the plasma, and the money paid them for it goes for a very worthy cause. A nearby orphanage, the Kinderheim Lindenhof, $5 per man for one half pint of blood. The money once went for buying toys, but now the money they are collecting by voluntary donations of blood is helping defray the cost of a new badly needed addition to the Kinderheim. One of the visiting day moves by to the accompaniment of children's voices as they play along happily with some of the toys the Army men had brought on previous visits. To Army men away from home, one of the most pleasant sounds in the world is the chattering of children, and the language doesn't matter one bit. One thing about kids, any time is child time. The soldiers had brought out the fixings too, and a lot of youngsters weren't reluctant about digging right in. One off duty, leave it to the sergeant. From force of habit he keeps an eye on his watch. Time to pull out now, for men who feel they have an investment in the Kinderheim. Not primarily a financial one, but an emotional one as well. The small fry tag along, some of them hanging on with all their might. Before they go, a parting song the kids have been rehearsing all week long. One little toddler is a real non-conformist, and has to be jollied into position. Then the song. What the German words mean, the servicemen have only the slightest idea. What's important is this. Those kids standing in the soft sunshine singing to soldiers of another country. One thing an Army man learns quickly overseas. The differences between the people of different countries, whatever the age, are unimportant compared to their similarities. That's the story everywhere, where the showing respect to oriental culture. Walking down an alley in Morocco, or paying attention to traffic laws as he crosses a street in an Italian city, wherever he is over the spacious world, the serviceman finds that gentlemanly well mannered conduct pays off in respect for him, for his country. A food store, a proud owner introduces a serviceman to achieve specialty, and the ultimate compliment to a foreigner, to one of his friends. Thousands of servicemen are overseas, and whether spending a weekend pass in Paris, looking for a good meal in London, or having one in a European home, breaking bread and some of the ice inevitably present between different cultures, or taking part unpretentiously politely in local hobbies and sports, the serviceman overseas is scoring one for America. Of course the goodwill is not something that can be measured, assessed precisely. A soldier in Europe is invited to a home for Christmas, not far from his station. There is the exchange of gifts, the sincere, somewhat embarrassed thank yous one cannot set down in a report. But it is there, the warm affection for somebody from another country. Christmas, off the shores of Korea, it is there too, displayed not in words, but in the buoyant cries of excited children, as servicemen entertain orphaned children at a party on off duty time. It's hard to tell who's having more fun, guests or hosts, but it doesn't matter. Servicemen have found making friends overseas is no work, it's a pleasure, and it doesn't do Uncle Sam any harm either, when an American family in Germany say, invites a German girl to spend a summer at their home. At first the girl may seem a bit shy and un-relaxed, but she'll soon ease up and be just one of the family, which is after all the whole idea. In Japan, not very long ago, a military post had an open house, and from miles around Japanese came for a small taste of what a state fair is like in the States. Japanese find one man's hamburger is another's sukiyaki, as they set about having a right good time, thanks to the hospitality of American servicemen. Yes, east may be east and west may be west, but the way American servicemen overseas look at it, the artificial barriers separating people from people are more and more being swept aside by people to people. Big picture is an official report for the armed forces and the American people. Produced by the Army Victoria Center. Presented by the Department of the Army in cooperation with the States.