 From Korea to Germany. From Alaska to Puerto Rico. All over the world, the men and women of your army are on the alert to defend our nation, you, the American people, against aggression. This is The Big Picture. Welcome to The Big Picture. Presented by your United States Army. I'm Captain Carl Zimmerman. Your army is aware of its responsibility to turn out first-class citizens as well as first-class fighting men. That's why it provides news, information, and education for all its personnel. In fact, it's possible for a soldier to leave the army today far better educated and informed than he was when he came in. It's the soldier's responsibility, just as much as it is yours, to be aware of the problems facing our country today, here and abroad. Let's see now how your army encourages its men and women to keep informed. Today's serviceman is the product of rigorous training for combat. He is trained to fight anywhere. From the day he enters his branch of service, he knows the chances are he will get duty overseas, maybe Japan or Germany, where our forces are constantly alert against a surprise blow by a ruthless aggressor, or on a fighting front such as Korea, where our men have seen grim and deadly action. Despite such word-juggling terms as Cold War, hot war, or police action, he is fighting a major battle in a campaign in which his country's survival is at stake, and his country is mobilizing to back him up. His country, the richest in the world, the strongest and most advanced industrially, is sparing nothing to make him a fighting man second to none, to do everything to assure him victory without sacrifice of life or limb. He is better fed, better clothed, better armed than his communist enemy. His equipment, his transportation, his firepower are far superior. He has one more advantage, something that cannot be calculated in gun caliber or weight of metal, but which gives him a wide margin of superiority nonetheless. He is better informed. All the techniques of information, the media of mass communications, are used to tell the serviceman what is going on in the world. A gigantic armed forces radio network spans the globe, and where radio goes, the motion picture is usually not far behind. Dozens of films produced by the Department of Defense describe and explain the important facts of life in today's world events. And of course, the mighty printed word in a variety of forms tells him the issues, the basic facts, and the pros and cons. The communist soldier gets information of a sort, censored and twisted by a political officer, an official interpreter who makes sure the news is presented in accordance with the party line, regardless of omission or distortion. Belief comes ready-made. Conviction is injected by the needle of false propaganda. There are no arguments or discussions unless they follow the official view. There must be agreement or else. Our armed forces believe the best kind of fighting man knows why he is fighting. Therefore, it provides him with information and lets him think things out and make up his own mind. Facts, not falsehoods. The simple truth instead of the big lie. Keeping him informed is not just a routine phase of armed forces training, something learned and executed by the numbers. It is a natural outgrowth of his status as a citizen and serviceman, a man exercising his rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the freest of democracies. Representative government is kept alive by the participation of the average citizen in free elections and in the expression of public opinion. Mr. John Doe has access to many newspapers and magazines which reflect various shades of opinion so that he can inform himself of all sides to a question and make up his own mind. That is the heart of freedom, the right to make up one's own mind and to speak and act freely without fear as long as the public welfare is not endangered. It is a right guaranteed in the Bill of Rights and the foundation of that right is keeping informed for without facts there can be no opinion or discussion. Our forefathers understood its importance during the Revolutionary War. The posters and pamphlets that brought them news gave nourishment to their beliefs and kept warm the hope of victory even if it could not feed their empty stomachs or thaw their frozen feet. Their leader George Washington inspired by the vision of America's greatness saw how vital was this need of keeping the citizen soldier informed. Impressed on the mind of every man he said, the importance of the cause and what it is they are fighting for. Even before Washington the country's first settlers, the Pilgrim Fathers understood this need. They passed the law requiring every community to build a schoolhouse. The Pilgrims had a staunch belief in giving everyone the means of keeping informed. It flowered into the greatest system of free education the world has ever seen. We send more youngsters through high school and college than all the other nations of the world combined. To this end, we maintain 183,000 schools plus some 2,000 colleges and universities. There are 11,000 public libraries, roughly 200 for every state. They range from mobile bookshelves on wheels that bring information to rural America to the incredibly huge library of Congress which contains a complete record of all human knowledge and thought. The staff of life of keeping informed the daily press provides a variety of 13,000 newspapers reflecting every conceivable point of view on the problems that concern us all. Magazines provide an even greater assortment. Over 20,000, many of them devoted exclusively to news and opinion. More than 3,000 radio and television broadcasting stations keep Americans posted right up to the minute on the latest world events. Over 40 million Americans get a supplementary news diet every week by watching newsreels in more than 18,000 theaters. Every citizen in this free country is able to use this rich variety of information services. Every serviceman as a free citizen can do likewise. Recent history has shown us the terrifying results when men fail to examine the facts and refuse to seek the truth by themselves. When they turn over that right and that responsibility to one man, they not only surrender their minds, but their hearts and souls as well. Regimentation of information is the forerunner to this kind of regimentation, and inevitably to this. The Soviet version of regimentation is following the same fatal path. When the people of communist countries are not permitted to look beyond the iron curtain, when they are unable to inform themselves about the rest of the world, of the nature of other people, their hopes and feelings, they become robots, puppets, passive and unthinking, submissive to the orders of dictators, easily inflamed by propaganda of hate and lies. And sacrifice themselves to the war-like adventures of their masters. It is this menace of misinformed, misguided peoples being driven herd-like to aggression that has compelled the American citizen serviceman once again to take up arms to defend his priceless freedom. He does so grimly, because unlike his communist enemy, he does not glorify war. He knows the facts which make it necessary to fight communism and understands the logical conclusions to which those facts lead him. He can see and hear both sides of the conflict. Television and newsreels bring him face to face, not only with our own leaders, but with the opposition as well. All communist arguments are available for him to read. And discuss. Our system of freedom, of equal rights and unlimited opportunities, gives him abundant means of keeping informed and encourages him to think for himself, to seek out and appreciate the truth. He has, however, obligations and responsibilities. There is no mechanical spoon-feeding to keeping properly informed. Keeping informed for any serviceman, as well as any other citizen, means keeping himself informed by discussing current events. By reading newspapers, magazines, books, listening to the radio, and seeing films. Only thus will he show the self-reliance which we proudly believe are part of our way of life. Only thus can he understand this crisis in our history and the vital part he plays in it. Only thus can he be, in the fullest sense, an American citizen serviceman. By keeping him informed, your army encourages the American soldier to have independence of thought and belief, an independence which belongs to him as an American citizen. We'd like to tell you about information in the army, and have you meet Major John Dansenbaker of Ambler, Pennsylvania, who was the I&E officer with the army's third division in Korea. John, tell us about the men in the third. How did you keep them informed? For radio, we had all the facilities of the Far East network, which included several mobile transmitters in Korea. For newspapers, we had the stars and stripes, and our own third division newspaper. Then, of course, whenever there was an opportunity, the unit commanders brought their men up to date on the current situation by means of discussion. The soldier in Korea was getting the same news, the same information that the people back home were getting, right? I think so, Carl. The radio and the stars and stripes both had full access to all the commercial news services. Did all the soldiers see the newspapers, John? I think most of them did. The basis of distribution for stars and stripes was one copy for every five men. Certainly, John, it was difficult to prepare a newspaper in Korea. You mean our third division newspapers? Well, of course, there were some problems, but I think we overcame them. We had a very fine crew there. I used one man as a reporter. He visited the units almost all the time. He actually went out on combat patrols. He participated with some of the frontline companies when they made an attack, and that way we had very good local news coverage. The balance of my crew spent most of their time in the production of our own newspaper. Now, getting back to radio. Certainly, soldiers in the rear areas were near radio at all times, but how about this man in the front line? Well, I think he did. The Army issues radios on the basis of one for every 50 men, and in order to make that go around, many of our units have rigged up systems with their telephone switchboards so that the radio programs can be piped out to every telephone outlet. This meant that even the man up on the advanced outpost could listen to the music and the news as it came over the radio. Well, I'd say these troops of the 3rd Division were really informed then at all times, John, but can you tell us about other units in the Army? How do we keep them informed? Well, troop information is a continuing process. Actually, from the time when a man gets into the Army and takes his basic training until the time for his discharge comes up, he is kept fully informed. In basic training, he's taught why he's in the Army, what his duties and responsibilities will be, and so on. As he joins the unit, this training continues. By the time when he goes overseas, he is told something about what he may expect in his overseas assignment. Thank you, John. In keeping the soldier informed, the Army feels he's a better soldier and in furthering his education while he's in uniform. He becomes a better soldier, too. Now we'd like to tell you about Army education. Most of us Americans are so used to our good schools that we're inclined to take education for granted. Some of us look to the trades, others to the business world or the professions. No matter which we choose, we know that education plays off in better jobs with greater opportunities. Some people think that a man leaves his education behind him when he puts on an Army uniform, but that isn't true. Today, your Army offers to every man or woman who wants it the chance to get the same education as a civilian. No matter what his rank or race, he can finish high school, get college credits, or learn a trade. In any part of the world, your Army is prepared through the Army education program to get the education he needs for his future. Group study is the first of three methods of learning available to the soldier. To bring the education program to soldiers, wherever they are stationed, there is an education officer. He is there to help a man plan his off-duty education. There are hundreds of class subjects available in group study courses, everything from arithmetic to atomic physics. There is classwork in high school and college science, and in some places, even the classrooms and laboratories of local schools and colleges are open to the men and women of your Army who want to learn. There are field trips in many subjects for new experiences and learning. Your Army has two good reasons for encouraging this civilian type education. First, experience during World War II revealed that the better educated soldier is generally capable of doing a better job. Second, these courses of study can be used by the soldier to help qualify him for promotion. In the long run, the main benefit is enjoyed by the soldier student himself by learning. Instructors, civilian or uniformed, are picked for their job because they know their subjects. They use the most up-to-date materials and equipment, the best books. Even in a combat zone like Korea, Army education doesn't stop. The IND train comes up close to the front, providing classes and text material to the fighting soldier. But classes are not the only way of getting that diploma, which brings us to the second educational method, self-study. If a class is not available, the education officer will recommend a self-study course to fit the soldier's needs. There is a wide variety of self-study subjects. Each course is written to help a man get the most out of it. For the man who is willing to work, self-study courses provide a great opportunity, not only for knowledge, but for school credit as well. It is surprising how much can be learned in a few off-duty hours of study each week. The third way to get that diploma is through a USOPI correspondence course from the United States Armed Forces Institute. Here again, the education officer helps. Registration in USOPI costs only $2 for as many courses as a soldier wants to take and for as long as he wants to take them. Each correspondence course has been developed with the help of the best teachers in the nation. The courses are complete, even to the lesson forms and envelopes for mailing. There are texts to study, written by experts and containing all the latest information on any subject. The study guide explains everything, divides the course into units of study, and helps the student get ready for the written assignment at the end of each lesson. When the lesson is done, it's immediately sent on its way. In no time at all, it is at the nearest unit of the United States Armed Forces Institute, the biggest school in the world. Soon the lesson is in the hands of the instructor who will grade it, not just any instructor, but the one assigned to the student. In this way, the instructor gets to know the student and his work and takes a personal interest. She's in there pitching with a criticism or a compliment just at the time the soldier needs it. It doesn't take long to complete the courses, not with everybody on the soldier's side, helping him to prepare for his end-of-course tests. Even here in Korea, the I&E track of a fighting division arrives at the front line so the education officer can assist the soldier tackle another lesson, another step toward better education, or perhaps a diploma from the school back home. When the principal of the school back home receives the end-of-course marks, he applies them as credits. There is credit too for a man who has learned from the books he has read and from the knowledge gained from mastering army skills in his regular military training. A general educational development test measures this knowledge gained through service experience and training. With the help of the education officer, Yusofi and the principal of the school back home wherever a soldier may be stationed, he can still graduate from his own school. Your army through group study and self-study courses and Yusofi is always ready to help any soldier who wants a better education, to assist any man who will take time for tomorrow. Our soldiers are taking time for tomorrow. They're taking advantage of the many educational opportunities in your army. Dr. Ralph W. Scott, Chief Educational Advisor, Department of the Army is with us to reveal some very interesting facts about army education. Well, Dr. Scott, the primary mission of the army is to fight, of course. So why are we interested in education? Well, Carl, the army has found that the more education a man has, the better soldier he is and the better citizen he will be when it leaves the army. Well, do you mean that this man as a soldier can get the same education as he would as a civilian? Yes, indeed. The army is the greatest adult education agency in the world. It runs a program from first grade up through college. A soldier can study and go as far as he wishes. A few figures might interest you. More than 30,000 soldiers were granted fourth and fifth grade certificates last year. And the overall figure for overall participation was 240,000. Well, that's all right here in the States where you have all the facilities available, but how about overseas? The program is just as extensive as it is in the States here. It might interest you to know that three great American universities have gone overseas to offer courses to soldiers. In Europe, for example, the University of Maryland offers courses in more than 60 centers. The professors are flown right from the University of Maryland campus, flown over there. The same courses are given there as on the campus. A student can get his degree in Europe without ever having seen the Maryland campus. There are over 5,000 men enrolled in Maryland overseas. The story is somewhat the same in the Caribbean area where the University of Louisiana, Louisiana State, to be exact, is offering courses to the soldiers. And in the Pacific, the University of California has many centers for soldiers to study in. Well, now, Doctor, how about Korea where the soldier is in combat? You might think that in a combat area like Korea that the soldiers would not have time to study, but that is very far from the truth. In fact, last month we found that more than 30,000 soldiers were enrolled in correspondence courses in Korea. Sometimes they are studying within sound of artillery fire. We take those courses to them. We take all the educational facilities to them through educational trucks which go everywhere where the soldier is. And there's an in addition an educational train which goes up the track to the front line as far as it can, perhaps in sound of artillery fire. And there the soldier can relax and read in the library that's on the train. He can take a test or he can buy a correspondence course. And these soldiers are eager for education, even in Korea. This eagerness was illustrated in a rather amusing way in a letter of which I saw a copy the other day. The soldier was sending in his weekly lesson in a correspondence course. He was late, two weeks late. He said, I'm very sorry, sir, that this lesson is two weeks late, but my wife gave birth to twins this last week. I promise, however, that this will not occur again. But all humor aside, the soldiers are very earnest and much interested in their educational opportunities in the army. Thank you, Dr. Scott. We'd like you to remember those two letters, I and E, information and education. They mean that your soldier today is the best informed, the best educated soldier in the world. Our thanks to Dr. Scott and Major Dansenbaker for being with us. Next week, the big picture will show you our army in training. You'll get a close up on the combat soldier. This is Captain Carl Zimmerman inviting you to be with us then.