 to Germany from Alaska to Puerto Rico. All over the world, the United States Army is on the alert to defend our 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 Stuart Queen. Today the big picture cameras turn to the Corps of Engineers to tell the story of past and present accomplishments and what the Army Engineers mean to our nation in peace and war. Almost everyone knows the castle emblem of the Engineer Corps. And here is its seal, bearing the legend Asseion, which translated literally means, let us try. But more than that, let us dare, let us do. That is the guiding slogan of your Army Engineers. They try anything and usually succeed. Since the year 1775, the Corps of Engineers has been contributing to the defense and security of the American people. Starting with those early days in our history, Army Engineers conducted explorations, made surveys, constructed roads, bridges, so that the Engineer story is part of the colorful saga of America pushing west across prairies, rivers and mountains, growing from a collection of settlements along the eastern seaboard to a great continent, a leader among the countries of the world. In World War I, the Engineers expanded to almost 300,000 men. Many of these were in combat divisions, maintaining routes under fire for moving men and equipment. Wearing their packs, they constructed roads, bridges, pipelines, landing piers, often interrupting this work to fight alongside our World War I infantry. The all-time peak of Corps of Engineers achievement came during World War II, advanced air bases were built in record time in all parts of the globe, often under conditions that might be considered impossible by anyone but the Engineers. There were countless water supply problems solved, miles and miles of pipelines laid to carry fuel to the end of the world if necessary. And roads. The Alcan Highway is a milestone in the history of engineering. Over 1600 miles long, it narrowed the distance between us and our northern outpost, Alaska. The Lido Road couldn't be built, many experts warned. The tropical growth too dense, there were too many trees, too many shells to carve in the towering rock of mountainsides. This was another kind of combat. But in this war, nature gave way to the Engineers and our trucks rolled through the wilderness on the Lido Road. In Italy, four bulldozer drivers died at their wheels in the battle with the Balturno. The river still raged, but our army was soon across on another Engineer Corps bridge. Perhaps the most remembered crossing of World War II was over the Remagin Bridge at the Rhine River. The bridge had been dynamited by retreating Germans, but a forward Engineer unit made immediate repairs and in the next hours, a substantial number of our troops crossed to the other side. By the time the Germans knocked out the bridge, we had pushed two miles deep into enemy territory which helped to shorten the Rhine campaign. The biggest single item of the World War II Engineer construction program was the $2 billion atomic bomb project. Manhattan District, the name given to this tremendous undertaking, included plants in various parts of the U.S., which eventually developed a weapon that helped bring World War II to an end. In June 1950, the United Nations forces were mobilizing to fight in Korea. The Corps of Engineers faced the task of taming this rugged countryside so our mechanized troops could operate against the vastly superior numbers of North Koreans. During the first months of the campaign, there was an acute lack of tools and equipment. Engineers had to improvise on almost all construction. A shortage of personnel made it necessary to use recruited Korean labor. In the unexpected assault of the Chinese communists, our forces were driven back over hard-won ground. Combat engineers did heavy duty in this action, destroying every bridge and culvert on every road and railway in our move south. The engineers built a wide system of roads and defense works, adapted to the bare mountainous Korean terrain to meet the full-scale offensives launched by the communists. This made it possible for our reserves to switch rapidly from one area to another in time of need. In the ever-changing tide of battle in Korea, as we again advanced northward, the engineers repaired bridges that had been destroyed. For one extended period, they put in over 1,000 tons of bridge material a day. Called upon to perform engineering miracles in one of the most rugged areas of the world, the soldiers of the Corps of Engineers once again distinguished themselves as builders and fighters. Today at engineer training centers such as Fort Belvoir in Virginia, the recruit is given a thorough grounding in combat soldiering. In addition, he is schooled in more than 30 different technical skills, which make up the Army engineers' bag of tricks. Trainees learn the most effective ways of placing barbed wire, the importance of proper drainage in construction, how to handle the many types of engineer earth-moving equipment, course, how to build bridges. The engineer-trained soldier develops a technical know-how that is useful in civilian life. Bridge construction is the job most identified with Army engineers. This includes the construction of a wide variety of floating and fixed bridges for the heaviest equipment our forces take into action. Mobile, sturdy bridge-building equipment is designed for rapid construction. Well-trained engineers are also skilled at make-do methods using local materials. The officer's candidate school at Fort Belvoir provides the enlisted man with the opportunity to become a commissioned officer in the Corps of Engineers. The 22-week course of instruction is intense, with great emphasis on physical training. The typical candidate usually has less than a year of service. He is about 23 years old, has a year of college. When he graduates, he makes a versatile engineer officer as well as a hardy combat soldier. The Army map service, under the direction of the chief of engineers with its headquarters in Washington, D.C., is the largest mapping operation in the world. The complex maps required by our armed services are prepared by a skilled organization of some 3,000 civilians and engineer officers. Unlike the ordinary road map, these topographical maps must be extremely detailed and accurate for many uses, such as control of artillery fire. There is need for tremendous quantities of all types of maps. During the past year, 65 million copies were produced to meet military requirements. RAM is devoted to domestic maps, applying to engineer work in flood control and improvement of rivers and harbors. Mobile mapping units, equipped to follow combat organizations into action, produce large numbers of maps on the spot to aid troops in battle. Serving the Army map service on topographical surveys are Army aircraft. In 1945, the first light plane was assigned to an Army engineer unit. Today, both airplanes and helicopters are used by engineer intelligence to collect information on the effect of terrain on military operations. Air drop of engineer equipment is a major present-day problem. Construction equipment must be adapted so it can be dropped from the air. Bulldozers, tractors, cranes, scrapers, graters and other earth-moving material have been modified to meet the 16,000-pound airborne weight limit. Tests are being made so transport planes will be able to drop equipment along with construction crews far behind enemy lines. To suddenly discover an American engineer constructed airfield at his rear would be a shock to the enemy and a tactical advantage to us. Another phase of engineer activity is the testing of the DeLong Pier. Men of the 79th Engineer Construction Group are trying out this new development for use in military operations. The portable pier, actually a floating dock barge, can be towed into position. It can sink its own piles and raise itself out of the water to any desired level by means of air jacks for fast and steady unloading. This 800-ton structure can be put into operation in a few days instead of the months required to construct a standard pier. In this age of scientific progress, the accent is on research and development. Coming down the road is a development which has greatly increased combat effectiveness of our troops at night. This tank has been equipped with a removable 18-inch searchlight. Many a communist fighter in Korea caught in the searchlight's beam is no longer around to talk about it. As a result, the Reds gave special attention during the day to destroying tanks with these lights. But that problem has been solved because two crewmen can now mount the searchlight at night and remove it by day in less than five minutes. The 60-inch anti-aircraft searchlight has been put to new combat use, producing artificial moonlight to illuminate a battlefield. Redesigned by the engineers as a complete unit in itself with both searchlight and generator mounted on a single truck, this device was used extensively and successfully in the Korean conflict. This van expands from its normal 8-foot width to 13 and a half feet in a five-minute operation by two men. The van is only one section of a photomapping equipment train with heating and air conditioning units. Engineer research has come up with this new method for making it easy to unload heavy equipment from a truck. By stopping the vehicle suddenly, the equipment mounted on a sled is jerked back so it slides over a roller on the tailgate. Now it can be lowered into position on the ground by a winch located on the rear of the truck. Detection and demolition of mines is another frontline responsibility of Army engineers. Equipment for doing this job is constantly being developed and improved. In lanes containing four types of terrain, typical of different parts of the world, various types of mine detectors are tested. And here the mighty little Jeep goes in for mine detection. When the attached detector registers a find, the Jeep comes to an automatic halt. If the driver decides to take a walk, the Jeep goes on alone and points out the spot where there's trouble. Answering the need for speedy storage of petroleum products in the field, the engineers have come up with this 10,000-gallon collapsible tank. It took weeks in the past to set up bolted steel fuel tanks, but this new collapsible type will work fast for most fueling operations. At up-to-date container testing laboratories, considerable progress has been made in reducing damage to shipments of materiel because of inadequate packaging. In 1942, about 45% of materiel shipped overseas arrived in usable condition. By 1945, the figure had grown to 75%. The ability of a container to withstand impact stresses is determined by this incline impact testing machine. Here, a crankshaft feels the brunt of the impact. Prolonged periods of vibration often cause damage to sensitive equipment. To cut down losses from this source, containers are subjected to a vibration test. This engine generator is feeling the effect of vibrations. The results are recorded on instrumentation panels inside the booth. Here is a new plastic assault boat, light and efficient. With carrying 12 combat-equipped men, it can reach a speed of 30 miles an hour. To rapidly bridge short gaps, such as canals and narrow streams, engineers have developed two tank-launched bridges. The first bridge sits on two huge rubber tires. Easily maneuvered, it is pushed into position by a tank. The scissors-type bridge is 60 feet long and has a roadway width of 13 feet 6 inches. It can carry the heaviest of tanks. With short-gap crossings, it is difficult to build a bridge in the face of enemy fire. These bridges are a possible solution to that problem. In times of combat, as well as now, all units make use of equipment for which the Corps of Engineers is responsible. To supply such items and spare parts, engineer depots are maintained. Thousands of engineer soldiers and civilians have served in these depots all over the world, handling 10,000 standard items of equipment and 300,000 different items of spare parts. As in the case of the 1947 Texas City oil explosion and fire, whenever disaster strikes at the well-being of the American people, the Corps of Engineers goes to the help of the stricken area. In the mounting emergency caused by the paralyzing Midwest blizzards of 48 and 49, the Fifth Army turned over relief work to the Missouri River Division of the Engineers. In Operation Snowbound, as it was called, engineers opened up thousands of miles of drifted highways and farm roads. Over 200,000 maroon families were freed, and access to feed was provided for millions of starving livestock. In 1951, when heavy rains followed a concentration of snow and ice, the swollen Missouri River threatened well-populated areas along the mighty moe down to its mouth. Tragedy was averted at Omaha through the combined efforts of Army engineers and the people of Omaha and Council Bluffs, the city across the river. Under the direction of the engineers, flashboards were put in extending the height of the levees, protecting valuable property, homes and industry. By day and night, constant vigil was kept while the struggle continued for 30 days, but the river was held back within its banks. Army engineers answered the call for aid overseas as well as at home. Holland still hasn't completely recovered from the effects of this disaster of 1953, one of the worst floods in the history of the friendly lowland country. For their heroic fight to save lives and property, NATO troops, including American engineers, won the undying gratitude of the Dutch government and people. In country, this could happen more frequently if not for flood control measures, which are part of the civil works program of the Corps of Engineers. The main bulwarks against major floods are dams. On the Missouri River in North Dakota, the garrison dam, largest rolled-filled earth structure ever undertaken by man, is under construction. Modern earth-moving equipment, together with human engineering skill, will make possible a project which will be 20 times the size of the Great Pyramid in Egypt. Fort Peck Dam, at the headwaters of the Missouri River in Montana, is a reservoir for navigation, flood control, power and irrigation. It is estimated that in the past 12 years, this multi-purpose project has prevented $51 million in flood damage. The Fort Randall Dam and reservoir is under construction in northern Nebraska, near the site of a fort used in the 1880s. At the White House on 15 March, President Eisenhower gives the signal to Fort Randall to put the first generator into operation. When completed, this project will be one unit in the comprehensive plan for the development of the Missouri River basin. By providing flood control, it will protect against destructive waters from Fort Randall to the mouth of the Missouri. Chain of rocks located on the Mississippi River above St. Louis present a troublesome navigation hazard. To correct this barrier to inland shipping, the Corps of Engineers set to work constructing a canal and locks. Construction was essentially completed by 9 February, 1953, when the project was first opened to river traffic. The Waterways Experiment Station at Vicksburg, Mississippi is maintained by the Corps as a laboratory for the study of all types of water projects. Here, small-scale models of entire river basins are built. Every conceivable river condition can be reproduced and analyzed. In this way, solutions are found for flood control, navigation, river meander, tides, and other problems. Many river channels tend to fill in and become shallow unless continually dredged. This activity goes back to 1824, when the Corps of Engineers first began its program of improvement of our nation's rivers and harbors. Pipeline dredges with their mechanical rotating blades loosen riverbed mud, which is sucked up through the pipes. The mud is then disposed of in other designated areas, leaving the channel deeper and wider for safer navigation. The Seillon, the world's largest sea-going dredge, was designed by the Corps of Engineers. In New York Harbor, where dredging is essential to maintain necessary depths near piers and docks, and in the channels, the Seillon has removed seven-and-a-half million cubic yards of mud in one year's operation. When the long drags are lowered to the bottom, powerful pumps suck up mud and discharge it into huge tanks inside the ship. When the hoppers are full, the Seillon puts out to sea where her cargo is emptied into deep water. Another familiar sight in New York Harbor is an odd floating contraption. This one is appropriately named the Driftmaster. It's a sort of water-bound vacuum cleaner, sweeping up the harbor surface of floating debris, which could easily cause delay and damage to vessels moving in and out of port. From the look of this old tar, nothing coming up out of the water could surprise him, not even a mermaid. To prevent river waters from eating away the banks, concrete mattresses are laid. These are launched by a specially designed engineer barge. As the mattress sections are added, the barge moves away from the bank and the mattress is lowered to the river bottom. The cables are cut and the mattress then extends from the river's edge to the deepest part of the channel. Located in the nation's capital, the Beach Erosion Board is another engineer testing agency. This is a model study of emergency shore protection for the Great Lakes. The temporary protection shown here is built at a fraction of the cost of other known methods. How to find ways to minimize the deterioration of waterfront property from sea erosion is the main job of these technicians. Stormy seas are reproduced in this 635-foot tank. The seemingly beautiful waves which pound our coast 24 hours a day carry destructive force in every curl and break. This type of research may mean the difference between life and death for a waterfront community. In cooperation with the Canadian government, Army engineers are preparing to do a face lifting job on Niagara Falls. During the past centuries, the face of the falls has been slowly wearing away and its crest moving upstream. In order to preserve the beauty of this scenic spectacle, the International Joint Commission has authorized engineering works for keeping the maximum amount of water going over the falls and, at the same time, diverting water for other uses. Not all Army engineers wear uniforms. There is a far larger number of civilian workers who are the backbone of the engineer-directed construction program which will reach over a billion dollars in the present fiscal year. In the American tradition, private industry plays a substantial part in the accomplishment of these operations. The time-honored practice of awarding contracts to the lowest responsible bidder is followed as much as possible. Back in July 1951, the first convoy of ships loaded with engineer men and equipment battled through the clutches of the ice flows on the way to Tuley, Greenland. They moved ashore to a frozen, windswept, desolate fragment of land abutted by the great ice cap. These were the first steps of the first major construction project in the heart of the forbidding Arctic. For 63 days, men worked amid the roar of machines. At the end of that time, in place of the nothingness of Tuley, Greenland, there stood a mighty air base, another link in the chain of free world defense. 5,000 miles away from Tuley, in North Africa, another important base in our defense plan was built. The same story can be told of other distant places, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Tripoli, the Azores, French Morocco, where the castle emblem of the Corps of Engineers is now a familiar sight. The men who wear that emblem can be justly proud of this oldest professional service in the Army, the part it played in developing the atomic bomb, its outstanding achievements in combat and supporting operations, and its great civil works developments, all our history. Count on the Corps of Engineers to play a vigorous role in the new chapters ahead. The Corps of Engineers is now 179 years old, with a proud record of service behind it. But as you have seen, there is nothing old about its spirit, as its personnel, both civilian and military, look forward eagerly to future accomplishment. This is Sergeant Stuart Queen, inviting you to be with us next week for 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.