 from Korea to Germany, from Alaska to Puerto Rico. All over the world, the United States Army is on the alert to defend our country, you 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 James Mansfield. Today, the big picture is going to take you back in time, about nine years to June, 1944, a day when American combat infantry made history on the beaches of Normandy and France. It was D-Day, and the men of the blue badge were bringing the war to the enemy. You will see the buildup that made the invasion possible, and the convoy that brought our army across the channel. But before we take you back to D-Day, Colonel Quinn will review for you five points to keep in mind when thinking of the combat infantrymen. Then later on, he will have an interesting story to tell you about his meeting with Herman Gehrig, Hitler's air marshal. So now we take you to the office of Colonel William W. Quinn. How do you do, ladies and gentlemen? Before we see the invasion of Normandy, I'd like to review with you some of the points that we brought up last week. Some of the points that have to do with the infantryman and his weapon. There are five basic points that I'd like to discuss at this time. The first of these points has to do with the rifle itself and the man who carries it. We are theoretically, at least so-called in a state of push-button warfare with atomic energy and in the atomic age. But the man with a rifle is still the basic instrument of combat. The place where he goes is the place where it has to be gone by men with rifles. It was true in the last war, and it's true in Korea today. No other element has been able to eliminate the enemy except the man with a rifle. The second of these points has to do with the capacity of the man himself and the requirement that he has to know 12 to 15 different weapons and not only the basic rifle, machine guns, the martyrs, recallist rifles. He has to be a man of some intelligence. Further, the next point, everything that we have in our defense effort is designed to assist this man in his forward progress wherever he goes. Basically, and the fourth point, there has been no system, no particular device yet created which can take and hold property or real estate except the man with a rifle. And fifth and last, I'd like to ask you in the event that we were invaded, how the fight would go. Can you picture the type of fight that would be here in the United States? I ask you to visualize whether or not our atomic bombs would drop, our own atomic bombs would drop on Pittsburgh. And I'm sure you'll agree with me that they would not. We would not use our mass weapons of deployment, but we would fight with this rifle in our home, towns, and in the streets of our city. You know, one of the most interesting meetings that I ever attended had to do with a meeting between General Thuy's spots, my boss, General Patch in the 7th Army, and Reich Marshal Herman Goering immediately after he was captured by the 7th Army in Bavaria. At this meeting, General Spots asked the Reich Marshal about the various types of air activity, and particularly the battle over Britain. And after a few minutes of discussion, General Spots said to Herman Goering, I would like to ask you the $64 question. And that question is this. Could we have defeated Germany without invasion, without the invasion of Normandy? Well, Goering's answer was almost dramatic when he said nine, of course, which is German for no. And General Spots said, well, why? Well, Goering went on to explain that the B-25 came as no great surprise to the Germans. But what did come as a surprise was the fact that they had underestimated the American potential to produce and to distribute B-25s in the quantities they did. Goering said that the B-25s disrupted the jet airplane program to a point where they had immediately to go underground. The father went on to say that for every offense and war, there is a corresponding or reactive defense. And the Germans, of course, tried to go underground in order to put out their jet aircraft in time to be effective. Well, because they were late in this program, our aircraft delivered many telling bows. But when, according to Goering, when the infantrymen hit the beaches, that then posed a different requirement, one of space instead of time, because they were underground to a degree. And as the infantry moved inland, they had to take men out of their plants, put rifles in their hands to go stop us. Consequently, they were losing both time and space. And eventually, space overtook them and moved in and our men with infantry overtook their plants that had the jet in them, which, of course, Herman said, if we could have gotten our jets in the air in sufficient quantity, why we would have knocked you out of the air. Well, we'll never know precisely the outcome one way or the other except by history itself. And of course, we do know that it was the man with a rifle that took the beaches and led the spearhead that eventually wound up in victory. So at this time, the blue badge presents the invasion of Normandy. In December, 1943, at Tehran, Persia, the date for the liberation of the people of Europe was set on the Allied calendar of operations. Chosen to be Supreme Commander was General Dwight D. Eisenhower, destroy Hitler's empire, smash it by air, break it wide open, then invade by sea. That was the directive. The cross-channel assault was the crux of our plan. Early capture of a large port was of the utmost importance. Considered were Calais, Dieppe, L'Havre, Sherbourg, Brest. Sherbourg was selected. For more than one full year, they're poured into Great Britain a torrent of war implements, tanks, guns, weapons beyond description. And men, American soldiers at the rate of 150,000 every month. Assault training included every phase of the coming battle. In the early spring of 1944, joint maneuvers of the ground, sea and air forces, which were to make the attack, were held along the southern coast of England. Every duty was performed as if this were the real thing. British shores chosen for their similarity to the coastlines of the Normandy Peninsula were the staging areas for these maneuvers. Meanwhile, the Allied strategic air assault on Fortress Europe went on with ever-mounting power. Day and night, the Allied air forces sent their bomb cargos into the vitals of Hitler's self-proclaimed kingdom. Targets, factories, air drones, synthetic fuel plants, crude oil refineries, munitions works, railroads, canals, power plants. The climax of the air war came in February 1944 when the Luftwaffe made a desperate all-out effort to sweep our day bombers from the sky. The battle raged for a week. The cost to us was high, but the German Air Force came out of the battle clippled beyond redemption. Our attacks continued with unabated fury. At Bivouac and training areas, ground troops received their alert orders. Men and equipment started to move. 65,000 men and 7,600 vehicles from Bivouac areas all over Great Britain were moved to marshalling areas in southern England without a hitch. Highways were kept clear of all civilian traffic during this period. Rumor that the Great Invasion was at last underway flew through the length and breadth of Great Britain. In the marshalling area, each man drew a new gas mask of the latest type, an instantaneous life belt. Field rations were issued, including cigarettes and candy. When the men received French folding money, they knew what was what. Now special briefing officers took over. Each unit was briefed individually. The movement of the initial invasion task force from the marshalling areas to the embarkation points in southeastern England began on 30 May 1944. The timetable called for all troops, vehicles, and supplies to be aboard their transports within five days. This transportation and embarkation schedule, so vital to the whole invasion plan, required the closest possible coordination of times of departure and arrival. The operation was executed with expert skill and efficiency. Morale was high, toughened, skilled, easy under discipline. Our men knew they were ready. Embarkation of men and equipment took place simultaneously at nine seaports along the southern and southwestern coast of England. All vehicles and tanks were loaded backwards on LSTs and LCIs. Concrete and cobblestone embarkation lanes known as hearts had been constructed to speed loading. All vehicles embarked with gas tanks filled and sufficient extra gas for 150 miles. And the foot soldier was on time and in place. All English seashore towns through which our military forces passed were quarantined as a precaution against the leakage of information. Had the Luftwaffe commanded the skies at this juncture, it could have inflicted great damage to our men and ships concentrated as they were in this relatively small area. Each man carried one K and one D ration, no extra clothing or barracks bags on this trip. General Eisenhower said of these men, there is no question at all as to the readiness of the troops. They are well-trained, fit, and impatient to get the job started and completed. These small assault boats ran a continuous shuttle service from the hards and docks to the transports lying at anchor in the harbor. This shuttling was a necessary expedient because of the huge amount of men and equipment that had to be loaded in a four-day period and the limited dock facilities available in the ports of Southeast England. But every factor in this vast transportation problem had been envisaged and worked out in advance. The arithmetic of logistics, however, could not have clicked without the spirit of frictionless teamwork which prevailed among the staffs and men of the Army and Navy. The job was everybody's job, Army, Navy, Air Force. As each ship was completely loaded with its men and equipment, it pulled out into the harbor to take its place in the forming convoy. A board ship, the men sweated out the hours of waiting, each in his own way. Naval gun crews received individual briefings. The success of this tremendous undertaking depended vitally upon the naval bombardment that would precede the assault of ground forces. Troop units rehearsed their objectives from D-Day to D-Plus-3. Everything known about the enemy's defenses was thoroughly analyzed by officers and men. Preventive maintenance service of arms and equipment was highly stressed in all branches of our military forces. An important problem was how to prevent guns and equipment from becoming fouled by salt water and sand. On 4 June, with the convoys fully loaded and ready to sail, the weather forecast for D-Day caused grave concern. A last-minute conference took place aboard the Augusta. D-Day was postponed 24 hours to 6 June. Forborn troops, the men who were to spearhead the invasion had meanwhile been assembling at command departure points. These tough fighting men who were to drop behind the enemy's coastal defenses in parachutes and gliders had the extremely critical mission of preventing enemy counterattacks from upsetting the plan of our main assault forces. These airborne troops would be fighting the enemy and destroying his lines of communication five hours before the main assault forces hit the beaches. Covered by watchful air fighters, the American units left their various harbors in southeast in England to meet the British units at a rendezvous off the Isle of Wight. Our strategic air bombardment never let up. Through endless attacks on key bridges and rail centers, the ability of the enemy to shift reserves was fatally restricted. Under complete radio silence, each ship took its proper place in the vast Armada. At twilight came the signal for the dash across the channel. At command departure points, gliders and their tow planes were standing ready for the night's operation. Speeds and altitudes were assigned to tow plane pilots and glider pilots were given a final briefing on all that was known to our intelligence regarding the conditions likely to be found in the drop zones. Each unit's mission was clearly defined. Earlier in the day, General Gavin had a final talk with his men. General Eisenhower paid a visit to the airborne infantry. These men were assigned to six Pathfinder units. Takeoff, 2,310 hours of D minus one. Time for the airborne spearhead to get going. At more than a dozen fields, paratroopers filed out of hangars on schedule and marched to their planes. Each combat team carried adequate equipment to complete its mission independently, for it was recognized that a night drop into heavily defended enemy territory by such large forces was bound to create a wild state of confusion on both sides. Parapax of heavy equipment would be released separately. Gliders were loaded with equipment first. Each pilot checked his list of passengers. Paratroopers put on their full load of equipment, adjusting each item with extreme care. To hit the dirt just right with a full load of equipment is a highly specialized business. Final check by the jump master, the most particular man in the outfit. Paratroopers board their planes. Legpacks containing demolition supplies will be released by the men while in midair. Thus, each man will hit the dirt close to his pack. The success of the mission depended upon the rapid destruction of certain key enemy installations. The gliders take off. The heavily armed men in them a short while before had listened to a message from the Supreme Commander. You are about to embark on a great crusade. The eyes of the world are upon you and the hopes and prayers of all liberty loving people. The vast convoy of seaborn assault forces stood deployed against 50 miles of French coastline. American forces were commanded by Lieutenant General Bradley. British and Canadian forces were under command of Lieutenant General Dempsey. Shattering the dawn 90 minutes before eight hour, the naval bombardment opened up. It was like a compulsion of nature. More shell tonnage was expended in one hour than in the entire Allied naval campaigns of World War I. Each warship had its assigned targets, its individual schedule of fire, prime targets with the enemy's powerful coastal gunners. Infantry units that would comprise the second assault wave began transferring into their assault boats. The first assault wave was already standing by waiting for the signal to dash insure. Last phase of air bombardment began at 05.30, one hour before touchdown of the ground troops. Streams of heavy, medium, light and fighter bombers crossed the channel in the most intensive airstrike of the entire assault operation. Objective, to isolate the battle area until we could consolidate our beach heads and begin the breakthrough. Big guns ported on. Combat teams each on a schedule continued their unloading into assault boats. There would be little time between the first assault wave and the second. The rocket ships opened up, smashing at underwater obstacles and coastal mines over the heads of the first wave of assault troops, firing their masked salvos with close precision until the troops were 300 yards from the beaches. The fury from the air went on and on. Our airmen in tactical support of the ground forces took no rest that day. Back from one sortie, they gassed up, loaded their bombs and ammunition belts and grimly went out again and again, their sights as the assault boats went in and smashed at the enemy's gun batteries farther inland. Yet so ingeniously fortified was this coastal zone that despite the deluge of bombs and shells from our air and sea bombardment, enemy counterfire was still effective as our men neared the beaches. Our first assault wave had a full share of heartbreaking misadventures. Many of their boats were hung up and wrecked on steel hedgehogs. Plunging fire from enemy batteries was extremely accurate. Fusion boats went astray or got out of control and crashed into one another. Forced to jump out of sinking boats, many men had to discard their weapons and equipment to save themselves from drowning. Casuities in the first hour were heavy. British fired at fortified houses as they came in, smashing many a sniper's nest in observation posts. In sector, fire from enemy pill boxes kept many of our men pinned against the shore cliffs. Our casualties were high. In the British sector, special duty engineers hit the beach first with the medics and infantry following. The beach had secure the infantrymen lost no time in driving on to other objectives. The second assault wave came in. In one American sector, enemy resistance was only sporadic and was quickly silenced. Our forces made substantial penetrations in the first hours. So it went on the beaches of Normandy this fateful day in June. Reinforcements continued to pour ashore. Artillery and heavy engineering equipment were firmly established. The German boast that an invading force could not remain ashore for nine hours had been flung back on the now desperate defenders. Hitler's fortress had been cracked. The great gamble had been won, having accomplished what many European military leaders believed never could be done across channel invasion. The Allies were now in position to apply their great power to the methodical destruction of the German armed might, to bring retribution to the fiendish criminals that had conceived it, to scourge it and them from the face of the earth. Well, I'm sure some of those scenes have brought back memories to a great number of you. Connection with that war over there, I've been asked as have many other officers enlisted men who returned from Korea what the basic differences are in the combat between that type of war and the Korean conflict. Well, my answer has always been that there are about three or four major differences. The first one, of course, has to do with enemy tactics. I've always considered that the Korean type of fighting is feudalistic, medieval, in the sense that the Chinese fight for the citadels, the tops of the mountains and therefore require us to go in after them. Terrain, of course, is always a great factor and in Korea you have extremely abrupt terrain, high mountains and very low valleys and that reminds me of the story of two men that I overheard talking. One soldier said to the other, he said, what are you gonna do when you get out of here? He's, of course, speaking, getting out of Korea and the other one said, well, he said, I'm going out in Kansas and build myself a home out there. And the other one said, well, what kind of house are you gonna build? Well, he says, I don't know exactly, but I know this. He says, it will not have a single step in it because I'm not gonna climb anything anymore which I believe gives you a pretty good indication of the impression that terrain makes in Korea. A lot about winds it up for today, ladies and gentlemen, but we'd like particularly for you to be with us next week when we have a most unusual program. It's our intention to interview a communist Chinese soldier. So until we meet again, ladies and gentlemen, this is Colonel Quinn speaking for the combat infantryman who asked you to look twice at the man who wears the blue badge for it's the mark of a man. The big picture is a weekly television report to the nation on the activities of the army at home overseas produced by the Signal Corps Pictorial Center, presented by the US 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.