 coupled with the fighting skill of the American soldier stands ready on the alert all over the world to defend this 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 steward queen a proud tradition is a must for a fighting army past deeds of glory serve as an example an inspiration for the soldiers of today an army post which almost breezed tradition is fortman row in virginia headquarters of the continental army command and incidentally an attraction for tourists from all over the country to give viewers of the big picture our own quick tour of historic fortman row not long ago we flew down to the extreme tip of virginia's lower peninsula from the air it's easy to see that fortman row is really a fort within a fort begun in 1819 it is the largest enclosed fortification in the united states covering 63 acres of ground around the fort is a mole 60 to 150 feet in width but that it as it may be in the face of modern weapons of war in its day when a stone wall was still the answer to gunfire fortman row was a brilliant concept in seacoast defense yes the surroundings may have an aura of bygone days but that's all there is about the past at connor the words of commanding general willard g wyman highlight the present and future of the continental army command i'm very happy to introduce you to the headquarters of continental army command located here at fortman row on old point comfort virginia it is significant in this respect that we are located in the shores of hampton roads where during the civil war the first ironclad vessels of war challenged each other for the first time in battle new weapons in a wartime laboratory now in peacetime we endeavor to look still further ahead fortunate too are we located within a few air minutes of the tactical air command at langley field blood brothers of ours on the battlefield that powerful air force that opens the way for the army victory no less important is the navy which keeps the army alive on distant shores just across the bay at norfolk there's a commander in chief of the atlantic fleet with his headquarters three services of the utmost mutual importance to each other the army the navy the air force your team for national defense my appointment with a public information officer was for later that day and there was time first for some sightseeing around historic fortman row known first as fort algenorn the original fortifications were started by the english in 1609 a good many years before our country was founded and that's the first thing to strike you about fortman row how long it has served so well from 1609 this defense point later named fort george and still later fortman row after the nation's fifth president has quartered fighting men from near and far the fortifications were destroyed once by fire twice by storms at one time the fort was rebuilt by men commanded by a young lieutenant later to become famous as general robert e lee there is a sense of history in every corner of fortman row and to help visitors understand its role in some very stirring events a small museum has been set up within one of the old walls of the fort the case mate museum here a sergeant from the public information office answered my question what are the main sightseeing attractions at fortman row well sergeant queen that would be difficult to answer because so many things have happened here at fortman row historic speaking but uh i just couldn't quite concentrate on one point uh huh i noticed that a great many tourists visit this post they do from all over the world coming in uh when did uh this tourist popularity here at fortman row began sergeant queen i don't think i would care to answer that question because there are so many things about fortman row that have to do with america's past you know this area has been a resort area since way back in 1832 by 1832 sergeant simpson that was the end of the black hawk warrior remember and at that time chief black hawk and several of his chiefs were brought here to fortman row and held prisoner and people came from far and wide to see these uh well they were downright celebrities here and uh then they told their friends about how interesting fortman row was and thus it was built up as a resort area listening to sergeant simpson i realized why this post is most fascinating to those interested in our civil war period fortman row was a union stronghold throughout the civil war even though it was deep in confederate territory it served as a staging area for thousands of union troops in other words the union troops were right here within almost the confederate lines that's right and just across the bay at norfolk was the confederate troops i think sergeant queen that if you were coming to our museum you'll learn a lot more about fortman row than i could tell you thank you very much sergeant simpson i think i will just look around the casemate museum consists of a series of small rooms hewn out of the fortress wall of particular interest is a room commemorating the sea battle between the first iron clad ships the union's monitor the famous cheese box on a ramp against the confederacy's marimat the battle took place on march 9th 1862 at hampton roads just off the walls of fortman row and on the walls of the room was a drawing of the famous battle which turned back to confederacy's bed for naval supremacy next along the wall were other drawings of highlights and personalities in the fortman row past robert e lee as a lieutenant of engineers a recital of his poetry by ed garland po in 1849 po was a former sergeant major at the post and the memorable day in 1862 when a famous president stepped ashore to visit a strong point of his nation's defenses these and other mementos of a storied past lined the walls of the casemate museum the adjacent room is simply furnished a bed a table a chair a bible the cell where jefferson davis president of the confederacy was brought after the defeat of the south in the civil war a chair next to the court of jefferson davis a tribute to the memory of dr craven chief medical officer at fortman row who befriended the captured confederate president and helped him win better conditions close by the casemate museum is another hollowed building linking fortman rows past with their present the lovely chapel of the centurion serving as a post chapel for fortman row it is open daily for prayer with me on my visit with chaplain mills post protestant chaplain i understand that the chapel was erected almost 100 years ago uh yes sergeant queen it was built in 1858 by lieutenant julian mccallister a young officer at fortman row was a thanks offering a thanks offering yes lieutenant mccallister and two other officers were working in a fortman row laboratory there was a bad explosion mccallister escaped unharmed but his two companions were killed in recognition of the divine providence which had spared his life a lieutenant mccallister sponsored the building of this chapel with his own funds and money collected from france i kept thinking of the story of lieutenant mccallister as we walked on and a moment later we were inside the cool quiet of the chapel of the centurion the chapel is dedicated to saint cornelius patron saint of military men who was converted to the christian faith by the apostle peter cornelius was a roman centurion an officer commanding 100 men and that's why the name chapel of the centurion from the walls of the chancellor naïve are the flags and colors of old regiments of the united states army these flags faded and worn over the years have rustled quietly over many a national leader who has come here for moments of spiritual repose among them was president woodrow wilson who more than once left washington to spend weekends at fortman row where he worshipped in this flagline chapel the stained glass windows are dedicated to the military men who have served at fortman row all good and faithful servants whose memory will always be cherished by a grateful nation they served in the watchful quiet years of peace and in the rumble and thunder and sacrifice of war some fought in the early battles that long ago entered the chronicles of american history and some died for their country in recent years still fresh in memory died in korea so kids next door may live the spirit of the chapel of the centurion is best expressed by these windows and the gallant men whose memory they revere so the kids next door may live fittingly enough just opposite the chapel of the centurion is the chapel center which provides religious training for all age groups with emphasis on the young there are three youth chapels here in an atmosphere that is pleasant and spiritually uplifting they worship regularly the post has always been a leader in the field of soldier and dependent education watching a bible class at the center conducted by one of the many volunteer workers you get an idea how moral training is emphasized here in a wholesome interesting manner no wonder then religious classes are among the most popular activities at old fortman row and for that matter there's many a reason why it is a popular post with the men stationed here the blend of the old as an ancient canon set against the new of a luxurious off post hotel where many visitors stay all this gives Monroe a certain something a unique only place like it quality that men appreciate long after they've left whether he wanders up to the old lighthouse looks across the water to where the monitor fought the marama or whether he enjoys an hour of relaxation at the officer's club set in the coolness of an old case mate a room cut into the actual wall of the fort or whether he spends a lot of his free time at the enlisted man's club any soldier stationed at Monroe will tell you life at Monroe can be mighty pleasant and the outdoor swimming pools don't hurt one bit dependent housing is available with plenty of room for kids to play and a wonderful view of the Atlantic to boot there's even an unofficial dog cemetery where Rover and Fido and company are laid to rest impressions mingle one with another as you walk through fortman row there are the old quarters built in 1819 still in use the churches so that men and women of every faith can worship in their own way there is the impressive grandeur of generals row from where by 730 every morning senior officers have left for work on sunny sunday afternoons the thumping beat of a brass band sounds out from Chamberlain Park as the soldiers offer a concert Monroe to the other the stirring music can be heard it washes over the empty gun emplacements and flares across the water where sailors on freighters bound for europe and south america come up on deck to listen do you suppose these ancient moat walls have echoed to the music of the fort Monroe band almost a countless number for these stone barriers were built to ward off the musket and the cannonball and still stand today in the era of the rocket and the guided missile surely the fort is no bulwark of defense today it is more a symbol of the unwavering unfaltering past of a great nation but the everyday work at Monroe the work of Connor concerns itself with the past only as a lesson for the present and a guide to the future and the future of our honor that is the business of Connor as i soon learned in my interview with one of fortman row's public information officers how do you do sir now you sit down please major gordon andrew's is one of the public information officers of the continental army command major would you outline for our big picture audience some of the important functions of conard well as you know the soldier forces within the united states are divided into the six armies and the military district of washington the six armies covering a section of the country the commanding general commands the six armies and the military district of washington along with this command function he is also responsible to the chief of staff for many of the other functions would you mind spelling out the more important ones for us sir it is the job of the continental army command to create improved weapons and develop doctrine tactics and techniques for a modern defense force conard officers must look into the future planning for new weapons and uniforms of war together with the know-how to use them to the greatest advantage working with its six field testing agencies known as boards as well as an arctic test branch conard's development and test section keeps tabs on how theory works out in practice at board one for example in fort sill oklahoma conard men have participated in many tests to improve the honest john a rocket capable of delivering various types of warheads at long range fort Knox kentucky is the headquarters of conard's board two here the dust and grime of operational use test the latest in armored vehicles and automotive equipment as the m59 armored infantry carrier or the t101 self-propelled gun every piece of rolling equipment gets a rough going over as conard men watch and report on the need for possible changes the t101 shows a lot of balance as it goes through one obstacle after another to prove it's good enough to join the army's armada of mobile weapons at fort benning is conard's board three its primary function is to review the performance of infantry weapons like the 106 millimeter recoilless rifle which displays its effectiveness for conard men who stand by on the range during fire for it bliss texas headquarters of conard's board four which is primarily concerned with the nike guided missile now being used in many defense locations throughout the united states board four men constantly analyze the procedure for moving the missile into firing position trying to streamline and speed up the operation without in any way sacrificing the safety factor for operating personnel the force field of interest also extends to target drone planes pilotless machines hurtling through the air under complete control of men on the ground anti-aircraft weapons represent another important area of board four activity they are put through rigorous firing tests regular at fort bragg north carolina conard's board five test communication and electronic equipment in cooperation with the signal core conard officers travel to all parts of the country to examine new developments like combat television as when put through tests at a recent combat demonstration in fort mead marily the advancing troops may be way up ahead but the television screen tells those at headquarters how things are going field radar installations and other electronic equipment are run through constant operational tests under the supervision of conard board five fort rucker alabama a name and a place synonymous with army aviation here conard's board six tests army aircraft and air support equipment which covers a lot of territory a lot of different types of late model light aircraft used by the army fort grily alaska home of conard's arctic test branch in ice and snow battling sub-zero weather conard men watch and report as men and equipment go through performance tests across the frozen arctic just part of conard's extensive program for observing how material meets the test of combat conditions through its six boards and the arctic test branch the scene any one of many army installations throughout the world a projector is turned on for a training film conard is concerned here too for another of its functions is to prepare army instructional material training aids that result in quick learning of army skills conard also supervises the training of individuals and units of the reserve forces conard prepares plans for the ground defense of the continental united states and also maintains liaison with appropriate canadian and mexican defense agencies and lastly but a vital interest to areas hit by disasters as the floods that have raged over wide stretches of the country in recent years conard prepares plans for and is ready to assist civil authorities in securing immediate relief when a disaster suddenly strikes a widespread area that's a very abbreviated very much simplified run through of some of the important functions of the continental army command thank you major by the way where's that band music coming from that's from our parade ground you're just about to get in on the awarding of the soldier of the month here at fortman rome a few minutes later a parade was taking place on the carpet green braid ground i stood on the sidelines watching the ceremony soldier of the month received his award we've all seen parades with louder brass bands with more marching men and women it's impressive just the same on this parade ground surrounded by the mementos of the army's proud past one got a real sense of the continuity of the united states fighting forces atmosphere of the old where continental army command is planning the army's new look you realize of our country's founding there has always been a proud fighting army ready to defend america home of the continental army command still plays a prominent and vital role in the national security of the united states now this is sergeant steward queen inviting you to be with us again next week for another look at 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