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The Big Picture TV Series, US Army Documentary, Public Domain
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00:09The
00:10United States Army presents
00:11The Big Picture
00:15An official report
00:17produced for the armed forces
00:19and the American people
00:30To most Americans
00:32the very symbol of government is the capital
00:34building in Washington, where the machinery
00:36of democracy works its wonders
00:38Almost in its shadow
00:40is another building which symbolizes just as
00:42strongly one of the indispensable
00:44freedoms in our democracy
00:45The National Press Building
00:50It is no accident of history
00:52that the American people are the best informed
00:54in the world. From the very beginning
00:56of the American experiment
00:57it has been recognized that
00:59only with a free and unshackled press
01:01can democracy survive
01:08This recognition
01:09of the press' importance has given it
01:11a position of undeniable privilege and
01:13prestige in our society
01:15but it has also placed upon
01:17it the grave obligation
01:19to keep the people truly informed
01:24Nowhere is
01:25this obligation
01:26more certainly recognized
01:28Nowhere is the responsibility
01:30more keenly felt
01:32than in the National Press Building
01:38Its distinguished tenants
01:39have behind them a breadth of knowledge
01:41of our national life
01:42exceeded by no other group
01:44a knowledge of the intricacies
01:46of the American scene
01:47in all its locations
01:53For these men comprise the Washington
01:56bureaus of leading newspapers
01:57and news services throughout the country
02:11And for their readers
02:12in all parts of the nation
02:13they record day by day history
02:16as it is made at the seat of government
02:19The tradition of a responsible
02:21and professional press is heavy
02:22in this building
02:23where the proudest trophies are the press plates
02:26of memorable front pages
02:40The men of the Washington Press Corps
02:42are among the finest their profession
02:44can produce
02:44Most of them in their careers
02:47have chronicled the political contest
02:49the social upheavals
02:50and the wars
02:51which have formed the story
02:53of our time
02:57One of the most respected members
02:59of the Washington Press Club
03:00is its president
03:01Mr. William Lawrence
03:02of the New York Times
03:03Washington Bureau
03:04He is here shown
03:06introducing General Maxwell D. Taylor
03:08to the National Press Club
03:09on the occasion of
03:10General Taylor's retirement
03:11as Chief of Staff
03:12of the United States Army
03:18Later, with Mr. Lawrence
03:20we will screen the actual
03:21combat films
03:22of the middle phase
03:23of the Korean War
03:25Bill Lawrence's daily job
03:27of reporting
03:27brings him into constant contact
03:29with the men and events
03:30who make headlines
03:31He is exceptionally qualified
03:33in the field of newspaper reporting
03:39In his 18 years
03:40with the New York Times
03:41Bill Lawrence has covered
03:42some very significant stories
03:44During World War II
03:45he was for a while
03:47chief of the Times Bureau
03:48in Moscow
03:48and then he reported
03:50on the war from Okinawa
03:51He flew with B-29s
03:52over Tokyo
03:53and other Japanese cities
03:54and after World War II
03:56he covered the Civil War
03:57in Greece
03:59and then with many other
04:00illustrious reporters
04:01he saw and reported
04:02the war in Korea
04:04Today we are fortunate
04:05to have Bill Lawrence
04:06with us
04:07to look into a particular
04:08phase of that war
04:11Good to see you Bill
04:12Nice to see you Stu
04:14You know
04:15I was very fortunate
04:16recently
04:17on a big picture
04:18to have one of your colleagues
04:20Jim Lucas
04:20of Script Howard
04:22Yeah I got a chance
04:23to see that one Stu
04:24and as I remembered
04:25Jim picked up the war
04:26about the beginning
04:27in June
04:28and carried it up
04:29to the defense
04:29of the Poussin perimeter
04:30That's right
04:32and today I'd like to
04:33pick it up
04:34from that same point
04:35carry it on
04:37from that period
04:38when we broke out
04:39of the perimeter
04:40in September 1950
04:43seems like a long time ago
04:44doesn't it?
04:46Well, in some ways it does
04:48I've covered a couple
04:49of wars since then
04:50and found a lot of stories
04:51from a lot of different places
04:53and yet
04:54no one who was there
04:56soldier or a reporter
04:58is likely to forget it
05:00especially that period
05:01you were just mentioning
05:01September, October 1950
05:04That was a period
05:05of pretty high morale
05:05wasn't it?
05:06Oh, very high
05:07you see, first there'd been
05:08the retreat
05:09then that holding operation
05:11along the Nakdong
05:11and then finally
05:13we were able to go
05:14on an offensive
05:14that was smashing
05:15the North Korean army?
05:16That's right
05:17Bill, you're the kind
05:18of a reporter that
05:19calls the shots
05:20as he sees them
05:21your record speaks
05:22for itself
05:23a very accurate one
05:25I have a book
05:26of clippings
05:26of stories that you filed
05:28during the Korean War
05:30and I'd like to read
05:32a sentence
05:33from one of them
05:34shoot
05:34you read it
05:36in late August 1950
05:38there is a sense of optimism
05:39in American circles
05:41that certainly could not
05:42have been detected
05:43two weeks ago
05:44what prompted you
05:45to write that?
05:47Well, let's recap
05:48a little bit
05:50swiftly, treacherously
05:51without warning
05:52the North Korean army
05:53had smashed across
05:54the 38th parallel
05:55in late June
05:56they fully expected
05:58they'd be able
05:58to drive all the way
05:59down the peninsula
05:59before anybody
06:00could or would
06:02come to the aid
06:03of the South Koreans
06:04but fortunately
06:05the United Nations
06:07were able
06:07to act swiftly
06:08they branded this
06:10an act of aggression
06:10and this authorized
06:11other nations
06:12to come to the aid
06:13of the South Korean army
06:15now the first
06:16available troops
06:17were those
06:18US occupation forces
06:20stationed in Japan
06:21just three divisions
06:23badly equipped
06:24and under strength
06:25and the North Koreans
06:26were strong
06:28and well equipped
06:29they prepared
06:30for this invasion
06:30for a long time
06:32and consequently
06:33our forces
06:33had a pretty rough
06:34time of it
06:35in those summer months
06:35of 1950
06:37About the only thing
06:37we could do
06:38was withdraw
06:39to a defensive line
06:40south of the
06:41Nacton River
06:42Well, withdrawal
06:43is a polite way
06:44of saying we got
06:45chased there
06:45and we did hope
06:46we could hold there
06:47while we build up
06:48supplies and equipment
06:49and men
06:51we did manage
06:52to do that
06:53although it seemed
06:54like a pretty thin
06:57hope
06:58very, very much
06:59the time
07:01But it did break up
07:02the enemy's plan
07:03for a quick push
07:04all the way
07:05down the peninsula
07:07Well, they just
07:07couldn't get through
07:08as I said
07:09they
07:09every time he tried
07:10the enemy weakened
07:11himself a bit more
07:12and at the same time
07:14from America
07:15and from other nations
07:17troops were pouring
07:18into Pusan
07:19more and more equipment
07:21and we were rebuilding
07:22the South Korean army
07:23which had taken such
07:24a terrible beating
07:25in those early days
07:26of the war
07:27and so
07:28with the knowledge
07:29that we were going
07:29to make this play
07:31at Incheon
07:31it was possible
07:32late in August
07:33to report truthfully
07:35that a new sense
07:36of confidence
07:37was taking hold
07:38Looked as if things
07:39were really going
07:39to happen
07:40It did indeed
07:41and things did happen
07:42more swiftly
07:44and on a grander scale
07:45than anybody
07:46could have dreamed
07:47the day I wrote
07:47that story
07:50On September 15, 1950
07:53the UN forces
07:54take the offensive
07:55an assault fleet
07:56appears off
07:57Walmy Island
07:58at Incheon Harbor
07:59150 miles
08:01behind enemy lines
08:02It's a daring
08:03end run maneuver
08:04which takes
08:05the sleeping enemy
08:06completely by surprise
08:26At 0630 hours
08:28the marines begin
08:29the assault
08:30The naval barrage
08:31has cleared the way
08:32for them
08:33but this is still
08:34a risky operation
08:36Headquarters must gamble
08:37on the first drive
08:38being good
08:39Incheon's violent
08:4030-foot tides
08:41leave no time
08:42for a second attempt
08:45We had orders
08:46to neutralize resistance
08:47and do it fast
08:48Take them out
08:49and cover up the hose
08:58It took us 58 minutes
09:00to secure the island
09:05With the next tide
09:07more marines
09:08move into the streets
09:09of Incheon itself
09:10They need little resistance
09:12and within hours
09:13the city is secure
09:14The big gamble
09:16has paid off
09:17With the surrender
09:18of Incheon's
09:19modern harbor
09:19the back door
09:20to Seoul
09:21is opened wide
09:23Simultaneously
09:24in the south
09:25the reinforced
09:268th Army
09:26breaks out
09:27of its Pusan stronghold
09:29splitting
09:29the encircling
09:30red forces
09:31as it thrusts
09:32across the Naktong River
09:33to begin its drive
09:35northward
09:38Incheon
09:39the 7th Infantry Division
09:41swarms ashore
09:42to strengthen
09:42the UN foothold
09:43in the north
09:48Thousands of enemy troops
09:50are being trapped
09:50in the southwest
09:51as the Pusan spearhead
09:53races north
09:54to join up
09:55with Incheon forces
09:58On the way to Seoul
10:00we took a good many prisoners
10:01too
10:01but they didn't come easy
10:15United Nations strength
10:17is growing in the north
10:18men and machines
10:20first hundreds
10:21then thousands
10:22flow inland
10:23from the sea
10:24to join the attack
10:25towards Seoul
10:26with each step however
10:27they meet stiffening
10:28resistance
10:29as the retreating enemy
10:30consolidates his forces
10:33At Pusan
10:34still another nation
10:35joins the growing
10:36UN command
10:37as 1200 men
10:38of a crack
10:39Philippine regimental
10:40combat team
10:41come ashore
10:45and at Kimpo Air Base
10:46south of Seoul
10:47men of the 187th
10:49Airborne Regiment
10:49arrive from Japan
10:50to become the first
10:52paratroop unit
10:52to enter the conflict
10:53this newly recaptured
10:55airfield has also
10:56become an advanced base
10:57for increased air attacks
10:59on the enemy's supply
11:00and escape routes
11:01for increased air attacks
11:47as the spearhead from Pusan
11:49gathers momentum
11:50columns of transport
11:51barrel northward
11:52against a disheartened
11:53enemy
11:54in many towns
11:55the entire populace
11:56turns out to shout
11:57it's welcome
12:00it was like France
12:01all over again
12:03couldn't understand
12:03what these people
12:04were saying either
12:07some places
12:08nobody was around
12:09to say anything
12:15it's only about 20 miles
12:16from Minchon to Seoul
12:18paved highway
12:18all the way
12:19but it took us a week
12:21of hard fighting
12:22to make the trip
12:25finally though
12:26our amphibious gear
12:27crammed full of rock
12:28and American marines
12:29started massing up
12:31at the Han River
12:31across from Seoul
12:32it was time
12:34to retake the city
12:37the softening up process
12:39got underway
12:52the Han River crossing
12:53means a full scale
12:54amphibious operation
12:56since the Han
12:57here near its mouth
12:58is well over a mile across
13:03the Reds who had thrown back
13:05an earlier night attack
13:06were gone
13:07pulled out
13:08to dig in
13:09among the streets
13:09of Seoul itself
13:13the battle for Seoul
13:15was
13:16rough
13:1710,000
13:18communist troops
13:19garrisoned every building
13:20and street junction
13:21with orders to fight
13:22to the death
13:23a great many did
13:45the shattered city
13:47is retaken
13:48September 26th
13:49during the battle for Seoul
13:51the trap is closing swiftly
13:53about red forces in the southwest
13:54the day after Seoul falls
13:57troops from the 7th and 1st Cavalry Divisions
13:59join up
14:00just south of Siouan
14:03two days later
14:04two days later
14:05in the battered capitol building
14:06special ceremonies
14:07are held
14:08as General McArthur
14:09officially returns
14:10the city
14:10to Singman Reed
14:11president of the Republic of Korea
14:17now begins a tragic homecoming
14:19for the thousands who had fled the city
14:21only three months before
14:30good look at these people
14:31scratching through the ashes
14:32of what used to be their homes
14:34wonder where they got the guts to go on
14:37still I guess we'd do the same back home
14:39if it came tonight
14:50as life begins to take root again in Seoul
14:53the U.N. advance in the eastern sector goes on
14:57on September 30th
14:59rock forces reach the 38th parallel
15:01they cross it the following day
15:03one old guy couldn't keep it straight
15:05who was who
15:05turned out to meet the rock army
15:07with North Korean flags
15:14the end of September
15:15finds the war back where it started
15:17but the cost has been great
15:19on October 6th
15:20at a U.N. cemetery
15:22between Seoul and Incheon
15:23Major General O.P. Smith
15:251st Marine Division Commander
15:27honors Marine dead
15:37representing the army
15:38representing the army
15:39is Major General David Barr
15:407th Division Commander
15:51Korean troops are honored by Colonel Pak Kim Yip
15:54commanding the Rock 17th Regiment
16:00the silent thanks and admiration of each commander
16:03for what his men have given
16:05is echoed by the people
16:07who owe their freedom
16:08to that willing sacrifice
16:11elsewhere the conflict goes on without letter
16:14B-29 squadrons based in Japan
16:17and on Okinawa
16:18continue their daily blasting
16:19of red industrial and transport centers
16:22in the north
16:41for us it was a funny situation
16:44the commuters were somebody called it
16:46you'd eat breakfast with your wife and kids
16:48spend the day over some rail center
16:50or factory or harbor
16:51and head back home
16:53to sleep in your own bed at night
16:54funny situation
17:01in the south
17:02refugees are becoming a major problem
17:04with thousands of red soldiers
17:06and guerrillas in civilian clothes
17:08trying to escape to the north
17:10each refugee must be individually
17:12time-consumingly screened
17:14to the north
17:15events are moving so rapidly
17:17that reinforcing units
17:19are hard pressed
17:19to keep pace
17:20with the UN advance
17:30on October 9th
17:31Kaesong is taken
17:34this surrender
17:35frees the last
17:36South Korean city
17:37held by the Reds
17:39then on the east coast
17:40Wansan
17:42just two days after the fall
17:44of Kaesong
17:45Rock 3rd Division troops
17:46seized the port of Wansan
17:47having marched 287 miles
17:50in 20 days
17:51to get there
17:52they met little resistance
17:58next the red capital itself
18:00on October 17th
18:03men of the 1st Cavalry Division
18:04worked their way into the outskirts
18:06of Pyongyang
18:19in less than 24 hours
18:21the North Korean capital
18:22is in the United Nations hands
18:26in the U.S.
18:26these were important victories
18:27Incheon
18:28Seoul
18:30Pyongyang
18:30very important indeed
18:33you know
18:34complete victories
18:35seemed just around the corner
18:37yeah as a matter of fact
18:38if you don't mind
18:40I'd like to quote a phrase
18:41you wrote
18:42right after the fall of Pyongyang
18:44now that the Korean War
18:45is evidently drawing to an end
18:50well that does
18:51read a little silly now
18:53doesn't it
18:53considering what happened
18:54for the next three years
18:55but you gotta remember
18:56that that was before
18:57the Chinese communists
18:59hit us
18:59and everybody
19:00the highest military brass
19:02the GI on the line
19:03the reporters
19:04all thought that the
19:05North Korean army
19:06had been smashed
19:07so thoroughly
19:08that the mopping up process
19:09would take only a few weeks
19:15psychological warfare
19:17plays an important role
19:18at this stage of the fighting
19:19using high powered speakers
19:21Siwar planes fly ahead
19:23of advancing UN troops
19:24booming their message
19:26in Korean
19:26to the retreating enemy
19:27safe conduct passes
19:29prove highly effective
19:30more than once
19:32whole enemy companies
19:33lay down their weapons
19:34and wait for our troops
19:35to arrive
19:47two days after Pyongyang falls
19:50our first combat airdrop
19:51in Korea
19:52gets underway
19:53in an attempt
19:54to cut off
19:55retreating red forces
19:56north of Pyongyang
20:05as at Incheon
20:06the supreme commander
20:08personally supervises
20:09the operation
20:10nearly two thousand troops
20:12making the jump
20:14in a second wave
20:16the heavy equipment arrives
20:18air express
20:23local transportation
20:25is pressed into service
20:32next day
20:33eighteen hundred reinforcements
20:35jump
20:35but the enemy
20:36has already fled northward
20:38in the east
20:40in the east
20:40rock forces
20:41continue their headlong
20:42charge north
20:43from Wansan
20:44to take Hongnam
20:45meantime
20:46a navy task force
20:47is waiting off
20:48Wansan
20:51three thousand enemy mines
20:53had to be cleared
20:53from beach approaches
20:54before the marine force
20:56could come ashore
20:58it was a delay
21:00but we could afford it
21:01the rocks
21:02had made us a welcome present
21:03a beach
21:04with no enemy guns
21:05on it
21:09the whole division
21:10came ashore
21:11with nothing worse
21:12than a few wet feet
21:16the mission now
21:17is to press this advantage
21:18continue the attack
21:20toward the aloo
21:21swiftly the marine force
21:22moves in on red-held
21:24villages in town
21:31and just as swiftly
21:33out the other side
21:35spirits are high
21:40three days later
21:41and more than a hundred miles
21:43closer to the aloo
21:44the seventh division
21:45makes its landing
21:46at kiwan
21:49ships of every description
21:50swarm into shallow water
21:52to disgorge seven thousand men
21:54and their machines
21:55their only opposition
21:57the deep loose sand
21:58of kiwan's beaches
22:05this far north
22:07winter comes early
22:08to korea
22:09cold weather uniforms
22:10are welcome
22:11as the division moves out
22:13to rejoin the attack
22:15to the west
22:15marines are advancing
22:17over ground frozen
22:18harder every day
22:19news of their approach
22:21runs ahead of them
22:22as village
22:23after village
22:23is liberated
22:25north koreans
22:26meet freely
22:26and the christians
22:27among them
22:28pray openly
22:29for the first time
22:30since 1945
22:41the shattered communist forces
22:42are pulling back
22:44into the last corner
22:45of this peninsula
22:46they had set out
22:47to conquer
22:48u.n. troops
22:49follow as fast
22:50as the tortuous terrain
22:51and increasing cold
22:53will allow
22:53in the eastern sector
22:55it is difficult even
22:56to keep contact
22:57with the retreating enemy
22:58in the central sector
23:00however
23:00prisoners taken
23:01during a strong red
23:02counter-attack
23:03give warning
23:04of potential danger
23:05many of them
23:06wear the quilted
23:07uniform of communist
23:08china
23:11meantime
23:12in the northern sea
23:13of japan
23:14winter is giving
23:15our offshore forces
23:16a taste of things
23:17to come
23:18even routine supply
23:20operations are becoming
23:21a nightmare
23:21of icy wind
23:23and pitching decks
23:29we kept our aircraft
23:30warm and ready to take off
23:32the minute the weather lifted
23:33in the meantime
23:34the reds would have
23:34a lot less trouble
23:35moving troops and supplies
23:36on Korean roads
23:38we didn't like that thought much
23:45as sure
23:46ashore
23:46the chinese forces
23:47have pulled back
23:48leaving a clear road
23:49to the yalu
23:53the village
23:55of haisonjin
23:56huddles against the banks
23:57of the yalu
23:58across from manchuria
23:59here
24:00men of the 7th division
24:02set up their outposts
24:03it seems a sorry spot
24:05to spend thanksgiving eve
24:10but from bases in the south
24:11cargo planes are already
24:13taking off
24:14setting courses northward
24:15across the frozen mile
24:17they carry crates
24:18rigged for airdrop
24:19and labeled
24:20perishable rush
24:39turkey and the trimmings
24:40courtesy of the u.s. air force
24:43all over korea
24:44mess kits overflow
24:46with steaming potatoes
24:47giblet gravy
24:48cranberry sauce
24:49the works
24:50along the yalu
24:51everything is quite
24:52every man
24:53no matter what his duty
24:54for the day
24:55shares in the traditional
24:56feast of gratitude
25:08headquarters feel certain
25:09that one more
25:10u.n. offensive
25:11will end the fighting
25:12in korea
25:13actually
25:14a whole new war
25:15is ready to begin
25:16across the yalu
25:18the decision
25:18has been made
25:19full-scale
25:20chinese intervention
25:21is about to bring
25:22the second phase
25:23of the korean conflict
25:24to an end
25:29and that threat of chinese
25:30intervention
25:31no one foresaw
25:32back at the time of the fall
25:33up young yang
25:34well the point is
25:35that it had been pretty well
25:36discounted by then
25:37i think many of us
25:39most of us
25:40felt that the chinese
25:41would hit us when we came
25:42into incheon
25:43or never
25:44i remember the briefing
25:45going up on the troop ship
25:47was that this was either
25:48the last inning
25:49of the ball game
25:50or the first inning
25:51of a double header
25:52bill
25:53i'd like to read
25:55from one other story
25:56you filed in korea
26:00wars are so big
26:01and so violent
26:02and move so quickly
26:05that the individuals
26:06on the team
26:07often become necessarily
26:08anonymous
26:11almost faceless
26:12mm-hmm
26:13well
26:14uh...
26:15then you went on
26:16in this story
26:17and in others
26:17to give dozens of those
26:19faceless men a voice
26:20to describe their jobs
26:22and their attitudes
26:24to report what they were thinking
26:26and even what they were hoping
26:27that's right
26:28that i think is an important job
26:30of war reporting
26:31to chronicle the attitude
26:32of the individual
26:33it may even be more important
26:35than than writing about
26:37the amount of ground
26:38that was won or lost
26:39on a given day
26:41wars have become so big
26:44that the headlines
26:45that the headlines
26:46usually can reflect only
26:47what the team as a whole
26:48did
26:49but behind every success
26:51every defeat
26:53there are dozens
26:54hundreds
26:55perhaps thousands
26:56of men
26:57whose individual attitudes
26:58have everything
27:00in the world to do
27:01with shaping that
27:02particular success
27:03or that particular defeat
27:05now these victories
27:06we've been talking about
27:07today were terribly important
27:09in their day
27:10and they were achieved
27:11simply because
27:12a lot of individuals
27:14did their jobs
27:15bravely
27:16and conscientiously
27:17it's always been that way
27:19do you think that could be true today?
27:21of course
27:22no reason why it shouldn't be
27:23as true today
27:24as it was in
27:26Korea
27:26or in World War II
27:27or the American Revolution
27:29to that matter
27:29I must admit
27:30that's one war
27:31I didn't cover
27:33our weapons have changed
27:34but I've yet to hear
27:35of a weapon
27:36that fires itself
27:38and so
27:39the individual soldier
27:40or sailor
27:41or airman
27:42remains the single
27:44indispensable
27:45factor of war
27:47Bill Lawrence
27:48thanks very much
27:49for being with us today
27:51now this is
27:52Sergeant Stewart Queen
27:53your host
27:54for The Big Picture
27:55inviting you to
27:56watch for our next episode
27:58in The Big Picture
27:58which will deal with
27:59the last chapter
28:00of the Korean War
28:02and we'll have as our guest
28:04the noted military critic
28:06and author
28:07Brigadier General S.L.A. Marshall
28:14The Big Picture
28:15is an official report
28:17for the armed forces
28:18and the American people
28:21produced by the Army
28:23Pictorial Center
28:28presented by the Department
28:30of the Army
28:30in cooperation
28:31with this station
28:33presented by the Department
28:40of the Army
28:40who has a sexual
28:40bill
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