World at War

Brush Fire: Korea is explored in this episode of The Big Picture. As a special tribute to celebrate six years of Big Picture episodes, Brush Fire: Korea is a replay of the very first episode of the Big Picture "The First 40 Days.) It details how a handful of men were locked in a bitter combat situation against an enemy army that was made up of five divisions. This is the story of that very challenging first 40 days and the brave officers and men of the 24th Infantry Division.

The Big Picture documentary City Under The Ice tells the story of a a massive R&D project undertaken by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Greenland - Camp Century, a new concept of polar construction. It demonstrates the Army in action on a new frontier - solid ice and snow. This documentary will show how the snowy wastelands of Greenland are developed into a completely built city equipped with every convenience from a nuclear power plant to a shower. Camp Century was an important element in the Army's polar research program. "City Under the Ice" is an outstanding example of man's never ceasing quest for knowledge and bravery when confronted with new and treacherous environments.

This collection of 15 early Fidel Castro newsreels follows his rise to power in 1950 through the dramatic missile crisis in 1962.

Produced by the CIA in 1955, Experimental Compound MER 17 (Frenquel) and LSD-25 is an in depth look at the experiments the CIA was performing in this era with Frenquel and LSD to determine their effects in the treatment of psychosis.

Produced by the Department of Defense in 1971, this DVD explores the role of U.S. Army Reserve Units in the community. It explores how they participate in the community and depicts Army Reserve Units both in the continental United States as well as Puerto Rico - highlighting many of the activities that they perform to help make their communities a better place.

Take a trip back to the cold war when there was the active threat and hysterical of a potential nuclear war at any moment. See firsthand how the government, through film, educated the masses to prepare for a nuclear attack and how to protect themselves from radiation and other dangers both during and after the attack.

The Big Picture documentary Claws of the Eagle is a fascinating look at the development of modern weaponry used by the brave soldiers of the United States Army. You will see arsenals, weapons and technologies used in warfare. You will also learn of the responsibilities of the United States Army Weapons Command which is headquartered at Rock Island, Illinois to help create, train and coordinate weapons for the Army.

Climb to Glory tells the story of the 10th Mountain Division in the closing months of 1944. It explores how they succeeded in breaking the invincible Gothic line leading to the freeing of Italy. It is uniquely portrayed by the stories of the men in the American, Italian and German armies - often in their own voices. It is an excellent story of how a force believed invincible by the Nazi Germans could be defeated by a dedicated and committed team of troops. This documentary is presented in two parts.

Combat America follows the life and times of the Flying Fortress crews of the 351st Bombardment Group from their days of training in Colorado to actual aerial combat over Germany.

The Big Picture documentary Commence Firing follows the history of firearms for warfare. In this presentation, you will visit the Armory at Springfield Massachusetts which was established in 1794. Here you will see all the basic hand weapons used by our fighting forces throughout the history of United States warfare. It is a fascinating look at some of the guns that were so instrumental in shaping warfare. As an added bonus, there is footage of the Camp Perry, Ohio World Series of Marksmanship, sponsored jointly by the National Rifle Association and the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice.

The Complete Regular Army Register of the United States for One Hundred Years (1779 to 1879) is a great research tool for early U.S. military researchers and genealogists searching out wartime details of our early protectors. It is more than 1400 pages and contains 1000's of names and service details.

This film shows marine patrol action during the Vietnam War. It shows land and river patrols and a successful attack on a Viet Cong village. The film emphasizes the importance of constant and vigilant patrol action in maintaining contact with an elusive enemy.

Produced by the Department of Defense in 1979, this DVD is a fascinating historical view of Fort Monroe, VA from its initial concept in 1609 all the way to its present day mission as the home of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC.) As you watch this DVD, you will be presented with exciting vintage footage of the buildings and gun emplacements and much more covering the operation of Fort Monroe from 1920 to the 1970s.

Produced by the Department of Defense in 1971, this DVD showcases the the most dreaded and feared member of the U.S. Army - the Drill Sergeant. It is a frank discussion of the daily duties performed by drill sergeants the world over to shape and mold raw civilians into efficient soldiers - ready to do battle and come back out alive.

The development of atomic physical for both peacetime and wartime applications is a fascinating story. This collection of films will explore how atomic physics works, take you on a journey explaining nuclear weapons and the dangers of fallout from these weapons as well as a trip to Shippingport nuclear power plant where you will see how it was built to deliver electricity safely and inexpensively to millions of people.

The Early Military Surgery book collection is a group of 30 historic books that examine the state of the art of Military Surgery from the mid 1700s to the early 1900s. This collection is a fascinating look at how wounded military troops were treated both on the battlefield and in the operating rooms and due to its span of more than 150 years, it offers a remarkable glimpse into how techniques and knowledge changed and expanded as time went on. Several of the books are heavily illustrated.

The Early Military Surgery Journals and Meeting Archives is a collection of 23 volumes offering a fascinating glimpse into the state of the art of Military Surgery and Medicine in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like modern journals and proceedings, they are chock full of articles and presentations by respected military surgeons of that period making this a wonderful glimpse into this era of military medicine.

The Big Picture documentary Exercise Delawar tells the tale of a bold military training exercise. Delawar is the Persian word meaning courageous in English and this exercise was definitely that. The film shows an entire airborne brigade complete with heavy equipment being airlifted to Iran and then details how the Americans and Iranians worked together to hone their combat readiness in Exercise Delawar. This is a fascinating historical look at how two countries who are now enemies once worked together to train for common objectives. All in all, it is a fascinating reminder of how geopolitical alliances shift over time.

The Big Picture documentary Exercise Desert Strike tells the story of a large scale Army & Air Force training exercise held in the United States. The objectives of the exercise were to test the readiness of the troops in the event of a nuclear war. This test included the steps the troops would take at the initiation of a nuclear war, how they would control its escalation and tactical operations on a nuclear battlefield. Exercise Desert Strike is one of many of the massive military readiness drills that the military utilizes to keep its troops in a state of readiness for any emergency situation.

The Big Picture documentary Exercise Swiftstrike is a fascinating look at a large scale military training exercise conducted in North and South Carolina. The two states were broken up into three fictitious nations to represent the countries involved in the exercise. Utilizing the massive might of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, these two might forces of the Strike Command are pitted against each other in this test environment to test the battle readiness and unity of these massive divisions when undertaking a large scale mission dedicated to our nation's defense.