World at War

The Big Picture documentary Pentomic Army is the story of the Army streamlining, making it more lean and functional with a simpler organization aimed at taking advantage of the vast array of new technologies that explored during and after WWII. The restructuring includes the concept of the Pentomic Division - five battle groups that are a semi autonomous fighting force designed to operate effectively on an atomic battlefield. This documentary explores how this smaller force of men utilizes modern technology to deliver more devastating firepower than any would be aggressor, no matter the size of their fighting force.

The Big Picture documentary Pershing Joins The Ranks explores the U.S. Army's addition of the Pershing missile to its arsenal of long range attack systems. The documentary follows the testing of this long range ballistic missile system highlighting both technical and human obstacles that had to be overcome to make the Pershing Missile weapon system a success.

This silent film was produced to show the level of devastation that Germany has suffered and is still suffering from the war - and what progress has been made to help the recovery effort of that war torn country.

Profile Publications - famous for a variety of pamphlets covering a variety of vehicles from warships to armored vehicles - created a fascinating collection of 262 aircraft profiles. Each of the issues highlights a single aircraft and gives full details about it's capabilities and specifications. Each issue also includes a variety of photos showcasing the various variants at different angles as you can see in the photos below the listing of all the issues.

Vietnam Era Footage of the US interaction with Vietnam Civilians in good works projects

Ranger Ready is explored in this episode of The Big Picture. This episode explores the training to goes into making a soldier Ranger Ready. It takes place in the mountains of North Georgia and the swamps of Florida. This elite corps of combat troops undergoes some of the most rugged training of any elite military force. And they have a long and storied history. The very first ranger unit dates back to George Washington's colonial troops, were very active in Europe and the Pacific during World War II and again in Korea. As you watch this episode, you will learn about the hugely challenging training that these men perform to get them ready to handle the toughest battlefield challenges.

Produced by the Department of Defense in 1970, this DVD is a fascinating look at the three week training program that soldiers must pass to become a Recondo (Reconnaissance Commando.) It covers all aspects of the training - both physical and mental - that goes into making a successful reconnaissance operative for the military.

Regimental histories of the Spanish American War is a collection of 25 period books detailing people who served the United States during the Spanish American war. Several states and 1000's of people who served are detailed in these volumes - making this an excellent resource for those studying the war and genealogy records of this period.

Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps is a collection of twelve volumes of the register published from 1821 to 1920. Each volume includes important biographical details of the men who served during the year represented.

Riot Control Agents: Medical Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties was produced by the Department of the Army in 2000. This DVD describes the history, classification, physicochemical properties, toxicokinetics (absorption, distribution, biotransformation, and elimination), toxicodynamics (mechanism of action), pathophysiology, toxicology, and clinical effects of riot-control agents. This DVD will give you a really good understanding of all the common riot control agents in use and their effects and hazards.

The Roster of Maine in the Military Service of the United States and Allies in the World War 1917-1919 is a comprehensive listing of the men and women who served in the Great War (World War I) along with vital details about their service time and activities. This two volume set is a great resource for genealogists and WWI historians.

Roster of Maine in the Military Service of the United States and Allies in the World War 1917-1919 is a comprehensive two volume series of service records from WWI for those who served from Maine. This series contains more than 2500 pages and is a tremendous research resource for war historians and genealogists.

The Rough Riders is the name bestowed on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish-American War and the only one of the three to see action. It was headed by Theodore Roosevelt who resigned his position as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in May 1898 to join the volunteer cavalry.

Produced by the Department of Defense in 1980, this DVD is a fascinating look at the Strategic Air Command. This fast paced presentation follows the functions of various SAC personnel as they respond to a simulated attack, their response to the attack and post attack procedures that they follow. The DVD highlights the rigorous ongoing training SAC personnel and their support staff in active duty and National Guard teams participate in to ensure our national defense needs are met.

Produced by the United States Navy in 1967, this video explores the impact of the United States sea power from the mid-18th century and its effect on the national economy, security and the geopolitical power structure. The presentation is a mixture of still images and moving video set to the backdrop of an informative narrative of how sea power has been used by the United States to achieve its goals of safety and prosperity.

Seconds to Live: Underwater Egress Training (1988) was produced by the United States Air Force. It discusses water egress from a crashed helicopter. It shows how to prepare for the impact with the water, best locations to exit the craft and swimming techniques for effectively clearing the wreckage. This training film provides the most emphasis on jettison procedures, how to find reference points underwater and how to deal with disorientation when you don't know which is typical in a water crash.

Service records : Connecticut men and women in the armed forces of the United States during World War, 1917-1920 is a comprehensive three volume series of service records from WWI for those who served from Connecticut. This series contains more than 3000 pages and is a tremendous research resource for war historians and genealogists.

The Big Picture documentary Seventh Army: Checkmate to Aggression explores the operations and personnel who work at the 7th Army in Germany and shows the challenges they deal with on an every day basis. You will see the operation of border patrols along the defensive line of Western Europe, the 7th Army command center, skydiving teams and much more. This is a fascinating look at how the Army operates during times of peace in potentially explosive regions of the world.

The Big Picture documentary Silent Warriors explores the Army's Special Forces, specifically the men of the 19th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. You will see their intense training regimen including judo, demolitions, communications, tackling rough terrain, parachuting, etc. It also delves into their weapons training - including the silent hunting bow to be used when silence is critical in missions.

Produced by the Department of Defense in 1942, Ski Safety is a training film to help soldiers learn how to handle emergency situations that develop when traveling on skis.