then we welcome all of you to come join the area thank you. each week, american history brings youamerica" archival films to provide context for today's public affairs issues. "this is korea" documents hardship faced by u.s. forces on the korean peninsula. funded by the u.s. navy and directed by academy award winner john ford, the 50-minute film was released six months after the war began when north korea invaded south korea on june 25,

1950. in the first major conflict of the cold war, korea was backed by china and the soviet union. >> this is korea. [explosions] [gunfire]

♪

>> and this is korea, a peaceful land once, with lakes and villages. and mountains, where the rice grew. men and women, and people lived for living, until the ruthless, red hand of communism reached out to snatch it. old people, kids, and more kids. sometimes, i think that is the last thing any of us will ever forget. those kids -- laughing, crying, homeless, hungry. until we fed them. korea, where it gets cold in the winter time, as it does at home, where young men and women marry. ♪

where the kids used to play happily. ♪ and here comes your kids, and yours, and yours. dirty and tired, slogging back from the chosen reservoir fight, not retreating as they say, but advancing in a different direction. the first marine division.

while the head man of the village walks past and wonders, the villagers still all wonder, and he wonders, too. poor kid. [marching] at christmas, in the year of grace 1950, last christmas. lord, o mary, is and gathered all above

while where mortals sleep and angels keep their watch of wondering light o morning o morning darkness gathers the flames of holy birth and praise his name to god, our king and peace to men on earth ♪ >> christmas eve, and all of those kids on their funny icesleds. >> ♪ o come to us

abide with us ♪ >> and joe blow out there on guard duty. merry christmas, joe. post office, mail, stuff from home flown in by the navy. that is welcome. cigarettes, candy, newspapers, letters. did you remember? did you?

some of the boys did not get back for christmas. they stayed where they fell. and these are the replacements, the new men to take their honored places, to fill the gaps. look at their faces. young faces, american faces. new york, georgia, idaho, texas, maine, california. your sons, the pride in the corp, and the will to do. chow line, the real feed this time, no k-rations wolfed in a foxhole. the first hot meal, get that, the first hot meal in two months.

steaks that the navy flew in for christmas dinner. hot coffee. marine force headquarters, and the formation for decorations. for gallantry in action, the silver star. the general, himself, making the presentation. and the hard-bitten marine guard of honor, marching past in a formal ceremony.

it started the summer before at the landing, part of the eighth army under general walker. the marines move out. they look young. less tired. but do not kid yourself. they know what is ahead, a hard job. a tough job. a dirty job. so, let us grabbed a bite, and e and get on. tanks rumbling up to spearhead the action to come.

the trains loaded with supplies to the front. here is our 75 millimeter anti-tank gun to argue with those people. ammunition -- the good old 35 caliber machine gun. meet general eddie craig, commanding the provisional brigade. the operation zone.

ammunition. dangerous work. you must remember that they are supposed to get a little preliminary buzz before they go up. number one gun, fire! [mortar shells]

hard gravel roads. that is one of their's burning. the hills. you can light your cigarette on that gun barrel.

hill after hill, some their's, some we made ours, the hard way. in the bazooka, the 81 millimeter mortar, firepower and maneuvers. [gunshots] [explosions] enemy shells!

duck! [gunshots] [explosions] where that guy is with the rifle, that is the front of the war. the 75 recoil-less rifle, a direct hit. [gunshots] [explosions] [gunshots] ammo, up!

the auto-rifle. [gunshots] [explosions] the navy air comes, marine air with rockets, with napalm to burn them out.

another hill in another village. and the marines move on up, carrying on their backs their homes on their backs. hills costs, and how they cost. and these are the boys who paid, in spite of all of the gallant corps the hospital o men. walking when they still can, carried when they cannot walk.

loading the ambulance teams. jeeps. getting them back to the clearing station. for dressing. and shock treatments. and hypos to kill the vicious pain. and life-giving transfusions. aren't you glad you gave that pint of blood last week? or did you?

bet you will, now. won't you? ♪

[helicopter turbines] marked by helicopters on the front lines, while the fighting goes on below. clean sheets and food and the best of medical care the navy can give them. ♪ and so into seoul. lost once, but taken again. and still, the poor, hungry kids.

south korean recruits -- raw. and under a few weeks training, not so raw. now, look at this. and look at it. and look at it. that is what the korean republic is fighting for. miles and miles and miles of homeless refugees set adrift by the red scourge. full family starving, fear-ridden, without hope, beyond the united nations.

shots for smallpox and typhus. and they do not understand. but they will. it was a big problem for what to do with the orphan kids they picked up? they had to leave them somewhere before they reached the fronts. so they asked them to take them. little babe ruth dimaggio was confused, until he found friends and smiled in trust.

it will be all right now. >> guns don't smoke, you dope. ♪ >> apparently, chewing gum for the kids, but you have to teach them how to eat it. poor, frightened little fellas. [laughter]

then, we move out, once again. it is colder now. and how cold is gets in korea? brass monkey cold. and that is cold. wet, too. moving north into war's desolation. hills and more hills. rivers and more rivers. ♪

rice paddies and more rice paddies. [explosions] still going forward. general puller, four-time winner of the navy cross. >> put some more fire down on those people. [explosions]

>> and we keep on moving. napalm again, hot as the living engine. hinges. the infantry moving.

always moving out. a power plant on the reservoir. and another hill. always another hill. [explosions] the orange cloth on that guy's back is an air marker to

indicate the frontlines for the planes. [gunshots] 16mm mortar, like a 75 gun shell. [gunshots] [gunshots] grenades. [explosions] phosphorus.

and the flame-throwers. fry them out, burn them out, cook them. we found them dug in, 10-feet deep. colder still, sawtooth wind, 20 freezing degrees below. makes a man wonder what he did with his last month's pay, don't it? now the prisoners come in. prime-looking lot, aren't they? we searched them. [wind howling] [explosions] we smashed their weapons.

we questioned them. that's all he knows about the war. tough.y were they clammed up, they would not sing. three on a match. and then it happened. you remember valley forge? look at it again.

snow, ice, wind. , 10the time we were there and meet divisions held us, surrounded, short in all supply.

and the carrier planes had to fight sick ice. -- sick ice but boys will be boys. they will keep clean. and warm when they can. withhare of their child the poor korean kids always. - chow. chowliune--owlin

again. --chow not a childline line. these soldier made decisions. harbor. admiral redford's headquarters. the additions -- decisions are passed to the navy. back to tokyo again.

vice admiral commanded naval farces -- naval forces. >> we in the navy muscovy eighth army the maximum practical support. i direct that the commander of the seventh fleet, of carrier division 15, the marine air wing and the commander of the united nations blockade force be directed to provide the maximum possible air gunfire support. force under the air general strata minor is alerted. this where -- this order caught refueling in wing

the middle of a winter storm. playing the admiral is -- praying for good weather. the weather broke. the uss missouri comes in. the seventh fleet joins the battle.

carriers standby and the pilots are briefed. napalm, that is. and the planes are launched to support the marines at the front to read -- to support the marines in the front. the helicopter in the background is -- patrol.

then somebody ditches. and he gets it.

back at the reservoir, woods and frostbite take their toll. the casualties go out by plane. then the heartbreaking withdrawal order comes in. burn everything and bug out.

but not before the payoffs. and not leaving the dead, either.

the first marine air wing pilot dug into the doug-in- commies.

the wreck is it on a bridge. the 38th parallel, under our own guns.

and then we are out, far enough back to hear the thunder of the mighty mo. and all night long, mo pounded the beach.

then we go back again, the long, weary shuttle once more. another enemy position to take. this is how we take it. first the air burns and,

scorching the place with napalm, -- the -- the artillery survivors. if there are any. and whoever runs gets cut down

with small arms fire. then we move in on foot. and we go in, for this is korea,chums. this is korea. clear -- carrier planes in close support. napalm again.

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what is it all about? you tell us. ask any of these guys what they are fighting for, and they cannot put it into words. maybe it is just the pride in the marine corps. a job to do. and wounds don't count. and it dead men tell no tales. my kingdom,, the site will be will be done. all of his life