. exploring our nation's past every weekend on c-span3. to thean has coverage coronavirus pandemic and it is all available on demand at c-span.org/coronavirus. watch white house briefings, updates from governors, track the spread throughout the u.s. and the world with interactive maps. time,on demand any unfiltered at c-span.org/coronavirus. ♪ narrator: eleanor roosevelt

down the long trip home, pennsylvania avenue to the beat of muffled drums. the president was brought for the last time to the executive mentioned that for 12 years had been his official home. the exit of fdr from the american scene came as a shock to the nation. people wept openly, unashamed of their great -- their grief. ♪ drawn by six white horses, the flag-draped caisson was brought to the entrance of the white house, carried into the great east room where 80 years before almost to the day, the body of abraham lincoln also had lady and state. in state.d at hyde park, his home in new york, the guns of west point cadets for a man of destiny, known around the world as fdr.

[gunfire] ♪ to measure something of his greatness, would turn the clock back to franklin roosevelt as a young man making his first political campaign, at a time when at only 28 years of age he was elected new york state senator and broke a powerful republican machine that ruled dutchess county for 28 years. emerging as a national figure, he served president wilson as assistant secretary of the navy. mate ofas running ohio's james m carr, fdr at the age of 38 was the youngest vice presidential candidate in history. carried on st. patrick's day 1905 to anna eleanor roosevelt, fdr founded the dynasty typical of his hudson river dutch forebears. retreat, the roosevelt

a vacation cottage, that fdr sailed with friends and family after the strenuous campaign for the vice president the -- the vice presidency. and it was in these same waters that he was first stricken with the dreaded polio germ that was to paralyze his legs, but never his life. ♪ to the state8 capitol in albany, franklin roosevelt was elected governor of new york. friend, the happy warrior, at his side, he threw himself into the fight for better government, became the champion of his common man and was thought of widely as the next candidate for the presidency of the united states. and with james a farley swinging the gavel, the die was cast, the country still mired in the morass of a depression wanted a new president. called to chicago to accept the nomination, governor roosevelt

flew from albany with his wife, and sons elliot and john. of an erahe beginning unparalleled in american history. fdr's appearance at chicago stadium was the beginning of the series of spectacular personal triumph spirit swept into office by the greatest landslide in history, his first words were fearless. >> i am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend measures for stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world. , or such other member -- or such other measures as congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, i shall seek within my constitutional authority.

but, in the -- event congress should fail to take one of these two courses, and if the national emergency is still critical, i shall take to clear course of duty. congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the power, brought executive to weight a war against the as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign follow. -- foreign foe. [laughter] term was fdr's first marked by ominous world unrest. men of many nations were again taking up arms. our own national defense was at its lowest ebb. drought, american

famine, the dustbowl. fdr brought from relief and flood control, water power and giant public works, social security was born, old age insurance became a new responsibility of government. the price of gold was fixed. the american dollar became the soundest in the world. the forgotten man was remembered. the country held its leader as a pathfinder. fdr's initials began to stand for progress, for national security. the fireside chat became an american institution. the white house secretarial staff helped in the preparation of his radio reports to the nation. the presidential talks were masterpieces of simplicity and directness. ladies and gentlemen, the

president of the united states. president roosevelt: my friends, the american public -- narrator: and with that familial salutation, he brought his messages straight to the firesides of the people, talking to them in their homes about the vital issues of the day. roosevelt never gave up hope in his battle against infantile paralysis. in the healing waters of warm springs and the white house pool, swimming was his one relaxation and only exercise. he organized the great warm springs foundation for the benefit of the nation's half-million polio victims will forever stand as a living monument to his name. each year on his birthday, all over the land, little children sing his praise. [children singing] >> happy birthday to you

happy birthday to you happy birthday, dear president happy birthday to you ♪ narrator: this intimate study of the president and his beloved fala is one of the rare personal portraits in a busy, crowded life. for no man in our time or anytime has been called upon to make decisions that have been his. his one goal, greatest ambition, was to lead the nations of the world into a lasting peace. royalty from many's nations, the king and queen of england, have been guests in his home. with the world most powerful -- world buster because most powerful rulers, he commanded respect. chautauqua,ng at new york, he gave the nation

words that have been quoted again and again. president roosevelt: i have always thought that peace, like charity, begins at home. [applause] att is why we have begun home, here in north and south and central america. war. have seen land. seen war on i have seen blood running from the wounded. i have seen children starving. i have seen the agony of mothers and wives. i hate war. [applause] narrator: 1940 found the nation facing work.

third-term issues straight to the polls, could the magic of fdr chowder -- could the magic of fdr? >> roosevelt wins. narrator: the nation was jubilant. had done it again and his family received the well wishes of their neighbors. ♪ again the president addressed the nation. in the presence of cabinet members, diplomats and leaders of nations south of the border, fdr asked for broader powers than had ever been given to any american president. president roosevelt: the fundamental fact is that what started as a european war, as s always intended it would develop, has developed into a war of world denomination. conscious of my sponsor

abilities to my countrymen and my country's cause, i have tonight issued a proclamation unlimited national emergency exists, and requires the strengthening of our defense to the extreme limits of our national power and authority. narrator: with the world facing the greatest conflict of all time, with the rights of all free people in danger, roosevelt met winston churchill on the high seas and gave a pledge to the world. fight for the right of all people to choose their own form of government. dramaticecords this meeting as the first of the atlantic charter. ♪ december 7, 19 41, a day of infamy that was burned into the pages of american history.

[the explosions] -- [explosions] the president faced a nation united. thatdent roosevelt: i ask sincengress declare that the unprovoked and dastardly attack by japan on sunday, state of war941, a has existed between the united states and the japanese empire. [applause] ♪ in 1942, fdr startled the world by meeting churchill

and de gaulle in casablanca and gave the axis to words, unconditional surrender. roosevelt and churchill planned the invasion of europe, and with the future of civilization in the balance, the role that these two men played in this critical time is indelibly written in history. at cairo, conferences with chang newcheck, fdr wrote a chapter in international relations and gave assurance to the people of china that aid in their war against japan was the guiding hand that would bring together the many conflicting forces of east and west. ♪ he met stalin the first time at tehran, and gave the world its first promise of complete accord between three great powers. the phrase big three was no empty phrase, and franklin

roosevelt, steadfast in his conviction, was the biggest of all. steaming into pearl harbor for the first time since the outbreak of war, the commander of chief conferred with admiral admiralsd macarthur -- nimitz and macarthur. from this conference came blueprints for the liberation of the philippines. fdr began his fourth term in office firm in his belief that men are capable of their own noernment, but no king, tyrants, no dictator can govern them as wisely as they can govern themselves. placed thee, he world's future on the conference table at yalta, made plans to bring together the nations of the world in a just and lasting peace. that first recorded step as the san francisco conference. tothis, his last report congress and the american people, is to be found an

example of his life. in the last words of a man grown tired in public service is heritage for all man everywhere. congress roosevelt: thishe american people, conference is the beginning of a permanent structure of peace upon which we can begin to build , under guard, that better world in which our children and grandchildren, yours and mine, the children tend grandchildren of the whole world, mostly then can live. ♪ can live.ve and ♪

is american history tv on c-span3, where each weekend we feature 48 hours of programs exploring our nation's past. intonight on "reel america," 1990 six fema training program centered on the 1995 oklahoma city bombing, with leading first responders describing their experiences. here is a preview. city, oklahoma, is a

city that just over a year ago experienced devastation, as a massive truck bomb exploded and ripped apart to the maratha raheral building -- the murah federal building. hundreds of victims, enormous property damage. officers and first responders from around the country work to rescue victim and searched for because at this horrific scene. it seemed the entire nation was still holding its breath as each our past, watching as the death toll climbed, trying to comfort families and friends of those inside the rubble. this tremendous tragedy of violence and lost lives in middle america is when we will not soon forget. doctors and dms were ems and lawthis,

enforcement, give us your initial response to the emergency? >> thank you. i i brought footage to illustrate the ems response. within minutes, a massive ems sponsor was initiated. the first call came in at 9:03. explosion, the ymca on fifth. there are injuries all over the place downtown. >> ok, on the way. >> even before the call came in at 9:03, parents -- paramedics began arriving on the scene. two supervisors and seven ambulances and over 24 paramedics converged on the scene. they came from north and south. from north they came from saint anthony's and corporate headquarters. the first ambulance was unloading a patient at the time, the paramedic heard the blast, felt the blast, gravitated toward the smoke, heading south on robinson, excuse me on harvey, until he made it to the

northwest corner of the building, where he was essentially overtaken by huge numbers of people, injured and uninjured. following this first ems response, the casualty count continued to swell in the streets. >> we have to critical and we critical and- two needy unit. >> we have four or five critical and about a hundred -- about 100 walking wounded. >> this is an emergency. could you advise us where you are going to need your triage station? are starting to get multiple patients in need to start categorizing -- and need to start categorizing. we have a triage set up at sixth and robinson. all walking to patients -- all

walking patients. full training video tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern here on american history tv. next on qassem soleimani from 1940 -- next on "reel america,", victory garden. this 1942 u.s. department of agriculture film promotes victory gardens and instructions to help citizens grow their own fruits and vegetables at home during world war ii. ♪ this farm in northern maryland, rallying to the call for more food, joining the growing army of victory gardeners. this is dan, he helps with the heavy work.