Sergeant Stuart Queen of the U.S. Army introduces a film about the 3rd Infantry Division. He turns to Audie Murphy, the most combat decorated soldier of World War 2, seated beside him, who is now a film star, but still active as a Captain in the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas National Guard. Captain Murphy speaks about the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division. View of the Division parading for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at Fort Benning Georgia, in Summer, 1949. Animated map shows Korea and surrounding countries of China and Japan, on June 25, 1950. View zooms in on the 38th parallel marking separation of North and South Korea. Views of North Korean troops moving against South Korea. Buildings being blown up. Armed troops of the People's Army of North Korea prodding civilians out of their homes. South Korean troops riding in an American-provided army truck, join others organizing to resist the invaders. South Korean troops in battle gear preparing to engage the North Koreans. Next, as part of United Nations response to the North Korean aggression, elements of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division are seen arriving in November, 1950, and deploying along the East Coast of the Korean peninsula, to engage the North Korean army along its left flank. Battery of American M114 155 mm howitzers firing. American troops advancing along muddy road in snowy environment in December, 1950. Entry of Chinese forces into the conflict causes Americans to assume a defensive posture. Korean troops preparing to move elswhere.Smoke rising from battles in the background. Views of American defensive positions on the perimeter of the coastal city of Hungnam, to cover the withdrawal of units and equipment the U.S. 10th Corps, seen entering landing craft from the USS Montague (AKA-98) for evacuation from the beachhead
Map shows division of Korea at 38th Parallel. Pyongyang in North and Seoul in South Korea. Line and board reads 38 parallel on road and bridge. Elevated, wide view of city of Seoul, the Capital of South Korea. The UN Commission at Korean assembly examines process of establishing democracy. Officials and President Syngman Rhee in 1948. The flag of South Korea. Civilians line up for voting in May 1950, just before outbreak of Korean War. Women stand in line. A child on back of woman. Men go in and come out of polling booth. Aerial views of Korean peninsula.
Soviet military forces in massed formations at Red Square, in Moscow, Russia. Joseph Stalin stands on balcony above. Scenes of rebellion in Europe and Asia. A map of Korea. June 25, 1950, as Korean War war broke out between North and South Korea. Buildings burning. Refugees fleeing. View of United Nations building on East River in New York City, where American ambassador Warren Austin is speaking. View of the Capitol in Washington, DC. President Truman, speaking, committed U.S. forces to action. U.S. Reservists are recalled to active duty to fight in Korea. Some are seen getting off a bus at a military base reception center. Recalled reservists with full field gear, starting their journey overseas, and later seen in Korea. U.S. tanks moving over the road manned by soldiers with World War Two experience. Numerous scenes of heavy artillery firing, mostly at night. U.S. regular Army, National Guard, and Army reserve soldiers engaged in fire fights in Korean War using tanks, artillery, mortars, and rifles. Soldiers administer first air and assist wounded comrades. American troops slogging through rain and snow in Korea. Soldiers eating from mess kits, and reading the Stars and Stripes newspaper, during a lull in combat. North Korean officers arriving, in snow, for armistice talks. Following the truce, American soldiers are seen packed up and heading home from Korea.
Segment introduction by Captain Carl Zimmerman. Animated map shows Pyongyang, Taegu, Inchon (or Incheon), and Seoul, and the 38th parallel. PyongYang falls on October 17, 1950 to U.S. troops. Troops advancing in PyongYang. A North Korean soldier is captured. A tank drives on a railway in PyongYang. A burning truck carrying ammunition explodes. A medic treats a wounded U.S. soldier in the streets of Pyongyang. A dead North Korean at side of road as troops advance. Bridge crossing at Pyongyang. North Korean civilians in Pyongyang. Interview with Corporal David Grey, Korean war veteran. 187th Airborne Regiment parachuters prepare to depart from Kimpo Air Field. C-47 and C-119 boxcar airplanes take off from Kimpo Air Field on 20 October 1950. Parachutes of the 187th Airborne descend to ground. General MacArthur views parachutes from the interior of his Constellation air plane. Soldiers loading up cattle with equipment. Jeep and Howitzer tied to skids are seen still attached to parachutes. Wounded 187th Airborne Regiment soldiers are gathered and placed on helicopters. Wounded covered with shield on helicopter before take off. North Koreans wave flags as U.S. soldiers advance. Map shows major invasion dates for Korea in September and October 1950.
U.S. Army advances in the Korean Peninsula in the year 1952 during the Korean War. U.S. soldiers loaded on tanks advance towards battlefield. U.S. tanks firing artillery and troops firing heavy machine guns from truck. Army sergeant talks over a telephone. Tank burning. African American soldier using sighting device to plan artillery position and aim. Soldiers load shells and fire artillery. Numerous U.S. artillery firings from variety of weapons. A smoke column rises from explosions. U.S. officers observe from command post. A vast quantity of expended shell casings litter a field. Dead soldiers on the ground. North Korean Prisoners of war walk through streets.
Map of Korea showing 38th parallel boundary. View of 38th parallel with the numbers "38" seen on the ground. The United Nations Commission meeting in Seoul. U.S. troops leaving the Korean peninsula. Aerial view of the harbor in Seoul. Fire and smoke in the mountains as North Koreans attack. South Korean soldiers marching into battle. Korean soldiers in trenches firing from hill top. The first Korean War refugees. The UN gathering at Lake Success, NY. General MacArthur receives the UN battle flag. Aerial view of the port at Pusan. U.S. troops landing in Pusan. A parade of troops led by U.S., U.N. , and Republic of Korea flags disembark at Pusan from a landing ship, number 222. U.S. troops firing weapons at North Koreans, including mortar, machine guns, and howitzers.