United Nations forces retreat through snow as Chinese Communist troops enter Korean War in late 1950. An animated map of Korea shows Chinese forces overtaking North Korea. U.S. Marines marching in retreat from Chosin Reservoir region while artillery fires at enemy. Troops in sleeping bags covered in snow. Wounded loaded in small planes that take off from a field marked with a sign reading, 'Panicky Pocket Air Strip' View of retreating civilians and refugees moving south including many North Korean families with small children. Marines are evacuated from Hungnam. Civilians are transported in trucks with their belongings. General Ridgeway is shown sitting in a jeep after taking command of forces in Korea. A map highlighting Hungnam. Views of Security Council meeting. Shots of soldiers from many countries, including Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia, and Canada. A sign marked with '25th Canadian Infantry Brigade'.
North Korean woman soldier. Korean War negotiator, for Korean Peoples Army, Lieutenant General Nam Il, enters building.North Koreans in vicinity of building. Exteriors of the building where meetings took place. Korean soldier sits on pavement, his mess kit and belt beside him, reading a book. American and Korean negotiators and staff personnel relaxing outdoors. North Korean negotiators leave in army jeeps. Numerous cameramen take pictures of UN Command negotiating team led by Commander of U.S. Naval Forces, Far East, Admiral C. Turner Joy . Men arrange tables for negotiators. North Korean and Chinese flags on one of the tables. Negotiating staffs relaxing in garden. A young Korean girl walks across a bridge.An American soldier gives her candy and she bows. She runs to several other American soldiers, with her hands cupped and receives candy. Girl stands in grass. American trucks lined up on road. Helicopter overhead.
Narrated feature on U.S. Army activities during the war in Korea. Focus on the United States Eigth Army. Newspaper cutting in background stating the involvement of UN Forces and U.S. Combat Team in war. 8th Army soldiers hold rifles and move forward. Narrator describes operation of the Army Combat Team starting with the Infantry, and supported by tanks, artillery, and aircraft. Various heavy artillery and tanks are also shown. Close up view of Soviet Russian soldiers marching in Red Square, Moscow, during a parade. U.S. Army soldiers are shown in battle in Korea, including in cold conditions on snow covered ground. Rapid sequence of images of various weaponry in action including flame throwers, M1 Garand rifle, Browning Automatic rifle, machine guns, bazookas, mortar (being fired by African American soldier), recoilless rifles.
Animated map shows South Korea, from 38th parallel, South, and highlights Pusan, and the advances being made by UN forces after being reinforced. Next, the UN amphibious landings at Inchon (or Incheon) are shown on the map. Flashes of naval gunfire are seen in the blackness of night. Next, a Landing Craft Tank (Rocket), LCT(R), is seen firing barrages of rockets toward shore, at Inchon. On September 15, 1950, U.S. troops are seen landing at Incheon, from boats of the attack transport ship, USS Noble (APA-218). Return to the animated map shows advance of UN forces from Inchon joining with those advancing from Pusan, until they occupy most of the area south of the 38th parallel. UN infantry are seen engaged in urban combat in the city of Seoul, accompanied by M26 Pershing tanks and M46 Patton tanks. Building burning in the city. UN soldiers firing rifles inside damaged building. American soldiers, under fire, carrying wounded on litter. Medical corpsmen tending to casualties, including wounded Korean civilians. Republic of Korea (ROK) infantry following four of their soldiers carrying their flag, stretched out horizonally, between them. (Narrator states they are carrying it back to the liberated capital of Seoul.) ROK troops escorting large number of prisoners of war, marching with hands on heads. UN forces distributing rice and clothing to the Korean inhabitants of Seoul. Soldiers helping little Korean children don clothing. Bodies of men, women, and children who were slain by retreating enemy troops, are laid out on the ground, attended by Grieving relatives. Large quantities of captured North Korean weapons are piled up, including those made in the Soviet Union.
At a meeting of the UN Security Council, in Lake Success, New York, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Warren Austin, displays a Soviet-made weapon captured in Korea. Soviet representative, Jacob Malik, walks out of the meeting. Warren passes the weapon around to other Security Council delegates. Britain's Ambassador,Sir Gladwyn Jebb, examines it closely and it is then passed over the chair vacated by Malik, to the representative of Norway. (It appears to be a Soviet SVT-40 or SKS semi-automatic rifle.) Shift to animated map showing UN forces completely occupying South korea, to the 38th parallel. Crew members board a U.S. Air Force C-47 aircraft named,"The Speaker." Closeup of one crew member, a Korean, wearing a hat labeled,"Voice of UN." The aircraft takes off. Inside the plane's cabin, a Korean delivers a message that is being broadcast to any North Korean soldiers on the ground. Views of the huge loudspeakers mounted in the rear cabin of the aircraft. Stacks of pamphlets are seen in the aircraft, that encourage enemy combatants to surrender and include safe conduct passes. Crew members are seen throwing these from the airplane. UN soldiers pose with a large sign reading,"You Are Crossing The 38th Parallel, courtesy of the 3rd ROK Div." Troops of that division are seen proceeding North, along a road. ROK troops crowded aboard an M8 Armored Car. Another sign reads,"You Are Now Crossing The 38th Parallel, Courtesy of the 7th U.S. Cavalry, 'Garry Owen.'" American soldiers walking along the road; others riding on an M-24 (Chaffee) tank; and some riding on a DUKW, are greeted by local Korean people who line the side of a road. An M4 Sherman tank, named "Old Faithful," passes the camera, crowded with UN troops. Back to the animated map, showing advance of UN forces, with ROK troops reaching the Yalu River, by October 27th, 1950. UN infantry are seen climbing through rugged mountainous forested areas.
Tanks and infantry cross 38th parallel, the pre-Korean War boundary between North Korea and South Korea. Tank Infantry team assault team meets for briefing. Close up of American soldier faces beside tank. Box of grenades is distributed by African American and white soldiers. U.S. Army 3rd Division Infantry soldiers mount tanks in morning, again including black and white soldiers. Point of view shot from moving tank, out past main gun as group advances. Tanks and infantry cross the Imjin River bed where it is shallow near the 38th parallel crossing. Views of abandoned North Korean military vehicles in the river bed. Group dismounts from tanks onto enemy territory. Patrol advances up hillsides and across fields. They engage North Korean enemy using rifles and grenades. Explosions seen during combat. Officer speaking on radio. U.S. soldiers continue advance and encounter small arms enemy fire and mortar fire, slowing them down. View as they walk on patrol, and prone and kneeling as they fire at North Korean forces near a railroad line. Point of view immediately behind a U.S. soldier as he stands and throws a grenade, and then ducks again. Group returning to base after conclusion of reconnaissance in force mission.