A field in mountainous region in Vietnam. A North Vietnamese flag flies. Soldiers checking a jeep at a check post. 'Post De Controle Halte' written on a board at the post. A man wears arm band reading 'Bao Chi ' in Vietnamese and "press" in English. Press photographers and journalists with Vietnamese soldiers. A shade house and jeeps parked out side. Jeeps painted with "Dien-Bien-Phu" and (7-5-1954) . Soldiers sitting around a table for meeting. Soldiers stand as delegates arrive. A photographer takes pictures from background. Name plates of Colonel Lennuyeux and Van Tien Dung lie on the table. All persons take seats. Colonel Lennuyeux stands and speaks during the meeting. All clap. Photographers take photos. Two men light cigarettes from a flame.
Chinese soldiers at Indo supply lines in Vietnam. Red Forces walk along a road and cut vital supplies to besiege Dien Bien Phu. Roads leading to the seaport of Haiphong are mined. Smoke rises. Views of damaged equipment and wounded men. Sign of 'Ben Yen NH, Hanoi'. Vehicles pass on the highway. Vietnamese men repair railroads which are mined. A train passes after overhauling.
Television program host, Lee Marvin talks about the Erie Canal in New York. Historic still images from 1800s showing the Erie Canal and surroundings. View of the Erie Canal that connects Great lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. Modern moving images of a steamer on the Erie canal.
Traffic comes across the Arlington Memorial Bridge (2912 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20418, United States). Trees in the background. Lincoln Memorial (2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW, Washington, DC 20002, USA) in Washington DC in the background. The streets are wet. Cars have their lights on and windshield wipers due to rain. Cars and buses on the streets.
Opening scene shows a large crowd in a rain storm, gathering on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, DC. Almost all carry or share colorful umbrellas. Scene shifts to s choir on a covered stage and President Richard Nixon standing at a podium on an adjacent stage. The gathered audience is unprotected except by their umbrellas. On the stage with the President are Mrs. Nixon and daughters Tricia Nixon and Julie Eisenhower. In his preliminary remarks, the President mentions the weather, saying, "I know we want to express our very grateful appreciation to the Mormon Choir and to the Friends University Symphonic Choir for their participation and particularly under the rather adverse weather conditions which I know are very hard for those of you here in the audience." Camera focuses on the choir members. Next, a Girl Scout, in uniform, speaks at the podium. She is followed by a boy scout who also makes some remarks. President Nixon then delivers a Christmas message, saying that the nation could look forward to the end of the war. The President then steps down from the stage, to where several children have their hands raised in hopes of being selected to assist in the tree lighting. Nixon reaches down and picks up five-year-old Andre Proctor of Washington, D.C., saying, "he's the smallest child here." The President speaks with the boy about what they are going to do, as members of the audience watch from under their umbrellas. Next, the Christmas tree lights are seen, from a distance as they turn on, illuminating the area. Camera focuses and pans over the many lights on the tree. The President and his family are seen on the stage, as the camera pans over the choirs, audience, and the Christmas tree.
Animated map assembles sections of the United States of America reflecting various kinds of inhabitants. A woman of Native American Indian origins weaves a straw hat as a young boy plays nearby. Sign outside a building identifying the "Slovak Political Benefial Assn." Other signs on seen on different buildings include: "Polish Army Veterans Association of America;" "Ukrainian American Youth Association;" and "Germantown Hospital." A brass plate on a building reading: "English-Speaking Union." Asian-American school girls, and a Japanese-American man with a boy. View of a wood carving in ancient African style. A street scene showing many Hispanic Americans, and commercial signs in Spanish. A group of new American citizens reciting oath at a naturalization ceremony, each receiving a small American flag. Some appear to be of Asian or South Asian descent, including possibly Vietnamese. Animated map shown again, indicating the geographical distribution of Americans in the U.S. First it shows areas where citizens live near water, either the oceans, Gulf of Mexico, or the Great Lakes. Montage of urban scenes showing some of the cities where most Americans live. The Massachusetts State House in Boston. New York City street scene with the Empire State Building in background. City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Capitol in Washington, DC