Film opens showing entrance to cockpit of a U.S. Air Force Troop Carrier Douglas C-124 Globemaster aircraft en route from France to Indochina. A pilot is seen at the controls in the left seat, and the Aircraft Commander is observing from behind and between the pilots' seats. Close-up of number 3 and 4 engines with propellers turning as viewed from copilot's window. Two crew members are seen asleep on bunks in rear of flight deck compartment. Another is napping in a bulkhead seat. More views of engines running and propellers turning. Glimpse downward of land and clouds below. Close-up of Copilot in right seat of cockpit, wearing headset and making an announcement through his microphone. View of French paratroopers seated in cargo compartment, listening to the announcement from loudspeaker above them. Next, a French paratrooper passenger is seen opening contents of a flight lunch package. He uses the tiny can opener included in the package to open a can (with some difficulty). Paratroopers eating flight lunches.Two of the passengers playing chess on a miniature board with plug-in chessmen. Close-up of the chessboard. Co-pilot speaking on intercom again and a French paratrooper, wearing headset and microphone, speaking as well (likely translating). Glimpse of engine running on left wing. A different person (not in flight suit) at the controls in copilot's seat. The crew's Flight Engineer making throttle adjustments at his panel. View on the ground of French greeting party on the destination airfield to meet the arriving aircraft. Arriving C-124 aircraft taxiing on inboard engines only, as it proceeds along layers of pierced steel plank (Marsden matting) comprising the surface of airfield ramp. Views of French military waiting to greet arriving paratroopers. The aircrew's loadmaster lowering one of the aircraft's front loading ramps. French paratrooper passengers use it to leave the aircraft. (The other ramp is partially down and contains cartons and boxes.) Close-up of a French major in the greeting party. A woman greeting troopers, individually, as come down the ramp from the aircraft. Some French aircraft lined up on ramp, in background. (They appear to be Grumman F8F Bearcat aircraft.) Glimpse of an armed French Colonial (Tirailleurs Sénégalais) sentry standing near the aircraft. Troopers carrying cartons of rations from the aircraft and joining others preparing to board trucks for a ride to their quarters. Uniformed French soldiers in the greeting party help load heavy crate into an Army truck. Some troopers leave on trucks.
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and defense team at Pentagon in Virginia. U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and group posing in Secretary of Defense, Wilson's office. Among those present: U.S. Army General Matthew B. Ridgway, USAF General Nathan F Twining, U.S. Navy Admiral Robert Bostwick Carney, U.S. Navy Admiral Arthur W. Radford, U.S. Secretary of Defense Charles Erwin Wilson, U.S. Army General Omar Nelson Bradley, USAF General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, U.S. Army General Joseph Lawton Collins, U.S. Marine Corps General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Admiral William Fletcher and others. President Eisenhower stand by Secretary of Defense Wilson and General Omar Bradley. Admiral Radford stands on the President's right. Line of Defense officials and officers identified by name. President Eisenhower seated with David Kyes, Harold Talbott, and Defense Secretary Wilson. Standing directly behind are: General Nathan F Twining, Admiral Radford, and General Omar Bradley.
Battle of Midway in the Pacific Ocean during World War 2.Opening scene shows fires burning and destruction on Midway Island while Japanese bombers are attacking. U.S. marines firing machine guns and antiaircraft guns, creating numerous black flak clouds among attacking Japanese aircraft. A burning aircraft descending to crash in the sea. Japanese bombs bursting nearby and Marines in a jeep driving past burning aircraft. More bombs exploding. A Marine medical corpsman wearing a Red Cross armband. A Japanese plane streaks low across the sky and a drops a bomb that explodes raising a huge cloud of black smoke from a petroleum fire on the ground. Camera focuses on the huge flames and smoke rising from the oil fire. Closeup of Marine firing heavy machine gun. A Japanese aircraft is struck and the sound of a failing engine is heard. Fire and smoke is everywhere. Next, the sound of a falling aircraft intensifies and a Japanese plane is seen crashing with a huge explosion. Closeup of a burning wing from the aircraft with Red ball insignia visible. Scene shifts to the sea, where American aircraft are flying cover over U.S. warships maneuvering below. View from a U.S. warplane taking off from an aircraft carrier. A loose formation of Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft in flight above clouds. Aerial closeups of some in the formation, including one showing pilot in front cockpit and gunner in the rear. Next, Navy F4F Wildcat and Douglas Dauntless aircraft are seen being launched from a Carrier, where sailors are firing 1.1" quad AA guns, creating numerous black flak clouds in the sky. A 5-inch gun creates a huge ball of fire as it fires. More shots of quad AA guns and 5-inch guns firing, as aircraft continue to launch from carriers. Brief view of the U.S. aircraft carrier, USS Yorktown (CV-5) obscured by smoke from Japanese bombs hitting her boiler. The Japanese aircraft veering away from it after their attack. More views of anti aircraft guns firing from the camera ship (an aircraft carrier) and of Japanese aircraft attacking. Another brief glimpse of the USS Yorktown clouded by smoke. Sound of an airplane crashing into the sea and glimpse of pleased American Navy officers and sailors. More glimpses of the Yorktown billowing black smoke.
Views of U.S. Navy pilots, their aircraft, and aftermath of Japanese bombing of Midway Island, in World War 2. Opening scene shows a formation of U.S. Navy Douglas Dauntless aircraft in flight. A U.S. Navy pilot climbs from the cockpit of an F4f Hellcat airplane on the deck of an aircraft carrier. His aircraft displays symbols for two Japanese aircraft downed. Another pilot in cockpit of his airplane that displays symbols for 7 downed Japanese aircraft. He climbs from his cockpit. Other pilots climbing out of their aircraft. One displays symbols for 6 kills. Three of them pose in front of an airplane. Scene shifts to Midway Island where a hangar is still burning from Japanese bombing. Glimpse of Gooney birds. Sentries stand on the airfield, with black smoke rising in the background. Closeup of wing from a downed Japanese airplane. Marines look through tangled pieces of crashed airplanes. One leans on a bent propeller blade. Heavy black smoke from petroleum fire is seen in background. Scene shifts to a PBY Catalina flying boat in flight, searching for survivors of the Battle of Midway. A U.S. Navy aircraft is seen floating in the sea, as a Navy warship heads toward it. A survivor is seen being helped from a PBY aircraft. Earlier picture of him smoking a cigarette inside the PBY aircraft. Sailors help him to a waiting ambulance. Other rescued survivors are seen standing about. Sailors place a litter aboard a PBY and use it to transport another survivor to sick bay. (Narrator states this is the 13th survivor rescued by the pilot of this PBY Catalina.) Ambulatory survivors being covered with blankets as they sit in the back of an ambulance, that then drives away with back door still open. Views of destroyed hospital on Midway Island. Red cross markings on are shown in the debris.
Japanese plane crashes in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Forced landing crash of U.S. Navy F6F Hellcat on the deck. Maintenance crew work on the plane. Japanese plane "Kate" crashing in the water off the carrier amid heavy flak. An aircraft lands on the carrier. Scenic shots of planes against a red sunset.
Bandmaster, Frank Baldwin, and musicians from cast of the show, "A Milk White Flag,"perform. The musicians are: A.D.. Dorsch, E.P. Brown, J.F. Boardman, George Goddard, E.F. Balch, Paul Pfarr. Fred W. Boardman, and William Cushing, Filmed at Edison studio in New Jersey.