U.S. President John Kennedy attends the first ballgame played at the new $20 million District of Columbia Stadium, or DC Stadium, in April 1962. 45,000 spectators in stands for the opening of the stadium and the Major League Baseball season. Glimpse of the new DC Stadium in Washington, DC, filled with baseball fans. President John F. Kennedy enters the ballpark, accompanied by David Francis Powers, and proceeds toward seats bearing the Presidential seal. Spectators in nearby seats stand to greet the President, and several shake his hand. Scene shifts to players and newsmen on the field all focused on President Kennedy. News photographers are busy photographing him. Camera shifts to President Kennedy making a long throw followed by the ballplayers scrambling for it on the ballfield. View of the President smiling after his throw, with Illinois Republican Senator Everett Dirksen standing to his left, and slightly behind him, and David Powers to his right. Senator George Smathers of Florida is laughing behind them. The President bends down momentarily revealing Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana, directly behind him and Special Assistant to the President Lawrence “Larry” O’Brien, at Mansfield's right. Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher, wearing sun glasses is behind and to left of Dirksen. Closeup of Home plate umpire Charlie Berry shouting "Play Ball!" after brief rain delay. Lights are on during daytime as game is played. Washington Senators player hits single to left field. Senators go on to beat the visiting Detroit Tigers 4-1. (Note: The stadium was later renamed Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, or RFK Stadium, in 1969).
Opening scene shows view from stern of a warship in an Pacific U.S. Navy task force during World War 2. Other convoy warships are seen in far background. Closeup of American flag on a ship. Glimpse of U.S. Destroyer moving behind the camera ship. Four warships in side-by-side formation. Naval guns firing in the dark at night. A U.S. light tank being loaded aboard a ship at a dock. Several towable pieces of field artillery covered and ready for loading at the port. Numerous army trucks parked in a group at the port. Silhouettes of U.S. Army soldiers, in full battle gear, ascending a gangway to a troop transport ship. Heavy field guns being loaded aboard a ship. Cargo manifests for U.S. Army Transport Service ships preparing to sail from the New York Port of embarkation in Brooklyn, New York. Several Army transport ships underway in the ocean. A Fletcher class destroyer nearby. A Yorktown class aircraft carrier. Closeup of a sailor manning a Bofors 40mm antiaircraft gun on board an aircraft carrier. Fletcher class destroyer in background. View from the bridge of troops on open deck of a transport ship. Sailors standing near variety of guns aboard a warship. Sailors scanning skies for enemy aircraft. A Grumman F4F aircraft being launched from deck of an aircraft carrier. Quad Bofors antiaircraft guns being fired and skies filled with black flak clouds. View down from Bridge on the Island of an aircraft carrier, showing antiaircraft gun positions. More views of black flak clouds. Sailors in battle gear on the aircraft carrier deck. Bofors guns firing. View from carrier flight deck of Japanese Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" attacking close to the carrier. It is struck by gunfire and bursts into flames. Another Japanese Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" torpedo bomber passing close to the flight deck. It bursts into flames and crashes into the water, close to the carrier, exploding violently in heavy black smoke. View from carrier of transport ships following.
U.S. Army Air Service Douglas World Cruisers (DWC) in China during their first flight around the world. Animated map reads '3rd Division, Kagoshima to Calcutta, India, distance of 4,860 miles'. Boats in a river in Shanghai. Fishing vessels in the river. The world cruisers circling in the background. Chinese men in junks row out to greet the world cruisers. A Chinese band playing. Chinese aviation officers greet Americans aviators Lieutenant Erik H. Nelson and Lt. Leigh Wade.
U.S. Army Air Service Douglas World Cruisers (DWC) in the Orkney Islands during their first flight around the world. Animated map of the Atlantic Ocean: "6th Division, London to Washington, DC, 4,615 miles'. A cruiser in water. Personnel in the foreground. The cruiser as it takes off from water and leaves Brough, England. A naval personnel looks through a telescope. Three cruisers in flight. Lieutenant Lowell H. Smith is the first to land at Houton Bay, Orkney Islands. The cruiser lands on water. Two cruisers on water. A small boat is pulled up to the aircraft. The last stop before the hop across the Atlantic: Views of a naval vessel. The pilots and naval officers as they alight from the vessel. Greetings are exchanged.
Retrospective view inside a former German submarine pen in France, as narrator mentions its former use in World War 2. View from outside the structure. An American Airlines Douglas DC-4 passenger plane flying over Manhattan Island, New York City, with Empire State Building visible among other skyscrapers below. Aerial view of New York harbor, with ocean-going ships docked at terminals below. Traffic moving in the harbor, including barges, tugboats, and ships, displaying various national flags.
Film opens showing map of Czechoslovakia and various sections perceived early in World War 2. View of military ceremony with German swastika flag being raised over newly occupied Czechoslovakian territory. Momentary glimpse of Nazi flag flying in snow covered mountains, and mountain troops nearby. Map is shown again, this time highlighting Czech Republic – Slovakia (Tschecho – Slowakei). Closeup of that area is labeled Sudete Germans (Sudete Deutsche). Next are views of German Chancellor, Adolf Hitler, British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini, Italian Premier, and French Prime Minister, Édouard Daladier, each signing the accords acquiescing to Hitler’s demands concerning the annexation of the Sudetenlands. (The Munich Agreement.) View of German newspaper announcing the pact. Closeup of a border marker showing Seal of Czechoslovakia. German troops throw it down and allow others to enter, some on a motorcycle with sidecar. German soldiers use a hatchet to cut the Czech seal from the downed border post. German Panzer I tanks begin crossing the border. (Anti tank devices are seen unused in the foreground.) Next, Adolf Hitler is seen visiting with German officers who guide him on a tour. He steps inside what appears to be a large canvas field tent. Scene shifts to a town (in Eger or Egerland), where a German armored car is parked in the center of the road as German soldiers on motorcycles pass it, followed by others in German Hanomag Sd. Kfz. 11 Half-Tracks towing 4-wheeled 88mm guns. Welcoming citizens crowd the sidewalks and cheer them. Formation of German troops marches slowly into the town. Closeup of local people enthusiastically cheering them. A contingent of local youth march carrying many flags. View of houses and streets decorated with swastikas and crowds jamming the sidewalks. A church with many spires looms over the town. Adolf Hitler at a speaker’s stand, as huge crowd renders Nazi salute. Hitler, later standing in an open car driving slowly through the throng. Overview of picturesque city in a valley surrounded by mountains. View in the city of Hitler walking with entourage of officers and saluting, as he passes numerous Panzer I tanks lined up side by side and their crews. View from rear as they pass the camera. Hitler standing on a balcony saluting a vast crowd gathered below. More views of him standing in an open car moving amidst the crowds. Hitler and others in a motorcade. View from ground of church spires and a zeppelin passing overhead. Scene shifts to grass airfield where Hermann Goering and others walks toward a Junkers Ju 52 airplane that is just taxiing in to park. Goering speaks to a young German airman. View of Goering in town amongst a crowd. He gives a piece of candy to a little girl, held by her mother. Goering accompanying Hitler as he walks about a town. A banner reading “Lebensmitteltransport für das Deutsche Sudetenland.” (Food transport for the German Sudetenland.) Open air food cooking stoves are seen and one where people around are being fed. Closeup of some people eating and being served.
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