Film opens with glimpse of an American 1950 Buick sedan and two cars behind it, parked on a flight line near a line of Italian de Havilland Vampire jet fighter planes. Scene changes to General Lauris Norstad, commander in chief, of USAFE (United states Air force in Europe) making a brief inspection of a tent camp of the Italian Air Force fliers who are participating in Exercise Cirrus, an air exercise for the Allied air forces in Central Europe. He and Italian Air Force officers walk back to his 1950 Buick sedan staff car, parked on the flight line. The officers and General Norstad exchange salutes and hand shakes, and Norstad enters the back seat of his car. The Italian officers enter another 1950 Buick sedan, that displays 4 stars on its bumper. Change of scene shows General Norstad and others near some large olive drab tents where American fliers in flight gear are standing about conversing. General Norstad enters one of the tents followed by a photographer. He is followed by an unidentified U.S. Air Force Major General Who exits soon after and walks away. As Norstad emerges from the tent, the U.S. fliers move out of his way and exchange salutes with him as he passes. Shift in scene shows Norstad exiting another tent and then being surrounded by American and Italian officers. A field ambulance is seen in the background. General Norstad moves to the head of the group, accompanied by a U.S. Air Force colonel. Others in the group follow.
Tourist destinations and architecture along the Rhine River in Germany. A bridge on the Rhine. The famous spa town of Wiesbaden alongside the river Rhine. A ship under a bridge. View of the Lorelei Rock and Gutenfels Castle (Schlossweg 26, 56349 Kaub, Germany) along the Rhine. Women work in a vineyard on the sloping banks of the river. A ship reaches the bank of the river.
Scenes at Fliegerhorst Kaserne Post (Towergebäude, Zum Fliegerhorst, 63526 Erlensee, Germany) in Hanau, Germany showing USA, French, West German and British Air Force troops lined up on parade field. President's USA VH-3A coming in for landing. President Kennedy, General Landon and General Freeman, Commander U.S. Army in Europe walking to platform. U.S. President Kennedy takes 21 cannon salute. U.S. band in Europe playing national Anthems of four countries and military personnel saluting. President trooping line. Shows President with General Freeman and General Landon driving past camera and arriving at stand and President Kennedy reviewing troops. Scenes of president and party in open cars inspecting troops and equipment at USA Fliegerhorst Kaserne Post in Hanau. President Kennedy going to review stand, giving short address, and leaving by car with general Landon and others. Pan right across city of Wiesbaden shows St. Elizabeth's Church.
Activities of children in Wiesbaden, Germany. German children frolic in a park. Trees in the background. Two children wrestle and fight in the park. The children somersault and play leapfrog. A girl braids a child's hair. (World War II period).
View from above, of the surrounding walls and courtyard of a prison in Rheinbach, Germany. Ground view inside the prison yard, where German civilian Matthias Gierens is being escorted to the gallows by U.S. military police, and accompanied by a German Catholic priest, on June 29, 1945. They ascend the gallows and final charges and sentence are read to Gierens. Next scene shows bodies stacked up at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp operated by Nazi Germany. Scene returns to the gallows, and a hood is placed over Gierens' head. View of Allied army officer witnesses, in formation, at parade rest. Noose is placed over Gierens' hood. View of a a bird flying overhead, trapdoor opens, Gierens drops, and noose tightens. Next is an unrelated scene of several German soldiers being executed. They are seen hanging from four gallows in a line in a public square while a large crowd, possibly Soviet citizens, looks on. (Notes: Regarding the execution of Gierens in the opening scene: German civilian Matthias Gierens was a 37 year old railroad worker. He was executed for the August 15, 1944, murder near Priest, Germany, of a downed American airman, who was later identified as U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lieutenant Lester E. Reuss. Gierens and three other German civilians, Peter Kohn, Peter Back, and Matthias Krein, were convicted on June 2, 1945 in Ahrweiler, Germany, of the murder. Their trial was the first Allied trial in Germany of civilians charged with a war crime.)
Project Cirrus, Wiesbaden Germany. C-119 aircrafts in flight as French paratroopers of March Battalion drop from the aircrafts. Parachutes float down, drop zone terrain dotted with parachutes for miles. Parachutes mainly white in color float downwards.
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