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00:00During the Second World War, an entire generation recorded their personal experiences for posterity.
00:08Combat cameramen braved enemy fire to send home moving images, many of them in color.
00:15They captured history, and in the process they captured ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events,
00:22bearing witness to the color of war.
00:30The American Combat Soldier
00:49The American combat soldier of World War II entered the fray better equipped than any combatant in history.
00:56From the uniform he wore to the formidable weapons with which he attacked his enemies,
01:01the American G.I. was a self-contained fighting machine.
01:06His service, rank, and unit insignia defined his place within a vast military hierarchy,
01:13and the medals he won were a supreme form of distinction, singling him out as part of an elite warrior caste.
01:22With their personal gear often weighing well over 100 pounds,
01:27American fighting men were forced, in the most direct way, to deal with this cumbersome but essential burden.
01:34It was this intimate relationship, forged between the soldier and his equipment,
01:39that often meant the difference between victory and defeat, life and death.
01:53The M1 Garand
01:55By early 1944, the U.S. infantryman was supplied with an unsurpassed array of weapons.
02:02The M1 Garand had the highest rate of fire of any rifle in the world.
02:08The M1A1 flamethrower was a fearsome weapon that could burn the enemy out of bunkers and caves,
02:16and these were only two of the many pieces of hardware he could bring to bear in pursuing his deadly trade.
02:24But in the months following Pearl Harbor, the situation was far different.
02:29Much of the Armed Forces equipment reflected designs left over from World War I.
02:35While plans had been in the works to modernize this vital gear,
02:39Japan's surprise attack left the U.S. military little choice
02:43but to plunge ahead and outfit its multitude of new troops with the aging supplies it had available.
02:49During basic training, a uniform was the first and most significant item issued to these inexperienced warriors.
02:57The entire goal of basic training was to strip away the inductee's civilian identity
03:03and rebuild him, from the skin outward, into a completely military man.
03:09These few yards of drab material marked the beginning of the process.
03:14The U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, dubbed the Tailor to Millions,
03:18optimistically reported the status of their charge's new uniforms.
03:25The new soldier wears his clothes in a new way. What's more, they fit.
03:30The meticulous care and great lengths to which the officer the Quartermaster has gone
03:35makes our troops the best-dressed army in the world.
03:38Not only sartorially, but also from the standpoint of comfort and protection.
03:45But the men who wore the uniforms often had another view.
03:51I told the sergeant either my legs were too long or the pants were too short.
03:55He informed me, with the usual amount of sarcasm, that in his 19 years in the Army,
04:00he has seen only two sizes, too large or too small.
04:05I was so mad I could have shot the sergeant, but as yet I was a soldier without a gun.
04:12During the early months of the war, the military pushed the effort
04:16to revamp its uniforms and equipment into high gear.
04:20Two items of personal equipment in particular needed overhaul, boots and helmets.
04:28I've worn out 19 pairs of boots already here in basic training.
04:32I think the soles for these boots must be made out of cardboard instead of leather,
04:36because they just wear through.
04:38I mean, a 20 or 30-mile march will just tear up a pair of boots.
04:45As with most of the military's aging gear,
04:48the standard Army combat boot underwent a great deal of experimentation during the war.
04:55In 1942, this continual testing yielded a new standard combat boot,
05:01which incorporated an integral five-inch leather cuff.
05:06This cuff was meant to end the GI's reliance on antiquated leggings to keep his feet dry,
05:12a seemingly trivial but vital necessity for the infantry soldier,
05:16where wet feet could lead to debilitating conditions such as frostbite or trench foot.
05:23The new boots were quickly embraced by the troops.
05:28Here's one pair each of the new combat boots.
05:31They are GI shoes with leather cuffs sewn on the top with two straps and buckles fastening each boot.
05:38You can tuck your pants in them, and they're supposed to take the place of leggings.
05:42They are too hot to wear around here, but they are a big improvement over leggings.
05:50The standard GI helmet also underwent radical changes.
05:54These helmets were first used in the U.S. Army during World War I.
05:58Unfortunately, this very same helmet, the model 1917A1,
06:03was still the primary combat helmet worn by every branch of the armed services in the early stages of World War II.
06:13Copied from an English design, the 1917A1 was widely criticized for lacking in protection.
06:21It was also uncomfortable and even dangerous with its chin strap in place.
06:29That dumb chin strap didn't do nothing but try to break your neck.
06:33Your helmet comes down, hits you in the back, across the back of the head,
06:37and the other part comes down, busts your nose wide open.
06:40If you didn't have the chin strap button, the dumb thing would fly off.
06:44And that was fine. Believe it on, you'd get hurt.
06:49Efforts to design a newer, distinctively American helmet had been going on since the early 1930s.
06:56One ingenious idea was a new two-piece design consisting of a lightweight plastic or resin inner liner
07:03which could be snugly adjusted to fit the soldier's head and a protective outer steel shell.
07:11Adopted in late 1941, this helmet was given the designation M1.
07:18The steel outer shell was forged from Hadfield manganese, a sturdy alloy previously used in armor plating.
07:25The M1 soon became the standard helmet worn by all branches of the U.S. armed services.
07:31Over 12 million M1s were produced over the next three years.
07:35Many served a variety of functions never envisioned by its designers.
07:43Shoot, that steel helmet did everything. Fried eggs, boiled eggs, made coffee.
07:49Got in the tank, you had to crap, you crapped in it.
07:51One day you crapped in it, the next day you ate out of it. That's the truth.
07:58While the millions of standardized M1 helmets and combat boots rendered most G.I.s identical,
08:04the patches and insignias worn on the soldiers' uniforms distinguished one from another.
08:10By just looking at a uniform, a passerby could determine the soldier's rank, outfit and specialty,
08:17revealing at a glance every militarily important fact about the wearer.
08:23While enlisted men on both sides wore their rank and cloth stripes on their sleeves,
08:28officers' insignias were of metal and worn on their collars, displaying their higher stature and prestige.
08:37Nevertheless, an enlisted man's stripes were acquired and worn with distinct pride.
08:45I bought my new stripes last night and sewed them on my blouse.
08:48They cost me $2.30. I just got done putting them on one of my shirts.
08:54Boy, it sure is a job keeping them smooth and straight.
08:58But they do me proud.
09:03Although regulation stipulated that a soldier wear his symbols of rank at all times,
09:08often this was overlooked in the heat of battle, when a man's insignia might single him out as a prime target.
09:16I was a first sergeant, but I was just like everybody else.
09:20See, in combat, you don't show your rank. That's the last thing you ever do.
09:26Because you're the first one killed.
09:29Other emblems worn with pride were the divisional patches displayed on a uniform's shoulders.
09:35Each Army and Marine division had its own unique nickname, motto, and insignia,
09:41which became a focus of pride for the soldiers serving in them.
09:45We are a very good fighting outfit. The German Army recognizes that, too.
09:51In captured German documents, one read,
09:54Our troops are to know the insignias of American divisions.
09:58Especially, the red insignia of the 28th Infantry Division is of much importance.
10:04Our red keystone patch is known to the German Army as the Bloody Bucket Division.
10:12Two other pieces of gear that were issued to every serviceman at the time of induction
10:17were a pair of small metal ID disks.
10:20Each one was inscribed with the GI's personal information,
10:24including his name, serial number, branch of service, and date of induction.
10:29The data on each was identical.
10:32In case the soldier was killed,
10:34one was meant to be collected by the troops responsible for graves registration.
10:38The other would stay with the body to prevent misidentification.
10:43Because they were worn around the neck like a collar,
10:46the troops dubbed them dog tags.
10:50In the war's early days, military leaders had naively planned
10:54for uniforms and equipment to be kept strictly standardized
10:58throughout each branch of the armed services.
11:01However, in wartime, very little is ever so tidy or easily regulated.
11:06The stark realities of this ever-widening conflict
11:10soon posed far greater demands on this equipment
11:13than anyone could ever have anticipated.
11:24The magazines back home show a lot of glamour yanks
11:28with trousers razor-creased, ties adjusted right, shoes that gleam.
11:34And when I view those lads, I think of Hollywood actors
11:38instead of soldiers girt for deadly, bloody, filthy war.
11:52As it turned out, the military's plan for a standard uniform and equipment load
11:57for all members of each service branch came to naught,
12:01foiled almost immediately by the war's vast scope.
12:06The disparate climates of the conflict's many theatres of operations
12:10meant that specialized gear needed to be developed for each of the locales.
12:16For those serving in the Pacific, for example,
12:19heat and humidity were constant opponents.
12:22The original jungle uniforms designed for this theatre
12:26were one-piece herringbone twill jumpsuits.
12:29These proved highly impractical and unpopular with the men.
12:33Many found tasks easier to perform while partially undressed,
12:37something the constricting one-piece suits did not allow.
12:43As we began our work on the island,
12:45the men began to shed more and more of their clothing.
12:49Many of us gradually adjusted to the heat and humidity
12:52by working bare from the belt line up.
12:57Another huge drawback of the one-piece suit was its lack of a rear drop flap,
13:02thus requiring total disrobing before the soldier could relieve himself.
13:08To those stricken with all-too-typical jungle bowel ailments,
13:11this was a significant shortcoming.
13:15A two-piece outfit of tropical weight poplin replaced the original uniform by 1943,
13:21much to the relief of the men in the field.
13:26In an effort to combat the incessant moisture in this climate,
13:29the Marine Corps issued lightweight ponchos and raincoats without much success.
13:36One Marine wrote to his buddy on another Pacific island
13:39of his futile attempts to keep out the rain.
13:44Did you ever listen and watch the bubbles coming out of your boots when walking?
13:48They certainly are waterproof.
13:50The rain washes down your neck from the helmet,
13:53down your spine, legs, and into the boots.
13:57I do not know what good the raincoats do us.
13:59They are always wet inside and outside.
14:07Perhaps the greatest climatic challenges facing GIs overseas
14:11were the freezing winters in the mountainous terrain of Western Europe.
14:15The United States took this challenge seriously,
14:18designing and implementing a large range of special equipment and clothing
14:22for the troops of the 10th Mountain Division,
14:24who were specifically trained to fight in this environment.
14:31In addition to the gear carried by regular foot soldiers,
14:34we also carry special double-down sleeping bags,
14:37mountain tent, skis, poles, pitons, climbing ropes,
14:43alcohol stove, and dehydrated food.
14:46It took us three months to acclimate to the rigors of climbing with such a load.
14:52In a remarkable move away from tradition,
14:55the U.S. military designed most of this new winter clothing
14:58based on the novel concept of layering as a means to keep warm.
15:04Now you see the ski trooper completely dressed in his white outer protective shell,
15:09which also serves as a very effective camouflage
15:13while traveling over snow-covered terrain.
15:16The new layered cold-weather gear was rushed into service
15:19for units besides the 10th Mountain Division in time for the winter of 1944.
15:25For troops lucky enough to receive them,
15:27the clothes were a welcome, if strange-looking, addition.
15:33We awake before dawn already partly dressed.
15:36We add layers of clothes for the cold.
15:39Long johns, a wool shirt and trousers, two pairs of socks,
15:43a sweater with a high collar, water-resistant over-trousers,
15:47field jacket, and a knit wool scarf.
15:50Under our helmet is a wool cap with a snug band
15:53that folds down and wraps the back of the neck and the ears.
15:56We look like big children in cruddy overstuffed snowsuits.
16:04This radically designed winter gear ultimately saved many lives.
16:08It was also distinct evidence of the military's willingness
16:11to embrace progressive, forward-looking ideas to achieve ultimate victory.
16:17Another innovative idea would ultimately affect the course of the war,
16:21the large-scale, rapid deployment of forces to remote locales.
16:27These troops were expected to haul their own provisions
16:30until they could be resupplied.
16:32Carrying large quantities of personnel,
16:35Carrying large quantities of personnel gear became so common
16:38that a song was written about it.
16:42We're moving out tonight,
16:44Get your gear on, we're moving out again.
16:48Keep your pipe face in the bull, and keep your voices thin,
16:52It's the word we hate to hear when we lay down all our gear.
16:56Get your gear on, we're moving out again.
16:59Get your gear on, we're moving out again.
17:02The rapid strike forces fell into two distinct categories.
17:05Amphibious troops landed by water,
17:09and airborne forces landed by parachute or glider.
17:14For the airborne troops,
17:16the Army recognized the need for highly specialized gear.
17:20The new two-piece M1 helmet was adapted with a more substantial chin strap
17:25and extra layers of protection to cushion the impact of landing.
17:31Special paratrooper boots with cushioned sole and high-tie uppers
17:35were designed and became one of the most distinctive elements of the paratroopers' uniforms.
17:42Airborne troops also carried vast amounts of equipment,
17:46including extra ammunition, food and medical supplies,
17:50in order to remain self-sufficient.
17:53But not all of it always stayed with its owner.
17:59I hit the ground behind a dirt bank and I threw everything off.
18:02What the hell with it, I figured.
18:03We had all this unnecessary equipment.
18:05You'd get killed if you had to keep it.
18:07You couldn't crawl to the brush with it on.
18:10I cut everything loose.
18:16Amphibious forces also carried a plethora of gear that was unique to their task.
18:21Much of their equipment, such as radios, ammunition and explosives, was waterproofed,
18:27and there were huge amounts of it.
18:30At times, the assault troops' packs weighed over 130 pounds.
18:34Ironically, this equipment sometimes proved deadly to the very men it was designed to serve.
18:42100 feet from shore, my landing craft hit a sandbar.
18:46Thinking we were on the beach, our coxswain dropped the ramp, the signal to disembark.
18:52We ran out into 12 feet of water.
18:55There was widespread panic.
18:58The weak swimmers drowned.
19:00The war ended for them, 100 feet from the beach.
19:06As the conflict wore on,
19:08amphibious troops soon learned to modify their uniforms and equipment to suit the needs of the moment.
19:15Our sergeant, Dunn, checked each man to be sure they had the necessary gear for combat.
19:20We did.
19:22Tarkovsky and myself wore army pants for the occasion,
19:25because of the large pockets to carry necessary things.
19:28I filled mine with grenades and beech-nut chewing tobacco.
19:32Proper battle dress? No way.
19:35Here are two marines wearing army pants going into battle on a navy ship.
19:40I also carried an Air Corps Bible in my jacket.
19:47As important as a soldier's uniform and other gear was,
19:50nothing was as central to his deadly business as his weapons.
19:55It was these lethal instruments that truly made him dressed to kill.
20:05It's nice to get this sergeant,
20:07who wandered around loose the other day over in Africa,
20:10in rear of the German lines, with that Garand rifle.
20:15I said Garand rifle.
20:17He knocked off ten Germans in a row, all in less than four minutes.
20:32The rifle is the foot soldier's most basic weapon.
20:37It is his constant companion, his protector and his best friend.
20:42In World War II, the relationship between the American G.I. and his rifle
20:46was one of utmost significance and intimacy.
20:52The rifle is issued to us in a special ceremony.
20:56The rifle is to be handled reverently, carried everywhere,
21:00and guarded with my life.
21:03The rifle is cleaned and oiled every night.
21:06Woodstock is oiled and rubbed at every break.
21:09The Army is entrusting me with a very expensive and lethal weapon.
21:14Its serial number is listed with my name and etched into my memory.
21:21The recruit was expected to treat his rifle like an added body part,
21:25but never to become confused about the difference between them.
21:33If you ever call your rifle a gun, that is the last straw.
21:38You have to grab your rifle, double-time it to the sidewalk,
21:42and everyone you come to, you have to stop and say,
21:45this is my rifle, and then grab your crotch and say,
21:49this is my gun.
21:51This one's for shooting, and this one's for fun.
21:57At the beginning of the war, the same standard rifle
22:00had been issued to American troops for over three decades,
22:03the 1903 .30-06 Springfield.
22:07Plans had been in the works to replace the aging firearm,
22:10which, because of its bolt-action firing mechanism,
22:13had a maximum rate of fire of only 12 rounds per minute.
22:20We were issued Springfield rifles for drill.
22:23I honestly don't see how the old-timers ever used them in the last war,
22:27or how many of our troops have to use them now.
22:30Even the captain dislikes them.
22:33The weapon ordered to replace the Springfield was to gain legendary status,
22:38the semi-automatic .30-caliber M1 Garand.
22:43Its revolutionary gas-piston-powered action,
22:46which automatically ejected a spent shell,
22:49chambered a new round, and cocked the gun,
22:52did away with the old-fashioned bolt-action of its predecessor.
22:57It was the first semi-automatic firearm in the world
23:00to assume a place as a mainline infantry rifle.
23:05The M1 increased the GI's firing rate by over 50%.
23:10It would shoot just as fast as its operator could pull the trigger.
23:14Large-scale distribution of the new rifle began in 1942.
23:19By the war's end, over 5.5 million had been manufactured.
23:25The Garand became immensely popular with the GI.
23:28One reason was its increased ammunition capacity over the Springfield,
23:32from five to eight shots.
23:37They sent some of those fellas in with Springfields, and the Japs got wise to it.
23:41They'd wait until they fired their five shots, then pepper them.
23:45But once we got the M1, they got fooled.
23:48We fire five shots, then wait a minute.
23:51The Japs stand up, and we just kill them.
23:54It's quite a deal.
23:59Another firearm was originally designed for airborne troops,
24:02who required a smaller, lighter weapon.
24:06Winchester Arms had come up with a .30-caliber semi-automatic
24:09that weighed only five pounds,
24:12and whose total length was less than 36 inches.
24:16Originally called the Baby,
24:18it soon was more properly referred to simply as the M1 carbine.
24:23The carbine carried a magazine with nearly twice as many shells as its larger counterpart,
24:28but it was also less accurate, and not as powerful as the Garand.
24:33Trading power and range for reduced size and weight
24:37was hotly debated by the troops forced to choose between them.
24:43I aimed my carbine waist-high and pulled the trigger as fast as I could.
24:47After shooting the nit five times, he still went 30 feet.
24:51If he had come straight at me, he would have run right over me.
24:55As soon as I got back, I turned my carbine into the Quartermaster.
25:00I felt the carbine was no more than an overgrown .22.
25:04From then on, all I carried was my .45.
25:09One personal weapon whose stopping power was never questioned
25:12was the GI's standard sidearm,
25:15the venerable M1911 Colt .45.
25:19Although originally designed in 1904,
25:22the .45 remained the handgun of choice throughout the Second World War.
25:28Designed as a defensive weapon,
25:30the .45 fired a slug possessing tremendous stopping power.
25:35But its powerful recoil made it hard to aim,
25:38and it was only effective over short distances.
25:42However, it was easy to service and carried a large nine-shot magazine.
25:48Originally, only officers were issued sidearms,
25:51so that their hands would be free to signal their troops.
25:55The .45 became so popular, however,
25:57that soon it was widely distributed to enlisted men as well.
26:05My greatest happiness is being permitted to carry a .45 Colt sidearm.
26:09I have a permanent shoulder injury
26:11from toting an M1 in a springfield all over Fort Benning.
26:15I'll never carry a damn rifle again.
26:19One long-term goal of the American military brass
26:22was increasing the man in the field's personal firepower.
26:27In 1928, the Marine Corps first purchased
26:30John D. Thompson's submachine gun, or Tommy gun.
26:35This shoulder-fired weapon gave the individual soldier
26:38a high degree of mobility,
26:40coupled with the rate of fire of a machine gun,
26:42over 700 rounds per minute.
26:45Even so, dispersal of the Thompson was limited,
26:49as its production was slow, labor-intensive, and expensive.
26:55No matter which firearm they preferred,
26:58the World War II GI had many choices of available light arms.
27:03But when heavier firepower was required,
27:06he had only to look to other newly designed weapons,
27:09weapons that put the power of a full platoon
27:12into the hands of a single soldier.
27:23My BAR is a gas-operated gun, holding 20 round magazines.
27:27The three BAR men in each squad
27:29are the key to our ability to fire and maneuver.
27:32Our Marine squads have much more firepower than an Army squad,
27:35which only has one BAR.
27:38This makes for a big difference.
27:43BANG
27:51During World War II, every unit of U.S. ground troops,
27:54all the way down to squad level,
27:56was intended to carry the maximum destructive capability.
28:01This meant hand-held weapons
28:03that could deliver withering firepower.
28:06Dubbed Walking Thunder by some troops,
28:09these weapons became essential during the course of the war.
28:15One of the most prevalent was the Browning Automatic Rifle, or BAR.
28:20The BAR was another weapon designed
28:22in the earliest days of the 20th century.
28:26Yet by the time hostilities had broken out in the 1940s,
28:29a replacement had not been found.
28:33Firing the standard .30-06 rifle cartridge,
28:36the BAR had great power and accuracy in short bursts.
28:41But longer bursts would overheat the barrel,
28:43diminish accuracy,
28:45and quickly expend the small 20-shot clip.
28:49Weighing in at over 20 pounds,
28:51the BAR was also a backbreaker.
28:57As a BAR man, I had a 21-pound weapon,
29:0012 magazines of ammo,
29:02two canteens,
29:04my field pack,
29:05K-rations,
29:06and an unauthorized .45 pistol.
29:09I must have been carrying over 80 pounds.
29:11It was a real struggle on the net,
29:13but I made it.
29:15One BAR man from another company fell
29:18and was killed.
29:21But the BAR could put out a hail of fire when needed.
29:27We came up to the second floor,
29:29looked out the window,
29:31and no more than 20 feet away was another house.
29:34In the window, looking at us, were two enemy soldiers.
29:38Now, this BAR guy knew just what to do, man.
29:40He just pointed that BAR,
29:42and 20 rounds flew out of there in about three seconds.
29:46He got both of them.
29:51The BAR was supplemented in the rifle platoon
29:54by the .30-caliber Browning machine gun.
29:57While machine guns had proven their fearsome worth in World War I,
30:01many of the older, water-cooled weapons
30:03left over from that conflict
30:05were far too heavy for foot soldiers
30:07to carry over long distances.
30:09The new air-cooled Browning
30:11weighed in at a trim 31 pounds
30:14and became even easier to carry
30:16because the gun and its tripod
30:18separated for transport.
30:24Our squad goes through the gun drills over and over.
30:27My original 145 scrawny pounds
30:30have grown to over 165.
30:33Now I can swing either the gun
30:35or the tripod easily to my shoulder
30:37and carry the burden with a full field pack for miles.
30:43Pumping out shells at a rate of over 500 rounds per minute,
30:47the .30-caliber Browning delivered
30:49a startling amount of fire support
30:51for a hand-carried weapon.
30:53But the Browning also had some severe flaws
30:56compared to the enemy's machine guns.
31:01The Germans, when they fire, they fire fast.
31:03They don't fire slow like us
31:05because they can change the barrel of their machine guns in seconds.
31:09They push a button, the barrel falls off,
31:11and they put another one on.
31:15We couldn't do that.
31:17We had to take the whole gun down,
31:19screw the barrel off, put a new one on,
31:21screw the barrel down, then loosen it three clicks.
31:25It was a real pain.
31:28Rapid-fire arms were not the only type
31:31of heavy weaponry carried by the foot soldier.
31:35Hand grenades were also standard issue
31:37to all U.S. ground troops.
31:41The M2A1 fragmentation grenade weighed 1.3 pounds
31:45and resembled a small pineapple.
31:49It could be thrown by hand over short distances
31:52or fired from the end of a Garand rifle
31:54at more remote targets.
31:57Its sectional outer casing was designed
31:59to break apart when it exploded,
32:01scattering lethal shards of metal up to 50 yards.
32:05But carrying deadly explosives on one's person
32:08could also have fatal consequences.
32:13We used to carry our hand grenades on our chest straps.
32:16One night, one of our men was digging a foxhole.
32:20While he was digging, a button or something
32:23pulled the pin on a grenade.
32:25To protect his buddies, he fell on it.
32:28That, of course, was the end of him.
32:31Now I bend my pins down,
32:34so this couldn't happen to me.
32:37An even heavier explosive punch was packed
32:40by another weapon designed specifically as a tank buster.
32:44The weapon's prototype was test-fired
32:46at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in May of 1942
32:50before an audience of apprehensive Army brass.
32:55I took careful aim, squeezed the trigger,
32:57and heard the characteristic whoosh
32:59as the thing took off.
33:01It was less than a second in flight,
33:03but seemed minutes.
33:05Then, bang!
33:07A direct hit right in the middle of the tank.
33:09All the big shots took off like a bunch of schoolboys
33:12to see the results of this dramatic new weapon.
33:15It was cold out, but I felt warm all over.
33:21The success of these trials
33:23led to an immediate order of 5,000 of the new weapon,
33:26with the official designation of Rocket Launcher ATM-1.
33:32But its shape reminded many of a stage prop
33:35used by comedian Bob Burns,
33:37a homemade musical instrument which he called his bazooka.
33:41In a short time, its official title was forgotten
33:44in favor of this apt moniker.
33:48In reality, the bazooka was nothing more
33:50than a five-foot length of steel tubing
33:52with rudimentary sights
33:54and a battery-powered circuit for launching.
33:58Nevertheless, it could fire its three-and-a-half-pound rocket
34:01accurately nearly 200 yards
34:04and had the ability to punch through
34:06five inches of armor plating.
34:09Its value was such that the enemy
34:11often targeted its crews.
34:15I was appointed squad bazooka man.
34:18A bazooka can blow a hole right through a tank.
34:22The only thing wrong with this job
34:24is that the enemy, like us,
34:26have troops to protect their tanks from guys like me.
34:30Once you fire a round and give away your position,
34:33their infantry are on you like a swarm of bees.
34:37You might as well put your head between your legs
34:39and kiss your butt goodbye.
34:43Perhaps the most fearsome piece of walking thunder ordnance
34:46was the flamethrower.
34:48First used in combat by the German army in World War I,
34:51the flamethrower shot a stream of ignited petroleum
34:54from the pressurized tank strapped to the back of its operator.
34:58But those primitive systems often proved
35:00as dangerous to their users as their intended targets.
35:05As a result, the United States still had no flamethrowers
35:08in active combat use by the start of World War II.
35:12But with the widening war in the Pacific,
35:14it was believed that this weapon might prove useful
35:17in routing Japanese troops from the caves
35:19found in abundance on the tropical islands and atolls.
35:24The first units manufactured were large,
35:27cumbersome and extremely heavy.
35:33After we got into the field, they called for two volunteers
35:36to learn how to operate the new flamethrower
35:38and use it on today's exercise, so I volunteered.
35:42The damn thing weighs over 70 pounds,
35:44and it doesn't ride too comfortable on your back either.
35:50The M1A1 flamethrower used a recently invented mixture
35:54of thickened petroleum called napalm.
35:57This new fuel vastly improved both its range and reliability.
36:02First introduced into combat on Guadalcanal in January of 1943,
36:07the flamethrower proved a frighteningly effective solution
36:10to the problem for which it had been designed.
36:17A man with a flamethrower crawled up as close as he could
36:19to one of the cave entrances.
36:21For a few seconds, he let go with the thrower.
36:24We could hear screaming from inside,
36:26but it was only for a few seconds.
36:29A person hit with a flamethrower is killed almost instantly.
36:35While American troops were often equipped
36:37with the most modern of weapons,
36:39warfare by its very nature is unpredictable.
36:43Thus it was that acts of heroism and utmost bravery
36:47were sometimes performed by those with the most primitive of weapons
36:51and in the most desperate of circumstances.
37:02I think the bayonet is useless as long as I have any ammunition,
37:06and with an empty rifle it would be foolish to press an attack.
37:10The idea of a bayonet attack remains far-fetched,
37:13but if it is him or me, the survivor may be the one best trained.
37:31While many aspects of warfare had evolved
37:33by the time the United States entered World War II,
37:36certain attributes of combat had remained untouched throughout history.
37:42Modern weaponry greatly aided the G.I. in his struggles,
37:45but even these contemporary warriors
37:47were sometimes forced to prove their courage
37:50by resorting to the most primitive of arms, the sharpened blade.
37:57One of the most important of the steel-edged weapons
37:59issued to American troops was the bayonet,
38:02which attached to the end of his firearm.
38:06Although still an essential element of basic training,
38:09many thought the bayonet antiquated.
38:13Indeed, most troops were incredulous on those rare occasions
38:16when they heard the fixed bayonets command in combat.
38:23I felt the shock of it jerk my body.
38:25Fixed bayonets? That's World War I stuff.
38:29Bayonets were for opening C-ration cans.
38:32Sometimes you threw them at trees while imitating Errol Flynn or John Wayne.
38:37I searched for the lieutenant, expecting to see a big grin on his face
38:40as he enjoyed this cruel joke.
38:42Hand-to-hand combat was about the last thing we wanted to do.
38:48But this type of close-in, intense combat was sometimes unavoidable.
38:53Soldiers, airmen and marines were also issued special combat knives
38:57with which to fight hand-to-hand.
39:01The English Fairbairn Sykes trench knife was copied by the U.S.
39:05for its special service troops dubbed the Commandos.
39:09These razor-sharp, stiletto-style weapons,
39:12designed primarily for stabbing,
39:14were deadly when a G.I. found himself in a situation
39:17that called for immediate action.
39:21One soldier recorded his experience during battle with enemy troops.
39:28My rifle was still in my hand,
39:31but the trench was too narrow for me to bring it up to my hip and fire.
39:36In a flashing second of indecision, I nearly panicked.
39:40Then I remembered my Commando knife.
39:43With a lightning thrust, I brought it up with all my strength into his stomach.
39:47I felt the hot blood spurt all over my right arm as I pulled the knife out.
39:52His body sagged and slid to the ground.
39:56I reeled around and vomited.
40:00In these situations of extreme, white-hot combat,
40:04a man's bravery was either proven or his life taken.
40:10For those who prevailed, the final piece of military issue
40:14was a small adornment to their uniforms, a service medal.
40:18Although each branch of the armed services had their own distinctive medals,
40:22they were awarded for much the same reason.
40:25Medals were given to those ostensibly cut from a different cloth.
40:29They conferred a status that couldn't be bought
40:32and denoted a quality of character that had to be recognized
40:36even by a serviceman's highest superiors.
40:40Presented to their recipients in elaborate ceremonies,
40:44medals rewarded a fighting man's finest traits,
40:47as these excerpts of medal citations demonstrate.
40:51For valorous conduct against the enemy.
40:53For extraordinary heroism in action.
40:55For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of duty.
40:58For gallantry in action.
40:59For intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.
41:07But there were other considerations that made such awards contentious.
41:11Medals carried with them a certain amount of points,
41:14which, after the war, determined when a soldier could return home.
41:20Many resented what they considered an unfair advantage
41:23given to some to get back to their loved ones.
41:29Some time ago I thought the points system was all right.
41:32Now I don't think so.
41:34The fellows in the rear who have never been in combat receive as many battle stars as we do.
41:39One receives more points for the bronze star and silver star,
41:43but I know myself that all the guys that deserve them don't get them.
41:47As an example, all the cooks received the bronze star for occasionally bringing us hot chow,
41:52and the guys that stayed here on the front line day and night did not receive it.
41:56The whole system is unfair to the guy who is risking his life day after day.
42:06Other medals, like the Purple Heart, which was awarded to those suffering battle wounds,
42:11were sometimes scoffed at even by their own recipients.
42:18I was hit with a little piece of shrapnel.
42:21While I was back at the aid station to get supplies, the guy noticed I was bleeding.
42:27He put a bandage on and wrote me into the log.
42:30That's how I got the Purple Heart.
42:33Hell, I'd been hit maybe 10 or 15 times in the field,
42:37or I put my own bandage on and never wrote it up.
42:41You don't even think about it.
42:44But many medal winners were justly proud of their accomplishments
42:48and wondered why others weren't as well.
42:53The men in my division and I were awarded around 10 medals for our wartime sacrifices.
42:59This is the only country I know of that would consider you a goof if you ever wore them in public.
43:05The French, English, and Russians wear theirs with pride.
43:09Why not us?
43:12Ultimately, it was not the medals or any other piece of military hardware
43:16carried by the fighting men that defined the course of World War II.
43:21Without their own inner strength and sense of resolve,
43:24their weapons and other battle gear, no matter how effective, would have been completely useless.
43:31Like the uniforms they wore, the medals and ribbons that they earned
43:35were clear reflections of their own valor.
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