General George C. Marshall: Soldier and Statesman

Biography Channel

General George C. Marshall, the subject of this Biography program, was instrumental in the Allied victory in World War II. In 1948, as Secretary of State in the Truman administration, Marshall initiated a program of economic and technical assistance to speed rebuilding of the postwar European economy. (45 minutes)

General Omar Bradley

Biography Channel

Five-star General Omar Bradley was one of the main American field commanders in Europe and North Africa during World War II. This episode of Biography follows his distinguished military career from West Point, to the invasion of Normandy, to the Battle of the Bulge, and on to victory. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. (45 minutes)

General Howe: Conqueror of New York

Biography Channel

The British General William Howe came to America to fight during the Revolutionary War. Although he was sympathetic to the Colonists, he brilliantly led his troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill. This episode of The Conquerors goes on to explore Howe’s battles against General George Washington at New York, Fort Lee, New Jersey, and in Pennsylvania at the Battle of the Brandywine. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. (45 minutes)

Bitter Standoff (The Korean War)

History Education

As American casualties mounted, U.S. policy shifted from liberation of Korea to containment of Communism. In this program, General Matthew Ridgway replaces an insubordinate MacArthur and turns back the enemy tide during two years of the war’s bloodiest fighting. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. A part of the series The Korean War. (45 minutes)

1957 (Year by Year: 1929-1967)

History Education

John Glenn's 1957 Project Bullet completes the first supersoic transcontinental flight from California to New York, breaking a speed record, as covered in this episode of Year by Year. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. (45 minutes)

Abu Ghraib: A Torturer's Tale

Journeyman Pictures

Javal Davis was imprisoned for assaulting inmates at Abu Ghraib, but insists he is not a torturer. His fellow MP Ken Davis was never implicated, having reported the abuse to superiors. This program presents in-depth interviews with both men, detailing their side of the story and conveying their disillusionment with Pentagon officials who wanted interrogations pushed “up a notch.” Featuring nightmarish descriptions and images from inside the prison—highlighting deplorable conditions endured by inmates and guards alike—the program also includes insight into the mentality of reservist Charles Graner, currently serving a 10-year sentence for Abu Ghraib torture. Some content may be objectionable. (25 minutes)

US Tomb of the Unknown Soldier , 1919

The WPA Film Library

Consecration of Tomb of Unknown Soldier, USA: Woodrow Wilson and Marshal Foch present. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

The Big Picture: Germany Today

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

In this classic episode of the U.S. Army’s The Big Picture television series, the program checks in with the status of citizens in West Germany. This documentary from the National Archives and Records Administration shows how West Germany remains democratic after the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces defeated the German war machine. The video points out that no other force in military history has done so much to put a conquered nation back on its feet as the United States Army. (30 minutes)

The Big Picture: Okinawa -- Bastion in the Pacific

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

This episode of the U.S. Army’s The Big Picture is a dramatic pictorial report of Okinawa’s history over the last half century. Called “a major bastion in the Far East” by President Eisenhower, this island is a key Pacific base in the free world’s defense program because of its close proximity from Communist China. At the time that this National Archives and Records Administration video was filmed, the United States had invested over a billion dollars in the formerly bleak island. Prior to American occupation, Okinawa’s economy was almost nonexistent and its capital city was in shambles. With the combined efforts of the U.S. and Okinawa’s inhabitants, the island was reconstructed and now has democratic elections, schools, churches, and a high standard of living. (30 minutes)

The Big Picture: Soldier in Austria

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

This episode of the U.S. Army’s The Big Picture television series focuses on the men whose job it was to prevent Austria from being drawn into communism. Communists turned the question of Austrian independence, like the unification of Germany, into a political football. This video from the National Archives and Records Administration looks at how the spread of communism caused people to lose sight of the Soviet government’s other targets. (30 minutes)

Kennedy and DeGaulle Meet in Paris, 1961

British Pathe

President John F. Kennedy meets President Charles de Gaulle in Paris Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Confirmation Hearing for Alexander Haig Part I, 1981

The WPA Film Library

Senate Confirmation Hearing on Alexander Haig for the position of Secretary of State (part 1) Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Confirmation Hearing for Alexander Haig State Part III, 1981

The WPA Film Library

Senate Confirmation Hearing on Alexander Haig for the position of Secretary of State (part 3) Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Alexander Haig on US Advisors in El Salvador, 1982

The WPA Film Library

Secretary of State Haig testifies to Congress that US "advisers" should stay in El Salvador Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Alvin Toffer on the Information Age, 1986

The WPA Film Library

Alvin Toffler speaks to congressional symposium on the impact of the information age on Government Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering Movie, LLC.

Gerrymandering is defined as the carving up of a state into districts in a way that allows one political party to gain more clout than another. It has also been called the most effective way to manipulate an election’s outcome short of outright fraud. Focusing on the fight to pass Proposition 11—drafted to give redistricting power to a bipartisan rather than legislative group—this documentary explores the ethical implications of gerrymandering and looks at some historical examples of how the practice has been used. The experience of assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, who was redistricted out of his own territory by a threatened incumbent; the dramatic response of House Democrats to proposed redistricting in Texas; and how redistricting impacted Barack Obama’s political career are all explored with insights from political figures, legal experts, journalists, and activists. With Lani Guinier, of Harvard Law School, and then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. (77 minutes)

Feast of Corpus Christi, 1940

British Pathe

"South Africa's Day of Prayer": Feast of Corpus Christi celebration in Johannesburg. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Marshall Petain Meets with Hitler, 1940

British Pathe

World War II - Petain Meets Hitler Copyright The WPA Film Library.

The Big Picture: West Point -- The Army Challenge

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

This classic episode of the U.S. Army’s The Big Picture series documents the story of a young man entering the U.S. Military Academy and completing four years of study to qualify for a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Footage in this educational historical recording is provided by the National Archives and Records Administration and gives viewers an up-close look at life in West Point. (30 minutes)

"Captain James Stewart", 1943

British Pathe

World War II - "Captain James Stewart" interviewed about his army experiences Copyright The WPA Film Library.

The Doolittle Raids, 1943

British Pathe

World War II - First Raid on Tokyo; Doolittle raids Copyright The WPA Film Library.

World Leaders Attend Postwar Meeting, 1946

British Pathe

World War II - Leaders from USA, USSR and Europe meet to discuss former Italian colonies & General Jan Smuts arrives in Britain for Imperial Conference Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Douglas MacArthur Speech, 1951

British Pathe

General Douglas MacArthur talks to Massachusetts Legislature; says the outcome of the war was futility; Korean War Copyright The WPA Film Library.

General Matthew Ridgeway, ca. 1951

British Pathe

General Matthew Ridgeway (Ridgway) salutes UN troops, meets other generals Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Tito Visits Britain, 1953

British Pathe

Marshal Josip Broz Tito on state visit to England; inspects new RAF jets Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Colin Powel Speaks on Life After 9/11, 2001

The WPA Film Library

Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks about going on with life in difficult times (after 9/11) Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Rumsfeld on Withdrawal from Iraq, 2005

The WPA Film Library

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Iraq War (specifically withdrawal) Copyright The WPA Film Library.

The Big Picture: Battalion Commander

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

This classic episode of the U.S. Army’s The Big Picture television series profiles the battalion commander, one of the most responsible and respected jobs in the Army. He represents, in his single experience, a career of national service and Army leadership. Under his command are hundreds of men, machines and weapons—forged together into a thunderbolt representing many thousands of dollars in the nation’s investment in military security. This video from the National Archives and Records Administration focuses on crowded days in the life of the commander of an armored battalion in West Germany, where United States and NATO forces serve in the forward lines of the free world’s defenses. (30 minutes)

United News, Release 150 (1945): Franklin Delano Roosevelt

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Chief Justice Stone swears in President Truman. 2. Family scenes from President Roosevelt's early years; the 1932 Democratic convention; the 1933 inaugural address; the 1941 signing of the Atlantic Charter off Newfoundland; F.D.R. at Casablanca, Cairo, and Teheran in 1943; the 1945 inaugural address; F.D.R. at Yalta in 1945; other leaders and personalities include Stalin, Churchill, Molotov, Chiang Kai-shek, General Marshall, Admiral King, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Bess Truman. (8 minutes)

United News, Release 183 (1945): Superfortress Sets New Distance Record

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. A B-29 airplane lands in Washington, D.C., and General Arnold decorates the crew. 2. Disabled veterans are trained as watchmakers in a Bulova Watch Corporation School in New York City. 3. Japanese aliens board ships at Seattle, Washington. 4. Pre-Christmas parades are held in New York City and Hollywood; Jack Benny. 5. The daily routine of captured German generals in a U.S. prison camp in Germany. 6. General Eisenhower advises a congressional committee to pass universal military training. 7. General Yamashita is tried at Manila for war crimes. General R. B. Reynolds. (11 minutes)

United News, Release 1052 (1945): Free Vote for France

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. France holds its first free municipal elections since liberation. 2. Occupation forces in Heidelberg print a newspaper and distribute it to eager citizens. 3. A French ship is loaded with grain and potatoes in Canada; airplanes drop food to the Dutch in a UN operation. 4. German surrenders are received by General Montgomery from Admiral Friedeburg and by General Walter Smith from General Jodl; General Eisenhower speaks. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 211 (1946): Latest News in Aviation World

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Paratroopers jump at West Point graduation. 2. Tenants are rescued from the burning LaSalle Hotel in Chicago. 3. Chiang Kai-shek decorates the tomb of Sun Yat-sen as the capital is returned from Chungking. 4. Fiftieth anniversary of the automobile industry. 5. The 82nd Airborne Division is honored, celebrating D-Day. 6. General Doolittle and Admiral Nimitz at Academy graduations. (9 minutes)

From Independence to the Alamo (Mexico)

History Education

For 300 years after the conquistadors’ triumph over the Aztecs, Mexico was the crown jewel of the Spanish colonial empire. But the injustices of the feudal system Spain had imposed together with the excesses of the Inquisition sparked the fires of revolution. This program returns to colonial Mexico, where the Catholic Church was the dominant force in daily life. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. (43 minutes)

Liberation of the Philippines (Battleline)

A&E

For more than two years, the Japanese have occupied the Philippines, while American forces, led by General Douglas MacArthur, plan their return to liberate the islands in 1945. This classic program incorporates authentic WWII archival film footage and accounts from soldiers on both sides of the battleline in the Philippines. Part of the series Battleline. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. (23 minutes)

The Road to War: American Decision-Making During the Gulf Crisis

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE

This unprecedented historical retrospective provides an inside look at how the U.S. responded to the Gulf crisis, how America’s leaders evaluated data and options, how decisions were made and policies implemented, and how the crisis was managed on a day-to-day basis—in short, the steps that led to war and thence to the cease-fire. The participants include James Baker, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and most of the other members of President Bush’s "war cabinet" as well as the sub-cabinet officials who played central roles in the political, diplomatic, and military aspects of the war. We know of no comparable instance in which so many top-level officials have come together to discuss openly an event of such historic proportions. What this program presents is the firsthand recollections, very shortly after the events took place, of the decision-makers responsible for taking the U.S. into and out of war. Produced under the auspices of the American Enterprise Institute.

Richard Nixon Addresses the POW Crisis in Vietnam ca. 1970

The WPA Film Library

Prisoners of War (or POWs) were of great concern to Americans, and it was assumed that POWs were being tortured by their captors. As a result of the Paris accords, almost 600 POWs were released by North Vietnam in 1973; some of these POWs had been held since the mid-1960s. Despite heavy anti-war sentiment and no decisive victory in Vietnam, many POWs were received as heroes when they returned to the United States. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

African Art: Legacy of Oppression

NewsHour Productions

Belgium's Tervuren Museum contains the world's largest collection of Central African art, which consists of approximately 250,000 pieces. Noted journalist Paul Solman discusses the power and the true price of this collection with art historian Ramona Austin and journalist/author Adam Hochschild. In the immense Congo region, there are more than 250 different cultures, so there is a broad range of artistic styles to be found there. Austin is particularly drawn to the emotionally riveting abstracts, with their modernistic qualities and generalized forms that influenced Picasso and other European masters. She also admires the intricate detailing lavished on everyday objects like combs. But how did the Tervuren collect this body of art? Hochschild says that when Belgium's King Leopold II colonized and brutally exploited this territory during the late 1800s, ivory and rubber were not the only things sent back to Europe. (13 minutes)

United News, Release 155 (1945): U.S. Turns to Japan after German Defeat

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Secretary of State Stettinius, Anthony Eden, Molotov, and Mackenzie King meet in San Francisco; lights go on in New York City and Washington, D.C., as blackouts are lifted. 2. A Chinese orphan is adopted by the 14th Air Force. 3. Survivors are taken from a bombed hospital ship. 4. President Truman greets his mother at the White House. 5. General Montgomery accepts the surrender of German troops in Germany. 6. General Jodl surrenders to General W.B. Smith in France; General Eisenhower is present. (11 minutes)

United News, Release 189 (1946): Hail Victory in California Rose Festival

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. The Rose Parade in Pasadena. 2. UN delegate Stettinius, Mrs. Roosevelt, and various senators pose for photographers. 3. Chinese citizens greet General Marshall. 4. Japanese POWs board a ship in California. 5. President Truman speaks about "a year of decisions." 6. General Patton's funeral in Hamm, Luxemburg. 7. The 82nd Airborne Division disembarks in New York. 8. General Homma pleads innocent at a war crimes trial. 9. Skiing and bobsledding in New York. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 190 (1946): World Looks at United China

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Chiang Kai-shek greets General Marshall at Nanking (1945). 2. The dog mascot of a Coast Guard cutter crew. 3. A demonstration of the Army helicopter R-5. 4. Churchill disembarks at New York and addresses greeters. 5. Fire destroys a U.S. warehouse in Yokohama. 6. UN delegates visit Truman and seek a site for the UN. 7. The 82nd Airborne Division parades. (10 minutes)

Universal Newsreels: As World Watched -- Spaceman Hailed after U.S. Triumph (05/08/1961)

Universal Newsreel

This Universal newsreel focuses on Alan Shepard, space pioneer. Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard--the first American in space--receives a medal from President Kennedy at the White House and takes part in a parade up Pennsylvania Avenue. Universal Studios. (2 minutes)

United News, Release 4 (1942): U.S. Rushes New Bases in Pacific

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Equipment and supplies are unloaded. 2. Navy nurses model summer uniforms; women join the WAC; WAC Colonel Oveta C. Hobby; women dispatch carriers ride motorcycles. 3. A track meet at Madison Square Garden. 4. How V-Mail is handled. 5. A Japanese cruiser burns during a naval fight near Midway; Admiral Nimitz presents decorations; bombers are manufactured; midshipmen graduate and parade at Annapolis. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 27 (1942): U.S. Marines on Guadalcanal Push Back Japanese Troops

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. U.S. bombers take off from a Guadalcanal airfield; a long column of marines advances behind artillery support; Admiral Nimitz decorates General Vandegrift and others. 2. The cruiser Boise docks and Admiral King decorates members of the crew. 3. President Roosevelt, Henry Wallace, and Cordell Hull greet Ecuador's president at the White House. 4. General Patton and French officers meet in Casablanca; General Eisenhower, General Clark, and Admiral Cunningham establish allied headquarters in Algiers; French ships docked at Toulon, France, prior to their scuttling. (9 minutes)

United News, Release 29 (1942): MacArthur Blasts Japanese from New Guinea

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Transport planes carry U.S. troops across the New Guinea mountains and infantry units advance through jungle areas. 2. President Roosevelt and Henry Wallace greet President Batista of Cuba in Washington, D.C. 3. Merchant seamen graduate and pass in review. 4. A farm family in the U.S. makes machine tools in their home; chromium is mined in the Pacific Northwest. 5. Coastal batteries fire practice salvoes. 6. Mine sappers clear the way as tanks and infantry of the British 8th Army roll across Libya; Italian troops surrender en masse. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 36 (1943): Chinese Envoy Inspects Canada's War Industries

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. China's ambassador to Canada sees small arms ammunition and tanks being manufactured; tanks being tested in the snow. 2. Scenes in Ottawa where Princess Juliana of the Netherlands has given birth. 3. President Roosevelt and Churchill meet in Casablanca, where they ride in a jeep and review allied troops; F.D.R. inspects U.S. troops in Liberia and meets President Vargas in Rio de Janeiro; Admiral King; General Marshall; General Arnold; General Alan Brooke; Admiral Alfred Dudley Pound; General Giraud; General de Gaulle. (11 minutes)

United News, Release 53 (1943): U.S. Forces Blast Japanese from Attu

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. An amphibious landing in the Aleutian Islands. 2. Depth charges are dropped, and a German submarine that tried to attack a convoy surfaces. 3. Clean-up operations in Tunis; hordes of German soldiers are captured; British troops are warmly greeted by citizens; General Giraud reviews French troops. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 54 (1943): 514 West Point Cadets Graduate into U.S. Army

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. General Arnold presents wings to future Army Air Force officers. 2. Gunder Hagg, Swedish track star, begins training in the U.S. 3. The British Navy captures German troops attempting to escape off the African coast; Generals Eisenhower and Giraud review a French/American military parade. 4. Planes bomb German bases in France; liberator planes strike Japanese bases in the Solomons. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 71 (1943): Arabian Prince Reviews Cadets at U.S. Naval School

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. The Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia reviews a parade of midshipmen. 2. Red Cross women ride camels in Egypt. 3. The allied military government in Sicily releases Sicilians from military prisons. 4. Generals de Gaulle and Giraud review French troops in North Africa. 5. Army troops enter villages north of Naples, Italy; Generals Eisenhower and Clark meet. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 82 (1943): General MacArthur's Forces Win New Bases in Pacific

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Australian troops capture Madang, New Guinea. 2. A navy dirigible patrols for German submarines. 3. The Shah of Iran and his family. 4. A cannon is fired from a B-25 bomber; bombs are dropped. 5. Animals are rescued from an irrigation viaduct. 6. Fighters of the 8th Air Force down German planes. 7. Roosevelt inspects the 7th Army in Sicily. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 90 (1944): War News from China's Armies in Southeast Asia

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Chiang Kai-shek and General Mountbatten inspect Chinese troops in Burma; the Chinese advance on Japanese positions. 2. The aircraft carrier Ticonderoga is launched. 3. Roosevelt presents a destroyer escort to French naval officers; Sengalese troops. 4. Soldiers land in the Marshall Islands; warships in action. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 91 (1944): Allied Forces in Action on India-Burma Fronts

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Villagers help construct airstrips in India; newly won positions on New Guinea; British and Indian troops in Burma. 2. Women's gymnastics in Australia. 3. Quadruplets celebrate a birthday in Texas. 4. U.S. planes bomb railroad yards in Rome; U.S. Army troops advance from Anzio beachhead. 5. Yugoslav refugees debark in Italy. 6. General Eisenhower, General Montgomery, and General Arthur Tedder meet in London. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 95 (1944): U.S. Bombers in First Daylight Raid on Berlin

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Bombers strike Berlin. 2. The Gripsholm arrives in New York with soldiers freed from German prison camps. 3. General Blamey reviews veterans in Sydney. 4. General William Shedd and Eleanor Roosevelt inspect garrisons in Puerto Rico; Mrs. MacArthur christens the Australian destroyer Bataan. 5. German prisoners in the U.S. shovel snow and work in a shoe shop. 6. Italian refugees are evacuated to southern Italy. (11 minutes)

United News, Release 98 (1944): U.S. Navy Planes Bomb Japanese Ships in South Pacific

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Carrier planes sink a Japanese cruiser off New Guinea. 2. U.S. servicewomen view cherry blossoms. 3. Thomas Edison and an early movie camera; scenes of Broadway in 1896; Theodore Roosevelt and the "Rough Riders" parade in New York City inaugural parade of 1905; Lillian Russell, Pearl White, and William S. Hart appear in early movies; Market Street in San Francisco in 1900; 4. Winston Churchill and General Eisenhower watch a parachute drop in England. (9 minutes)

United News, Release 111 (1944): Last Liberty Ship Launched

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Henry Kaiser witnesses the launching of a liberty ship. 2. Henry Wallace meets Chiang Kai-shek in Chungking and plays volleyball with U.S. soldiers. 3. Secretary of the Treasury Morgenthau opens the U.N. Monetary Conference in New Hampshire. 4. President Roosevelt and others greet de Gaulle at the White House; General de Gaulle speaks to the American people from New York City. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 115 (1944): U.S. Soldiers Become Citizens at Battlefront

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Men of the 5th Army receive naturalization papers; Japanese-American units pass in review. 2. Sergio Osmena is sworn in as president of the Philippines; Manuel Quezon's body heads to Arlington National Cemetery and there interred; flashback to Quezon with General MacArthur. 3. Marines land on Guam. (10 minutes)

United News, Release 129 (1944): President Roosevelt Returns to Washington

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. President Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Henry Wallace ride from Union Station to the White House; F.D.R. visits the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 2. Mail for U.S. troops is sorted at a New York City post office and at the front. 3. U.S. troops advance on Leyte; U.S. and Japanese ships battle in the Philippine Sea; Admiral Nimitz speaks after the naval victory. 4. Trucks carry military supplies to the front lines in operation "Red Ball Express." (11 minutes)

United News, Release 134 (1944): B-29s Over Tokyo

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. U.S. planes bomb Tokyo and return to Saipan; Generals Haywood Hansell and Emmett O'Donnell. 2. The 6th Army advances on Leyte and cares for displaced Filipinos. 3. A plane in flight picking up men from the ground. 4. French and U.S. troops enter Metz, Strasbourg, and Belfort; General Walton H. Walker receives the German surrender in Strasbourg. (11 minutes)

United News, Release 1031 (1944): French Honor American Heroes

United News

This World War II-era newsreel includes the following segments: 1. Members of the 5th Infantry Division, including General Stafford LeRoy Irwin, receive the Croix de Guerre at Metz. 2. U.S. soldiers help clear London rubble and rebuild homes. 3. General Eisenhower wishes a merry Christmas to representatives of Allied troops. 4. 17 Congressmen inspect battle lines near the German border and are greeted by General Patton. 5. Artillery bombards Kiel, and German troops surrender; Congressmen Matthew J. Merritt; Clare Boothe Luce; John Martin Costello; John Parnell Thomas. (10 minutes)

The Good Soldier

Journeyman Pictures

“War is about one thing only: it’s about killing. You either learn to kill somebody else or you get killed or wounded yourself.” This film examines how soldiers grapple simultaneously with their duty and their own humanity as it tracks the perilous psychological journeys of four decorated combat veterans of World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Iraq War. A combination of frank interviews and battlefield footage, The Good Soldier addresses the initial reluctance to kill, the act of killing from a distance and hand-to-hand, incidents of combat zone atrocities, the experience of getting wounded, mixed feelings of relief and alienation upon returning stateside, post-tour substance abuse and mental trauma, efforts at closure, and involvement with veterans-for-peace movements. A sobering statement both about and against war. Contains graphic military-related violence and instances of harsh language. (54 minutes)

Eisenhower Inauguration

The WPA Film Library

Excerpts from Dwight D. Eisenhower’s presidential inaugural address on January 20, 1953. (21 minutes) Copyright The WPA Film Library.

America’s Black Eagles — Part 4: Red Tails and Black Aces

Tony Brown Productions

With the "Tuskegee Experiment" a proven success and used as a basis to demonstrate that Blacks could perform well in combat and leadership roles, President Harry Truman, in 1948, signed the executive order to integrate the military. This video looks at that time and event.

The Cost of Campaigns

Retro Report

The Watergate campaign finance scandals led to a landmark law designed to limit the influence of money in politics. Forty years later, some say the scandal isn’t what’s illegal, it’s what’s legal.

Mobilizing the Latino Community: Ernesto J. Cortes, Jr.

Doctoroff Media Group

Ernie Cortes isn’t a business tycoon and he hasn’t been elected to public office, but a Texas business magazine named him one of the five most powerful Texans, along with people like H. Ross Perot. Ernie Cortes’ influence, though, reaches beyond Texas and he has been called "the most effective Latino grassroots organizer in the country today." He is a man who empowers, a member of the national staff of the Industrial Areas Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps "ordinary" people organize to make positive changes in their communities. In his home state of Texas, he teaches citizens to take on issues that matter to them: water and sewer systems, roads, education, worker safety, and health care. In this program with Bill Moyers, Cortes discusses individual participation in American politics and highlights the importance of agitation, confrontation, and compromise in the discourse of democracy. (50 minutes)

So Violent a Nation

Doctoroff Media Group

This program with Bill Moyers focuses on Dallas, TX, to examine how violence is affecting American life. Dallas has the highest crime rate of any American city with a population above 500,000. The program visits a hospital emergency room, citizens who patrol their neighborhoods, and follows a police officer who patrols one of the most dangerous beats in Dallas. Featured in the program are interviews with a youth caseworker, a victim's rights advocate, and the Dallas Police Chief. They discuss gun control, police-community relations, education, and other crime-related topics. (60 minutes)

Bloody Resolve (World War II in HD)

History Education

In this program, the Marines assault Tarawa in one of the bloodiest battles yet waged, and MacArthur island-hops toward Japan. Distributed by A&E Television Networks. A part of the series World War II in HD. (45 minutes)

Donald Judd: Marfa, Texas

MVD Entertainment Group

An artist and critic, Donald Judd was the embodiment of considerable duality—at once a man of intellectual rigor and a multidisciplinary conceptualist who deftly moved toward a new minimalism. In 1971, he relocated from New York to the prairies of Presidio County in southern Texas, 20 miles from the Mexican border. It is here, in Marfa, Texas, that Chris Felver interviews Judd, providing insights into his process, his materials—aluminum, brass, Plexiglas, and concrete—and the freedom he sought to achieve from institutions trying to define what art is. A rare visit with an exceptional talent and a compelling destination for art aficionados. (26 minutes)

Prelinger Archives: Palmour Street

Prelinger Archives

Everyday aspects of mental health in an African-American community in Gainesville, Georgia. Portrays the life of a black family in small-town Georgia. (22 minutes0

Prelinger Archives: The 957th Day

Prelinger Archives

Shows the Pacific Fifth Fleet engaged in combat action on the 957th day of WWII. (10 minutes)

Clark Gable Teaches Gunnery in the U.S. Air Force ca. 1943

British Pathe

American film star Clark Gable was one of many celebrities who enlisted in the armed forces during World War II. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Woman Tests Exercise Machines ca. 1950s

The WPA Film Library

During the 1950s, Americans paid increasing attention to physical fitness. In 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower created the President's Council on Youth Fitness, after viewing a study that revealed that more than half of American children could not pass a test of "minimum muscular fitness". Eisenhower was especially perturbed by the study because when the same test was administered to European students, nearly 100% passed. The author of the study attributed European children's superior fitness to their active lifestyles: European children walked and bicycled to school, whereas American children were most often driven to school by their parents. The pursuit of fitness gave rise to more rigorous physical education guidelines, as well as some unusual weight-loss devices, which promised to "shake" excess weight off. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Ross Perot Discusses American POWs in Vietnam ca. 1970

The WPA Film Library

In 1969, businessman and philanthropist Ross Perot visited southeast Asia to try and negotiate the release of American (prisoners of war) POWs captured during the Vietnam War. Earlier, he had flown several of the POWs' wives to Paris in hopes of eliciting French assistance and at Christmas of that year, he attempted to deliver gifts and supplies to the POWs. This was unusual because Perot was not acting as an official agent of the United States but rather as a sort of freelance goodwill ambassador. Perot, who believed that Americans should be more active in encouraging the U.S. government to tackle problems such as the POW crisis, sponsored televised "town hall" meetings to raise awareness of the issues of the day. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Appoints Earl Warren to the Supreme Court ca. 1953

The WPA Film Library

In 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed California governor Earl Warren to the position of Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, following the sudden death of former chief justice Fred Vinson. The Warren Court became one of the most influential courts in American history, presiding over such monumental cases as Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Plays Golf and Meets Constituents During the Campaign Season ca. 1956

British Pathe

President Dwight D. Eisenhower ran for reelection in 1956 despite suffering from heart problems. In recognition of the rising popularity of television and its power to establish a candidate's image, Eisenhower used the new medium to show himself in good health and spirits. As a result the public was never fully aware of the extent of his illness. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

U.S. Factory Builds Jets and Automobiles During 1950s ca. 1953

British Pathe

Following World War II, the U.S. government continued its many contracts with large companies that built its weapons, aircraft, and vehicles. Factories that could build both commercial automobiles and military jets were part of what President Dwight Eisenhower later called the "military-industrial complex", and were promoted by military leaders as vital in the continuing cold war with the Soviet Union. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Japanese Americans Arrive at the Crystal City Internment Camp ca. 1940s

The WPA Film Library

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans were relocated to internment camps administered by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Crystal City facility in Texas was the largest one of these camps, with more than 3,300 residents at its peak in 1945. Although the U.S. government stressed that the detained Japanese Americans were well cared for, thousands of people lost their jobs and their homes, and had to suffer disruption and isolation in their otherwise normal lives. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Charles de Gaulle Arrives in Paris ca. 1944

British Pathe

Nearly three months after D-Day, on August 24, 1944, French tanks under the direction of Major General Jacques Philippe Leclerc rolled into Paris in order to liberate the city from German occupation. Two days later General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French Forces, led a victory parade through the city. The success of Operation Overlord - the Allies' codename for the recapture of mainland Europe from the Nazis - marked a major turning point in World War II. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

The WPA Film Library: Hawaiians Celebrate Statehood ca. 1959

The WPA Film Library

On August 21, 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Admission Act. Hawaii, which had been annexed to the United States in 1898, became the 50th state in the Union.

The Color of Justice, 1970

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

This historical film—a dramatization combined with archival footage and photos—examines race, the Constitution, and desegregation over time. The film uses the March 3, 1970, incident at Lamar High School in Lamar, South Carolina, where a group of white parents rioted against desegregation, as a backdrop for the discussion. From the National Archives and Records Administration. (23 minutes)

Great Speeches: Today's Women, Volume 1: Barbara Jordan, Marilyn Quayle, Joycelyn Elders, Sarah Weddington, and Paula Stern

Educational Video Group

This program features Barbara Jordan's 1992 DNC keynote address; Marilyn Quayle's speech to defend the Republican administration; Joycelyn Elders' discussion of health issues; Sarah Weddington's speech as the lawyer behind Roe v. Wade on women's issues; and Paula Stern's talk on Clinton's economic conference. (131 minutes)

Inequalities

Media4Math

Venice has been prone to flooding for hundreds of years, but with the city sinking and sea levels worldwide rising, the situation in the 21st century is becoming dire. This program uses the design for a moveable floodgate, to be activated automatically when waters reach a critical level, to illustrate mathematical inequalities. Inequalities are also demonstrated by calculating the mpg of a hybrid and a gas-engine vehicle, factoring in both city and highway driving, to determine which is really more fuel efficient. Part of the series Algebra Applications. (20 minutes)

The Big Picture: The Citizen Soldier

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

This episode of the U.S. Army’s The Big Picture television series focuses on the soldier as an educated citizen. Since the Army knows that an educated soldier increases the efficiency of the Army, it provides the men and women of the Army with information and educational opportunities. Information in the form of newspapers, overseas radio networks, discussions, books, pamphlets, and maps are dispensed to troops anywhere they may be located, while education, either on-duty or off-duty, is made available to soldiers in a variety of subjects from elementary grades through the college level. Information about the Army’s policies on education and information dispensation are told through interviews with Dr. Ralph W. Scott, Chief educational adviser of the Department of the Army, and Major John D. Danzenbaker, the Army’s Troop Information and Education Division and former Third Division Information and Education Officer in Korea. (30 minutes)

The Big Picture: The Big Red One

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

Produced by the U.S. Army, this educational episode of The Big Picture series is a salute to the 1st Infantry Division, also known as “The Big Red One.” This division participated in eight campaigns and three invasions during World War II. With fascinating footage provided by the National Archives and Records Administration, this film captures combat operations during these engagements, showing attacks and counterattacks on foot and in trucks and assault boats through heat, dust, cold, snow, and water. Colonel Quinn explains the Combat Infantry Badge, its history, and what is required of combat infantrymen in order to wear the badge. (30 minutes)

Episode 2: Green for All (design | e2)

PBS

Learn more about the inspirational architect Sergio Palleroni, who is introducing sustainability to poor and underdeveloped communities around the world. Palleroni is a professor at The University of Texas at Austin. Distributed by PBS Distribution. (30 minutes)

The Post-War Years

Media Rich Learning

A part of the series America in the 20th Century. The end of World War II was the beginning of U.S. global power as well as a milestone in the nation's economic prosperity and domestic political currents. This program examines America during the years 1945 to 1960, in which the Cold War loomed, babies boomed, and the suburban family became the bull's-eye of the mass market. Viewers learn about the leadership transition from Truman to Eisenhower, the creation of the interstate highway system, the advent of TV and rock-n-roll, and more. Correlates to standards from the National Council for the Social Studies. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. (40 minutes)

Douglas MacArthur, from The WPA Film Library Speeches Collection

The WPA Film Library

This collection of significant speeches given by Douglas MacArthur spans a decade that ranges from the mid-’40s to the mid-’50s.

The Big Picture: This Is the Infantry

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

What is an Infantryman? For two centuries he has been in the bulwark of our country's defense. From the hardships at Valley Forge, to the 38th Parallel of Korea, the Infantryman has been a fighter and a man of courage unafraid to meet the enemy head-on in hand-to-hand combat. The Infantryman is trained to be resourceful, aggressive, and self-reliant at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Featuring footage from the National Archives and Records Administration, this classic episode produced by the U.S. Army provides viewers with a fascinating look at the making of an Infantryman as he learns what it takes to earn the right to that proud battle cry--I am the Infantry! Follow me! (30 minutes)

The Big Picture: Medal of Honor

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

This episode of the U.S. Army’s The Big Picture television series presents a dramatic salute to the heroic soldiers who have won the Medal of Honor, the supreme tribute “for gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty.” At the time that this video from the National Archives and Records Administration was recorded, 3,156 American servicemen had been decorated with the honor. Narrated by Alexander Scourby, this film depicts the gallantry on battlefields from Gettysburg to Korea. (30 minutes)

The Big Picture: The Seventh Army Story

Nat'l Archives & Records Administration

This classic episode of the U.S. Army’s The Big Picture television series goes back to July 1943, when the Seventh Army was one of the great armies formed to crack the walls of fortress Europe. Viewers will see the Seventh invade Sicily in its first campaign. Commanded by General Alexander M. Patch—a soldier who roamed his front lines—the Seventh anticipated the German operation “Northwind” that came on New Year’s Eve 1944 and continued for 23 days. Now postwar, the Seventh trains with other NATO forces in exercises such as “Wintershield” in Germany. This video from the National Archives and Records Administration showcases this major American ground force in Europe. (30 minutes)

NAFTA and the New Economic Frontier: Life Along the U.S./Mexico Border

Nightline

In this program, ABC News correspondent Judy Muller reports on the quality of life along the international border between El Paso and Juarez since the implementation of NAFTA. Apart from business opportunities for Americans, employment for Mexicans, and low-priced goods for both the U.S. and Mexico, the downside of NAFTA is becoming all too apparent: worsening living conditions in Juarez and increasing levels of air and water pollution on both sides of the border. The program concludes with a discussion between anchor Ted Koppel and Fernando Macias, leader of a consortium of American and Mexican officials charged with managing change along this new economic frontier. (23 minutes)

Thieves of Time: Who Owns the Past?

KAET-TV, Arizona State University

This program, introduced by author Tony Hillerman, studies Native American burial grounds over five centuries of cultural, scientific, and legal change. The Native American Graves Repatriation Act, covering the ownership and study of human remains and sacred objects, is given special emphasis. Interviews with Martin Sullivan, director of the Heard Museum, in Phoenix; Paul Bender, former dean of The College of Law at Arizona State University; Richard Rabinowitz, Harvard University historian; and Walter Echo-Hawk, of the Native American Rights Fund, are featured. (28 minutes)

Grounds for Resistance: Stories of War, Sacrifice, and Good Coffee

Lisa Gilman

Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a major U.S. military facility located nine miles south of Tacoma, Washington. Within walking distance of the base sits Coffee Strong, a nonprofit café established in 2008 by young veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. At Coffee Strong, soldiers, veterans, and members of military families have a venue in which to openly discuss politics, combat experiences, and the impact of war. The café also provides counseling services and other resources for those struggling with combat stress, military sexual trauma, difficulties with veteran benefits, or legal challenges. This documentary profiles the veterans who run Coffee Strong, exploring their decisions to join the military, their memories of deployment, their relationships with one another, and how their efforts to make a more peaceful and just world overlap with their own experiences of war. Contains profanity. (50 minutes)

Two Iraq Vets’ Journey to Find Peace

Nightline

During this segment of "Nightline", two soldiers, battling different wounds of war, reunite years after one saved the other’s life. (10 minutes)

This Day In History: March 18, 1937 – School Explosion in Texas

British Pathe

School explosion in Texas.

This Day In History: August 1, 1966 – UT Sniper

British Pathe

Charles Whitman terrorized students and faculty at the University of Texas campus.

Written on Water

Green Planet Films

Written on Water focuses on the Ogallala Aquifer and examines the conflicts, politics, economics and groundwater depletion in the High Plains region. Farmers and communities survive on the precious waters of the aquifer, yet it is being depleted at alarming rates. Since the 1960s, advances in irrigation technology have allowed farmers to transform the "Great American Desert" into their own fertile agricultural oasis. The Ogallala supports over one-fifth of the grain, beef and cotton of the U.S. agricultural economy and over 80 percent of the drinking water for people living in the High Plains. But the Rocky Mountain waters that have fed the Ogallala Aquifer are not being replenished, so essentially the aquifer is being mined.

Shelter

Scorpion TV

Two-time Academy Award winning director Barbara Kopple intimately documents the on-the-ground work of the veteran-founded community-based service organization, Veterans Resource Center, in Northern California. Sharing the struggles of those they seek to pull out of a life lived on the streets, Shelter tells a story of vets saving vets, delving into the psychological trauma created by military service, the effects that remain long after active duty, and the difficult road back to a normal life for these women and men.

Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power

PBS

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover was a flamboyant maverick and a unique American hero. When few thought it possible, then-Captain Rickover harnessed the power of the atom, ultimately transforming the Navy and changing the course of America's technological development. As questions about nuclear power have arisen in the wake of the disaster in Japan, RICKOVER considers the story of the man who started it all: Hyman G. Rickover.

Wildcatters (Empires Of Industry)

A&E

This documentary looks at wildcatters, or Texas oil prospectors, who used unscientific methods to guess where oil fields might be. Pattillo Higgins discovered the Spindletop Hill field near Beaumont. Columbus Marion Joiner located the legendary East Texas Oil Field—also known as the Black Giant. These men risked financial ruin to chase their dreams and were ultimately responsible for petroleum-fueled economic booms during the 20th century.

Kaffee und Kuchen: Having a Chat

BBC Worldwide Learning

This program, filmed at the Café Tambosi and Rischart?s Backhaus, the Englischer Garten, a christening, a beer garden, and the unique Corpus Christi boat procession in Seeburg, shows how to order and pay for food and beverages and how to express familial relationships and marital status. Commentary provides insights into Kaffee und Kuchen culture and other social events in Germany. Original BBC broadcast title: Talk German, Program 2. (German and English, 16 minutes)

Episode 2: Hard Times (1933-1945) (Ken Burns: Country Music)

Ken Burns

During the Great Depression and World War II, country music thrives and reaches bigger audiences. Gene Autry sets off a craze for singing cowboys, Bob Wills adapts jazz’s Big Band sound to create Texas Swing, and Roy Acuff becomes a star.