- Title: VM-1139A
- Summary: THE BIG PICTURE: "THIS IS HOW IT IS" A FILM REPORT ON THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF EVERY ARMY RECRUIT, FROM REVEILLE THROUGH THE TRAINING AND DUTIES OF NEW SOLDIERS. BASIC TRAINING, BOOT CAMP
- Description:00:31:46 - MS- 2 RECRUITS SLEEP IN SEAT OF BUS ON THE WAY TO CAMP WAKE UP AS THEY ARRIVE. THE BUS PULLS UP TO CURB OUTSIDE THE RECRUITING STATION 00:32:13 - MS- AN ARMY OFFICER GREETS THEM AS THEY EXIT BUS AND WALK INTO THE RECRUITING STATION. EACH RECRUIT IS GIVEN A DUFFLE BAG AND PILE OF UNIFORMS. 00:32:36 - MS- THE RECRUITS DRESS INTO THE WORK UNIFORMS AND LINE UP OUTSIDE. 00:33:00 - MS- SIGN: "BARBER SHOP" THE NEW RECRUITS LINE UP OUTSIDE THE BARBER SHOP AND AWAIT THEIR TURN. 00:33:06 - CU- BARBER USES MACHINE ON RECRUIT TAKING IT ALL OFF, AS THOSE SEATED AND WAITING THEIR TURN DON'T LIKE WHAT THEY SEE. 00:33:15 - MS- A RECRUIT WITH A FULL HEAD OF HAIR IS HAIRLESS IN MOMENTS. 00:33:28 - MS- RECRUITS SIT IN PARTITIONED BOOTHS AND FILL OUT QUESTIONNAIRES TO FIND THEIR SPECIAL TALENTS. 00:33:41 - MS- A MEDIC WITH AN INJECTION GUN INOCULATES EACH RECRUIT IN THE ARM AS HE GOES BY. 00:33:50 - MS- RECRUITS SIT AT 4 MAN TABLES AND ENJOY THEIR MEALS AND CHAT. 00:34:03 - CU- RECRUITS FEET ARE MEASURED FOR SHOES AND BOOTS MS- RECRUIT STANDS ON STOOL AS TAILOR FITS HIS UNIFORM 00:34:50 - TITLE ; "THIS IS HOW IT IS" LS- NOW IN UNIFORM, THE RECRUITS ARE HUSTLED OUT OF BUS BY A LOUD, YELLING SERGEANT. SERGEANT LINES THEM UP, DOUBLE TIME, THEN YELLS ORDERS AT THEM. 00:36:08 - MS- ANOTHER SERGEANT ASSIGNS THEM IN A YELLING VOICE AND HAS THEM ANSWERING IN YELLING VOICES. RECRUITS RUN TO THEIR BARRACKS CARRYING THEIR BAGS 00:37:18 - MS- INSIDE BARRACKS THE MEN SIT ON THEIR BUNKS AS THE SERGEANT TELLS THEM THEY ARE ABOUT TO SPEND "THE ROUGHEST 8 WEEKS OF THEIR LIVES". 00:38:44 - AS SERGEANT SPEAKS HE TELLS ONE RECRUIT, "TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THAT FOOT LOCKER!" 00:39:00 - MS- A BLACK SERGEANT LECTURES HIS RECRUITS AND TELLS THEM, "I ONLY HAVE ONE MISSION HERE, & IT'S NOT TO BECOME YOUR DEAR FRIEND". CAMERA SWITCHES FROM SERGEANT TO SERGEANT LECTURING THE RECRUITS. 00:40:39 - CU- RECRUITS SPIT-POLISH THEIR BOOTS AS VOICE OF THE SERGEANT RINGS IN THEIR EARS. MS- OTHERS MAKE THEIR BUNKS AND NEATLY PACK THEIR FOOT LOCKERS. 00:41:11 - MS- WEARY RECRUITS IN THEIR UNDERWEAR PREPARE FOR BED AS "TAPS" SOUNDS IN THE BACKGROUND. 00:41:28 - MS- IN THE MORNING RECRUITS COME SCREAMING AND RUNNING DOWN BARRACKS STAIRS AND ONTO THE GROUNDS. MONTAGE- THE RECRUITS ARE MARCHED AS A UNIT EVERYWHERE THEY GO 00:42:30 - MS- THE NEW RECRUITS ENVIOUSLY WATCH A SEASONED UNIT PASS IN PERFECT MARCHING ORDER. 00:42:59 - MS- BLACK SERGEANT INSTRUCTS THE "GREEN"RECRUITS AT CALISTHENICS WITH FEW OF THEM COORDINATED WITH THE OTHER. 00:43:26 - AS MEN SIT ON BUNKS THE BLACK SERGEANT SHOWS THEM A RIFLE & SAYS, "THIS IS THE BEST FRIEND YOU HAVE YOU TAKE CARE OF IT, IT WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU". 00:44:31 - MS- THE PLATOON OF RECRUITS GOES THROUGH BAYONET TRAINING. 00:44:40 - CU- A WEARY RECRUIT LAYS ON HIS BUNK AND PLAYS, "OLD RIVER VALLEY" ON HIS HARMONICA. HARMONICA AS ANOTHER THINKS OUT LOUD AS HE WRITES HOME. 00:44:59 - CU- RECRUIT IN DEEP THOUGHT RESTS HIS HEAD ON HIS HAND AS HE LAYS DOWN AND PUFFS ON A CIGARETTE 00:45:23 - MS- SERGEANT WITH A MIC ATTACHED TO HIS CHEST GIVES INSTRUCTION AT THE RIFLE FIRING LINE. AN INSTRUCTOR LIES DOWN ALONGSIDE EACH RECRUIT AS HE AIMS AND FIRE AT TARGETS. 00:46:22 - CU- A RECRUIT COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLES A RIFLE. 00:47:30 - MONTAGE- RECRUITS FIRE AT POP-UP TARGETS FROM ALL POSITIONS. 00:48:15 - MS- RECRUITS NERVOUSLY PUFF ON CIGARETTES AS THEY AWAIT THEIR TURN TO QUALIFY WITH THE RIFLE. 00:49:39 - MS- WITH TRAINING OVER ,A RECRUIT PLAYS A UKELELE AS HE AND OTHERS SING OUT THE DRILL COMMANDS. 00:50:07 - MS- THE RELAXED RECRUITS PLAY POOL, HIT THE BALL RIGHT AT THE CAMERA. OTHERS PLAY PING PONG AND SHUFFLEBOARD. MS- RECRUIT DIVES INTO SWIMMING POOL 00:50:30 - CU- RECRUIT SHAVES IN THE WOODS, AS OTHERS EAT FROM THEIR TIN UTENSILS AND CHAT. 00:51:17 - RECRUIT AND SERGEANT STAND BEHIND A CONCRETE WALL AS THE AS RECRUIT THROWS A GRENADE. BOTH DUCK DOWN AS THE GRENADE EXPLODES IN THE DISTANCE. 00:53:23 - LS- AS MACHINE GUNS OPEN UP THE RECRUITS ROLL OUT OF A TRENCH AND CRAWL UNDER BARBED WIRE WITH LIVE MACHINE BULLETS FIRING OVER THEIR HEADS 00:54:56 - MS- RECRUITS HELP EACH OTHER BRUSH OFF THE DIRT FROM CRAWLING ON GROUND AND PROUDLY CHAT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE, CIGARETTES DANGLING FROM THEIR LIPS 00:56:40 - MONTAGE- RECRUIT, WITH SMOKING CIGARETTE DANGLING POLISH HIS BRASS AS HE PREPARES FOR GRADUATION. 00:57:33 - MS- COMMANDING OFFICER GIVES A SPEECH AS THE RECRUITS, STANDING AT ATTENTION IN DRESS UNIFORMS, NOW BECOME SOLDIERS.
- Collection: Historic Films
- Producer:Historic Films
- Transmission Date:01/01/1962
- Rights:On request
- Decade: 1960s
- File Name: VM-1139A