Watch The Big Picture - Airborne to Battle

Experience the American Journey through our country's visual heritage in this historical recording provided by the National Archives of the United States. From the U.S. Army's "The Big Picture" television series, 1950-1975. This is the first program in Series X to be released. It is a story about the history and development of the airborne Army. An exciting and dramatic film presentation, "Airborne to Battle" shows how the existence of a well-trained airborne Army, capable of moving anywhere on the globe on short notice, is an important factor in deterring aggression. The nations that control the air will control the peace. "Airborne To Battle" begins with scenes of the first controlled flights which took men into the sky. As the airborne story unfolds, viewers will see the first of the daredevil barnstormers who jumped from fragile wings to thrill Sunday crowds after World War I. Signal Corps cameramen catch the first combat jump by men of the U.S. Army--an aerial assault on Sicily in July 1943. Since those early days, great strides have been made in the airborne story--from an idea to a big reality. This is a remarkably fine film presentation on the subject of flying infantrymen--human bolts of thunder striking from the sky and ever-ready to defend our country at a moments notice.

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The content summary for this video is adapted from an historical description provided by the government agency or donor at the time of production release.