Watch The Big Picture - The 25th Infantry Division in Korea

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. The story begins on June 25, 1950, when the division was still in Japan. As filmed by combat cameramen of the Army Signal Corps, the history of the "Tropic Lightening" Division in Korea is told. Dedicated to all those men of the division--past, present and future--this film presentation follows the battle from a perimeter defense in the north near Sangju, through a dramatic shift under cover of darkness of 150 miles south to meet the Pusan-bent enemy, and back up the Korean Peninsula. Then, began Operation "Mop-Up," a housecleaning, 25th Division style. As the war progressed, excellent footage was taken of the division on the outskirts of Seoul in January, 1951, as U.N. troops retired from the city. With the start of Armistice negotiations in July 1951, the division took up defenses along "The Iron Triangle." Here, cameras caught the searchlight company in action, psychological warfare in extensive use, and finally, in May, 1953, the division's last major battle.

This historical recording from the National Archives may contain variations in audio and video quality based on the limitations of the original source material.

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.