Ok, move out. [gunshots] narrator since 1949, this now body of water has been both a symbolic and a realistic moat, separating the taiwan island complex from the mainland of china. Also known as formosa, these islands are both the seat of the government of the republic of china, commonly referred to as grc, as well as the armed fortress of its military establishment. Taiwan is an island of considerable variety. The eastern half is dominated by a chain of rugged mountains. While to the west lie flat and fertile plains, ideal for the cultivation of rice, sugar, and pineapples. The many rural villages emphasize the honoring the oriental traditions and culture. Only a few minutes away stand the modern cities of taipei, and calhoun, bustling with movement and signs of 20th century living. In this tranquility, lies the truth. During the korean war, it became apparent that the security of taiwan and the offshore islands was vital to the free worlds defense perimeter. Since these islands face a constant threat of direct aggression from communism. The United States began the First AdvisoryAssistance Program, known as mag. Today, taiwan, protected by elaborate systems of underground fortifications, supports numbering over 600,000. They advised the assistance and training given to these forces is the subject of this report. Narrator taiwans early history is a series of wars, rebellions, and invasions. Beginning in the 12thcentury, taiwan was the object of struggles between rival foreign powers, terrorists, and chinese adventurers, all edges for a foothold on this rich and strategically placed island. It was not until the 17th century and the arrival of an Almost Legendary figure, that taiwan begin to acquire any measure of stability. In the 19th century, taiwan was a province of china of the manchu dynasty. The comparative piece of this period was to be shortlived. In 1894, japan declared war on china. At the conclusion of the illfated sino japanese war, taiwan was officially ceded to japan, in whose hands it would remain for the ensuing 50 years. In 1945, taiwan again became part of the chinese territory, but National Forces would be pushed off the mainland by powerful communist insurgents. Finally, in 1947, the city of taipei became the fountainhead of governmental activity after the evacuation of the mainland entirely. In 1950, the korean war erected erupted and taiwan was destined to play an Important Role as a symbol of freedom in the shadow of communism. Complexesthe island might serve as ideal stepping stones for a communist invasion. Japan is surrounded on three sides by the mainland and has been frequently shelled by red artillery. After an initial survey of nationalist needs in 1931, the United States immediately launched an excessive program. American Army Officers and enlisted men began working with, but not in direct control of, any grc soldier. All advisors are assigned to the u. S. Military assistance advisory group, commonly referred to as mag. These advisors, working closely with their chinese counterparts, use all available means of transportation to visit the widely scattered chinese forces. Most senior commanders and many subordinates have been trained at u. S. Army schools under the military Assistance Program. Participation of maag advisors on taiwan encompasses the entire spectrum of army training. The army of any nation is only as good as its infantry. These men, going over the leaders reaction course at an infantry school, face a series of obstacles designed by u. S. Advisors. It is similar to the leaders reaction at fort benning, with a few modifications. Great emphasis is placed on infantry weapons training. Working closely with their counterparts, advisors have set up intensive training at a in a variety of lights and heavy infantry weapons. [gunshots] narrator at this artillery school, advisors help instructors conduct a basic artillery course. Narrator they encourage use of training aids, such as this board, which give students their first practical work in adjusting artillery fire. Fireworks, for centuries a specialty of the chinese, employed to simulate artillery fire. Advisors are suggesting a changeover to more realistic powder charges. It isnt long before trainees graduate from miniature to real firing. [gunshot] narrator the chinese Army Armor School is often referred to as the fort knox of taiwan. Their basic tank is the u. S. And and lightsensitive enough to navigate the islands terrain. Narrator although armor is used primarily in an offensive role on taiwan, advisors direct training taught implementing an immobile defense to help repel an invasion or to counter attack if invaded. [gunshots] narrator many tanks used in training have machine guns, mounted and synchronized with tank guns. Their purpose is to simulate firing with less expensive , thus allowing them items. Nd on other these military vehicles are waiting to be rebuilt at the chinese automotive base depot near taipei. By working with u. S. Ordinance advisors, they have developed an installation with the Largest Military automotive rebuild capacity in the free world. Staffed by more than 1700 ordnance personal, the depot has the capacity of turning out 15 to 20 rebuilt vehicles per engines. O 55 this vehicle, like most, has been completely taken apart, and carefully rebuilt. Narrator now, it joins a line of others, rebuilt and ready to be reissued. Ordnance advisors can share a feeling of satisfaction in a job well done. Narrator u. S. Advisors in many areas of the world must devote a large percentage of their time and effort to making sure that equipment supplied by the military Assistance Program is properly maintained. There is probably no better example of this than the guided missile advisor on taiwan. This heart missile site, located on one of the islands highest peaks, literally above the clouds much of the time, is an excellent tactical position. However, it is a position which, because of extremely high humidity, amplifies the problems of missile maintenance. Narrator and, as with most military equipment on a taiwan island complex, the maintenance problems are compounded by the necessity of keeping ammo and other material in operation readiness at all times rather than in storage. Narrator these advisors trained as a package with 40 members of a heart battery at fort bliss, texas. It has resulted in an exceptionally close knit, smooth running team in both maintenance and operational phases. Narrator at a nike hercules site, crews participate in a practice firing. They rush out to man the launches. They are quickly raised for firing. [missile firing] narrator the various responsibilities advising on maintenance, as well as keeping personnel at the peak of operation readiness apply to the other teams in taiwan. This includes advising chinese army units on such activities as ammo,er, communications, logistical, and psychological operations. On taiwan, psychological advisors are not attached to maag, but are a part of the taiwan broadcast and visual activity. As an advisory byproduct, many u. S. Wives conduct english classes for chinese army personnel. Military advisory groups on taiwan devote attention to all phases of airborne training. At the chinese training school, students learn correct landing techniques as the chief airborne advisor shows them how. Narrator and soon, two c46s had to the drop zone with their cargoes of firsttime jumpers. Inside the cabin of one, the two u. S. Advisors are ready to lead the way. They jump, and the trainees follow. Narrator an introductory briefing before exercise sky soldier testifies to the emphasis placed on combined training and sinoamerican relations. The tactical situation is an aggressive force has invaded taiwan. U. S. Paratroopers from okinawa and a chinese Airborne Unit will combine in a counter attack. Narrative the exercise official begins as paratroopers ready to take off from the drop zone have their chutes checked by the jump master. Or the plan is for grc and u. S. Troops to jump at two widely separated jump zones, and then to counterattack on foot. [plane engines roaring] narrator within a few minutes, aircraft of the Chinese Air Force arrive over the primary drop zone. Advisors have found that the chinese are unusually quick to master jumping techniques. Narrator throughout the exercise, the island civilians are highly interested spectators. Narrator as the grc move out, the heavy drop of equipment is released. Narrator miles away, u. S. Aircraft, completing their flight from okinawa, arrive over the secondary drop zone. Narrator they move off the drop zone to carry out their half of the movement. The Main Objective of both forces is to take an aggressorheld bridge. Pinned down at the end of the drop zone, they receive word that the aggressor force is withdrawing and move out for the objective. The aggressors retreat under fire by the advancing u. S. Paratroopers. As they near the objective, u. S. Troops face a series of nonmilitary obstacles. Meanwhile, the chinese paratroops approach the bridge from the opposite direction. U. S. Advisors accompany them during the entire exercise. As the enemy fights to defend the bridge, the chinese bring up their heavy weapons. [gunshots] narrator f100 jets support and attack on aggressive positions. The invading force rotted, the u. S. And grc troops link up on the Main Objective. Completed, one successful counter airborne attack. Among positive results of exercise sky soldier are Mutual Respect between u. S. And chinese personnel, as well as proof of feasibility of a combined defense by forces of the two nations. Narrator about 100 miles across open water from taiwan lies the other islands in the complex. On kinmens highest point, a radar site symbolizes the strategic importance of the four island complex to the free world. For, in addition to the aspects already mentioned, the complex provides an observation post for from which to keep the chinese chinese coastal activities under close surveillance. It also adds to the depth of the overall defense of taiwan. Kinmen proper is about 12 miles long and five miles wide. Its clifflike terrain, with a network of underground placements, broad beaches, and the taiwan straits, is considered by many to be almost impregnable. Narrator a land of low rainfall, the island has gently rolling red and white clay farm land on the western coast. Its chief crops are peanuts, sweet potatoes, wheat, and millet. In recent years, the civilian population has become almost selfsustaining. Narrator this is kinmens secondlargest village. In recent years, the government has been in a position to eliminate the ancient specters of disease and unemployment and is establishing Better Safety and health practices. These bombed out buildings, currently used to train chinese soldiers in village fighting were destroyed by artillery fire , from the communist mainland in 1958, when half a million rounds blasted the island and an invasion attempt was repelled. Now, caves protect the population as well as visiting military. Narrator the shelling still continues, but only with rounds filled with propaganda materials and only on oddnumbered days. Most military establishments are located in tunnels or caves to reduce both casualties and damage to material, especially if the chinese communists should resume the use of high explosive rounds. Although in recent years, shelling has been restricted to leaflet carrying rounds, anyone within the immediate vicinity can be hit by shell fragments. As a result, visits, inspection trips, and resupply activities are scheduled for evennumbered days. The tunnel through which this jeep is being driven also serves as the entrance to the underground office of the kinmen defense Advisory Team. Each officeradvisor has taken on two assignments because of the small number of advisory personnel in relation to the large number of activities and installations. You are looking at the interior wall of another office, a cave enclosed Operations Office of a chinese division. The Division Advisor and his counterpart climbed the stairs from the intersecting tunnels that lead to the office. Narrator much of the advisor effort here is devoted to training and maintenance of map equipment. Although the troops on kinmen are seasoned and in a tactical situation, training and maintenance are vital in an area so close to an enemy threatening invasion. Behind these curtains are the underground living quarters of operations personnel. Many troops on kinmen live in caves close to their duty stations. Narrator for many, reporting for duty each day is to walk through a maze of manmade tunnels to daylight. Here in the shadow of another tunnel, an aviation advisor and his counterpart, a general, discuss parachute inspections and maintenance. Most Army Aircraft are protected. A sergeant advisor oversees maintenance on an l19 with his counterpart, who was School Trained in alabama. This is in line with the army policy of bringing allied nationals to the United States for training and operation and maintenance of u. S. Equipment. Deep within another cave, a chinese unit has set up a signal maintenance shop. There are virtually no activities of military importance that are not protected by solid rock. Narrator another typical underground installation is the u. S. Army communications center. It enables members of the kinmen Advisory Team to remain in constant communication with the army section of maag in taipei. Narrator the activities of the navy medic illustrate the dedication of u. S. Personnel in keeping with the navys mission of administratively and logistically supporting u. S. Troops on taiwan. His original assignment was solely to minister to the medical needs of u. S. Personnel. However, his energy and skills prove such that, at his request, the chief of the Advisory Team detailed him to serve as a medical advisor in addition to his regular duties. Narrator resupplying the large number of military personnel on kinmen presented a difficult problem until u. S. Advisors helped to solve it. Faced with the necessity of moving supplies rapidly across soft, broad stretches of sand, they designed and helped set up a system that enabled an lst to beach, unload, and leave on one tide. This permits crews to unload in a single, evennumbered day, thus avoiding a conflict with the chinese shelling schedule. Communist shelling schedule. U. S. Advisors and their counterparts make frequent inspection trips to the other Three Islands of the kinmen complex, which as we have noted, stand as close to 2000 to yards 3000 off the communist mainland. They visit a psychological operations post. They are greeted by two specialists of the chinese womens army corps. Powerful loudspeakers enable them to send frequent propaganda message across the straits to the mainland. Narrator psychological operations also involve balloons carrying scarce items such as soap and toothpaste to the island. On little kinmen, an advisor inspects a rifle range on which infantrymen fire across to hit targets. Narrator an advisor inspects several outposts from which observers keep the communist coastline under constant surveillance. Maps and mockups of the red coast and the harbor help to locate gun positions and other strategic installations. They can see that all is quiet, and the situation normal along the communist coastline. Controlling the exit from the harbor kinmen is in effect the , cork in the communist invasion bottle, performing much the same role for asia as does berlin in europe. Taiwan and its complex are the furthest outposts of the free worlds pacific defense. In april of 1961, lyndon b. Johnson, then Vice President of the United States, after a factfinding tour of Southeast Asia, reported to president kennedy that the battle against communism must be joined in Southeast Asia with strength and determination to achieve success there. Or the United States, inevitably, must surrender the pacific and take up our defenses on our own shores. Asian communism is comprised and contained by the maintenance of free nations on the subcontinent. Without this inhibitory influence, the island outposts, philippines, japan, taiwan have no security and the vast pacific becomes a red sea. You can watch archival films on Public Affairs in their entirety on our weekly series reel america, saturday at 10 00 and sunday at 4 00 eastern here on American History tv. Sunday on the presidency, the White House Historical association hosts james conroy to talk about his book. Here is a preview. Also done inmap our day by a very talented cartographer by the name of tookns hawkins who maps, documents, and records of washington in 1801 and constructed this map based on that evidence. Is can see the Potomac River twice as wide as it is today before it was filled in. Off to the upper left, you can see georgetown, which preceded washington, d. C. , by a couple of decades in age. Sort of in the middle, you can see the president s house. Plum in the center of this little village, if you will, which is all the central part of the city was at the time with the houses and meet workshops and such extending east and west. To the lower right, you can see the Capitol Building which was surrounded by a very small community, not even halfbuilt at that time. Down below that is the third kind of village which was built up around the Washington Navy yard. Everything else is open country. Really, one of the british diplomats in washington called it 4. 5square miles of empty land. Hard to visualize today, but that is the setting jefferson presided over as president. Learn more about jefferson in the white house sunday here on American History tv. Each week, American History tv reel america brings you archival films that provide context for todays Public Affairs issues. In new york city, a w. P. A. Housing demolition project is underway which will greatly improve the Living Conditions of families of moderate means. In many other cities, old tenements and fire traps are being torn down to make way for modern buildings containing comfortable, sanitary apartments. At Colonial Park in harlem, as in many other congested areas, w. P. A. Workers have bathhouse which will accommodate 4100 persons. Skilled workers are employed utilizing the knowledge of their trades gained before the depression. Swimming pools are particularly valuable to community because they offer a haven of relaxation to young and old during the hot summer months. At the same time, swimming pools remove children from the crowded city streets providing safeguards to prevent such tragedies as were all too common to the old swimming holes. Difficult to park improvements underway all across the country is another improvement at Colonial Park. A wading pool has been built in which youngsters may to their psplash to their hearts content. Even the youngest children find plenty of opportunities for play under watchful supervision. In many parts of the country, Nursery Schools have been established where almost 10,000 children of needy families are provided hot meals, supervised activities, and excellent preschool training under competent instructors removed from relief roles. Environment has been provided for teachers, nurses, dietitians, and cooks. At 8 00 p. M. Rday eastern on American History tv, go inside a Different College classroom and hear about topics ranging from the american revolution, civil rights u. S. President s, to 9 11. Thanks for your patience and for logging into class. With most College Campuses closed due to the coronavirus, watch professors transfer teaching to a virtual setting to engage with students. Gorbachev did most of the work to change the soviet union. But reagan met him halfway. Reagan encouraged him. Reagan supported him. Calledson originally freedom of the press freedom of the use of the press. It is not a freedom for what we now refer to institutionally as the press. Lectures in history on American History tv every saturday at 8 00 eastern. Lectures in history is also available as a podcast. Find it where you listen to podcasts. If you like American History tv, keep up with us during the week on facebook, twitter, and youtube. Learn about what happened this day in history and see preview clips of upcoming programs. At cspan history. Up next on american artifacts, we travel to northeastern france to trace the steps of american soldiers during the spring and early summer of 1918. But first, a portion of a 1960 u. S. Army film that describes the military situation at the time. [video clip] the germans rolled across the defenses and the aisne river, stretching from soissons to rheims, in a driving, relentless force which struck panic into the french nation. In three days, the gn