[explosions] less than three years before, hitler's head addressed the hitler' had addressed the nation. >> germany will face war on the united states to a positive conclusion. a japanese militarist joins the chorus. adolf hitler americans have -- americans have radios, automobiles, big beefsteaks, when a people have those things, they don't want to fight. americans won't sleep in hammocks, or lie in trenches. they are like a tiger who se stomach is full. they are sleepy. >> the american is no soldier. [explosions] yet there he was, carrying it to the boastful aggressor. the self-acclaimed superman was learning to his bitter surprise and sorrow the fighting quality of the american soldiers. it seems the aggressors had made a slight miscalculation. ♪ >> in italy, our forces pushed on through rain and mud. over mountains, across rivers. toward rome. ♪ our power drive up the italian boot forced the enemy to divert from france and the low country. weakening defenses along the english channel coast, where our invasion of france was soon to come. we now have an army numbering millions of

. >> less than three years before, hitler had made an address. >> germany, italy and japan will wage common war on the united states to a victorious conclusion. >> in rome his fascist partner had declared -- >> italy and national socialist germany ever closely linked participate from today on the side of heroic japan against the united states. >> a japanese militaryist joined the derisive chorus. >> americans have radios, automobiles, big beefsteaks when a people has those things they don't want to fight. americans won't sleep in hammocks or lie in trenches. they are like a tiger whose stomach is full. they are sleepily. >> the american is no soldier. >> the american no soldier? and yet there he was carrying the fight to the boastful aggressive. >> the self-acclaimed superman was learning to his bitter surprise and sorrow the fighting qualities of the american soldier. it seems the aggressors had made a slight miscalculation. >>> in italy, our forces pushed on through rain and mud, over mountains, across rivers toward rome. >> our power drive up the italian boot forced the enemy to d

the landings at anzio convinced hitler that we were launching an all out campaign in italy. he rushed eight more divisions to reinforce his army in italy and the stalemate was resumed. in total war, there is no easy road to victory. we had entered world war ii unprepared for global war of such unprecedented magnitude against aggressors who trained their combat divisions by the hundreds. it was two long years from pearl harbor to the winter stalemate in italy. during those two years, lack of time had been our most immediate and worst enemy. precious time we had needed in which to prepare while two great oceans protected our shores and the embattled british were fighting a delaying action on to the death. three times in the last 50 years, aggressors have underestimated our capability and our will to fight. our military weakness and our isolationist attitude at the time invited the aggressor to launch his grandiose design for conquest. today, the world has shrunk in travel time and the atlantic and pacific oceans are no more than large lakes. our coastlines and inland cities ar

the desperate plight of hitler's armies became more apparent as the bewildered legions of a once mightdy destructive force found themselves in the hands of the army they had been told never would -- longer than nine hours. ♪ in the 97 days since the 5th corps had led the assault on omaha beach it had come nearly 500 miles and now drove across the german border and stood on the soil of hitler's germany. who was it? that once said the american was no soldier? ♪ >>> in world war ii the american soldier proved his fighting qualities as he always has and always will. he stands second to none, and his leadership is second to none. from private to general he is the product of a free society, conceived in liberty. he even has the power through his right to vote in free elections to choose his own commander in chief. he has a voice in making the laws which govern him. he has a precious heritage to defend, much to fight for when he must fight to defend his good way of life. he prefers the arts of peace, as all men of good will do, yet he knows how to practice the arts of war. in some of the sc

geared at hitler's fortress in europe. flying fortresses, and heavy formations, cascaded 3500 tons of explosive, upon nazi held positions. our mass bountiful bomber formations, were given air support. they fought off enemy air attacks. as the roar of engines, and concussion of the bombs were still ringing in the years of the battered enemy, our ground artillery opened up. our tanks, an infantry rolled forward, driving west, two other ports on the peninsula. other elements, push south and east, towards paris. what was left, of ten german divisions, was knocked off by the very men their fury their fury had told them were not soldiers, or fighters. again the aggressor had made a slight miscalculation. as the germans, we're in northwestern france, the united states seventh army, hit the beaches in southern france, on the morning of august 15th. during that day, -- men and equipment were landed. the americans six army corps push north, along the valley. and other troops moved moved eastward towards the italian border. the drive

hitler had advanced a military march. but he was a fanatic. fanatics are known for their inability to keep a cool head. as the same time, hitler was not inclined to consider the enemy capable. he was a military dilettante. >> the cost of hitler's miscalculations would be staggering. at least 1400 tanks and guns destroyed or abandoned. slowly and painfully, the remnants -- they were treated behind their western defenses. it was the beginning -- retreated behind their western defenses. it was the beginning of the end. their watery objective, the roar, the rhine. >> i am louis w truman. during world war ii, i was a colonel, chief of staff of the 84th infantry division and chief of staff for alexander boling. the river crossing was one of the most thoroughly rehearsed river crossings. the original crossing was to be 10 february, but it was fun because the germans flooded the area -- postponed because the germans flooded the area. we had about two more weeks in which to work out the details thoroughly and to rehearse the units for the overall opera

this is their story. >>> hitler ordered a major counselor offensive. as fog and sleet grounded all allied plane infantry southwest into belgium recapturing the key road junctions. and surrounding the defenders. a major part of the german attack was turned against the town of marche, beyond which lay paris recently liberated and antwerp, the chief supply port. the 84th infantry division had left the siegfried line and had taken up positions along the marche/hotton road. the allies were able to hold in the flanks and keep the enemy line from bulging further westward. >> i'm richard k. hawkings. i was a first lieutenant. we were spread over an extremely wide frontage. our rifle company actually covered close to a mile in width with fox holes, two men each, rufr roughly 100 yards apatch. this is perhaps four to five times the ushlg amount of frontage that a rifle company will cover in a defensive situation. there were several times when our forces were attacked by great numbers of tanks. in one instance near the village of burden approximately 200 enemy in

the gospel according to hitler. i am not going to read all of this, but there are one or two things in this book that will interest you. us, the germanto fist must take. if our forefathers had made their decisions by the same pacifist nonsense as the present day does, we would possess but a third of our existing territory. from time to time, the illustrated papers show how a negro has become a lawyer, teacher, perhaps even a minister. it never dawns on the degenerate middle-class america that this is a sin against all region, criminal madness to train a born until one believes one has made a law you're of him. this book was written 20 years ago. the nazis now instruct their disciples in terms such as these. we must strive by any means to conquer the world, any method permissible. kill and kill again. stop, whether you have an old man, woman, boy or girl. we want to create our great german empire. we must exterminate everyone who stands against us. of the whole earth depends on the outcome of this contest. americans

the german states, the bible of the nazis, the gospel, according to hitler. i'm not going to read all of this and if our forefathers had made their decisions by the same nonsense as the present day does, we would possess a third of our existing territory. further, he says, from time to time the illustrative papers show how a any grnegro, a lawye teacher and perhaps even a minister. it never dawns on the middle class america, that this is truly a sin against all reason, that it is criminal madness to train until one believes one has made a lawyer of him. this book was written 20 years ago. the plan which it foreshadowed has become a reality. and the naziss now instruct their disciples, in turn, such as these. we must strive, by any means to conquer the world any methods are permissible, lie, betray, kill, and kill and kill again. kill the russians, checks, don't stop, whether you have an old man, a woman, a girl or boy, kill. we want to create our great german empire. we must exterminate everybody who stands against us. the liberty of the whole earth depends o

the gospel according to hitler. i'm not going to read all of this. but there are one or two things in this book that will interest you. i quote, what is denied to us, the german fist must take. if our forefathers had made their decisions by the same pacifist nonsense as the present day does, we would possess about a third of our existing territory. further, he says, from time to time, the illustrative papers show how a negro has become a lawyer, a teacher, perhaps even a minister. it never dawns on the degenerate middle class america that this is truly a sin against all reason. that it is criminal madness to train a born half ape to one believes one has made a lawyer of him. this book was written 20 years ago. the plan which it foreshadowed has become a reality. and the nazis now instruct their disciples in terms such as these. we must strive by any means to conquer the world. any methods are permissible. lie, betray, kill. kill and kill again. kill the slobs, the russians, the poles, the czechs. don't stop, whether you have an old man, a woman, a gi

at every headquarters, we found a picture of hitler and our boys are using it as a pin board. americans had a way of amusing themselves. here is the first official ceremony held in france. general collins presented a flag made out of parachute cloth to the mayor, who is holding the microphone. our boys were given clean uniforms for the occasion. soon, the people who came back after the fighting stopped visited with us and talked to us. here we see someone talking to the kernel of the signal corps. this is burt, shooting for ap. cecil and john. here is -- oh gosh -- a lot has happened to my memory -- the troops begin to move in the opposite direction and we were passing through a city that was completely destroyed. i was there several times as the war and it has been rebuilt. the germans try to make a stand here and, wherever they did, we had to knock them out and destroy the city. later on, i had the chance to see the construction built by slave labor. all a long the beach in the normandy area, they had the triangles. many of them had mines. if you touch them, they would explo

instead, thousands of hitler's finest troops were fighting to take a small town in belgium. a junction of roads and railways, the key to success for the counter offensive was the timetable. a key to the timetable was st. vith. at down on the 16th the german assault had achieved its first object, surprise. it overwhelmed the inexperienced troops in the forest where some, like colonel oliver patent were still trying to fight back to friendly lines on the 18th. >> the last attack down the road. in that attack, i was hit for the second time that day. i was hit through both legs and couldn't walk. i remember the battalion commander came through and told us that the battalion had to pum out pull out. they were going to leave us. there were four or five of us. they would leave us with a medic. >> to the south the german attack had split the 28th division, cut off the 112th infantry. >> that afternoon i received orders from division which was then at bastion to fall back and fight stiff delaying action direction bastion. i know that this was impossible. >> the german attack in this

of course, at every headquarters area, we found a pit further of hitler, and our boys are uses it as a pinboard. the americans had a way of amusing themselves. this is the first official ceremony held in nance when they presented the tricolored flag made out of parachute cloth, to the mayor. and our boys of the 7th corps were given clean uniforms for the occasion. soon the people that came back to sherburg after the fighting stopped, came to visit with us and talk to us. here we so ernie pyle in the center again, talking to a colonel of the signal corps. this is burt brandt, who we saw earlier shooting for a.p. saysle cannes, and john mcglinty, and here is -- oh, gosh, 25 years has done a lot to my memory. but the troops began to move in the opposite direction to attack the enemy on the st. lowe line. we were passing through the city of valogne, and of course it was completely destroyed. i was there several times since the war and it's been rebuild beautifully, but the germans tried to make a assistant here. wherever they did try to make a stand, we had to knock them out, and in so d

at the headquarters, we found that they had a picture of hitler, and our boys were using it as a pin board. here is the first official ceremony held in france, general collins on the right presented the tricolor flag made out of parachute cloth to the mayor of cherbourg, who was holding the microphone. our boys of the seven corps were given clean uniforms for the occasion. soon the people who came back to cherbourg after the fighting stopped came to visit with us and talk to us. here we see ernie pyle again in the center and talking to the colonel of the signal corps. there is john mcglinchey. here is -- oh gosh, 45 years has done a lot to my memory. the troops begin to move in the opposite direction to attack the enemy on the same low line. we were passing through the city of cologne, and it was instantly destroyed. i was there several times since the war and it has been rebuilt beautifully. the germans try to make a stand here, and wherever they tried to make a stand, we had to knock them out, and in so doing, destroy the city. later on, i had an opportunity to see the construction

of course at every headquarters area we found that the germans had a picture of hitler, and our boys are using it as a pin board but the americans had a way of amusing themselves. here is the first official ceremony held in france when general collins presented the flag made out of parachute clothe to the may i don't have of cherbourg holding the microphone. our boys were given clean uniforms for the occasion, and soon the people that came back to cherbourg after the fighting stopped came to visit us. here we see ernie pyle in the center and talking to a colonel of the signal car and this is burt brandt who we saw earlier shooting for ap, cecil cons and john maglency and here is, oh, gosh, 25 years has done a lot to my memory, but the troops began to move in the opposite direction to attack the enemy on the line, and we were passing through the city of valone and of course it was completely destroyed. i was there several times since the war and it's been rebuilt beautifully, but the germans tried to make a stand here and wherever they did try to make a stand we had to knock them out

in a plan by adolf hitler to surprise the allies and capture the belgian port of antwerp. paul newman chronicles the story of the 84th infantry division and it includes american and german veterans reflecting on their experience a few years later. >> i dug out a pair of blue silk pajamas and i put them in my bedroll. i put them on, i crawled into my bedroll to sleep for the night. of course, this news spread through the battalion immediately. >> these are the men that served in the division that distinguished itself in critical engagements during world war ii. this story could be the story of any division where courage endurance, and self-sacrifice become commonplace. >> it reminds you of the kinds of things that the american people are made of. the mortar shell came in and wounded several men. per one man it was almost in arms reach of me. i tried to comfort the man, but in all this time -- i shall never forget this -- the man was trying to apologize for me -- to me from being hit. he would not get to carry on and continue the fight. >> situated as it was they received th

. >>> 70 years ago, the german army launched the battle of the bulge in a plan by adolf hitler to surprise the allies and capture the belgian port of antwerp. next, "the big picture", narr e narrated by paul newman. it includes american and german veterans reflecting on their experience about 20 years later. >> after we got alt battalions settled down in their foxholes for the night, i dug out a pair of blue silk pa jam mas that my wife insisted that i put in my bed roll, and put them on and crawled in my bed roll to sleep for the night. of course this news spread+is through the battalion. they thought if the old man got in his silk pajamas and went to bed they were able to relax and get a good night's rest. >> these are the men who served in the 84th infantry division, a division that distinguished itself during world war ii. thus, this story could be the story of any infantry division where self-sacrifice became the commonplace. [ drum cadence ] >> there are many things imprinted on my mind that will make me always remember the stuff our american soldiers were made of. one incident in pa