ALASKAN SCOUTS

[Music] from korea to germany from alaska to puerto rico all over the world the united states army is on the alert to defend our country you the american people against aggression this is the big picture an official television report to the nation from the united states army now to show you part of the big picture here is sergeant stuart queen a century ago alaska our most northern frontier was popularly called seward's folly the top of the world seemed remote then but today the polar concept has changed our ideas of distances and now that which was once considered a wasteland is of great military importance and a vital link in our preparations to ensure security the mission of our army in alaska is to repel any aggressive action and be prepared to hit back an important segment of our force which is fulfilling that purpose are men who were born above the arctic circle the alaskan scouts they along with the rest of our military establishment undergo constant training and reevaluation in this land where nature herself is hostile alaska that's nunavak just a tiny dot of an island on the map but like all other settlements of our northern frontier a big contributor in our country's effort to stop the spread of communism on the surface things look the same here as they've been for hundreds of years that's what one might think at a first glance but you find out differently if your assignment is to help train the scout units of the alaska national guard increased contact with the outside world has changed the outlook for the eskimos there's a great thirst for knowledge and much emphasis is placed on the importance of schooling for the future generation [Music] making ends meet here is still a matter of living off the country and prosperity for eskimo families depends on the whims of nature seals are in great abundance and provide much of the winter's food supply but this interest in the arctic doesn't seem to meet with the approval of all its inhabitants [Music] reindeer not only provide meat but strong pliable hides as well this leather is used in making most of the clothing in the eskimo wardrobe dire necessity was the mother of many in eskimo invention which has enabled him to survive in the arctic the kayaks design hasn't changed in a thousand years and the development of the dog sled had the same effect in the frozen north as did the development of the automobile in the united states only difference is there's no traffic problem here this is the family car of the arctic it took generations of breeding to finally produce the strain of husky that had the same relative power and endurance as an engine off a detroit production line these people are great hunters and a prize catch is a walrus a veritable gold mine every part of it is put to use the meat is food the blubber gives oil for heat and light and the intestines are used for making excellent waterproof garments and food containers tools and many kinds of decorative objects are carved from the ivory tusks this is the way of life in the frozen north the region which has become one of the most strategically important spots in the world this is the life that the polar concept is changing these are the citizen soldiers whose skills and knowledge of the ways of the arctic have become the eyes and ears of america's defense effort in the north that's jimmy williams chopping wood sergeant jimmy williams of the second scout battalion of the alaska national guard his doorway looks out over the ice flows toward the east across that sea is the land of the soviets russian siberia that's one of the big reasons why jimmy's joined the scouts [Music] he and his family hardly know an idle moment there are no fancy department stores up here and during the long winter the women spend a lot of their time making clothing from furs and hives even the little ones are kept busy they start knitting just as soon as they're big enough to hold the needles there's great invention put into the patterns and designs which have been handed down for generations [Music] eskimo men have a long tradition of ivory carving to follow here jimmy is putting the finishing touches on a small piece of sculpture these are sold or traded at the village store and find their way to art shops around the world it's one of the few means of producing something for cash masks were used in religious dances and ceremonies today they are a part of the folklore of the people and the frightening of evil spirits is done more realistically with a gun that's why nearly every eskimo in alaska has joined the national guard because they live so close to the evil spirits who threaten the existence of freedom in the world the regular meetings of the scout unit on nunavac are eagerly looked forward to wearing their uniforms these men discuss ways and means of putting their particular talents to better use in the service of their government although the eskimos are by nature a fun-loving people there's a complete lack of frivolity when it comes to the serious business of learning to be a soldier to them it's an honor to be a soldier and they are eager to learn to be good [Music] ones the weekly drills are big events in most of the communities they're held in all kinds of weather they learn to handle themselves and their equipment according to the standards of the army it's quite a change swapping spears and harpoons for rifles but all of them have had no difficulty in adapting their old methods for new ones in order that their knowledge be integrated with that of the service these formations take place once a week but jimmy and all the other scouts are on the alert 24 hours a day [Music] but the important thing is putting into practice all that has been discussed in the classroom and after the drill period they dash off on a practice maneuver the basic purpose of these units is gathering information and acting as harrying forces in the event of an enemy attack their on-the-spot presence would save valuable time needed to send regular troops should an enemy dare an invasion [Music] to many of these men the mythical enemy of this tactical problem is quite real perhaps one of the reasons that the alaskan territory has a higher percentage of enrollment in the national guard than any state in the union is that they live in the only part of the western hemisphere that was invaded in world war ii early in 1942 japanese forces landed on the aleutian islands of atu agathou and kiska it was only then that most of america became aware of the necessity of strengthening our power in the north now that the air route over the top of the world has become the shortest distance between the great powers it is even more important their white wind suits give good camouflage as they advance over the drifts just specks in the snow it resembles the walrus hunt but this is combat training and they apply themselves with the utmost seriousness through the tactics taught by the army the job of flushing out the invaders household larders are stocked when word comes that the men will be going on a long trip they're taking part in a field encampment at fort richardson many miles to the south most of them have never actually seen the ways of modern life and at last they'll get a chance to see things like automobiles and tall buildings a last-minute chore is ensuring a good water supply like many of the things basic to arctic living it's a simple task just blocks of ice to be melted when needed finally the day of departure a ski equipped plane appears on schedule and the dogs make a lot of noise as they race it to the landing area there are many aeroplanes in alaska but not many eskimos get to fly in them and it will be an exciting experience all of the scouts are determined not to miss this unusual opportunity some will travel as much as 70 miles by sled or on foot to a place where they can be picked up to the north a group is assembled at kotzebue these men live within sight of russian territory the international date line runs near their village and on monday they can look across the bering straits to where the day is tuesday finally all from the outlying areas have been assembled and equipped for the long flight south to anchorage when camp denali appears under the wings they can see many of the early arrivals already at work [Music] these men realize the amount of time and effort that the army is putting into the project and they all listen to the briefings with strict attention the rifle range is a popular place but there's one complaint the targets are too big for these sharpshooters who can hit the eye of a seal on an ice flow at a hundred yards for the most part classes are held out of doors in sub-zero temperatures but this is no handicap to men who spend almost all their time in the open [Music] many hours are spent learning to work as a team learning to take advantage of all kinds of cover in some parts of alaska there is no vegetation and scouts from those areas found this a new experience but their general application had the same elements of patience and observation which they practiced on their hunting expeditions meal times were eye openers the usual diet of the eskimos is dried fish and meat regular army chow was one of the highlights of the encampment for all it was a proud day for them and we who trained them when the scouts assembled and passed in review for their officers they had the look of seasoned soldiers but there was also a tinge of sadness too because it meant that it was time for them to leave anchorage darkness comes swiftly above the arctic circle and even though it was only late afternoon floodlights had to be turned on when the units were addressed by brigadier general john r noyes adjutant general for the alaskan command he gave high praise to their progress but this is only the end of a phase training goes on all through the year at st paul's island for instance there's a summer session many of the things which were learned at the captain alley encampment are put into practice outfits observe all the regulations and formalities of the army this kind of living is new to the eskimos and they like it he makes a good soldier for the same reasons that he is a self-sufficient person he is not afraid to admit that there is something that he doesn't know and after things are explained he practices by himself so that he won't impair the efficiency of the unit in contrast with the short days of winter there are now plenty of daylight hours in which to sharpen techniques the program is designed to exploit the use of unfamiliar equipment and trenching tools are employed for digging foxholes and gun emplacements [Music] most welcome is the break for lunch when the sea rations seem like a banquet map reading is practiced over and over one of the major purposes of these activities is to assist the scout in translating his natural knowledge into language that will be understood by everyone many of the scouts can't read or write english and have difficulty in transmitting information but one thing is certain they know how to get from one place to another without getting lost a most important item for survival in the north [Music] this mission is typical of the things that they work on gathering information or as their instructor put it at captain alley go out and see what you can see and come back and say what you saw [Music] the enemy has been spotted and now to describe the layout so that it's intelligible to the command post a walkie-talkie gives instant communication between the patrol and headquarters no matter what the season or place these citizen soldiers of alaska are putting everything they have into helping our army fulfill its mission in the north but the scouts are only one part of our vast defense program only its eyes and ears further south we have large installations places like fort richardson where our army is developing and conditioning its brawn and muscle here's the way that part of the program impressed one soldier yes sir when you first hear that you're assigned to the alaskan commander you