Magic Bond, The (1955)

w [Music] Jee okay okay big gu there nobody but a sweet a dumb sweet 25 years 25 years he spent with his face up against some cowside in Minnesota and all of a sudden he's a military genius then Dwight D olon I told him I told him what are you waiting for go on go on you dumb you dumb sweet I told him he's got to be old man himself don't he yeah too good to take orders from some old sergeant so he got to stick around and get himself look sge we got the gun position yeah we was really bobbing and weaving in there the old fast break just like a well oil machine save it coat save it to the Northeast Iowa conference after the war look look we know how you feel SP we all yell too what are you going to do about a guy like that yeah yeah what did you yell at him be a hero oen save the good old sge huh where's Al where's ol and he ought to be here he ought to be drinking that wine you ought to be over in the corner writing that letter to that girl is that what's her name Hela yeah yeah that that hellup and whatever the name of that dumb sweed town is all about the cowsy was going on and the war more bonds they were saving yeah and keep a lookout for a for a barn a good tight Barn to keep the caddle dry hson ain't sleeping very dry tonight is he did you bring him in not yet Spence we couldn't get to him yet he ought to be here if he was here we'd be out there in his place s so what what got into him anyway why'd he come after me like that I told him I told him go on go on we had your both covered we thought he'd get you back over that rig yeah you guys you guys you thought yeah well I thought too I thought I had me a squad the best damn Squad in the Army how long we've been together anyway North Africa Sicily Italy and all this a lot of fights and a lot of fun yeah remember that town in Italy that little old place on side of the mountain yeah that that old man with the five I thought I had me a squad but all I got is a bunch of a bunch of dumb crummy friends who think they all got to be heroes and the best one of them all is lying outside there on a hill with a name nobody can pronounce a hell of a long way from Minnesota he the papers ever say anything about this how it is down here here when there ain't much to a war except muds and dirt that and a guy's friends friends he says one crummy bullet in a leg and a guy's psycho yeah guchi first nice what he said since he got the last stripe yeah well I tell you that's the last oh did any of it get in the papers about a kind of magic I call comrad Ship I don't know but as a war correspondent which is a fancy name for a reporter whose beat is the battlefield instead of the courthouse or the police station as a war correspondent I tried to write about it back there during the second world war a lot of us tried bunch of nice guys named Ernie pile Jack singer and many others died trying but all of us saw it there and later on in Korea this magic I'm talking about anybody who's ever been close to American soldiers fighting overseas has felt it I saw it that night in 1944 in the rubble of a farmhouse somewhere in Europe a kind of bond that tied together a bunch of guys and made them into a fighting unit the magic of comradeship among a New York cop a high school coach from Iowa an insurance salesman from California a Texas habacher and a Dairy Farmer from Minnesota is Magic too strong a word well I don't think so and I've seen it at work aboard ships of the Navy and in the cramped quarters of a bomber I've seen it in remote and lonely spots of the Earth where the enemies are monotony and boredom I saw it in World War II and I saw it in Korea I know men who have told me about it in the first world war and the Spanish American war they held me Spellbound with their stories when I was a kid the magic of comradeship I suppose it takes all sorts of magic to win a war the magic of [Music] production the magic of technical [Music] skills the magic of leadership the magic of comradeship and every time I saw it in battle it seemed to me it would be a tragic thing if we lost it when the war ended in fact I used to wonder what would happen to these men after the war where would they go oh I supposed the lucky ones would go back to their hometowns and their jobs and why and girls and pick things up just as before and in a way that was wonderful but also in a way it would be too bad too bad if the magic of comradeship which had conquered Hitler and musolini and hiita were to be lost to us forever for there would I knew be enemies that had to be fought in time of Peace as well as War I guess it's a question that is nagged at the minds of a lot of guys where did it all go what happened to the unity that feeling of belonging to a team of standing up to the enemy alongside a guy who would oh he'd bum your last cigarette swipe your girl brag about Texas or Brooklyn or Hannibal Missouri crack lousy jokes whistle off key and save your life well I've been on the trail of an answer and I think I found it the of comradeship is still working in this country of ours still fighting her enemies enemies which are doubly dangerous because they are subtle and intangible and hard to identify the trail started for me on a street corner not far from this office wasn't an unusual thing for New York City a parade but what a parade [Music] [Music] well I guess everyone loves parades but this one particularly gave me a kick because of its timing here the Veterans of Foreign Wars had taken Mayday which the commies have been trying for years to make their own special holiday and turned it into the exact opposite a Loyalty Day on which Americans of every kind stepped out to the music of a band who to show their love for the kind of Freedom we have it seemed to me that there was one way that the VFW had applied the magic of comrad ship in peace Time by calmly bouncing the Communists out of their favorite propaganda spot but parades alone don't beat enemies and I thought of some of the enemies we have in America today the enemy of juvenile delinquency weakening the fabric of our society eroding our most precious resource our young men and women hey ugly [Music] get got let's go come on the enemy of apathy toward our political problems leaving the door open for the grafter the subversive the traitor the tool of pressure groups the crook the incompetent the enemy of neglect of our veterans which undercuts The Pride with which young men wear the uniform of their country this is the cruel enemy which keeps disabled veterans from proving that they can fill useful jobs in business and industry neglect that punishes children because their fathers serve their country the enemy of smugness which lets our national defenses dwindle away which discourages Young Americans from seeking careers in our Armed Forces which weakens our Reserve components in our National Guard those are the enemies the enemies within America eating away at our national strength weakening our resistance to Communism how I wondered could the magic of comradeship that won fighting Wars be brought to bear against these enemies what is the VFW doing to fight these enemies the enemy of juvenile delinquency well the national Marvel tournament is one of the ways boys from every state in the Union from every Walk of Life gather together to test their hard-learned skills in the healthy open competition that is the heritage of every American Youth and VFW posts throughout the country carry on thousands of projects to provide such Recreation opportunities the Marvel tournament because it is unique is perhaps the best known it's serious business but it's fun too no room here for pompous statements about combating juvenile delinquency but that's the inevitable byproduct of the fund and the same thing goes for the baseball team sponsored by VFW posts for boys in the teenage class to them the national tournament is just as important as any World [Applause] Series and from these teams may come the big Leaguers of Tomorrow boys stay out of trouble when they're trying to improve their batting averages who doesn't thrill to the music of a drum and bugle cor or a brass band whether in a parade or competition and the music is somehow sweeter when it's being made by boys and girls who are learning to express themselves in worthwhile ways Boys Scout Troops youth clubs all these and scores of other projects sponsored or inspired by the VFW prove that the magic of comrad ship can work to provide America with a happy vigorous generation of young ERS to keep America strong to guard against the decay of delinquency you know next I wondered how about the enemy of apathy that don't care attitude of the citizen who oh he can't be bothered to vote who falls into the Trap of figuring ah what's the use what can one man do one man an individual citizen can do much in our Republic but can do far more when he applies the magic of comrad ship by associating himself with others to achieve his goals the Veterans of Foreign Wars is non-political its members belong to all parties but it realizes that democracy can function only when the voters make their opinions felt at the polls so it is that posts across the land turn out to see that every eligible voter is registered gets out to vote on Election Day this is an asset to any community but a swimming pool like this doesn't just happen it's the product of work and planning weeks and months of planning and in town after town you'll find the VFW behind swimming pools playgrounds new schools helping a community's dreams come true is part of the magic of comradeship one of the weapons with which it fights the enemy of Citizen apathy my answer was beginning to take shape now I could see how the VFW was making its contribution to the battle against our peacetime enemies but one of the most Insidious enemies was still unaccounted for the enemy of neglect of our men who have served their country just cuz I got unlucky and got a hand blown off doesn't mean I think the world owes me a living but when a VFW Post helped me land this job without me even asking well that's something maybe it's because the guys are all overseas vets themselves helps them understand the problems of a guy like me I figure helping a guy to be well self-supporting is much different than pulling a guy out of the line of fire War anyway shows they haven't forgotten I'm glad I'm a member of VFW wait a second I'm the service officer of our poost and what that vet has said is true but it goes beyond that we figure that anybody with an honorable discharge has earned the right to get help whenever he needs it now say a man is disabled well we'll help improve if it was service incurred or not and even if it wasn't service incurred we'll work with the VA to get him taken care of or maybe it's Financial a he needs well that's what our Rel Le fund is for you see when a veteran's in trouble through no fault of his own our idea is to do whatever has to be done to get him and his family back on their feet men in veterans hospitals know the VFW and the ladies of its auxiliary as good friends always at hand to brighten the long days of convalescence the VFW is there to give Aid to the families of these men to show in a thousand ways little and big that America does not forget those who have sacrificed for her it keeps an experienced eye on legislation that affects the rights of disabled veterans if one thing symbolizes the vfw's continuing comradeship with the disabled vet it is the Buddy poppy proudly made by hands that have fought for their country proudly and gratefully warned by Americans everywhere the money raised by the buddy poppy sales is used by VFW posts for assistance to needy or disabled veterans or their families part of the Buddy poppy funds go to a project particularly close to the hearts of the members of the VFW the VFW national home at Eaton Rapids Michigan where children whose fathers are dead or totally disabled find a home [Music] the magic of comradeship fights the enemy of neglect for the national home is more than just a modern institution providing the children with the finest in physical care education and [Music] Recreation it is a real home where these children from every corner of the United States are integrated into a normal family [Music] life prayer come Lord Jesus Be Our Guest our morning Joy our evening rest and with this daily bread and part strength and love to every heart amen this is one other way the VFW can pay a small part of the country's debt to those comrades who have given their lives on the battlefield on this the VFW Creed is based honor the dead by helping the living and what about the final enemy that smugness that could let our defenses crumble thus inviting the horrors of Another War I learned that the vfw's attack on this enemy is as varied as the complexity of the problem requires an America that is strong in the weapons of war and strong in the moral fiber of its citizens has always been the goal of the BFW to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all so something as simple as this encouraging observance of our patriotic holidays is a part of the vfw's fight against our enemies so is something as complicated as work to inform the public on the necessity of maintaining our Armed Forces enlisting support for intelligent defense legislation it can be something as friendly as running a canteen for servicemen or as Grim as the continuing battle to expose and bring to trial those who seek to overthrow our government as part of foreign conspiracies it can be as monotonous as long hours of civil defense work or is thrilling as a drum and bugle core but whatever the work it's part of the contribution being made by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in the battle against the Unseen enemies of our country it's part of an unending battle begun by a handful of veterans of the Spanish American [Music] war carried on by the Doughboys of World War I and the millions of American fighting men of World War II and of the Korean campaign it's based on the conception that men who have served underarms on foreign Duty can and must band together to help their comrades their country and their communities in great cities and small towns throughout America the BFW post stands for all that is best in fellowship and service to these posts reporter Bob kadine turned to seek an answer to his question he saw the BFW at work and at play for fun that is shared is as vital a part of comradeship as is the sharing of work VFW families are brought into the magic Bond through social activities as well as through community [Music] service and just in passing we might well wonder how long this nation's unseen enemies could survive if all American families had this sort of fun together well that's a little of what I saw when I started digging into the BFW story I'm not through yet but I've gone far enough to learn this much the answers to my questions are well they're just about what I should have expected back there in World War II when I saw the things that comradeship could accomplish I should have known that anything as vigorous as that was in Wartime certainly wouldn't die just because the guns fell silent I should have known this magic Bond we call comradeship would just have to go on this strong as ever well most of the faces I've seen back home here are different but I know them I've seen them before in the presence of almighty God in the presence of almighty God and the members of this order here assembled and the members of this order here assembled I I do of my own free will and Accord do my own free will and Accord solemnly promise and declare that promise and declare that I've seen them I've known them overseas their names may be different they may even be a different generation from the guys I wrote about because the VFW has its roots very deep in the history of our Wars but they're the faces of men who mean it when they say to the government of the United States of America the of United States of America and I will always be loyal there too whoever they are wherever they are I know them and their Devotion to their country and to each other I promise and pledge promise anded upon the honor of a true com for the honor of a true and a citizen of our great Republic and a citizen of our great Republic this is one reporter's opinion but I think you can Bank on it The Men Who belong to the Veterans of Foreign Wars are going to see to it that the magic Bond of comradeship that has carried America to Victory on the battlefield will continue to keep her strong and prosperous in time of Peace tender ties formed amid the privations and dangers of War be drawn Closer by our [Music] fellowship oh