THE BIG PICTURE: the 3rd Infantry Regiment

This episode of "The Big Picture" dates to the 1961-1962 season. Filmed at Washington,. D.C . it shows the Army's "Old Guard" - the 3rd Infantry Regiment - and the U.S. Army Band presenting its annual pageant of military skills and traditions. The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, "The Old Guard," as well as "Escort to the President". The regimental motto is Noli Me Tangere (from Latin: – "Touch me Not"). In addition to the marching platoons, there are also elements of The Old Guard that serve special roles unique both to the regiment as well as the US Army. Among these include the sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknowns, maintaining a twenty-four hour watch over one of the nation's most sacred sites; the Continental Color Guard, which presents the nation's colors at special events across the Capitol Region; the Presidential Salute Battery, which renders honors to senior dignitaries at arrival and wreath ceremonies, reviews, and full honors funerals; and the US Army Caisson Platoon, which provides horses and riders to pull the caisson (the wagon that bears a casket) in military and state funerals. The Old Guard's Caisson Platoon at Arlington National Cemetery The Caisson Platoon also provides the riderless horses used in full honors funerals and supports wounded warriors participating in the Therapeutic Riding Program. Other elements of The Old Guard include the Commander-in-Chief's guard (Company A), replicating the personal guard of General George Washington; wearing Colonial blue uniforms, powdered wigs, and tricorn hats; and bearing Brown Bess muskets and halberds at ceremonies and special events; the US Army Drill Team, which demonstrates its skill and precision around the nation, and Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, which plays traditional arrangements of marching music, dating back to the time of the Continental Army. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps marches in Colonial style red coated uniforms—to be "better seen through the smoke of battle"; the uniforms also include tricorn hats and white powdered wigs. The drum major of the Fife and Drum Corps traditionally bears an espontoon[8] (a historic pike-like weapon) in his right hand to direct and command his unit.[8] As such, he is the only soldier in all the U.S. Armed Forces authorized to bear a spontoon and to salute with the left hand[citation needed] (although U.S. Navy personnel are allowed to salute with the left hand under certain conditions).[9] Rounding out The Old Guard are the 289th Military Police Company, the 947th Military Working Dog Detachment, the 529th Regimental Support Company, two battalion headquarters companies, and the regimental headquarters company. The regiment is the oldest active duty regiment in the US Army, having been first organized as the First American Regiment in 1784 "The Big Picture" was the Army's ground-breaking television series. The half-hour weekly program featured famous or before-they-were-famous actors and actresses in top quality productions, filmed on the Astoria stages. In the 1950s the series was shot on 35mm black-and-white negative, but by the end of the 1960s, it was using 16mm color negative. The series covered a wide range of subjects, telling the Army's story in history and in current events.

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Transcription

e [Music] across the years the lifetimes of many men from General Washington's continental army to the globe circling Army of today there stretches a continuity of devotion and of determination and of willing sacrifice which we do well to remember today's big picture pays particular honor to the Americans in uniform past and present who are a part of that proud [Music] Heritage sign adant call the parade ground of historic Fort McNair in the nation's capital is a fitting setting for today's tribute to those whose devotion has kept our nation free and here to give motion and Melody to that tribute are troops of the Old Guard the third United States Infantry and of the United States Army Band the third infantry is one of the most select units in the United States Army it is older than our nation's Constitution and bears on its roles the names of men who suffered at Valley Forge and triumphed at Yorktown as the Showcase unit of the army the Old Guard symbolizes the Patriots Heritage shared by Americans in uniform wherever they may be [Music] Advance the [Music] colors the Old Guard fif and drum core with a medley of authentic Revolutionary War Tunes the Continental soier parading on some Village Green marched to the stately Colonial Cadence of exactly 90 Paces to the [Music] [Applause] [Music] minute e [Music] a [Music] the [Music] [Music] present h [Music] [Music] [Music] on the 18th of April 1847 General Winfield Scott was on the march from verac Cruz to Mexico City his Force led by the third infantry was blocked by an enemy stronghold on the heights of Gordo the third led the charge which took the position with bayonets fixed in the end it was those bare blades which decided the matter and so began a tradition which is a part of the rich fabric which makes up the heritage of the American Soldier sound fix bayonets [Music] done in time with a medley of traditional Army Tunes muskets in motion a a n a go go go the third infantry drill team a study and synchronization [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Park time [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] four come back this [Applause] the clocklike rhythm of precisely 150 beats to the minute once started does not vary a Beat from the beginning of the demonstration to the end [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] oh [Applause] up four what up some details of the teamwork are so smooth that unless one watches closely they may go unnoticed for example the moment when the entire team exchanges rifles at once Left Flank four another rifle exchange this time on the [Applause] [Applause] ground from front to rear over five of six marching men a midair rifle pass with bare bayonet fixed [Applause] since revolutionary times much has changed but discipline Precision teamwork the essentials the unbearables remain [Music] a flag of 13 stars the beginning of a visual and musical Journey Through History a progression of the uniforms and the flags which American soldiers have taken into battle 15 stars and 15 Stripes flew at New Orleans and over Fort McHenry in the War of 1812 inspiring the words of our national anthem 28 stars 13 stripes the Mexican war Zog Gordo chape 36 stars and Below them the union blue for Sumpter aromatics under a flag of 36 Stars the West Was one and the nation extended from coast to coast 46 Stars a Spanish American war San Juan Hill 48 Stars the flag the Doughboy took over there chat tii Bellow wood Samuel [Music] [Applause] again under 48 Stars the battle dress of World War II Pearl Harbor to Manila tunisha to the Ry and later [Music] Korea today under 50 stars the American Soldier carries forward his proud Heritage of devotion a Heritage which through the years has ensured the security of the Union which those 50 stars symbolize for every one of our 50 stars there is a colorful state flag each with a tradition a meaning of its own a diversity and a Harmony which is in itself symbolic of the the broad Union they represent oh guard pass and review right hey pass and review a typically tur military command whose meaning is this let the soldiers pass by so that may be seen what their quality is for n [Applause] la n oh l n [Music] la [Music] n [Music] if the military review reveals what men are it also recalls from whence they have sprung for it is a fraternal thing the ceremonial the pageant of an old and honorable Brotherhood the ancient way among men of arms of showing honor to those present and to those who have gone before [Music] across the years linking the lifetimes of many men there stretches a continuity of devotion and of determination and of willing sacrifice [Music] the [Music] we do well to remember [Music] [Music]

Sources

YouTube channel: PeriscopeFilm · video ↗ — year, format, description, catalog record, video
16mm Filmography editors — title

Original permalink · Record added 2025-01-23 16:47:05