https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/026aaf96-cb6d-4399-9e74-c9e284e0536b This 1976 Army film "The Story of the U.S. Army Signal Corps" is about the history and evolution of military communication, specifically focusing on the pivotal role of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. 00:00 Importance of communication, stating "get the message through, this is how it began." 3:44 Dr. Albert J. Myer, a military surgeon, and his semaphore system. This led to him being commissioned General Myer and commanding the Signal Corps during the Civil War. 4:24 Colonel Anson Stager of the US Signal Corps deployed a vast telegraph network, allowing generals like Sherman and Grant to communicate efficiently, as exemplified by their rapid exchange regarding troop movements. 5:03 Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone provided the Signal Corps with a "far-reaching weapon," used in the Spanish-American War. 5:36 Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System. 5:56 The Wright brothers built a machine capable of carrying a pilot and passenger at 40 mph, which was later equipped with a radio. 6:30 In World War I (1917), electrical communications enabled centralized control of tactical activities, though infantry still relied on traditional methods. Miles of telephone lines were strung in trenches, with 2,500 miles used weekly during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, making signal contact a "lifeline" for soldiers. 7:50 The aviation section, part of the Signal Corps, grew from 55 planes to a force of 11,500 Signal Corps Flyers by the war's end. The army concluded the war with 50 field signal battalions and 28 telegraph units. 8:19 After the war, Fort Monmouth became the Signal Corps' base, and the air section gained autonomy as the Army Air Corps. Technological advances continued, including improved ground-to-air transmitters and receivers, increased wireless ranges, and the appearance of radar, though the need for a global military signaling system wasn't fully apparent until Germany's march across Europe. 9:26 Mechanized and airborne warfare demanded fluid communications networks. 9:52 The Signal Corps had visionaries, but many did not grasp the urgency of new ideas. 10:08 A Signal Corps sergeant's spotting of approaching planes before the Pearl Harbor attack, and a delayed warning communiqué, highlighted critical communication failures. 11:10 The Pacific Theater tested the Signal Corps' ingenuity, teaching lessons in getting equipment ashore and maintaining communications under fire. As forces stretched inland, wireless teams faced dangerous conditions. 11:49 Signal Corps experience rapidly prepared them for the complex D-Day landing and Operation Torch (invasion of North Africa) in late 1942, where signal traffic told the story of the operations. 13:53 Photographs from Normandy and Omaha were sent to England by Signal Corps pigeons, reaching the world. A 400-watt transmitter allowed instant news broadcasts to Long Island, reaching New Yorkers as events unfolded. 14:40 Signal Corps mobile radio broadcasting units, trained in psychological warfare, convinced German pockets to surrender, saving lives. 14:59 Signal Corps intelligence broke difficult enemy codes, providing crucial advantages to frontline commanders. 15:14 During the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, the Third Army signalmen built a vast new communications network using 20,000 miles of field wire 16:07 In October 1944, Gen. Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines, and Major General Spencer Akin and Lieutenant Colonel Abe Schechter established an instant global communications system from a radio truck on the beach, allowing MacArthur to broadcast his famous "I have returned" message. 17:24 Supreme Commander's message on May 7, 1945. 18:06 The June 1948 Berlin Airlift, delivering 9,000 tons of essentials daily, required an extraordinarily complex communication system provided by the Signal Corps, which also established "Arias Radio" to counter Russian propaganda. 18:42 The Korean War presented new challenges, with the Signal Corps installing tactical transmission lines in rough combat terrain, using cable plows and earth auger trucks. Air-ground combat operations achieved effectiveness through improved tactical communication systems. 19:25 By the time the Vietnam War escalated, direct contact between field personnel and commanders in the States was possible, allowing real-time monitoring and evaluation of actions. 19:42 Data transmission through satellites and the development of unattended ground sensor devices and unmanned ground radar units provided instant relays and early warning capabilities. 20:17 The Signal School at Fort Gordon, Georgia trains over 20,000 students annually using programmed and computer-assisted instruction, visual training materials, and field exercises. 21:21 Looking to the future, with a fully portable, modularized, comprehensive communications system already on the drawing board, emphasizing that the Signal Corps will always be at the forefront of what comes next. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kHM1vKZvJs Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Fri, 12 Jun 2026 03:28:29 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/026aaf96-cb6d-4399-9e74-c9e284e0536b All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.