Down to Earth

[Music] foreign so getting down to earth safely is the first order of business for these troopers of the u.s strike command because here is where their objective begins reinforcement of the defense team with a hard-hitting fast-moving combat ready force getting these men airborne and over the drop zone training them to hit the ground ready for action dropping the equipment needed to do the job [Music] clearing landing strips in fact the whole complex military pattern demands precision teamwork [Music] all military personnel must be highly trained and readily available to provide a deterrent force to keep the free world free but there are times when training alone is not enough morale is an all-important factor too it can be undermined by personal and family problems military commanders know this that's why ever since world war one the red cross field director has been a familiar sight to servicemen he plays an important role in emergency situations involving a serviceman's personal and critical family problems such as death or serious illness not all servicemen have such problems of course too many the field director is simply a good friend although there is comfort in knowing red cross help is nearby if needed the field director knows where and how to find a service man to relay news which may not have reached him through regular channels when it's happy news the job is easier all around but in time of trouble the familiar sight of the red cross symbol is both comforting and vital for the red cross as a universal symbol used by nearly all military medical services and anyone acting under its banner knows the importance of his mission of mercy dedicated to preventing and alleviating human suffering the red cross mission has as many faces as there are people in military hospitals red cross social workers and recreation workers are key members of the hospital's recovery team they are assisted by red cross volunteers of all ages working together they help solve many personal and family problems and aid recovery by relieving long hours of confinement some volunteers help with games and recreation many teach arts and skills others assist patients in doing things they cannot do for themselves red cross service is available to military families too on the rare occasions when dependents must be evacuated from critical overseas areas the red cross is on hand at the port of entry to help with down-to-earth problems in these and day-to-day circumstances requiring emergency communications counseling referral financial assistance and other services the red cross helps members of the armed forces veterans and their families [Music] with the hometown red cross chapter open to the military family and the red cross field director on duty with the serviceman a mighty link is forged and kept strong red cross club mobile workers in korea and center staff on the other side of the globe are an important part in the chain of morale spanning the miles between the home front and the frontiers of freedom yes problems can at times be sky-high for a service man and his family or for a veteran but through multiple red cross services thousands of personal problems which arise for military families are brought down to earth because preparedness is the keynote to survival today's military maneuvers must by necessity closely resemble actual combat conditions for red cross field directors assigned to the military in both peace and war the job of helping servicemen solve their down-to-earth problems is very real disaster is always very real too and survival in disaster requires another kind of preparedness to meet human needs during the emergency and to restore the things which have been destroyed many disaster victims have the resources to cope with the emergency and recover on their own however for those who need help there must be a reservoir of resources to help overcome a multitude of down-to-earth problems during the emergency the red cross provides shelter when disaster forces the evacuation of homes [Music] provides food clothing and medical and nursing care after the emergency the red cross stays on the job to help in the rebuilding and refurnishing of damaged homes with the aid of red cross disaster assistance all of which is an outright gift disaster victims bridge the all-important gap between what is needed and what they can do for themselves but human suffering is universal and knows no national boundaries as the red cross began its second century of humanitarian service it was awarded the coveted nobel peace prize for the fourth time in history through the league of red cross societies relief is given to disaster-stricken people in many lands through the league and international committee of the red cross assistance is given to refugees and those seeking asylum from political oppression [Music] through its multiple services which cut across political barriers the red cross is a lifeline through which flows the priceless ingredient of hope typified by this man who kisses the soil of the country representing his freedom even in a land of freedom life presents down-to-earth problems this is especially true for patients in hospitals in veteran and military hospitals and in many civilian hospitals the red cross signifies service to humanity in peace and war veterans of both world wars the korean conflict and other battles are being helped every day in countless ways by red cross staff and volunteers and the volunteers who vastly outnumber the red cross professional staff serve humanity in many vital ways in hospitals and in other community services working side by side with adults are many high school and college volunteers every day more people participate in water sports but unless they are ever alert dangers are lurking which can cause accidents just as lethal as bullets drowning is one of them mouth-to-mouth resuscitation can be started just as soon as the rescuer gets the victim into shallow water this kind of life-saving knowledge is one of many skills which can be learned in red cross first aid and water safety classes [Music] also among these skills are ways to affect a water rescue with a minimum risk to both parties and self-survival techniques such as this unusual one using clothing to capture air and make a floatation device equally important are the common sense rules of safety developed in over half a century of teaching water safety these include never playing around the float line that shows the beginning of deep water never swimming under a diving board if this youngster had made a running dive someone would have gotten hurt indulging in horseplay in the water or near the edge of the pool and always observing the instructions of the lifeguard red cross swimming classes for every member of the family contribute to the nation's goal of physical fitness as well as the happiness of recreation sister services to red cross water safety are those of first aid and small craft safety boat enthusiasts can learn how to properly equip and handle their craft for the benefit of their safety and the safety of others the benefits of first aid training are endless one learns how to prevent accidents and cope with emergency situations such as severe bleeding shock stoppage of breath poisoning fractures burns bandaging and transportation of the sick and injured and the sick and injured are also a concern of red cross nursing service at home care of someone who is bedridden is necessary at one time or another for nearly every family in the nation free classes in home care of the sick and injured are taught by red cross nurses they are on call in time of disaster and other emergencies and to assist in community health projects red cross nurses also teach free classes in mother and baby care and fitness for the future in their home communities from new york city and in thousands of communities all the way to los angeles people every day do something to help save lives they give blood the red cross provides about half of the nation's supply of whole blood much of it is used in direct transfusions but the good accomplished by blood donors goes even further they also make possible extensive research to find safe methods of freezing blood so it can be stored for future emergency use in addition highly skilled technicians extract plasma for use in special medical cases and platelets which some patients desperately need blood donations are also the source material for making life-saving blood derivatives available to everyone in the nation whether or not they participate in the red cross blood program these include fibrinogen which helps control excessive bleeding gamma globulin an important factor in preventing or modifying hepatitis and measles serum albumin an effective treatment for shock and vaccinia immune globulin better known as vig it helps combat the complications which sometimes result from a smallpox vaccination before vig was developed through independent research and then made a part of the red cross blood program many children were left permanently scarred or blind some even died military personnel who have been recently vaccinated provide all the blood used to make vig and a jet age transportation plan enables the red cross to deliver vig within hours to anyone in the country the red cross is the only source of the product in north america the sight in this eye would have been lost treatment in time with vig brought about complete cure one of many down-to-earth problems solved by your red cross you