This 1958 film reports on the meaning of the term "the common defense" which has changed a great deal since the time our founding father immortalized that phrase in the Constitution of the United States. In those days, the Army was the bulwark of the young nation's defense. But in the years and the wars that followed, the mighty Sister Services of the Navy / Marine Corps and the Air Force came into being and developed equal stature.
The three services operate under a unified command, working together as the Armed Forces of the United States. Together, they share new weapons brought forth by the era of missiles and nuclear arms and contribute their resources to the military exploration of the new world of outer space.
The U.S. Armed Forces form a mighty, flexible shield which by its very existence deters the sinister designs of the forces of aggression ... discharging with glory its great and proud responsibilities ... the common defense of the United States.
Episode from The Big Picture series (1950-1984) Video courtesy of U.S. Army / Department of Defense
The Common Defense
