Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

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20 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE Volume XII, No. 2 mercial movies twice a week. A Vocational Guidance Program has been formulated which makes considerable use of vocational films. An evaluation program is being carried out in the Office of the Surgeon General to determine the best films available. Since almost 500,000 men and women are being separated from the service every month, the need for vocational guidance is great. Many of the discharged soldiers had no vocations when they entered the service. They are sorely in need of information and advice. Vocational films will play an important part in their adjustment to civilian life. Another interesting use of films is in the “Chaplain’s Hour,’’ which is conducted every Wednesday. A religious picture is shown, usually a Biblical narrative, in 16mm sound. Thanks to Coronet, film strips based on published picture-stories have been sent to this Service, and these too, are shown to the ward patients. An excellent practice for ouilding morale is group singing through the use of the Balopticon. The words of songs are flashed on a screen while the tune is played on a piano which is wheeled from ward to ward. The Balopticon has long been a standard aid in illustrated lectures. Not only are the regular military subjects illustrated with it, but original subjects as well. For example, one of the trainees in the Advanced Reconditioning Section had taken pictures while he had fought on Guadalcanal. With the Balopticon he was able to project them on the screen. He gave a most thrilling account of his experiences. The Nationcd Geographic Magazine in its June, 1943, issue printed more than 1,000 in signia of the Armed Forces in color, the most complete collection on record. These reproductions were mounted and used for a most entertaining lecture on “Insignia.” There is literally no end to the possibilities of this visual aid in the hands of imaginative teachers. When the soldier-patients are permitted to leave their wards, they are required to come daily except Sunday to the Red Cross auditorium at 9 :30, where they see films such as were described above and in addition listen to illustrated lectures on military topics. To illustrate discussions of progress in the war a large map was built in three partitions. This map is six feet high and nine feet across and is visible everywhere in the auditorium. It was not purchased but drawn to scale by one of the trainees in the Advanced Reconditioning Section. The Armed Forces of the United States believe strongly in the use of Graphic Training aids for almost every subject taught. “Graphic Portfolios” containing pictures about a yard square are available on topics which include First Aid, Chemical Warfare, Map Reading, Mines and Booby Traps, etc. These pictures are also collected in booklet form. One is called Map Reading for the Soldier, another Scouting and Patr<dling , a third How to Shoot the U. S. Army Rifle. These are prepared by the Training Division, Headquarters Army Services Forces. These may be purchased from The Infantry Journal, Washington, D. C. There are two ways of using these booklets. The photographs and drawings may be cut out, mounted, and used with the Balopticon. The student can purchase these and study them at his leisure. For a time the experiment was tried of putting a Graphic Portfolio in every ward, but it was found that a Graphic Chart is not a teaching device by itself. It is a most useful adjunct to a lecture. Few soldiers were curious enough to study the Graphic Portfolios, but they expressed a genuine interest when instructors came into the wards and gave instruction in map-reading, assembly and disassembly of small arms, and camouflage. When the patients are well on their way to recovery, they are transferred to the Advanced Reconditioning Section, where they once again serve under strict military discipline in their regular army uniforms. Two hours of their eight-hour day are devoted to military education, by a directive from the Surgeon General. Here again training films, graphic portfolios, and other aforementioned visual aids are employed. The weekly Bulletins and G.I. movies which the trainee saw while he was a ward patient and an ambulatory patient are now shown to him in the Advanced Reconditioning Section’s movie theatres. In addition, film strips on every military subject supplement other aids. Special visual aids are utilized for certain subjects. For example, in the classes in map reading, every student gets a topographic map of Camp Crowder, a photomap of the same area, a lensatic compass for outdoor map problems, and a protractor. In addition, he is given for permanent possession a specially prepared booklet containing ten map problems which he solves partly in class and partly on his own time. This booklet on map-reading is one of a dozen booklets prepared by the Education Department to meet the special needs of the students.