This is The Big Picture, an official report of the United States Army, produced for the
Armed Forces and the American people.
Religion has always been a vitally important part of life for men in our Armed Forces.
Whether at a makeshift service near the field of battle, or on the deck of a battleship
at sea, or in a tiny post chapel at some far-flung base, the American serviceman and woman has
long been encouraged to express their faith according to their belief.
Since George Washington's time, the fighting forces of the United States have counted the
spiritual strength and well-being of every soldier and sailor and airman to be as important
as his mental and physical fitness.
This is no ordinary Sunday in Philadelphia.
Here today, the citizens of this modern city are participating in an active demonstration
of Philadelphia's oldest and proudest traditions, hospitality and free religious observance.
Through the USO and more than 40 cooperating churches and synagogues, the people of Philadelphia
have invited all of the servicemen and women at camps and bases nearby to join them in
a day of worship and hospitality.
The men and women are arriving from the great training centers of the surrounding area,
and there are even some coming from ships tied up in the nearby Navy Yard.
More than 6,000 servicemen and women are expected for a very full Sunday in the city of brotherly
love.
Catholic, Protestant, and Jew will each worship according to his faith as this city extends
a gracious hand of hospitality to those young Americans who stand guard over the freedom
which was born here.
At Old St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1763, modern sailors have come to worship
where Revolutionary War hero John Barry attended services.
As men and women from all the armed services join the people of Philadelphia in observance
of Religious Emphasis Day, the downtown headquarters of the USO is alive with activity.
Traditionally, the serviceman's home away from home, this USO service club and lounge
has today been turned into a temporary command post for the Philadelphia program.
In addition to its regular responsibilities, the USO has coordinated the Religious Emphasis
Day schedule.
Preparations leading to the success of this community gesture have been underway for weeks.
Dozens of enthusiastic citizens have spearheaded the many committees whose work was necessary
before this great city could play host to more than 6,000 servicemen and women on a
single Sunday.
USO Director Milton Feitelson served as coordinator for these committees and has been most closely
associated with the program from its inception.
Mr. Feitelson, may we talk with you a moment?
Of course, come on in.
Would you tell us where the idea came from for Religious Emphasis Day?
Yes, it came from leading citizens of Philadelphia and from officials of the armed forces throughout
this whole area.
Everyone felt that there was a great need today to demonstrate the belief on the part
of our community that the spiritual welfare of the armed forces should be taken care of.
Has the event been organized and directed from here?
Well, in part it has.
It's been really a cooperative effort on the part of all of the people of Philadelphia,
its churches, its synagogues, and the military.
Is this the first time that the people of Philadelphia have done something of this kind
for servicemen?
Well, no, we did it last year.
Last year some 30,000 or 35,000 Philadelphians came into contact with the first 5,000 service
personnel who came in for the first Religious Emphasis Day.
It proved so successful and was so warmly received by our Philadelphia people as well
as the armed forces that they decided to do it again this year.
From the stately and beautiful Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, Roman Catholic service
personnel arrived directly from camps and bases.
It is nearly 11 o'clock on this bright Sunday morning and in houses of worship throughout
the city, soldiers, airmen, Marines, and sailors are joining the citizens of Philadelphia in
religious observance.
Beneath the great dome of the cathedral, the Mass is celebrated before an altar of white
serenity.
The Mass is a solemn and beautiful ritual commemorating the sorrowful death of Christ
at Calvary 2,000 years ago.
For every Catholic, the Mass is the vital central reality of his faith, unchanging over
the centuries.
The ceremony has brought peace and courage to American fighting men from Valley Forge
to Korea as it brings strength and comfort today to those who worship in the gentle light
of this cathedral.
The climax of the Mass is reached after the elevation of the Host as military personnel
and civilians gather at the altar rail to receive Holy Communion.
Every coronation of our Lord and Savior is a symphony of happiness.
Following the service at St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral, a communion breakfast is
served for the servicemen and women by members of the congregation.
The breakfast provides a leisurely opportunity for the military guests and their civilian
hosts to become better acquainted.
Most of the members of the armed forces attending services in Philadelphia on Religious Emphasis
Day were brought directly to the city from military and naval establishments by buses
specially provided for the occasion.
At the Arch Street Methodist Church, where buses began arriving at 10.30 in the morning,
servicemen receive a hearty welcome.
The message of the Arch Street Church and every participating church and synagogue in
Philadelphia this morning is a vital one.
It is intended to underscore the proposition put forth by the founding fathers of our nation
that a belief and trust in God forms the basis for true national security.
The faces of hospitality and friendship are everywhere as a great American city shares
its faith with men and women in uniform.
Into this church came citizens and soldiers to talk with God.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
For thou art with me.
The iron rod and the hushed bath, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil.
My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Jesus said, verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
All that are in need for anointing are thieves and robbers.
But the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door.
By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy.
I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.
I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Amen.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise him, all preachers, dear below.
With the end of the service at the Arch Street Methodist Church, a choice of activities is
offered to military guests.
All over Philadelphia, servicemen and women begin a Sunday afternoon of leisure.
For some, there are invitations to a home-cooked meal.
Thank you for the world so sweet.
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the birds that sing.
Thank you, God, for everything.
Amen.
Where are you fellas from?
North Dakota.
North Dakota?
How about you?
Minnesota.
Pennsylvania.
What part of Pennsylvania?
Upstate Pennsylvania.
A little town called Milton.
If it isn't home, it's the next best thing.
Around a parish house piano, another group gets together for an impromptu song.
Can't you hear the whistle blowing, rise up so early in the morn?
Dino, won't you blow your horn?
Dino, won't you blow?
Dino, won't you blow your horn?
Although Saturday, rather than Sunday, is the Jewish Sabbath, synagogues in Philadelphia
are active participants in Religious Emphasis Day.
At Temple Beth Zion, a full program typical of many, was planned for the Jewish servicemen
who are part of this one-day military invasion of the city.
The men are welcomed to the temple in mid-morning and invited to attend a discussion group with
members of the congregation.
The group includes an army chaplain, representative of the members of the armed forces clergy,
taking part in the Philadelphia observance.
The symbols of an ancient and durable faith are simple and few.
The ideas and beliefs for which they stand have sustained men in peril and adversity
for centuries, and the Law of Moses has offered guidance to men of all faiths in the Western
world.
The Word of God has been revealed to men in many different books, but it has meaning only
when carried devoutly in the heart.
An elaborate kosher breakfast is ready for the servicemen and their hosts when the discussion
group breaks up.
Women of the Beth Zion congregation have labored since early morning, setting a festive table
for their young guests.
Between the conversation and the food, there's room now for little else.
Sunday afternoon is the time for patriotic pilgrimages in Philadelphia.
There are few cities in the United States with more abundant resources for the visitor
interested in his country's history.
The house of Betsy Ross, the most famous American seamstress of all time, is well marked and
stands today in a near perfect state of preservation.
Alfred's Alley in Old Philadelphia has been preserved with all of the original colonial
buildings intact, a quaint reminder of the city's past.
Independence Hall, too, stands for the visitor today, much as it was when the first Continental
Congress met here to attend the birth of a nation.
Soldiers pause before America's most precious chime, the Liberty Bell.
The graveyards of Philadelphia, nestled close beside the city's historic churches, receive
the attention of visiting men and women in uniform.
The weathered tablets marking the graves read like a who's who of the American Revolution.
There are many ways of spending a Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, and one of them is at the
National League Ballpark, where the Philadelphia Phillies play.
As part of the afternoon program of recreational activities on Religious Emphasis Day, the
ball game with Cincinnati was a popular attraction for servicemen and their enthusiastic hosts.
Among the dozens of churches and synagogues in Philadelphia are many whose histories parallel
that of the city far into colonial days.
One of these is the Mikva Israel Congregation, the second oldest synagogue in the United States.
Founded in 1740, Mikva Israel was the congregation of Haim Solomon, revolutionary war hero who
spent his fortune and his life on the cause of freedom.
When the hope of American liberty rested on the threadbare backs of the soldiers at Valley
Forge, Solomon contributed everything he had to Washington's Army so that they might fight again.
Members of today's Army join with the Mikva Israel Congregation for this short devotional
service on Sunday afternoon, following the same ritual and looking upon the same scrolls
from which Haim Solomon drew his faith.
In the heart of what is old Philadelphia, a few blocks from the Delaware River, stands
Old Christ Church, founded in 1695.
Here the patriots of the revolution worshipped and prayed for spiritual strength.
Today, Americans may enter this hallowed building and reaffirm their devotion to the spiritual
values which form the basis for our democratic life.
A special afternoon service is held at Christ Church as part of the religious emphasis day program.
Twenty-four candles burn in a chandelier of hammered brass which has hung in the same
place for over 200 years.
Everywhere are evidences of the simple beauty which marked the taste of the men who built
and furnished Christ Church.
The modern soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen who attend the afternoon program truly
sit for a moment in the seats of history.
Adams, Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin heard sermons from the pews of Old Christ
Church at a time when the English king had a price on all their heads.
During the revolution, the rector of Christ Church was a staunch friend of the patriot
cause and preached many sermons from the church's ancient pulpit on the doctrine of freedom
and independence which became the cornerstone of our nation.
Today at Old Christ Church, the audience hears an address by United States Air Force chaplain
Colonel John P. Fellows in which he recalls the names and ideas of patriot spokesmen.
This afternoon, with your indulgence, I'd like to direct our thoughts to the roots of
our American freedom.
This is, in a sense, an American family gathering to celebrate the spiritual aspects of the
declaration of our independence from the British crown and parliament here in this historic
church and to honor the men who worshiped here, whose devotion to freedom has contributed
so very much to our growth as a nation.
The historians tell us that the spirit of 76 was made up of two very unlike elements
and a relationship between the two.
The first root of our freedom was rebellion against tyranny and tradition.
The spirit of rebellion, though inherent in every man, was stepped up to fever pitch in
the American colonies by the individualism of the Western frontier and the frontiersman's
vision of a future which would dwarf the past.
Freedom's most persistent and articulate voice, Thomas Jefferson, summed up the American
spirit in the Declaration of Independence.
To the west of Philadelphia and 50 years later, after he wrote the declaration, he said,
I neither aimed at originality of principle or sentiment, nor did I copy from any particular
writing.
The declaration was intended to be and was an expression of the American mind.
Let us pray.
The grand climax of Philadelphia's gesture to the military men who have come from Maryland,
New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania is appropriately staged at Convention Hall, scene
of national political conventions.
Volunteer committees have worked through the day to prepare more than 6,000 box lunches
which will feed the hungry servicemen and women.
As buses donated for the day collect the servicemen and women and deposit them at the hall, traffic
is controlled with the help of the city's police department and volunteer civil defense
workers.
Two-way radio connects civil defense headquarters with traffic spotters in various parts of
the city.
A staff of volunteer citizens manning their posts at the headquarters throughout the day
assists in directing the buses where they are most needed.
Radio communication prevents the transport vehicles from being delayed unnecessarily
at congested points and ensures that every man and woman will arrive in time for the
program at Convention Hall.
Many acquaintances have been made which hold future promise and the day in Philadelphia
will be remembered as one of happy moments, new faces, and new friends.
The USO is everywhere, quiet and unassuming, doing the job it has done so well for servicemen
throughout the world.
As the crowd begins to fill the great ballrooms and banquet halls off the main convention
floor, the food committee is ready.
Thousands of slices of meat and bread, hundreds of pounds of salad, gallons of milk and coffee
have been prepared by volunteers from lodges and service clubs in the Philadelphia area.
Restaurants and caterers have cooperated.
Dairies and bakeries have given generously of their products and the city's guests enjoy
a tasty meal.
The servicemen and their hosts take their food into the main hall where vast banks of
seats have been arranged.
The schedule has been so carefully worked out by the civic organizers that there is
ample time for a leisurely meal and small talk before the program begins.
Lieutenant General Lewis B. Hershey has been invited to address the crowd at Convention
Hall.
General Hershey carries a message from President Dwight D. Eisenhower underscoring the significance
of USO Armed Forces Religious Emphasis Day.
I bring this message from the President of the United States.
Please give my greetings to all attending the second annual USO Armed Forces Religious
Emphasis Day in Philadelphia.
This event is a forceful demonstration of the interdependence of religion and freedom
in America.
In our country, reverence for God and consideration for the needs of our neighbors nourish the
roots of our government and elevate our common life together.
Congratulations to the people of Philadelphia, their USO, their churches and synagogues for
this most hospitable expression of gratitude for the members of the armed forces stationed
near their city.
Signed, Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The evening winds up with a full scale review featuring performing television artists whose
talents are enthusiastically displayed for the benefit of an appreciative audience.
Although the dominant key of this day has been spiritual, the light and informal note
on which the evening draws to a close is a measure of the success which follows the hospitable
offering of a great city.
The servicemen themselves return a small part of their host's gesture in dance and song.
Entertainment groups from all the services perform for the audience.
Members of the Navy's NavCad choir from Pensacola Naval Air Station blend their voices for the
final number of the evening.
As the applause diminishes after the last curtain, religious emphasis day comes to a
close.
Soon the great auditorium at Convention Hall will be empty and silent once again.
The people of the city retire to their homes.
The servicemen and women who have been Philadelphia's guests return to ships and camps and bases
where they will carry on their jobs.
Jobs which guarantee the fundamental freedoms celebrated here today where the United Military
and civilian communities have eloquently expressed their faith with their actions.
It has been a busy and significant day in Philadelphia. For some it has been fatiguing.
But for all of us who have witnessed this demonstration of brotherhood and hospitality,
it has been inspiring.
The spirit of friendship and faith which has always distinguished our country and its people
is dramatically symbolized by just what you have seen here today.
Now this is Sergeant Stuart Queen, your host for The Big Picture.
The Big Picture is an official report for the Armed Forces and the American people.
Produced by the Army Pictorial Center.
Presented by the Department of Army in cooperation with this station.