National Archives and Records Administration

ARC Identifier 2569690 / Local Identifier 111-TV-425

Big Picture: The Joseph Warren Stilwell Story

DVD Copied by Timothy Vollmer. "I claim we got a hell of a beating. We got run out of Burma and it is as humiliating as hell. I think we ought to find out what caused it, go back and retake it." So begins "The Joseph Warren Stilwell Story," a pictorial record produced for THE BIG PICTURE television series, of both a "hell of a beating" and one of the most remarkable comebacks in military history. Here is all the color and excitement in the life of one of America's greatest soldiers: General Joseph Warren Stilwell -- his baptism of fire in World War I, the outbreak: of war in China, his gallant but doomed defense of Burma, the tragic withdrawal through enemy infested jungles, and finally, the magnificent counterpunch that turned humiliating defeat into complete victory. The overworked term "Soldier's Soldier" has lost much luster, but "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, sharing the hardships and dangers of his men, gave the phrase real meaning. His was the unique capacity for commanding respect and obedience while evoking genuine affection. General Stilwell died in 1946, but his career of service to his country will always remain an inspiration to greatness.

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