US soldiers resting at campsite

George Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer. During World War II, Stevens joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and headed a film unit from 1943 to 1946 under General Eisenhower. His unit shot footage documenting D-Day — including the only Allied European Front color film of the war — the liberation of Paris and the meeting of American and Soviet forces at the Elbe River, as well as horrific scenes from the Duben labor camp and the Dachau concentration camp. Stevens also helped prepare the Duben and Dachau footage and other material for presentation during the Nuremberg Trials. In 2008, his footage was entered into the U.S. National Film Registry by the Librarian of Congress as an "essential visual record" of World War II. The Special Coverage Unit (SPECOU) was placed under the control of the Supreme Headquarters' Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). The SPECOU consists of 45 people: writers like Ivan Moffat, William Saroyan and Irwin Shaw; cameramen like Dick Hoar, Ken Marthey, William Mellor, Jack Muth; sound operators as Bill Hamilton, who comes from Columbia, assistant directors, as Holly Morse, who has worked with Hal Roach. Underexposed sequence of men with mess kits, standing around waiting. Cleaning mess kits, various CUs. Campsite activity continues. Lieutenant passing out lifesavers, cigarettes, opening mail, etc. Men digging hole or trench, clowning around. Jeep has sign that reads: "Messenger - do not delay." Hands something to people in tent and drives off. Various shots of camp. Moffat and others cooking on fire and eating. Shot from INT of truck and reverse angle of men loading in. VS of men walking around and eating from mess kits. VS of muddy ground. Dark haired GI with round, steel-rimmed glasses. VS, some establishing shots, of tent area. Sign on tail of jeep reads: "SPECOU 3." Shot of supplies under canvas. Soldiers cleaning/bathing at camp. VS of bare-chested soldiers walking around camp. An officer is passing out cigars until the box is empty. CU of empty cigar box and soldier smoking a cigar.