Liberation: Germany; Czechoslovakia: Soviet and American Armies

Colonel Alexander Zabin, MD was an American soldier from Malverne, Long Island, New York. As part of General Patton's 3rd Army, he served with the 4th Auxiliary Surgical Group. He landed on Normandy Beach on D-Day plus 1 and worked in the first US Army field hospital set up in France. He was with the 3rd Army through the campaigns in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Czechoslovakia. Dr. Zabin returned to New York in October 1945. VS, high angle, woman in an overcoat walking down street; man in U.S. Army uniform holding a box, walking down street. Two separate shots of the woman walking. Cut to VS, pan of sky and clouds, for a brief moment a small plane is visible, flying low. Plane on an airstrip, the man in Army uniform seen earlier in a very LS walking on a concrete walkway between two buildings, presumably a U.S. Army base of some sort. Two airplanes are parked on the air strip. A group of boys and girls (4-6 years old) in FG, all dressed in red shorts and white shirts, walking hand in hand in an open field, trees, flag, and several more groups of older children in BG. Children process around the field, shots are jumpy and overexposed. Cut to a horse drawn cart, with two live cows inside, and two peasant women seated atop the cart, the cart travels across a bridge, several large buildings in the BG. More carts, loaded with peasants and livestock also cross bridge. Several men and women, CU one man atop a cart wearing a Russian military uniform (soldier? or someone who has confiscated a soldier's clothing?), he smiles for the camera. Another man dressed in a Russian military uniform walks alongside the carts, visible only in LS. Pan of carts, a U.S. Army ambulance parked along the bridge is seen in BG. Cut to Russian Army tank parked on a city street, several soldiers in different uniforms (a mix of American and Russian) are standing alongside the tank, civilians also gather round. The tank is smoking and sputtering, they are having trouble starting it, the tank begins to move, continuing to blow smoke as it drives down a city street with trolley tracks, the tank moves along, many civilians are walking on either side of the tank, on the sidewalks. Cut to MCU, the tank is again parked, the number "93" painted in large white script on the tank is visible, as well as a red five pointed star. Many civilians mill about the tank. Cut to MLS of the city and municipal building. Civilians walk on the streets, a gray and red passenger bus passes in front of the building. Footage switches to black and white. CU of Dr. Zabin examining a patient. A young boy lies in a hospital bed as Dr. Zabin listens to his chest with a stethoscope. They smile for the camera. Dr. Zabin removes dressings from the boy's wounds, CU of one of his wounds, probably from a bullet or shell and shrapnel. His entire thoracic region looks severely injured and the doctor stitches him up. He remains calm and still. Due to low lighting it is difficult to see the boy's face or the extent of his wounds. Another CU of wound, Dr. Zabin and nurse clean the boy after completing the stitches. Dr. Zabin redresses his wounds. Color footage. U.S. soldiers in combat gear and helmets in an open field, several tents are set up in BG. Dr. Zabin in his Army uniform riding a horse. Mountains in the BG. The horse jumps over small hurdles, another horse in BG. Dr. Zabin runs the horse, then he stops, takes off his hat and waves to the camera. Cut to a shirtless American soldier atop a horse, he waves, takes the horse around the course for a run. Zabin mounts his horse again. Military band in formation in open field. Several civilians watch, two men with cameras photograph the band. The same children from the opening scene of this story in their red and white uniforms are on the field. The girls walk along with white handkerchiefs in their hands, some of the boys carry balls. A brief glimpse of a woman in traditional folk costume. MLS, bustling city street, various apartment buildings and businesses, horse drawn carts, trolley and many civilians walking, it is a busy city plaza. LS of a large u-shaped government building (unsure of location), several cars parked on the tree-lined street, people and streetcars as the camera pans. MCU, Dr. Zabin and a fellow U.S. Army man stand next to their medical van. LS, high angle, pan of the city and its surrounding areas, a river runs through the town. Pan of bridges, many large buildings with red tiled roofs, mountains in the very distant BG (part underexposed). Dr. Zabin in uniform with two men in business suits standing in front of an unidentified building, they all hold their hands behind their back and pose awkwardly for the camera. Cut to Russian soldiers on tank parked on city street, in front of a large sign reading: "SERVICE" in English. The three soldiers smile for the camera. Black and white footage. Young girls with ribbons and garland in their hair, wearing school uniforms, dance with each other as several adults, soldiers and civilians seated at tables in a courtyard watch them, and mill about talking (underexposed). The girls dance in couples, perform a traditional dance, twirl and hop and wave their white handkerchiefs in unison (they seem to be the same school girls seen in Zabin's color footage). Possibly a May Day celebration, or celebration to thank and entertain the liberating soldiers. The girls join hands and dance in a circle. The young girls leave the courtyard and teenage girls dressed in white shorts and dark shirts perform a cheerleading-type routine.