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CNN Live Today

Three Names Added to Vietnam Memorial

Aired May 27, 2002 - 14:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: At the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C., a special memorial day observance, as the names of three service members who died in that conflict are added to the wall. CNN's Jonathan Aiken is there and joins us live with more -- Jon.

JONATHAN AIKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi again, Carol. Some emotional words here for several thousand people who gathered here at the Vietnam Memorial. Organizers were hoping for about 10,000. Probably didn't get that number in one, fell swoop. But there have been thousands of people who have been coming here through the day to pay their respects to those who died in the war, and to remember the lives of those lost in America's conflicts abroad.

Now, there is always a ceremony here on Memorial Day. This year may be more poignant than usual, not only because of everything we went through last September, but two other factors, as well. This is the 20th anniversary of the wall, dedicated in November of '82. And they also dedicated three new names to this list of 58,229 people, men and women, listed as either killed in action or missing in action, from Vietnam -- their names etched in granite on the panels behind me.

The keynote speaker this afternoon, former Senator Bob Dole, a well-known individual involved in veterans' rights and veterans' affairs. In fact, he was the first person who gave a financial cash contribution to the group that would eventually become the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial fund, the group that built this wall. It raised over $8.5 million.

And he was speaking to a crowd of people, Vietnam-era veterans, who were often -- let's just say they weren't understood by their mothers and fathers. Their fathers, part of that greatest generation that fought World War II. But Dole said, look, forget the comparisons. Take a look at your sons and your daughters as they experience a new kind of bravery and fight a new kind of war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DOLE, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: In recent years some have wondered how the allegedly indulgent members of Generation X would stack up alongside the heroes of Midway and the Mekong River Valley. Well, now we know.

We know because of Johnny Spann, the brave CIA operative who died in the Taliban prison uprising. We know because of the heroes of Operation Anaconda. We know because of the heroes in flight 93 in the Pentagon and the Twin Towers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AIKEN: Also as I mentioned, three names added to this list. There are 58,229 names now on the wall. Carol, I want to read those names to you. Two Army privates, William E. Johnson Sr. -- he hails from Cleveland, Ohio. The other, Paul Zalko (ph) of Passaic, New Jersey. And one Army sergeant in there, Richard Tomy (ph) of Louisiana.

Memorial Days here -- and I have been to several of them -- they're part tribute and part reunion. And this one really was no exception. Though perhaps this one was a little more poignant than most. The memories of the men and women lost in the Vietnam War, certainly not far from the hearts of those, their families and their loved ones.

But perhaps after everything we went through last year, perhaps they mean a bit more to the rest of us as well -- Carol.

LIN: Thank you very much, Jonathan Aiken. And you have a great holiday, too.

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