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CNN Live At Daybreak

Independence Day: Patriotism Personified

Aired July 04, 2003 - 06:18   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well few places can match the picturesque patriotism of Mount Rushmore. So what better place to start off our Fourth of July coverage with Keith Oppenheim who is right out there -- Keith.
How are you?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: A little dark out there.

OPPENHEIM: I'm doing fine, thank you.

You know sometimes great things happen despite the obstacles. And think back to 1927 just before the work on Mount Rushmore began, many Americans wondered whether such a huge undertaking could ever have been completed, but it was and here it is in the morning lights. The Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the 60-foot long carved granite faces of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Faces that together came to symbolize the ideals of a nation.

We have several live camera perspectives to give you a tour of the mountain this morning where thousands yesterday flocked to see a stunning Fourth of July celebration. And again, most of that happened on July 3. And to make that celebration a reality, you need to see what's going on on top of those massive heads on top of Mount Rushmore.

We got an opportunity to climb and take pictures from the summit and from an angle that perhaps workers and creators of Rushmore could appreciate looking not up but down at the carvings of the great presidents. And it's on and behind those heads that a crew choppered in 40,000 pounds of equipment so pyrotechnicians could set off 1,200 fireworks.

At 9:20 local time last night, the 23-minute show got underway to the delight of the crowds crammed in and around the park all there to see America's 227th birthday celebrated in about as fitting a place as one could imagine.

Back live as we transition from the excitement of last night to the relative serenity of this morning. You know it's only been since 1998 that there have been firework shows here at Mount Rushmore, Fredricka, and they started them because they were celebrating the expansion of the visitor's center here, then continued them because of the enthusiastic response. Now Mount Rushmore has become quite a destination for the Fourth of July with nearly 200,000 people coming this week alone.

Back to you in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: Wow, I can't think of a more fitting place to be on this Independence Day. Keith, thanks very much.

OPPENHEIM: Sure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired July 4, 2003 - 06:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well few places can match the picturesque patriotism of Mount Rushmore. So what better place to start off our Fourth of July coverage with Keith Oppenheim who is right out there -- Keith.
How are you?

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: A little dark out there.

OPPENHEIM: I'm doing fine, thank you.

You know sometimes great things happen despite the obstacles. And think back to 1927 just before the work on Mount Rushmore began, many Americans wondered whether such a huge undertaking could ever have been completed, but it was and here it is in the morning lights. The Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the 60-foot long carved granite faces of presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Faces that together came to symbolize the ideals of a nation.

We have several live camera perspectives to give you a tour of the mountain this morning where thousands yesterday flocked to see a stunning Fourth of July celebration. And again, most of that happened on July 3. And to make that celebration a reality, you need to see what's going on on top of those massive heads on top of Mount Rushmore.

We got an opportunity to climb and take pictures from the summit and from an angle that perhaps workers and creators of Rushmore could appreciate looking not up but down at the carvings of the great presidents. And it's on and behind those heads that a crew choppered in 40,000 pounds of equipment so pyrotechnicians could set off 1,200 fireworks.

At 9:20 local time last night, the 23-minute show got underway to the delight of the crowds crammed in and around the park all there to see America's 227th birthday celebrated in about as fitting a place as one could imagine.

Back live as we transition from the excitement of last night to the relative serenity of this morning. You know it's only been since 1998 that there have been firework shows here at Mount Rushmore, Fredricka, and they started them because they were celebrating the expansion of the visitor's center here, then continued them because of the enthusiastic response. Now Mount Rushmore has become quite a destination for the Fourth of July with nearly 200,000 people coming this week alone.

Back to you in Atlanta.

WHITFIELD: Wow, I can't think of a more fitting place to be on this Independence Day. Keith, thanks very much.

OPPENHEIM: Sure.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com