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National Museum of Marine Corps Dedication; World War I Veteran Reflects on Service

Aired November 10, 2006 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The new National Museum of the Marine Corps being dedicated this hour right there near Quantico, Virginia, just outside of D.C. President Bush is there. Jim Lehrer is speaking now.
The $90 million site features exhibits ranging from the Battle of Iwo Jima to an M16 gun range simulator. It also has a photo exhibit of the role of Marines in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr joins us with more on what this event means to the Marine Corps and a very special award that will be given as well.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra.

Yes, this dedication is taking place today on what is known as the Marine Corps birthday, 231 years the Marine Corps has been doing it business in this country. What the marines like to remind people of is their first amphibious landing was in the Bahamas actually, back around 1775. They like to remind Americans they did that three months before the Declaration of Independence.

This museum, a long time in coming, something a lot of Marines have been looking forward to. A number of very historic exhibits about this 231-year history of the Marine Corps from their days in fighting the Barbary pirates up, of course, until the current conflict in Iraq. Some 847 Marines now losing their lives in the war on terror in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

When President Bush speaks shortly, he will honor a young Marine who lost his life in Iraq, 22-year-old Marine Corporal Jason Dunham. You see the president there with the top Marines, the commandant, and the chief of -- the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Corporal Jason Dunham, a remarkable young man, lost his life in western Iraq at the age of 22. He was manning a checkpoint when some insurgents attacked him. There was hand-to-hand combat.

Corporal Dunham, by all accounts, yelled out to his colleagues, "No, no! Watch his hand!" As one of the insurgents let off a hand grenade, Corporal Dunham dying of his wounds.

Corporal Dunham's family will be there today. The president will acknowledge them. Corporal Dunham about to be given one of the highest honors in this country, the Medal of Honor. That will be coming in the days ahead. But the president will honor Corporal Dunham's family.

So a lot of history on this Veterans Day of one of the oldest military services in the country -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We're going to listen in just for a few seconds here, Barbara. We're going to listen to Jim Lehrer.

JIM LEHRER, PBS NEWS ANCHOR: ... already on the firing line, whatever kind of firing is required and wherever that line may be. Be ready now, one and all, to hail a moving force behind this wonderful museum. He is Lieutenant General Ron Christmas, United States Marine Corps retired. He served 34 years in the Corps, and commanded at every infantry level.

He is now the president of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the organization that created this incredible place, this National Museum of the Marine Corps -- General Christmas.

LT. GEN. GEORGE CHRISTMAS, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET.): Thank you. Please, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Mr. President, distinguished guests from the federal, state and local governments, our senior leadership of the United States Marine Corps, our fellow services, and our Marine veterans, donors and friends, welcome to this very special ceremony to dedicate the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Certainly this day is historic and momentous in every way. It is also a special day because we are celebrating the 231st anniversary of our Corps. Happy birthday, Marines!

I also want to salute and thank all who have given and worked with such commitment and passion to make our dream of a national museum where our Corps' history, legacy and core values are preserved and on display for all Americans and for all time to become a reality.

We are here today to bear witness to the delivery of America's newest national treasure and to celebrate what this beautiful architectural masterpiece and these surrounding grounds will mean to future generations. It is here that the proud history of the United States Marine Corps will be appreciated, reflected upon, enjoyed like never before.

The exaltation of earning the title Marine, the trepidation of going into battle, the camaraderie of the team, even the fascinating advance of new technology and expanded capabilities are all painstakingly recreated and dramatized for the visitor. Most importantly, they will view the history of our great nation through the eyes of Marines.

As a marine who has had the privilege and honor to lead other marines, I'm overjoyed to have been part of this campaign. This national museum is about all Marines and sailors who wear our green. Indeed, it is you who made this unforgettable history, and it is you who will be thought about by millions of visitors who tour this wonderful museum for years to come. For the thousands of Marines in the audience, I know you, like me, were proud to don the eagle, globe and anchor and to become a Marine. I believe strongly that the National Museum of the Marine Corps will reaffirm and reinvigorate that pride, not just through recalling past glories, but providing as well a realization that Marines today are once again in combat and are doing what they have done so well for the past 231 years: protecting our country's freedom and providing for its security.

For visitors to the museum who have not worn our green, nor served in our armed forces, they will gain a deeper understanding of our Corps' unique culture, the selflessness and commitment of Marines and what our Corps has meant to this great nation throughout its proud history.

Now it is my distinct honor to introduce a great leader who has done so much to support the campaign to construct the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Ladies and gentlemen, our 33rd Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Michael W. Hagee.

GEN. MICHAEL W. HAGEE, 33RD COMMANDANT OF MARINE CORPS.: Thank you all very much. Please, sit down. Sit down.

Mr. President, Marines, families of Marines, friends of Marines, welcome and happy birthday.

I've been to a lot of Marine birthday parties in my over 38 years wearing a Marine uniform, but I have never been to such a large party as we have here today. And thank you all very much for joining us.

(APPLAUSE)

HAGEE: Marines put a great deal of stock in history. We use it, really, for two reasons: one, to inspire us; two, to educate us. And this museum here, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, I believe will do that, not only for Marines, but for the American public.

And I'm really happy to be here and participate in the dedication of this national museum.

PHILLIPS: Well, if you can't see the four stars, I'm sure you can see all the medals that adorn his Marine Corps uniform. That's the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, Michael Hagee.

Barbara Starr also monitoring the dedication here of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, dedicated right now this hour at Quantico, Virginia.

He's got quite a rich history, Barbara.

STARR: Indeed, Kyra. What's really interesting on this Veterans Day, as you watch General Hagee, who's actually, after 38 years, about to retire from active duty in a few weeks, both General Hagee and the man sitting next to him, General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, another Marine, they're two of maybe quite a small group of active duty Marines who are still on active duty and who, as young Marines, fought in Vietnam.

Both of them on active duty in Vietnam. General Pace, a veteran of one of the most difficult battles for Marines in their history, the Battle of Wei City in what was then South Vietnam.

On this Veterans Day, I think a lot of military people are probably watching this, realizing the scope of history that's really on this podium: Vietnam, all the way, of course, to the war in Iraq today. The Marines are a pretty particular, peculiar group in American military history.

They really have been present at all of America's conflicts, again, as we said, since 1775, when they were formed. Of course, very well-known battles across the Pacific throughout World War II, Vietnam, Korea, the first Gulf War, and now, of course, in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One of the things that's going to be so interesting, I think, for so many people to visit in this Marine Corps museum is there's a section of the museum called the Legacy Walk. And when you visit the museum, you can walk through the exhibits that really record the Marine Corps history through the years, the last 231 years, all the way up, again, until today.

You know, the last several days in the Pentagon here, Marines up and down the hallways have been going up to each other, yelling out, "Happy birthday!" They're a very enthusiastic group. It's their 231st birthday today. But it is a moment for Marines always of reflection and the sacrifice that many, many families are making, many young Marines, as well as those in the other services in the war in Iraq today.

Again, the president will acknowledge just one of those who have died in the war, 22-year-old Corporal Jason Dunham, a young man who died in Iraq throwing himself between his fellow Marines and an insurgent with a hand grenade. It's just one example of what so many families, of course, from all of the military services have sacrificed and what the country is remembering on this Veterans Day -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Barbara, we continue to listen to General Michael Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps.

HAGEE: It's my great pleasure to introduce our commander in chief, the president of the United States, George W. Bush.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: General Hagee, thank you for your service to our country. The secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force. I'm proud to be here with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Pete Pace, the first United States Marine to have ever held this position.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Senator Warner and Congresswoman Davis, former Governor Warner and former Senator Glenn, honored guests, veterans, General Christmas and all those responsible for this fine museum, United States Marines everywhere, please join me in wishing a very happy Marine Corps birthday to every man and woman who has ever worn the eagle, the globe and the anchor.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: As Jim Lehrer reminded you, we celebrate the 231st birthday of one of the world's premier fighting forces. And we mark the opening of our nation's most modern military museum.

For too long, the only people to have direct experience of the Marine Corps have been the Marines themselves and the enemy who's made the mistake of taking them on.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: The National Museum of the Marine Corps fixes this problem. In this museum, you will experience life from a Marine's perspective.

In this museum, you'll feel what it's like to go through boot camp -- no thanks...

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: ... make an amphibious landing under fire, or deploy from a helicopter in Vietnam.

The museum will not make you into a Marine. Only a drill instructor can do that.

But by putting you in the boots of a Marine, this museum will leave you with an appreciation of the rich history of the Corps and the pride that comes with earning the title United States Marine.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: The history of the Corps is as important to each Marine as his rifle. Every Marine knows the Corps traces its founding to a Philadelphia tavern in 1775. Every Marine can name the famous battles, legends and heroes that stretch from the halls of Montezuma to the deserts of Iraq. Every Marine understands that the Corps' reputation for honor and courage is a sacred inheritance from Marines past and a solemn trust to be passed on to Marines to come.

The Marines believe that you cannot know what you stand for if you do not know where you came from. And they teach their history because they are determined to repeat it.

The history of the Corps is now preserved within these walls. Many of you here today do not need a museum to tell you this history, because you wrote it yourselves with your sweat and your sacrifice, in places like Tarawa, Chosin and Kaesong.

These walls pay tribute to your contributions to American freedom. These walls remind all who visit here that honor, courage and commitment are not just words. They are core values for a way of life that puts service above self.

And these walls will keep the history of the Marine Corps alive for generations of Americans to come.

This is an important place. And I thank you for supporting it.

The museum is shaped in the form of the famous photograph of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima is one of the most important battles in American history. It is fitting that Iwo Jima is one of the most important exhibits in this museum.

The Japanese who defended that island had learned from costly battles that they could not defeat American forces. Yet they believed that by inflicting maximum casualties on our forces, they would demoralize our nation and make America tire of war.

In that battle, the Japanese succeeded in taking the lives of more than 6,000 men. They did not succeed in stopping the Marines from achieving their mission. And that flag that was raised on Mt. Suribachi would become an enduring symbol of American resolve and a lasting icon of a democracy at war.

The history of the Corps is now being written by a new generation of Marines. Since the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, more than 190,000 men and women have stepped forward to wear the uniform of the Marine Corps.

Like the Marines that have come before them, this new generation is serving freedom's cause in distant lands. Like the Marines who have come before them, this new generation faces determined enemies. And like the Marines who have come before them, this new generation is adding its own chapters to the stories of liberty and peace.

And years from now, when America looks out on a democratic Middle East growing in freedom and prosperity, Americans will speak of the battles like Fallujah with the same awe and reverence that we now give to Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Like the Marines who've come before them, this new generation has also given some of its finest men in the line of duty. One of these fine men was Jason Dunham. Jason's birthday is November the 10th, so you might say that he was born to be a Marine. And as far back as boot camp, his superiors spotted the quality that would mark this young American as an outstanding Marine: His willingness to put the needs of others before his own.

Corporal Dunham showed that spirit in April 2004 while leading a patrol of his Marines in an Iraqi town near the Syrian border.

When a nearby Marine convoy was ambushed, Corporal Dunham led his squad to the site of the attack, where he and his men stopped a convey of cars that were trying to make an escape.

As he moved to search one of the vehicles, an insurgent jumped out and grabbed the corporal by the throat. The corporal engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. At one point he shouted to his fellow Marines: "No, no, no, watch his hand." Moments later, an enemy grenade rolled out.

Corporal Dunham did not hesitate. He jumped on the grenade to protect his fellow Marines. He used his helmet and his body to absorb the blast.

A friend who was there that terrible day put it this way: "Corporal Dunham had a gift from God. Everyone who came in contact with him wanted to be like him. He was the toughest Marine, but the nicest guy. He would do anything for you. Corporal Dunham was the kind of person everybody wants as their best friend."

Despite surviving the initial blast and being given the best of medical care, Corporal Dunham ultimately succumbed to his wounds. And by giving his own life, Corporal Dunham saved the lives of two of his men and showed the world what it means to be a Marine.

Corporal Dunham's mom and dad are with us today on what would have been this brave young man's 25th birthday. We remember that the Marine that so freely gave his life was your beloved son.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: We ask a loving God to comfort you for a loss that can never be replaced. And on this special birthday, in the company of his fellow Marines, I'm proud to announce that our nation will recognize Corporal Jason Dunham's action with America's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: As long as we have Marines like Corporal Dunham, America will never fear for her liberty. And as long as we have this fine museum, America will never forget their sacrifice.

May God bless you. May God bless the Marines. And may God bless the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

PHILLIPS: The president of the United States dedicating the National Museum of the Marine Corps. It's being dedicated right there near Quantico, Virginia, just outside D.C. But the highlight of the event, no doubt, talking about the life of Marine Corporal Jason Dunham, receiving the highest declaration of valor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, throwing his life over a grenade to save others.

Incredible story of heroism.

Battles, bravery, all remembered. Life from a Marine's perspective there at the new museum. You can learn about people like Corporal Dunham and the rest of the men and women in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Well, they fought the war to end all wars. And one man is determined to hear and preserve their memories. A Veterans Day tribute not only to Dunham, but also to another man, straight ahead from the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, of course journalists know a whole lot about deadlines.

PHILLIPS: Oh, don't we, though? But few know more than the radio producer whose racing together first-hand histories of World War I, the war to end all wars. Almost 90 years. The surviving vets are few and far between and getting fewer by the week.

Here's CNN's Jim Huber.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LLOYD BROWN, 105: My name is Lloyd Brown. And my age -- I forget now -- 104 or 105.

SAMUEL GOLDBERG, 106: My name is Samuel Benedict Goldberg. I'm 106 years old.

JIM HUBER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Slowly, surely, they leave us. And who notices? The men and women of the war to end all war, flyboys, sailors, doughboys, balloonists, cavalry. Once nearly five million strong sent to Europe in World War I, now just a gnarled handful.

Scattered across the rolling European countryside, they were once memorialized. Raised to the skies in a Kansas City park, they were set in stone. But over the decades, the crosses became blurred with more explosive wars. And the veterans' memorial became a rundown shadow for addicts and hookers.

They have been live leaving us then for nearly 90 years. And who but their families and their comrades have cared?

RUSSELL BUCHANAN, 106: This is Russell Buchanan, and I am 106 years old.

HUBER: Who keeps their flame? Well, for one, a 39-year-old independent radio producer from south Texas named Will Everett.

WILL EVERETT, PRODUCER: A year ago there were about 35 to 40 veterans. Now there are just over a dozen. And going fast. I lost one last week.

HUBER: By now, it is likely more of Will Everett's extended family will be gone. But those he captured on tape will forever be memorialized in a sweeping NPR documentary to be voiced by Walter Cronkite.

WALTER CRONKITE, JOURNALIST (voice-over): In it, the German foreign minister, Alfred Zimmerman, proposed an alliance with Mexico.

EVERETT: It's like a very slow countdown. I guess I was a little naive when I went into this, thinking, OK, we've got plenty of time. As soon as I started interviewing them, my first interview subject died not long after I interviewed him. And others have been passing since then. And it's just something I'm really glad I did when I did.

HUBER: The inspiration from this came not by wandering the dunes of South Padre Island, near where his home and his studio are, but thousands of miles to the east, along the French fields of crosses.

EVERETT: What do these seas of graves really mean? You know, what was it all about?

In those days, 15 years ago, you could -- it wasn't uncommon to meet veterans who were out there with their grandchildren or their great grandchildren. They would at that time have been in their 90s. Now they're not -- you don't see them anymore.

HUBER: And so with help from Veteran Affairs, he hurriedly began his search for those who still could be seen and heard. But at times, as you might imagine with men ranging in age from 105 to 115, the extraction was difficult.

EVERETT: When people think about World War I, they immediately think of the trenches. And they want to hear stories, tales from the trenches. And the three veterans who are left who have trench experience, they don't want to talk about it. They -- even today, almost 90 years later, it's still a horrifying subject. And they've got these memories locked away very deep down.

HUBER (on camera): The families, ironically, got involved with a lot of this. I mean, they actually urged their grandfathers and great grandfathers to talk.

EVERETT: It took the involvement of the families, everyone getting around grandpa and saying, "Come on, grandpa, tell us your stories. Come on. You're the last one. You've got to tell it. When you're gone, there won't be any more."

HUBER: With Cronkite anchoring the documentary, Will Everett enlisted the voices of local friends to fill in the gaps. Chris Datisva (ph), who runs a local bed and breakfast, was once on the London stage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The attack of loss Thursday evening was preceded by the rising of a cloud of vapor.

HUBER: And so it comes together. The keeper of the flame stirs the memories, one final time. Just as they have come to the rescue in Kansas City of the graceful Old Armistice Memorial, so does Will Everett come to a radio near you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing speaks louder than the testimony of an eyewitness. And we're losing the last of these eyewitnesses. I don't want to look into my crystal ball and tell you when they're going to be gone because you know, we just lost a 112-year-old, and we still have relative youngsters who are only 105 who might live another ten years, I don't know. I hope they do.

HUBER: I'm Jim Huber for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well the VA says that fewer than 25 World War I vets are still around. And in just a moment, we're going to talk with one of them, this handsome gentleman right there. That's Lloyd Brown. Can you believe he's 105-years-old? Holy smokes. We're coming up, Lloyd.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two-thirds of all adults and an alarming number of children in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Tim Bartness wants to change that. He's working with Siberian hamsters to unlock the mystery of fat.

PROF. TIMOTHY BARTNESS, GEORGIA STATE UNIV: And they go from 50 percent body fat in the summer to about 20 percent body fat in the winter. And they do it in a very effortless way. So the idea was to try to understand how that happens. As you know for humans, it's very effortful to lose weight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Previously, it was thought that hormones triggered weight gain or loss. But Bartness says it's all in the brain, with neurons actually telling your body how to process the fat.

BARTNESS: Finding a drug that goes to one of these specific brain areas and turns on only adipose tissue and body fat, not the heart, the liver or the kidneys, is going to be a real trick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eat less, exercise more, experts say. But in the future, perhaps there will be a pill to kick-start the process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Veterans Day has its roots in World War I. It began as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of that war on November 11, 1918. Today there are fewer than 25 World War I veterans left. One of them is 105-year-old Lloyd Brown. He joins us from his home in Charlotte Hall, Maryland, alongside with his daughter, Nancy. Great to see you both. Lloyd, you are looking amazing. But you probably hear that all the time.

LLOYD BROWN, WORLD WAR I VETERAN: I guess so, yes. I do.

PHILLIPS: So what's the secret? How do you keep looking so good at 105? BROWN: Well, I get plenty to eat, plenty to sleep. That's the main thing and I don't worry about anything.

PHILLIPS: You don't worry about anything?

BROWN: No.

PHILLIPS: No stress.

BROWN: Unless somebody -- I let somebody else do that.

PHILLIPS: You let somebody else. That's probably your daughter, Nancy. We'll talk to her in a second. Tell me why you joined the Navy.

BROWN: Well, it was the very proper thing to do when we went to war in 1918. I just went along with the gang. An awful lot of young people were enlisting and I went along with them.

PHILLIPS: I understand you were very popular with the ladies as well.

BROWN: No. I don't know how popular I was. I was looking for the ladies, yes.

PHILLIPS: And you are a charmer. I understand you actually have outlived two wives, is that right?

BROWN: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Are you looking to get married again, by chance?

BROWN: No. I think I'll just go along just as is right now.

PHILLIPS: Good idea because you don't have to worry about anything and stress about anything. Let's talk...

BROWN: ... yes, that's right.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's go back to World War I. What do you remember about patrolling the North Atlantic for enemy submarines aboard the USS New Hampshire?

BROWN: Well, we captured one submarine and brought it into Philadelphia and tied it up to the dock. I had a chance, I went aboard the thing and looked it over. I remember that part. There was a lot of other residents nearby, we were going through the submarine looking it over. That was my experience with that submarine.

PHILLIPS: How do you think that experience helped make you -- take you from being a teenager to becoming a man, Lloyd?

BROWN: Well, I guess I don't know how to explain that, I guess. I kept abreast of the world affairs and the Navy and see how everything was going. I didn't worry too much about it. PHILLIPS: If a young man or woman came up to you and said, "Lloyd, I'm thinking about joining the military, I'm thinking about joining the Navy," would you tell them yes? And explain to me how you -- why you would want them to do it.

BROWN: Well, you're helping out your country. You're building up the strength of your country. More than likely, you'd be shipped around to different parts of the world to see what's going on. You're a member of the -- you're a member of the armed forces and helping preserve the peace.

PHILLIPS: What was the most important personal lesson, Lloyd, that you learned from war?

BROWN: Lesson?

PHILLIPS: Yes.

BROWN: Oh, I don't know. Just do your duty and let it go at that.

PHILLIPS: Do your duty and let it go, yes?

BROWN: You're working under supervisors, your captain of the ship, and you're under the command of a command crew, and you abide by the rules, whatever they are. That's your job.

PHILLIPS: Now, I have a couple more questions for you, but I want to ask your daughter, Nancy -- Nancy, what have you learned from your father, and is there a specific story that maybe he told you as you were growing up that you'll just never forget?

NANCY ESPINA, BROWN'S DAUGHTER: Well, he's had an interesting life. I've learned to try and go along with things and not get real nervous and take care of things as they come. I guess one of the most interesting stories I heard was his family, him included, left Missouri in two wagons and went to Oklahoma, like a wagon train. Then when they got there, the army bought their horses for the war, and they came back to Missouri. And with that money, they opened a store. But they were part of a wagon train.

PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh.

ESPINA: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Lloyd, do you remember how much you got for those horses?

BROWN: No, I don't remember. My father took care of that. I wasn't worried about the horses. I was looking for the girls.

PHILLIPS: You were looking for the girls. I'm sure you bought a couple fine dinners with a beautiful woman.

BROWN: I said, dad, you take care of the horses. I'll take care of the girls. PHILLIPS: Nancy, I can see dad keeps you on your toes. Well, I want to ask you, Lloyd, I was wondering if you could just maybe give me a piece of advice as I continue on. You're 105 years old, very experienced obviously. Can you give me some advice for life?

BROWN: Well, get plenty of food and plenty of rest. Just take care of your health. That's the main thing. Don't hesitate to see a doctor if anything shows up that jeopardizes your health. Look into it and have a doctor take care of it.

PHILLIPS: Yes, sir.

ESPINA: Every three months for a checkup, and he never has anything wrong.

PHILLIPS: he never has anything -- is he still playing the cello Nancy?

ESPINA: No, no. He doesn't play any longer.

PHILLIPS: I know he played for the Navy band. All right. Final question. You still smoking that pipe, Lloyd?

BROWN: Oh, yes. I still puff on a pipe, yes.

PHILLIPS: Outstanding. All right.

BROWN: I've been smoking that pipe along time.

PHILLIPS: I can just imagine. 80 years is what I hear. Any message to the troops? A lot of the troops overseas watch our newscast. Do you have a message as a World War I vet to any of our troops overseas?

BROWN: Well, just do your duty and watch your health, and that's about it. Work under your commanding officer. He's there to see that you're getting a fair deal and to see that you do your duty. If you're under somebody's command, why -- obey the rules.

PHILLIPS: You're a true sailor, respect and discipline. World War I vet Lloyd Brown. Your daughter, Nancy. Thanks, Nancy. Lloyd, thank you so much.

BROWN: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: All right.

HOLMES: OK.

PHILLIPS: How do you top that? Smoking on the pipe.

HOLMES: Looking for the ladies.

PHILLIPS: Looking for the ladies.

HOLMES: My kind of guy, Lloyd. You got to love him. That was nice.

Well, we're moving on and going to talk about these kids in this classroom. Their teacher is actually serving in Iraq. And on this holiday weekend when we're celebrating our veterans and America, the classroom of kids got a real-time history lesson. We're going to speak to one of the students coming up. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Of course, it's Veterans' Day weekend. That means our fighting men and women are even more in our hearts and minds, especially those who are still in harm's way. Minds and hearts, that's one thing. But a class of elementary school students in Virginia wanted more. They wanted to visit their teacher, a teacher who is also a soldier serving in Iraq. Mission accomplished.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great to see you guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What time of day is it over there right now, Mr. Wise?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's 10:00 at night.

If you had Mr. Wise as a teacher, would you just please stand up so we can see where those boys and girls are at in our classroom? Mr. Wise, some of your former students all standing up. (INAUDIBLE). Yes.

JIM WISE, TEACHER: When you see what's going on over here on a daily basis, it's amazing what we've been blessed with and what we've been given and hopefully we'll do much more with it because life is very difficult over here.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: We want to tell you we're proud of you. We miss you and have a good Veterans' Day.

WISE: Thank you very much for that. I miss you more than you know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, Major Wise, Mr. Wise, around the school, as he's known and his students, they got the hookup for about ten minutes before their satellite time ran out. But the kids still in the assembly -- we are going to go now. There they are, a couple students at Holland Meadows Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia. We're going to talk to them. You're looking at Levaughn Davis and Andre Sananikone. Guys, thanks for joining us. How was the assembly? Andre, you tell me first. How was it? What was it like to see your teacher?

ANDRE SANANIKONE, 4th GRADER: Well, I would like to see -- I would like to see my teacher right at school today, right now. HOLMES: So there's no question, and Levaughn, go ahead and jump in here, you all, no doubt you miss him?

LEVAUGHN DAVIS, 4TH GRADER: Yes, I miss him a lot.

HOLMES: Now, what was that like? How did you get word, Levaughn. How did he tell you all that he was going to have to go to Iraq? How does someone your age take that kind of news, knowing that someone like that that you're close to will be going over to a war zone?

DAVIS: Well, I kind of knew how it was going to be like because my two uncles was already there and already experienced it.

HOLMES: So were you scared for your teacher?

DAVIS: Yes.

HOLMES: Well, Andre, tell me, what kind of things did the students and teacher get to talk about today? What were some of the things you were curious about?

ANDRE SANANIKONE, 4TH GRADER: Well, before he talked to us about -- when he talked to us, we were all shocked and sad because he was a great teacher. We made a lot of stuff for him before he left.

HOLMES: What kind of things did you all ask him today? Did you hear anything in his answers that kind of surprised you? I guess what stood out about what he told you today?

SANANIKONE: Well, he told us that -- I asked him a question about if he had a vacation and he answered to me, he had a 15-day vacation during his -- during Iraq.

HOLMES: A 15-day vacation. Levaughn, you tell me, what kind of a teacher was he? Does he seem like someone you would have thought was a military guy?

DAVIS: No, not really.

HOLMES: No. Why not?

DAVIS: Because he was funny and always made us laugh.

HOLMES: So he seemed like -- did he seem like too nice of a guy to be in the military? He didn't seem that strict?

DAVIS: Yes. No.

HOLMES: Well, tell me, Andre, what kind of -- I guess how did you all leave the conversation, and what were kind of some of the parting wishes you had for your teacher?

SANANIKONE: Well, we always wish that he will come back very soon so we can see him and we really miss him because he was a really great teacher. HOLMES: When will -- do you all have any idea when you all might be able to see him again or when he might be coming back?

SANANIKONE: Well, we -- he told us he might come back during March.

HOLMES: During March. Well, good luck. I hope you guys do get to see your teacher. I know everybody and you all as well and we here certainly hope he makes a safe return and hope the teacher gets back to your school again. Levaughn Davis and Andre Sananikone, two of the students waiting on their teacher to get back. Thank you guys so much for spending some time with us. And tell the rest of the school we said hello, all right, guys?

SANANIKONE: All right. Bye.

DAVIS: Bye.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, the stiff upper lip loosens a bit in Britain as a top security chief spills details on some major terror plots when it comes to a suspected terrorist, well, try more than 1,000. We'll have more chilling numbers next from the NEWSROOM.

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