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Tribute to U.S. Military

Aired November 11, 2006 - 22:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH: This day is dedicated to all who answer the call of service, whether they live in honor among us or sleep in valor beneath this sacred ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, a special edition of CNN NEWSROOM -- paying tribute on this Veterans Day.

Good evening, I'm Carol Lin. You've heard the saying that everyone has a story. Well, we have plenty of heartwarming and memorable stories to share with you tonight, as we honor American veterans.

But first, let's get you plugged in on the other news of the day.

Starting with the headlines. Iraq, still dangerous and unpredictable. Gunmen at a fake checkpoint attacked a convoy of civilian buses today near Baghdad. They killed 10 passengers and kidnapped 50 others. All the victims are Shiites and their fate is unknown.

United Nations peacekeepers killed while on duty at Haiti. A U.N. spokesman says both soldiers were from Jordan. They were returning from a patrol near Port au Prince. Gunmen reportedly opened fire on their vehicle. The U.N. is investigating. Attacks on U.N. troops in Haiti have been declining recently.

And a U.N. resolution on the Middle East is struck down by the United States. The bill called for an immediate end to Israeli military operations in Gaza. Ambassador John Bolton was the only one on the Security Council to vote against it, calling it biased against Israel.

An ugly scene near Cheyenne, Wyoming. Construction workers accidentally struck a natural gas pipeline today. It exploded, killing one man and touched off a huge prairie fire. The victim was driving a bulldozer that hit the pipeline.

The Navy's precision flying team putting on the only kind of show they know -- spectacular. The Blue Angels thrilled a Pensacola, Florida crowd today at a Veterans Day celebration.

And you're getting a taste of the music and fanfare for the newest edition to the Coast Guard's inventory, a 418-foot cutter christened today in Mississippi. The Bertholf is one of seven new vessels ordered to upgrade the fleet and the first large Coast Guard cutter built in 35 years.

Our top story now. With the parades and the tributes, the nation says thank you to its troops past and present. As long as there have been wars, there have been veterans. And today, Veterans Day is the ultimate reminder of their achievements and sacrifices.

CNN's Gary Nurenberg has the story of one family who knows about both all too well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet an American family with an American record of service.

VINCENT GIGLIOTTI, U.S. ARMY VETERAN: I'm Vincent Gigliotti, I was assigned the 11th Airborne during World War II and later on assigned to 101st Airborne during the Korea conflict.

GREG GIGLIOTTI, U.S. ARMY VETERAN: I am Greg Gellotti. I'm 52 years old. I spent 31 years in the military. I don't regret any bit of it.

ANTHONY GIGLIOTTI, U.S. ARMY VETERAN: I'm Anthony Gellotti. I'm 27 years old, went into the military to do active duty for four years.

G. GIGLIOTTI: This is my youngest boy, Jake Gigliotti. He's in Iraq for his second tour of duty.

NURENBERG: The tradition started with an attempt to become an American family.

V. GIGLIOTTI: My father was in World War I with the Italian Army. Later he joined the American Army so he'd become a citizen of the United States, made me feel that it was the duty of all our Americans to stick with each other and to believe in the purpose of freedom for all.

NURENBERG: That lesson learned from Vincent's dad has been passed on to Vincent's son.

G. GIGLIOTTI: If we didn't have people stand up and protect and serve in the armed forces for the things we believe in, then we just ought to succumb to the terrorist activities that are happening now in the world.

NURENBERG: A belief that influenced generation four.

A. GIGLIOTTI: I did feel some type of obligation to serve the country. And like my father said, I think everyone in the United States should at least do, at least one tour of duty.

NURENBERG: The beliefs, the advice to serve, seem almost genetic in this family, even with 20-year-old Jake with the Marines in Iraq. G. GIGLIOTTI: You have to think real hard if you did the right thing. It's hard to send your boy off to war.

NURENBERG: The hard truth lived by American families since the republic was born.

Gary Nuremberg, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And now, we want to hear from you. Tonight's last call -- salute a veteran you know. Tell us which branch of the military they serve in, their hometown, and how you know them. Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620 and we're going to air some of your responses later this hour.

Now on this special edition of CNN NEWSROOM, the House of Hospitality reaching out to relatives, while troops get the TLC they need.

Also, he's a father, an Airforce master sergeant, and one baby's human cradle in war. You're going to meet him tonight.

And the proud honor of receiving a distinguished award. Now there's a place where you can discover the men and women behind the metals.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And halt!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: And that was the scene at Arlington National Cemetery today.

Many Iraq veterans are trying to rebuild their physical and emotional lives after suffering serious war wounds. And it certainly helps to have loved ones close by for comfort. Well, one organization is bringing them all together.

And CNN's Soledad O'Brien has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): When an IED, an improvised explosive device, blew up under Sergeant Brian Fountaine's humvee back in June, his injuries were devastating. He had to fight to stay alive.

SGT. BRIAN FOUNTAINE, U.S. ARMY: You could see my driver screaming and my gunner just, you know, freaking out. And you see my laying there with pools of blood forming on the bottom side of my legs. You just kind of sit there and you're like, all right, I got a choice. I can either sit here, lay back, and die, or I could save myself. Well, I chose the latter.

O'BRIEN: Today, he is still fighting to recover. Just 24-years old, Brian lost both legs. They've been amputated below the knee.

FOUNTAINE: They may have took from me, you know, a physical part of my body, but they'll never take from me the fighting spirit.

O'BRIEN: Now it is an excruciating battle to get better. It was made worse for Brian, who was separated from his family and his girlfriend while being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

FOUNTAINE: Everything hurts my back.

O'BRIEN: Now Fountaine is being helped by the Fisher House, a nonprofit organization in D.C. Ken Fisher is chairman of the foundation, which provides homes for families and loved ones of hospitalized military personnel and veterans.

KEN FISHER, CHAIRMAN, THE FISHER HOUSE: Our troops today don't make policy. They're out there to do a job. And that is to defend this nation. And Fisher House Foundation is there to support them and their families, because quite frankly the need is there.

O'BRIEN: More than 21,000 American soldiers have been wounded in combat in Iraq. Ken Fisher says these homes away from home are crucial to a soldier's recovery.

FISHER: It's not just having a place to sleep, but it's also having people to help you. So it's the support network that forms in the houses, which is a byproduct of the foundation.

O'BRIEN: Brian lives free of charge at the Fisher House with his girlfriend, Mary Long.

MARY LONG, FOUNTAINE'S GIRLFRIEND: Just not having to worry, being able just to be here and see for my own eyes that he's walking, see for my own eyes that he's getting better, that this problem's going away. I'm so grateful for it.

FOUNTAINE: When I first started walking, one of the first things that I did was I took her up and I held her hand. And for the first time since we started dating, I was able to just walk down the hall and hold her hand at the same time. You know, as other people might take that for granted, that was huge. That was huge.

O'BRIEN: Soledad O'Brien, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Joining me now is double Purple Heart recipient Major Daniel Gade and his wife Wendy Gade. Major Gade lost his right leg while serving in Iraq. He and Wendy spent a year at Fisher House in Washington while he underwent physical therapy at Walter Reed Medical Center.

It is such a pleasure to have both of you here and to see the smiles on your faces. It has been such a long road back.

MAJ. DANIEL GADE, U.S. ARMY: It has, Carol.

LIN: And it's remarkable. When we take a look at those services -- well, first, no, I have to ask you about your experience with President Bush. You actually cracked a funny with him, didn't you?

D. GADE: Yes, I did. He came in July of '05 to Walter Reed. And he gave me both Purple Hearts. And as they were reading the second citation, he looked surprised for a second. And then he said, you know, this is the first time I've ever given two of these to one guy. And I looked at him straight in the eye, and I said, sir, I make an excellent target.

LIN: Did he laugh?

D. GADE: He did his little "Saturday Night Live" laugh. So that was pretty funny. It was a good laugh.

LIN: You made the president laugh.

D. GADE: He's a good guy.

LIN: And you kept your sense of humor.

I heard that the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld actually went to your bedside. You were not conscious at the time, though, and learned about this later. But he wanted to visit and pay tribute...

D. GADE: That's right.

LIN: ...to a double Purple Heart.

D. GADE: That's right.

WENDY GADE, WIFE: Yes, he came while Daniel was just fresh from Iraq. He just arrived and was in the ICU when he came to visit the first time. He later came a couple of months later and had a chance to see him doing much better. And he was very pleased.

LIN: Wendy, I maybe should ask you this question. They said an 18-month-recovery. What is it about your husband that had him go through all of that in 10 months? I think it's like record time.

W. GADE: He did it do it very quickly. He has a strong sense of determination. And that's just really who he is. It's part of his fabric. He's determined to get things done. He's very mission- minded.

And it was no surprise really to me that he recovered so quickly. He was going to do whatever it took to get back to being who he is and get back to the life that we enjoy.

LIN: Major, you were looking at the piece and you recognized the room...

D. GADE: I did.

LIN: ...where that soldier was going.

D. GADE: The physical therapy room. They have done such a great job at Walter Reed of getting kids back from really devastating injuries, to being able to walk again, and being able to live their lives. And I just -- all of the credit in the world to the medical staff and the physical therapists at Walter Reed.

LIN: And giving - Fisher House, giving a sense of normalcy, as much as possible for families. You have a four and a half year-old daughter, Anna Grace.

W. GADE: Yes.

LIN: And she was able to travel to Fisher House with you.

W. GADE: Right.

LIN: Grandparent helping out with child care while you were with your husband.

W. GADE: Yes.

LIN: But what is it like? I mean, how do you give Anna Grace that sense of childhood while you're trying to help your husband?

W. GADE: That was incredibly important to me. I knew that it would be important to Daniel when he was able to wake up and sort of join the process of making decisions about our family. So one of my instructions actually or one of my requests of my mom who was willing to come and take care of Anna Grace so graciously was please do everything you can to keep Anna Grace developing and moving forward, because life doesn't go on hold for little kids.

LIN: And being with other kids, too, other military families' kids.

D. GADE: Right.

LIN: Right? And I think that must really help them know that they're not, you know, different or that they have this shared experience.

D. GADE: That's right. That's right. Anna Grace has been great. She -- the first time she saw me and noticed I only had one leg, she said, "Dad, you have one leg." And I said, "Yes, and you have two." And she said, "Yes, I have one and - or I have two and you have one." So that was it. She's never been worried about it at all.

LIN: You know what? Because she has you.

D. GADE: She's a great kid.

LIN: And she loves her parents.

W. GADE: Yes.

LIN: And she -- you have been an incredible role model for her. So what's next for you?

D. GADE: Well, I'm in graduate school at University of Georgia. And after I complete my masters, I'm going to be an instructor in the Social Sciences Department at West Point, which is my alma mater. And it's going to be absolutely fantastic to go back there and teach young cadets, so they can grow up and so I can pass all the lessons that I've learned on to them. It's going to be fantastic.

LIN: Major Gade, a pleasure to meet you. Wendy, you, too. I hope to meet Anna Grace the next time.

W. GADE: Thank you. I hope so.

LIN: All right. Good luck to both of you.

D. GADE: OK, Carol, thanks.

LIN: Well, in the meantime, CNN is hoping to give back to Fisher House with a special auction of our Warrior One vehicle. That's one of the hummers we used in the Iraq War for journalism, embedded with the First Battalion, 7th Marines.

It was retired after coming under heavy fire in 2003 near Baghdad. Well last month, the Learning Channel's "Overhauling" gave it a new lease of life. Air brush artists put the faces of journalists and troops on the side - on the outside. And it was also outfitted with four TV sets and a state-of-the-art sound system.

It's now touring the country. And today, it took part in a Veterans Day parade in Biloxi, Mississippi. CNN plans to auction the vehicle off in January and donate the money to the Fisher House.

So you can find out if Warrior One is heading to your town. All you have to do is log on to CNN.com/warriorone.

And after Warrior One gets auctioned, you can certainly still give to the Fisher House. Their website is fisherhouse.org. And you can choose where your money goes.

In the meantime, attacked in ambush alley, a second tour of duty and plenty of advice for new recruits. We're going to introduce you to an American hero and then meet the soldier who became the calming comfort for one of the war's smallest victims.

And don't forget tonight's last call. Salute a veteran. Tell us which part of the military they served, their hometown, and how you know them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: A moment of silence in Afghanistan. A lot of American heroes in Iraq have been there before. Heroes like Marine Private Casey Robinson. He's still young, but he's mature beyond his years. And it's a maturity borne out of combat.

CNN's Alex Quade has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Twenty-three-year- old Private First Class Casey Robinson takes pride in showing new Marines at al Asad how it's done. This is his second tour in Iraq. Last time, he fought in Nasiriyah, in ambush alley. 18 Marines, Robinson's buddies, died in one day.

PFC. CASEY ROBINSON, U.S. MARINE CORPS: And there was enemy mortars and artillery coming in. Me and a couple guys kept making runs, trying to grab the wounded back to the buildings. Everybody was scared. It was pretty messed up. There was a lot of fire coming in.

QUADE: His actions earned him a bronze star awarded in a field ceremony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To Private First Class Casey R. Robinson, United States Marine Corps, for heroic achievement in connection with combat operations against the enemy as automatic rifleman.

QUADE: But it's not something he likes to talk about.

ROBINSON: I try not to let my family know about like how bad it was. I kind of down play it to them. This time, I kind of sold it that react type. I'm not actually out there looking for enemy. I just kind of security.

QUADE: As Robinson fires, he says it's a different type of war now.

ROBINSON: It's not like there's an enemy, go get them. It's more like an IED goes off and you react to it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here comes a rocket.

QUADE: So when he's not out on missions, he's training, and has advice for new Marines coming over.

ROBINSON: Biggest thing is you just don't want to get shot.

QUADE: That and...

ROBINSON: Bring way more socks than they say in the pack.

QUADE: Alex Quade, CNN, al Asad, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, tomorrow, Lou Dobbs salutes the men and women in uniform. They're protecting Americans at home and overseas. CNN celebrates America's heroes Sunday evening at 7:00 Eastern. And one picture conveys both tragedy and hope in Iraq. Nurses at this Air Force base hospital say only one man could calm this little Iraqi girl, who went through the worst tragedy imaginable. Insurgents executed her entire family right in front of her and then shot her in the head. But you can see, she napped securely in the arms of Chief Master Sergeant John Gebhardt.

Joining me now is the man in the picture, Sergeant Gebhardt. Chief Master Sergeant Gebhardt, just looking at that picture, you know, it just resonates with so many people. It does represent strength and honor.

I know you don't like the attention. Were you surprised at the reaction to that picture?

CHIEF MASTER SGT. JOHN GEBHARDT, U.S. AIR FORCE: Very surprised. But I can - I understand why people are attracted to it. I believe they can see themselves in it. And while it's me in the photo, it could be any American or anybody serving in or out of uniform would give the same care and compassion in that situation.

LIN: What do you think it was about you that calmed her?

GEBHARDT: I don't know. I'm old, plenty of room to lay on me.

LIN: Oh, come on. You know, I think you're better with kids than you want to let on. I know your kids are older now, almost grown, but I heard that she was inconsolable, that she simply would not stop crying.

GEBHARDT: Yes, fussing. She had quite a traumatic injury. And though you can see part of the staples on one side of her head there, there are equally as many on the other side, if not more. It is a pretty horrific injury.

And I imagine it's just human contact that would -- made her calm down a little bit more. And the nurses there had plenty of work to do on their own. And it was one small thing I and other people could do to alleviate some of their, their heroic duties they perform everyday.

LIN: What were you thinking as you held her through the night?

GEBHARDT: Oh, you reflect on a lot of things. How grateful I am for the life I live and my children. My nephews, nieces, and the life we live here in America. And wishing the same for her and the other Iraqi children that we saw over there.

On a regular basis, you would wish that they'd have the same freedom, fear of not having that fear of the threat that they have. And that's one of the reasons we're over there to provide a better life for their children and to protect our children's future.

LIN: It is a tender picture to see you, chief, holding a different child, a baby this time, almost newborn it appears. And I just think that to share these images from the war zone is a special treat for us. It gives dimension to story. And it certainly shows, I know you were but one example in that hospital of the compassion shown to the Iraqi people. So I appreciate your time.

GEBHARDT: Well, thank you, Miss Lin.

LIN: Thank you, chief.

Are we talking about strength and honor? This motto becomes one soldier's mission in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We sent over a boy. And we got a man back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: His family shares their strength and support when we return to the NEWSROOM. You will not forget this story.

More of our special honoring Veterans coverage after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The Australian troops in Iraq honoring the fallen.

Well, the horrors of war, those who have seen combat will tell you words can never capture the flashes of hopelessness and the grief in the moments of sheer terror.

One U.S. soldier in Iraq shared his thoughts with us. His story from CNN's Arwa Damon in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SPEC. WILL MOCK, U.S. ARMY: I'm Specialist Will Mock from Harper, Kansas with 22 infantry here in Fallujah. Mission accomplished.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was during the fight for Fallujah in November 2004 when we really got to know the soldier everyone simply called Mock.

MOCK: Just like every other man, distressed, a little scared. But you know, this is what we do. And I thought about telling my family about it, but no way. I don't want them to worry.

How would I describe Fallujah to someone else that has never been there? First I'd say, you might want to rethink about going. And say make your peace with God, because you might not come back. It is a living hell. It wasn't living. Someone - it's lasted a lifetime.

DAMON: No pretexts with Mock, not about the mission, not about his love for being a soldier despite all of the emotional turmoil of his experiences.

MOCK: I think not only leaves changed, I think everybody was there, enemy friendly, everybody walked away changed in ways that we changed, you have a different outlook on life. Don't take nearly as much for granted. And you know, when you tell your girlfriend or your mother or father, hey, I love you, you really mean it.

I'm sorry, right here's my family.

DAMON: He was afraid then of going back home to Kansas, worried he had changed too much. His motto, tattooed on both arms, strength and honor. A tough soldier, apologizing to us for being rough around the edges. He wasn't. In many ways, still the gentleman his family brought him up to be.

MOCK: There's no reason of me saying, hey, ma, you know, I got shot at a lot today. Or hey, ma, we had to, I had to fight the enemy. And you know, some people didn't make it out, friendly info. It's just something very left untalked about.

DAMON: His first one-year tour of duty finally ended in February 2005.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Big relief. Overwhelming joy. I got a deep feeling of our part is completed here. Nobody wants to die out here.

Even though the soldiers would for our country, any of them would, it's not a question. I heard my grandfather once say, somebody's got to do it. I guess I'm that somebody.

Every time we lose soldiers and we have our ceremonies here for the fallen comrades. And they play the taps for those men. And that's probably the moments that will stay in my mind more than ever, from now until the day that I die, every Memorial Day and Veterans Day. When I go to the local cemetery in Harper, Kansas, and they play the taps, I'm sure I'll -- it will hit me pretty hard then.

DAMON: This Veterans Day, they will be playing taps for him. Mock redeployed to Iraq in August of 2006. The last time we saw him was on a rooftop in eastern Baghdad. 20 days later on October 22nd, Mock was killed by a roadside bomb. One of 11 killed in Iraq that weekend.

At his memorial, his commanders and his men echoed his motto, strength and honor, Sergeant Mock.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Will Mock was promoted to sergeant before his death. He was one of seven siblings. And he was next to youngest at the age of 23.

Earlier tonight, I spoke with his mother, Anne and his father, Mike, and three of his siblings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Mrs. Mock, if you can just please share with us how your family is doing? I know this must still be so fresh for you. ANN MOCK, MOTHER: It is rough. We loved him so much. And I'm finding out how much other people loved him too now. That is comforting. Some of us have more severe degrees of sadness. It just comes and goes.

LIN: Mr. Mock, Will joined the service after 9/11. He felt so strongly about serving his country. You're a Vietnam War veteran. How did you feel about him going to Iraq not just once, but twice?

MIKE MOCK, FATHER: He, like the other fallen, they are heroes. And we need to recognize people like Sergeant Wilson Mock.

LIN: Yes.

M. MOCK: And I'm in the process. And it's nice for me that it's at the Pentagon right now that he has been reviewed for a Congressional Medal of Honor.

LIN: Oh, that would be awesome.

Theresa, when you watched the piece...

THERESA MOCK, SISTER: Yes.

LIN: ...and you saw your brother talk about all the things that he didn't want to share with you, how frightening some of those days were, how much under fire he was, how did that make you feel? What is it that you think he didn't want to tell you and why?

T. MOCK: He was always concerned about other people more than himself. And he didn't want us to worry, but we were already worrying. We prayed a lot for him, but he was always trying to protect us, just like he went over there to protect our country, but us as a family. He was always wanting - he always said he wanted to make us proud, but we were always so proud of him. But of course, even more so now.

LIN: Mrs. Mock, did you know that he was in the battle of Fallujah? Did you know that he was there because you could see the news reports? And I just can't imagine what was running through your mind as a mother.

A. MOCK: No, he wasn't always allowed to tell me his missions. What he would do was say I'm going on a mission. It was afterwards when he would call me and say, "Hi, mom, it's Will, I'm OK. I -- we came back from Fallujah." And that's where I found out he had been there in that terrible battle.

LIN: J'sun, I'm just wondering what you think your brother's legacy is going to be?

J'SUN MOCK, BROTHER: I talked to his commanding lieutenant general. And he spoke of -- I asked him if he knew him personally. And he spoke of having more than 800 soldiers reporting to him. Not only did he know him personally, but he gave heart and spirit to his entire battalion. LIN: There was something about him, though, you know, really. I mean, obviously, I only know him through Arwa Damon's story, but we all agreed in the newsroom there was just something about Will that was so compelling, so sincere, and so heart felt.

T. MOCK: Well, we have a faith in God. And we believe that's shown through him and his full heart. And he loved people. Not only Americans, but he cared about them over there, too, and wanting to protect. And he just had a full heart. And he went by strength and honor. And he lived by that.

A. MOCK: I used to call him my peacemaker.

T. MOCK: Yes.

A. MOCK: But I used to tease him on the phone when he would call me from Iraq that I said, I meant by the bible, not by the sword.

LIN: I know you want to get more information about Will's time over in Iraq. And we have an e-mail address kirby@sktc.net. Also, folks can log on to legacy.com, but you actually want to hear from people who served with Will and hear their stories. What are you looking for that you don't think you already know?

A. MOCK: It's not that we don't know. It's just of his last four years of life, was been mostly in Germany. I can think of maybe a few weeks that he got to come back to the States. We just are so hungry to know about that life that he spent over there and these...

T. MOCK: Well, not only Germany, but he was in Kosovo and Iraq. And this is the second time, but he just, you know, we just want memories, memories that - you know, he missed birthdays and family gatherings.

A. MOCK: And births.

T. MOCK: Yes. And so, we just - and we're thankful for his sacrifice and the sacrifice of men and women throughout the country. And we enjoy that freedom.

A. MOCK: We sent over a boy and we got a man back.

LIN: Yes, you did, Mrs. Mock.

A. MOCK: A very honorable man.

LIN: A remarkable man, indeed. Honorable.

T. MOCK: And handsome, too. He turned out pretty handsome. He looks good in those sunglasses on that clip that Arwa did. She did super.

LIN: I just want to you -- all of you, the Mock family and the kids who didn't get the chance to make it for this program. I know that you're - that they're supporting their brother as well. Appreciate the time. Thank you. M. MOCK: Strength and honor.

T. MOCK: Strength and honor, Sergeant Mock.

Shall we do it? One, two, and three. Strength and honor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: A very special and blessed family indeed, the Mock family.

Again, the family asked anyone who has stories about Sergeant Will Mock to please respond. E-mail them at the address you see at the bottom of your screen, kirby@sktc.net.

Well, more than a 1.5 million veterans are Purple Heart recipients. Coming up, one shares his. And they're the people you don't want to meet, but you're glad, you're definitely glad they're around when you meet them. Inside a combat hospital, next right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: You're looking at the dedication, the official dedication of the Marine Museum in Quantico, Virginia.

Well, this weekend, CNN Presents, our documentary unit, takes you behind the scenes of the U.S. military's main combat hospital in Iraq. Now simply put, it's doctors and nurses performing instant miracles to keep the wounded alive. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your left toes, looks like you're going to lose a little bit of the distal part, the lump, the end of it right at the toenails there. Just a tip off the big toe and maybe the second toe in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Or just the tip. Like a toe nail.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will I still be able to walk?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hell, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course. Not a problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doctor, this is not my first barbecue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you've been to (INAUDIBLE) before?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to stop visiting us, but we appreciate you taking one for the team, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I hate you guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know, I know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we love you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we love you, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't want to be a frequent flier with us. That's never a good sign.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, that guy served this country. I mean, (INAUDIBLE) than asked, wounded twice in action. Plus the fear of every day going out and you never know if you're going to get wounded again. That guy's a hero.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Yes. Well, earlier, I spoke with the producer of this amazing documentary, CNN's Baghdad bureau manager Cal Perry. And I asked him what it was like seeing all of this firsthand?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAL PERRY, BAGHDAD BUREAU MANAGER: It was his second time to the combat hospital, his third time wounded in Iraq. And this really is a place where we could not believe what we were seeing, both cameraman Dominik Swan who shot the majority of the project and myself. The storylines were so real. They were so true, watching these doctors treat not only their countrymen, but oftentimes in the case of that young soldier, he's being treated by one of his superior officers, a captain, who's also a doctor.

LIN: And they're telling him that they're going to have to amputate part of his toe. And his first question, obviously, is well can I walk? And everybody's like, oh, yes, yes, yes. And then they start joking around about, you know, this isn't - you don't want to be on this frequent flyer program, you know, coming through so many times injured. How do you account for that sense of humor that you saw?

PERRY: Well, I think it's how they get through their day. I mean, I think a lot of journalists who work in Iraq have that same sort of humor, especially in very intense situations.

This was a very unique back and forth between a doctor and a patient. This is a patient that had been wounded, like I said three times. And he asked Catherine Steinbruner how long is it going to take to recover from these wounds. Dr. Steinbruner says about a month. He says, well actually, I have about three months left in country.

And because he had been wounded so many times, treated by the same doctors and nurses, there's this very relieving moment where Dr. Steinbruner sort of corrects himself and says, "Well, I didn't mean a month. I actually meant three months."

LIN: He told the rest of his tour of duty there. I would think it could come as a relief to that soldier, but I don't know. They seem to be so - you know, the young men that came through seem to be so resilient. I don't know -- passionate about their fight. How did you find them?

PERRY: I found them passionate about those that they were serving with more than anything else. And I spoke to this young soldier the day after he was treated by Dr. Steinbruner when he came out of surgery. And he was really torn. He knew he was going home, but he kept mentioning the guys that he served with.

And these are people that he served with for over a year. This soldier was actually stop loss at the end of his year of tour. The military kept him on due to a shortage of troops.

And he was actually torn about going home, even though he had done more than his fair share, wounded three times in action, twice through the same combat hospital. He was concerned about leaving the guys that he serves with.

LIN: Cal, why no reporter track? Why don't we hear you or see you in the pieces?

PERRY: We felt, Dominik and I, that it was very unnecessary. And I have to credit the great folks at CNN for giving us the opportunity to really show it raw as we saw it. Just a clear sort of documentation, a tick tock if you would like, minute-by-minute of what these folks at the 10th Cache go through on their tour of duty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: CNN goes beyond the sanitized headlines. We are going to show you the frantic fight to save wounded troops inside Combat Hospital. That's coming up at the top of the hour, and again tomorrow night at 8:00 Eastern.

Now this Veterans Day, many of you have been sharing photos that honor America and the men and women who serve in our military. If you have stories or pictures, send them to CNN's I-report. You, the viewer, can be our eyes and ears. If you capture a great picture or video on your camera or cell phone, send it to us. Just log on to CNN.com or punch I-report at CNN.com on your cell phone. Your I-report is your chance to share what you witness.

Here are a couple of patriotic pictures we've received for the Veterans Day. People in Knoxville, Tennessee marked the day with a giant flag hanging over the parade route. A fire department ladder truck provided the lift.

And Charlotte Hamilton took this picture. Her father, husband, and son-in-law, you can see it soon, are all military veterans.

And this picture shows the lowering of the colors aboard the U.S.S. Constellation March 5th, 2003. It was sent by Jerry Havenpastor and shows her son Josh taking part in the National Anthem Project she helped organize. The anthem was played simultaneously at locations across the U.S. and aboard several Navy ships. Well, today's Veterans Day edition of NEWSROOM is part of our special weekend long coverage, keeping history alive by sharing veterans' stories. That's the focus on a new interactive spot. We're going to take you there in the NEWSROOM as we continue honoring our veterans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think Americans can celebrate Veterans Day by showing respect to those veterans around them, just saying a thank you, acknowledging the sacrifices that were made by veterans, but also the family of veterans. We don't do this alone. We have a wonderful support system within our families. And they make sacrifices also.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The Purple Heart is an honor that comes with a very heavy price. It's awarded to American troops wounded or killed in action. And now there's a place dedicated to telling the stories of all the recipients.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL KLINE, PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT: I'm 81-years old. I fought in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

LIN (voice-over): Kline, along with his fellow veterans was honored at the opening ceremony of the National Purple Heart Museum in New Windsor, New York. He is just one of the over 1.7 million Purple Heart recipients to be honored at the new museum, a facility designed to pay tribute to every man and woman of the armed forces who were wounded or killed to in the line of duty.

The museum is interactive with personal stories from more than 12,000 veterans and exhibits that share a bit of what it was like to serve in various conflicts, combats like World War II, where then 19- year-old Army medic Kline survived on the beaches of Normandy for 10 days. For him, it still feels like yesterday.

KLINE: We were being shelled by mortar. And one fellow called for me to come, for the medic to come. And I went and I -- he had an abdominal wound. And I was taken out to patch him up.

I gave him a shot of morphine. And at that time another shell exploded and hit me. And I just fell over on top of him, sort of trying to protect him more. But then I was wounded and I had a shrapnel wound.

LIN: Ultimately leading to Kline receiving the Purple Heart, an honor that conflicted him for a long time.

KLINE: It wasn't easy. I accepted it, but you don't know if you deserved it or not, because I was supposed to be taking care of the other fellows.

LIN: That giving of oneself keeps the Purple Heart bond strong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you get together and you see people that have earned the Purple Heart, been awarded the Purple Heart, there is that special bonding that they are brothers. They know what they've been through.

KLINE: Hey, Ed. Commander, how are you doing?

LIN: For Kline, being a part of the National Purple Heart Museum is all the honor he could ever ask for.

KLINE: The feeling you cannot imagine, you know. Now that we have a museum, my children, grandchildren, and their grandchildren can eventually come and see what their great, great grandfather did.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: A check of the hour's headlines after the break.

But first, your responses to our last call. Salute a veteran and here's what you had to say.

CALLER: I just salute my father, John J. Hafer, who served in the Army during World War II, was wounded multiple times, but was able to come home and be a wonderful father.

CALLER: My husband Staff Sergeant Eric Beavers, Army Reserve Psychological Operations, Cleveland, Ohio, serving his second tour of duty in Iraq. I'd like to say thank you, honey. God bless you and your men. And I love you.

CALLER: United States Navy medic, Manteka, California, Brian Hinkle. He served two tours in Iraq. He's my grandson.

CALLER: ...to First Sergeant Darryl Cisneros and First Sergeant Carol Cisneros. Carol's currently serving in Iraq. And Dale is a first sergeant, first Marine in San Diego, California at Camp Pendleton. And I'd just like to give a salute out to them and keep my brothers in arms safe. And God bless all our servicemen.

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