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Queen Elizabeth II Visits United States; Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Meets With Syrian Foreign Minister; Astronaut Wally Schirra Dies; Senator Barack Obama Placed Under Secret Service Protection; A Soldier's Story
Aired May 03, 2007 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Susan Roesgen, filling in for Kyra Phillips.
We are waiting for a royal visit. Britain's Queen Elizabeth touches down on this side of the pond. We will have the royal details. And, remember, Richmond, you may bow, but do not attempt to shake her majesty's hand.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: Oh, boy. It is the top of the hour, live pictures, rolling out the red carpet.
There's lots of excitement, Susan, at Richmond International Airport in Virginia. Britain's Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, have just arrived on their state visit. There you go, aboard British Airways.
One of her majesty's subjects, CNN's Richard Quest, made it across the pond a little bit earlier.
One of her majesty's subjects, but you are not in the court, right?
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: ... already in...
(CROSSTALK)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, no, no, absolutely not.
I may be one of her majesty's subjects, and I may have a passport on me that says her Britannic majesty requests and requires, et cetera and et cetera.
But I'm here in the duty of our noble corporation today to bring you the latest details on what's happening with this state visit of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as he is known.
The plane landed a few moments early, a short time ago, at Richmond Airport, the red carpet being rolled out, the stairs brought to the foot of the plane any time. And, then, of course, we are expecting her majesty to come down the stairs at 3:00 p.m.
These things tend to work pretty much on -- as clockwork. In the world of state visits -- and I don't think I'm being unduly nationalistic or patriotic in saying this -- but, in the world of state visits, there are few visits that probably rank as important as that of Queen Elizabeth.
Pageantry, pomp, ceremony, protocol, it all goes with this sort of visit, and for one simple reason. They happen so rarely. Where am I at the moment? I am at Jamestown, historic Jamestown. If I call it anything else, they're probably likely to throw me into the Jamestown River.
The reason it is historic is because it was here, 400 years ago, that those three boats, three ships, the Susan Constant, the Discovery and Godspeed, came up from the Chesapeake Bay, and so began the English colonization of the North America, or at least what we now know as the United States.
Let's talk about this queen's visit.
Joining me is Nancy Cockerill from the National Society of the colonial Dames of America.
You better get that right, because anyone who is wearing a hat like this could give me a sideswipe.
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: Lovely to have you.
NANCY COCKERILL, NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA: Well, it's lovely to see you.
QUEST: Now, this visit by her majesty, the queen, and why is it important, do you think?
COCKERILL: Because it's the beginning of our nation. And she hasn't been here for a long, long time. And it's very exciting, on this 400th anniversary.
QUEST: Do you think that that is a somewhat Anglo-American point of view in a country that is so multicultural now, that they will wonder, all right, an 82-year-old woman comes to visit; she's the head of the state of another country, but is it any more important do you think, perhaps?
COCKERILL: No, I don't. I think that it's important in today's culture, because it is the beginning of our country.
QUEST: Let's talk about that. She's going to be coming here tomorrow. And she's going to be coming to see historic Jamestown. And this is where it all began, isn't it?
(CROSSTALK)
COCKERILL: Yes, it is.
QUEST: And, as such, what does that tell us, do you think? What is the significance, do you believe?
COCKERILL: That this is the beginning of our country, and that we are welcoming all peoples to our shores. And it is an anniversary of celebrating the beginning of the United States.
QUEST: That is such an important point for people like yourself, you believe?
COCKERILL: I do believe, yes.
QUEST: And -- now tell me about these things, these wonderful medals that you are wearing. This is the Society...
COCKERILL: This is the insignia of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America.
QUEST: Which -- and for those viewers who may be joining us that aren't as familiar with this august body as myself, what do you do?
COCKERILL: We preserve documents and history for future generations.
QUEST: And one are the fascinating parts about where we are here is that it was only in the last two decades that the fort, the original fort, was discovered.
COCKERILL: I know.
QUEST: And, as that -- because of that, it's important, would you believe, that this is preserved, as such?
COCKERILL: Oh, definitely. Definitely.
And that's why the church -- we have been a great part of building the church. In 1907, we erected that monument there. And we have just recently restored the foundations for that.
LEMON: Hey, Richard...
QUEST: Nancy, many thanks, indeed, for joining us, Nancy Cockerill from the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
COCKERILL: Thank you.
QUEST: Thank you very much.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Richard, we wanted to ask her about her hat. We wanted to know if she has a hat for every day the queen is going to be here.
Did she walk away from you? Did you let her go?
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: No, I didn't. No, I didn't.
My colleagues back in Atlanta are fascinated and delighted by this magnificent hat. And they wanted to know whether you have a hat for every day the queen is here?
COCKERILL: Absolutely.
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: What would you expect from the National Colonial -- or the Colonial National Society...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Nothing less than that.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Nothing less than that, Richard.
Hey, we are going to continue to talk to you as we wait for the queen to get off the plane there. We're looking at you. And then there's a live picture up of that British Airways jet.
You have to be really excited about this, as well, because, usually, you are across the pond. How do you feel about this, Richard?
QUEST: You know, look, I have covered numerous state visits of the queen. Some are more important than others. There's no getting away from it.
When the queen comes to the United States, it is always one of the most important visits that she will make. I can tell you, from my informal discussions with Buckingham Palace in London, they regard a state visit here as of crucial importance, and for one simple reason. Forty percent of all transatlantic traffic is between the U.K., the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Putting it into that context, the enormous business interests, the enormous commercial ties, historical ties, colonial ties. But there's one other thing we must mention at this point. It is going to be a difficult trip, because there are many political agendas...
LEMON: Right.
QUEST: ... that different people will be trying to get on to, to talk about. So, everyone concerned is going to have to talk and walk very carefully, indeed.
LEMON: Yes, absolutely, Richard. And, plus, it's going to be a lot of serious business, because the queen is going to be visiting with a private group of Virginia Tech survivors, as well.
We are going to continue to monitor this, Richard. You are always a pleasure to have on the show. We are going to get you back.
Do we want to stay with this or we want to move on, because we see -- OK. We're going to stay and chat, because they are opening the door there, Richard, to that airplane, getting off.
QUEST: Right. No...
LEMON: And I think my colleague Susie (ph) Roesgen wants to jump in.
ROESGEN: Yes.
LEMON: You got a question, Susie?
ROESGEN: Yes.
You know, Richard, every once in a while, we see these reports about how many people in Britain want to abolish the monarchy.
(CROSSTALK)
ROESGEN: What's the latest on how people view the queen in England?
QUEST: Oh, I mean, you have to see this in two contexts.
There is the question of whether or not to abolish the monarchy, and there is the question of her majesty, the queen. And I think we get the best guidance from Australia in this. Australia has moved a long way towards a republican movement. The last time they had a referendum, they voted to keep the queen.
The view seems to be, in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and all the other commonwealth countries, where she is head of state, that, at least for the duration of the queen's life, the queen will remain; the monarchy will remain.
Now, I would say that feeling is even stronger in the United Kingdom, in Britain, where, of course, she lives and which is her home. Overall, there is no question that, in time and again, the polls show the British people support the monarchy, if for no other reason than it is a fantastic draw for Americans and for other tourists who come across to see royal heritage.
ROESGEN: She's a tourist item. Who knew?
(LAUGHTER)
ROESGEN: Richard, we gave a little warning to folks in Richmond. We said, don't try to shake the queen's hand when she comes down those steps.
(CROSSTALK)
ROESGEN: What if somebody does something -- you know, makes a faux pas, and tries to reach out and touch her?
QUEST: All right.
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: Let me get rid of my notes and give you a little bit of a demonstration. All right? It's time for a demonstration.
And what better place with Captain John Smith, the famous statue behind me?
Now, when you talk about how you bow to the queen, many people would say that you should actually sort of do this full frontal bow. Absolutely nonsense, nothing like it at all. All you need to do for the queen, if you want to show respect, is a short head bow.
What I have done in the past when I have met her majesty or members of the royal family is just a -- just a nod, nothing more. But the crucial point to remember is, it is not expected. And, certainly, it is not expected here in the United States, a republican country, which doesn't recognize her as sovereign. That would be -- it would be -- if an American meets the queen, it might be polite.
ROESGEN: But, you know, Richard, we're big huggers here. What if somebody tries to touch her?
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: The queen shakes hundreds of thousands of hands every year. When I met her, I was told, don't grasp her hand.
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: And -- now, there's a reason for that, because, if I grasped her hand and gave her a good, solid shake like that, it would crush it.
But there's no question, if the queen comes up to you, you put your hand out, she shakes your hand. You can nod your head, if you wish to. You don't have to. The days -- you know, the old rule used to be, don't talk to the queen. She talks to you. Those days have gone.
LEMON: Richard...
QUEST: Don't shake her hand. Days have gone.
LEMON: Richard, we appreciate the etiquette lesson. And we are going to get back to you when we see the queen get off the plane there.
But we have some developing news when it comes to our weather. And Susan is going to take care of that.
Thank you so much, Richard.
QUEST: Of course.
LEMON: We will see you in a bit.
ROESGEN: Yes, the weather there with Richard and for the queen in Richmond looks like a foggy day in London. Let's find out what she's going to get, and let's also talk about Texas, Texas and Louisiana now. This was yesterday in Texas, really severe weather, downed a lot of trees. One woman was killed by lightning, 85-mile-an- hour winds.
Reynolds Wolf now is at the map to tell us about what's happening in Louisiana right now, where this storm has moved.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Susan, we're looking at the other end of this system.
This is actually part of the same system that rolled through Texas last night, now moving into portions of Louisiana, as well as Mississippi. We have got a few severe thunderstorms swarming to the north. Southern half of this box, this watch box, which shows parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, you will be under this severe thunderstorm watch until 4:00 local time.
Now, into the evening hours, we can expect more of this to spread eastward, scattered showers now forming just to the north of New Orleans as we speak. We have got a live image from downtown New Orleans. Let's take that, if we can, and get an idea of how things are looking there, kind of dark, kind of gloomy, not too different from the sky conditions that you will find up in Jamestown. However, they are not expecting the severe weather there today.
OK, we're going go from that back to the weather computer. And, as we do so, we're going to show you a few other points that are experiencing some rough stuff. Back in Texas, as I mentioned, the Dallas-Fort Worth area is in the clear. But, in points eastward, back along parts of I-30, southward to -- let's see, from Texarkana, even into Gilmer, even in Shreveport, scattered shower activity, a billion stronger storm activity, I would say down Arp, as well as Rusk, probably some strong winds with those, as well as some large hail.
And there is the potential for some heavy rainfall. You know, they had some rain in some of these areas last night. So, with this additional rainfall, flash flooding is not out of question.
Meanwhile, in other spots, like back over towards Missouri, we're seeing some of that activity. In Texas, that rain is going to continue through the evening hours. But, in Missouri, as I mentioned, back into portions of the Ohio River, scattered showers certainly likely through much of the late afternoon, evening and into tomorrow as well.
That's a quick look at your forecast across the nation, certainly not a bad day in Missouri to wear one of those big wide-brim royal style hats, probably on the agenda for many people today.
ROESGEN: Yes. As long as it doesn't rain on the queen, we will be OK.
WOLF: Yes. As long as -- you better not shake her hand either.
(LAUGHTER)
ROESGEN: We have learned that, yes.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
WOLF: You bet.
ROESGEN: Thanks, Reynolds.
(LAUGHTER)
ROESGEN: Don.
LEMON: I don't think one of those umbrella hats -- Do you know those? -- that that's going to work.
ROESGEN: You have to wear it upside down.
This is this ceremony that is happening right now live on the tarmac at the airport in Richmond -- of course, the queen still aboard that British Airways jet. And we got a sighting of Prince Philip just a short time ago, Susan, standing there in the doorway. Apparently, he is anxious to get off the plane and come out. And that should happen very shortly here.
ROESGEN: As soon as everybody is in position.
LEMON: As soon as everyone is in position.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Let's listen to see what they're -- I think they're -- yes, there's music.
Hey, Richard, tell us what's going on right now. We see the band, the guard getting in place. And we're hearing a bit of music. Explain to us what's happening.
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: Well, you have the slight advantage of me. Oh, no, I can now see what's happening and -- on the -- what we are looking at now, of course, is the official ceremony as it gets under way.
This is a visit that is in three parts. There is the Richmond and Jamestown part. Then there is what's known as the private visit down to the Kentucky Derby, and then, of course, the formal state visit part up in Washington, D.C., where the queen will be with President Bush, the state dinner.
And there we have the early pictures. There, we have got the party starting to come down the 777 aircraft.
LEMON: And...
QUEST: The queen, unlike President Bush, does not have her own aircraft. She has small planes for when she's traveling around the United Kingdom in Europe. They are known as aircraft...
LEMON: And, Richard?
QUEST: Yes? Sorry.
LEMON: No, it's OK.
Let's talk a little bit more about her visit until the queen comes off the plane. Today, she's going to be visiting with folks at Virginia Tech, as we said, Richard, after she arrives. She's going to meet the governor, Tim Kaine, and then for a little walkabout ceremony at the capitol, greeting ceremony, which is what's happening now. And then she's going to walk around.
And then she's going to go a little bit later on, after the greeting ceremony, to the old senate chamber. And then there's a speech at the assembly a little bit later on today, and, then, tomorrow, of course, which is May 4, more touring of Williamsburg. She and the duke will arrive at Jamestown, the settlement, and then tours the fort -- is it Whistle (ph)?
QUEST: Right.
LEMON: The duke of Edinburgh tours the ship Susan Constant, as well.
So, there's lots planned here. But then she's going to go to the Kentucky Derby, which is very interesting. And she certainly has the hats for it, doesn't she?
QUEST: Oh, you have to...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: There's the queen, Richard. She's getting off the plane now.
QUEST: Her majesty, the queen, loves racehorses. She has racehorses of her own.
And there is her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, along with her husband, Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh, the queen, who has been on the British throne for more than 50 years, paying her fourth visit to the United States, three previous state visits, one official visit, when she was with the Reagans, in the early 1980s.
The queen steps onto American soil some 400 years after the first settlers...
LEMON: And we see her there shaking hands.
QUEST: ... arrived.
LEMON: She is shaking hands. And we talked about that.
Susan -- Susie Roesgen brought that up, Richard. But she is shaking hands out there.
QUEST: Well, I would imagine that the first people to welcome the queen off the plane would be the British ambassador to the United States. There will be various representatives of the British government who will be here.
No doubt, almost certainly, the U.S. ambassador to Britain, Robert Tuttle, will have traveled over and will be here. That is normal on state visits. The ambassadors from both countries are in the -- in the country.
And the queen looking rather splendid, unless the color monitor has gone on, what I'm looking at.
I -- Susan, would you say -- do we agree that that looks sort of -- it's mauve or purple or lilac.
(CROSSTALK)
ROESGEN: Gray with a little salmon, gray and salmon. She looks spectacular.
(LAUGHTER)
ROESGEN: Hey, Richard, everything I think I know about the queen, I got from Helen Mirren.
Did you see that movie? Is it accurate?
(LAUGHTER)
QUEST: I saw the movie many times. And, yes.
And the importance of that movie -- now they are stopping, of course. Let us pause for a moment, if we may, because this is, of course, time for the national anthems and the official welcomes, if I'm not mistaken.
Can we hear some -- can we hear that?
(BRITISH NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS)
LEMON: There you have it.
QUEST: Long to reign...
LEMON: There you have it, the queen of England. QUEST: Long to reign over us. God save the queen.
LEMON: Yes.
QUEST: The words of the British national anthem.
LEMON: Hey, Richard, we're going to take this opportunity to get a little bit of a break in, not to be disrespectful of the national anthem there. But we have got to take care of business.
The queen has arrived on American soil.
We want to show you this beautiful photograph that we showed you yesterday from Annie Leibovitz -- it's in "Vanity Fair" -- of the queen, a little bit controversial. Some people say it looks a little too posed. Others say they love it.
We are going to continue our coverage with the queen of England, who is visiting in the United States, just on the other side of a break.
Don't go away. You're watching the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met today in Egypt with the foreign minister of Syria. This was the first time top officials from the U.S. and Syria have met in two-and-a-half years.
CNN State Department correspondent Zain Verjee joins us now from Egypt -- Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: A very rare and significant meeting here, Susan, on the sidelines of the conference here at Sharm el-Sheikh -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, just a few hours ago, meeting with her Syrian counterpart, the foreign minister Walid Moallem.
She described her talks to me a short while ago in an interview with CNN as businesslike and substantive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The Syrian foreign minister and I had a chance, on the margins of this meeting, to talk about the need to stabilize Iraq.
I talked to him about the flow of foreign fighters across that border, a major source of suicide bombers, we believe. And he said that he understands that Syria has no interest in an unstable Iraq. But, of course, actions speak louder than words, and I'm hoping that they will carry through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: The State Department spokesman Sean McCormack a short while also said that, in those discussions, Syria's foreign minister asked for the U.S. to send its ambassador back to Damascus. The U.S. had pulled out the ambassador.
Secretary Rice says, look, let's just focus on the issue at hand here, which is Iraq. We don't have a desire, she added, for a bad relationship.
Susan, the other issue here, much talked about, Iran. Will they or won't they? Will they meet? Will the talks be substantive? How will it happen? Well, it sort of fizzed out, really, earlier in the day. Secretary Rice did meet the Iranian foreign minister, but it was with a lot of other officials. It was over lunch. And all they did was exchange hellos and pleasantries.
I asked Secretary Rice about whether they were planning anything more substantive for the duration of this conference. She said, we're not seeking bilaterals with Iran. We are all here to support Iraq -- Susan.
ROESGEN: You know, Zain, Nancy Pelosi was just in Syria, and she got a good deal of criticism for that. Has Secretary Rice mentioned what makes her talks different?
VERJEE: Yes, that's exactly right.
When Speaker Nancy Pelosi went over to Damascus and met with the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, she came under a lot of heat from the Bush administration for doing that. And they lashed out, saying, you know what you are doing? You are just rewarding bad behavior.
I asked Secretary Rice if she just didn't reward bad behavior. Here's how she responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICE: It's one thing to go to Damascus and to have those pictures that suggest a relationship that doesn't exist with Syria, a relationship that would have to be built differently to have broadscale talks.
This was really very, very limited to Iraq. We talked about nothing else. I did say to the Syrians that we had no desire to have bad relations with Syria. Of course we would like to have better relations with Syria. But it has to be built on the basis of something concrete.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: And Secretary Rice, of course, really frustrated, as the U.S. government has been, with Syria for the last two years over the issue of foreign fighters going into Iraq over Syrian borders.
They have also been frustrated with Syria, because they accuse it of destabilizing the fragile democracy of Lebanon, and also accusing Syria, too, of supporting terrorist groups, like Hamas and Hezbollah. But what's happened here is significant. And there could be a thawing of relations between these two countries. And Secretary Rice has left the door open -- Susan.
ROESGEN: OK. Thank you, Zain, reporting live for us in Egypt -- Don.
LEMON: Three new names being added this week to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.
They are the Army's Richard Pruett and Wesley Stiverson and Joseph Krywicki of the U.S. Navy. Pruett died two years ago of complications related to war wounds. That's Pruett's widow etching his name from the Vietnam Wall for the first time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does it mean to be up there with all of those other people?
ANN PRUETT, WIDOW OF FALLEN SOLDIER: He's at home. I think he's really at home there. He's with the men who fought the same cause he did. And he's at home. His physical body is in Sherman, Texas, but there's a big piece of Rick right there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The three new names become official when they are read at a ceremony on Memorial Day.
ROESGEN: Well, he survived the blast that killed his friends, but his life is forever changed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Having to live through it the one time is horrible enough. But to repeatedly have to go through, you know, that situation is miserable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: A wounded soldier takes physical and emotional steps toward recovery -- the great story ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: There you go. The place, Richmond, Virginia, airport. The person -- or the persons, I should say, the queen of England, and then her husband, the duke of Edinburgh. They arrived there just a short time ago.
They are marking the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the settlement. And there are some other highlights there that's included in their visit.
They're going to visit the White House. They're going to go to the Kentucky Derby. And they're are also going to visit with a -- in a private ceremony -- with a private group, I should say, of survivors from the Virginia Tech massacre.
But there you go. The queen of England here in the United States, arriving on American soil just about 3:00 Eastern Time.
ROESGEN: Meanwhile, today, America is remembering one of its space royalty. Wally Schirra, just one of three surviving Mercury 7 astronauts, has died at the age of 84. He was the third American to orbit the Earth.
CNN's John Zarrella has been sharing some of his memories from your interviews with Wally Schirra -- John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Susan. There were many, many times over the last quarter century or so that I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Wally Schirra.
He was always very blunt about his opinions of the space program, very blunt about what he thought of where America was in space at various times. But he was also very, very funny, very outgoing.
And we just now just a few minutes ago received a quote from Scott Carpenter, who is one of the last of the Mercury 7 astronauts still alive. And it says, "It's a terrible loss of a dear friend, cherished comrade and a brother. Despite our good-natured competition for flights into space, Wally strove to bring a smile to everyone he met. And it's with a smile that I will always forever fondly remember him," Scott Carpenter.
They may have gone their separate ways over the years, and they may have had their differences, but the Mercury 7 astronauts were always there for each other.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice over): Wally Schirra was one of America's pioneers in space. In 1959, he and six others were selected as the original seven Mercury astronauts. It was a difficult time, as the United States was scrambling to catch up with the Russians in space. On many occasions over the years, Schirra quipped that he and the others had no idea what they were getting into.
WALLY SCHIRRA, ASTRONAUT: It still didn't intrigue me about being an astronaut, though. I had to be ordered to Washington to be invited. But when I was in Washington getting briefed on what it would be like to be an astronaut, they said, "Don't worry. We'll put you in a capsule on top of this rocket. We will launch monkeys and chimpanzees first."
ZARRELLA: On October 3, 1962, Schirra became the fifth American in space.
SCHIRRA: All right. Lift off. This feels real nice.
She's riding beautiful, Deke. Mark 30. OK. Fuel is OK. Oxygen OK. All systems appear go, and she's getting noisy.
ZARRELLA: His sigma 7 capsule orbited the Earth six times. Flight time, nine hours and 13 minutes.
Schirra said he chose Sigma 7 because he wanted to get off the "gee whiz" names and use a technical test pilot term. The number 7 was to acknowledge he and his comrades.
After Mercury, Schirra flew as command pilot on Gemini 6, and then commander of Apollo 7. The flight was the first following the Apollo 1 launch pad fire that killed astronauts Grissom, White and Chaffee.
Schirra was known as his colleagues as tough, no nonsense. He didn't sugarcoat how much he hated a popular movie about the early astronauts because of how it portrayed Gus Grissom.
SCHIRRA: I guess the worst depiction of Gus was the dumb movie called "The Right Stuff". I have since called it "Animal House in Space," maintaining that Belushi and Aykroyd should have done the movie. It would have been a good comedy.
ZARRELLA: With Wally Schirra gone, only two of the original seven are still alive, John Glenn and Scott Carpenter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: Now tomorrow night at the Kennedy Space Center, every year at this time, they do an induction into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Tomorrow night, three space shuttle astronauts, and then on Saturday a public induction. Tomorrow night a private ceremony.
Every year they do this. And there will certainly be tributes paid at this event tomorrow night and Saturday at the Kennedy Space Center to the memory of one of the original seven now lost -- Susan.
ROESGEN: Yes. A tough guy.
Thanks, John. Appreciate it.
LEMON: And coming up, the very latest on a Hollywood trial with Sibila Vargas.
Hi, Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: The Phil Spector trial is unfolding like a big screen thriller. Yesterday the case hit a strange note with what could be missing evidence.
All ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: Starting this week, CNN is shining the spotlight on some very special people. Each one has a remarkable story. And each is an example of how just one person can turn a personal vision into a better world into action.
We call them "CNN Heroes".
James Burgett was once homeless and a drug addict, but today he is helping others on the road to recovery. What's remarkable is how he does it, by helping to save the environment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is take two.
JAMES BURGETT: The corporate motto is, obsolesces is a lack of imagination. If we don't reuse our waste now, it's all that future generations will have.
My name is James Burgett. I've been collecting electronic waste and giving away computers for the last 13 years.
I hire people that are outside of the normal employment strain. I teach them how to build the computers.
I've been pretty much on my own since the age of 14. I slept on people's floors. I slept in various places.
I started pulling computers out of dumpsters, refurbishing them, and then trying to sell them. The objective was to fund my drug habits. Every time I made any money, I immediately stuck it up my nose or in my arm. I quit doing drugs because I found that giving away computers gave me a self image that made it so I didn't need to do so.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's very adamant to give them away for free. This is one of the things that he wants to do, he can do, and he will do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not going to ruin it. This is your computer. If you ruin it, we'll give you another one.
BURGETT: We hire convicts, we hire people with psychiatric histories. We hire people with drug histories.
All you really need to do is give them something that they can say, hey, I'm not a parasite today. These are the best feelings we've had since we did drugs.
Just checking in, Aaron (ph). You got anything I need to know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's all gravy.
BURGETT: It's all gravy. OK.
We take things that are considered broken and we then re-purpose, refurbish. This applies to me. This applies to my staff. This applies to every computer we give away. Every single thing you see here, somebody, somewhere, decided it no longer had value, and they were wrong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: If you know someone like James Burgett, who is making the world a better place, let us know about that person. Nominate that person for a CNN Hero Award.
If you want the details, go to our Web site at cnn.com/heroes.
LEMON: And Susan, we have some information just in to the CNN NEWSROOM. It is breaking news. It is about Senator Barack Obama, who is running for president.
This just in. Senator Barack Obama has been placed under Secret Service protection after a threat. This information coming to us from CNN's John King.
John King will join us in a moment. But according to John, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff authorized security for the senator who is running for president.
Again, Senator Barack Obama has been placed under Secret Service protection after a threat. As soon as we get our John King up and running on the other side of a break, we're going to talk to him about the information that he has found out.
And on a lighter note, so to speak, the queen of England, Queen Elizabeth, is in town. Or I should say in the states.
She is in Richmond, Virginia, arriving at the governor's mansion. This is new video of her arriving just moments ago.
She's going to speak with the governor, Tim Kaine, there for a little bit, and then they're going to walk around the Capitol. And then there's going to be a greeting ceremony. And later on, she's going to meet with some of the survivors of the Virginia Tech massacre.
But that's the queen of England arriving at the governor's mansion in Virginia just a little bit ago.
And again, our breaking news here on CNN, Senator Barack Obama has been placed under Secret Service protection after a threat. That is according to CNN's John King.
More on this and other breaking news straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Let's talk about show business now. A "Grey's Anatomy" star does an about-face on behalf of gay rights.
Entertainment Correspondent Sibila Vargas joins me now with details on that one.
Hi, Sibila.
VARGAS: Hi, Don.
That's right, Isaiah Washington is definitely taking steps to make over his image. Now, you may remember late last year the "Grey's Anatomy" actor got in some hot water after using a gay slur towards a fellow castmate. It was compounded at the Golden Globe Awards this year when he was backstage and denied that he made the comment.
Well, fast forward to today. And after counseling, the 43-year- old will soon appear in two separate public service announcements on behalf of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Gay and Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
No word on when they'll begin to air. And despite rumors that Dr. Preston Burke won't be returning to his rounds on "Grey's Anatomy," Don, I can tell you that according to his publicist, he'll be back.
LEMON: He will be back. OK.
Let's talk about the Phil Spector trial. You know it was going to be interesting everything that's going on here. He is such an interesting character.
VARGAS: Sure.
LEMON: A surprise note in that trial?
VARGAS: Yes. An unexpected witness took the stand at the murder trial of the famed music producer.
Greg Diamond (ph) testified in the special hearing that the day after actress Lana Clarkson was shot to death, he watched defense lawyer Sara Caplan (ph) retrieve a small piece of tooth or fingernail that had been missed by police in Spector's foyer, which is close to where Clarkson was shot. At that time, Caplan (ph) was working for Spector.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden denied Diamond's (ph) account when it was his turn on the witness stand. Prosecutors have all along been accusing the defense from withholding this type of evidence.
And by the way, the trial has been put on hold this week because Specter's lead attorney, Bruce Cutler (ph), is ill.
Well, tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" we're shifting gears just a little bit. As Sandra Bullock takes drastic action to protect her family from an alleged stalker, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" reveals why celebrity stalkers become so obsessed with stars and why they pose a serious threat. We'll go inside the minds of celebrity stalkers.
It's a special report on TV's most provocative entertainment news show, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Headline Prime.
Back to you, Don. LEMON: All right, Sibila. We'll be watching tonight.
Thank you so much.
VARGAS: Thank you.
LEMON: We're back after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. We want to just get you up to date on the breaking news we told you just moments ago and clarify all of it.
Just received a statement from the Secret Service regarding the senator, Senator Barack Obama, being placed under Secret Service protection. This is from the Homeland Security.
It says, "Secretary Chertoff has, after consultation with the Congressional Advisory Committee, authorized the United States Secret Service to protect presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama. As a matter of procedure, we will not release any details of the deliberations or assessments that led to protection being initiated. Now, for security reasons, we will not release the timing, the scope or the details of any protective operations."
So that is again from the Secret Service regarding the breaking news we told you about Senator Barack Obama under the protection of the Secret Service.
Of course, CNN's "SITUATION ROOM" will be following this. And we will follow it throughout the day and the evening here on CNN -- Susan.
ROESGEN: Meanwhile, no reprieve for Walter Reed. Not from Robert Gates, anyway.
The defense secretary says the nation's best-known military medical center should be closed as planned. As you've seen here in our reports, Walter Reed has been widely criticized for shoddy conditions in patient care. And last month, an independent advisory group recommended that it be shut down.
Secretary of Defense Gates says he would rather invest in a new facility than pour any more money, he says, into Walter Reed.
Among the generations of badly-wounded troops that Walter Reed has cared for is a sergeant, Sergeant John Kriesel.
Here's his story from reporter Joe Fryer of Minneapolis affiliate KARE TV.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE FRYER, REPORTER, KARE (voice over): The airport is a beginning and an end to so many journeys.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you see how far they flew?
FRYER: For the family of one Minnesota soldier...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And Brody (ph), where are we now?
FRYER: ... it was the scene last week of a much anticipated milestone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (SINGING): Welcome home, mom and dad. Welcome home, mom and dad.
FRYER: A giant step that ends in Minneapolis but starts in our nation's capital.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington is home these days to Sergeant John Kriesel.
SGT. JOHN KRIESEL, U.S. ARMY: I feel better.
FRYER: He arrived here after losing both legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq on December 2nd. Kriesel took this video on that day as his men went to check on suspicious activity near Falluja. About an hour after turning off the camera, their Humvee's left tire hit a 200-pound explosive.
KRIESEL: I got a good shrapnel wound there.
FRYER: After enduring about 25 surgeries, Kriesel spent most of December and January stuck in bed.
KRIESEL: I took a decent amount of facial trauma.
FRYER: His body battered. His once prominent muscles fading away.
KRIESEL: The lows have been lower than I've ever felt in my life.
FRYER: But time heals. And by mid-March, Sergeant Kriesel wasn't just getting out of bed. He was getting out of his wheelchair.
With the support of parallel bars, Kriesel started breaking in his new prosthetics on March 16th.
KRIESEL: Harder than it was with regular legs, that's for sure.
FRYER: This is day five with new legs. On day one, he closed down the physical therapy lab.
KRIESEL: And then finally, the lights started turning out. We were like, oh, we've got to go.
FRYER: It's milestones like that you want to share with your kids.
KRIESEL: I miss them. FRYER: But John's sons, Elijah (ph) and Broden (ph), are back home in Minnesota.
KRIESEL: Every day we talk to them, but it's still -- it's not the same.
FRYER: After all...
KRIESEL: Come over here, buddy.
FRYER: ... a conversation on the phone...
KRIESEL: Give me a smooch.
FRYER: ... is nothing compared with a kiss in person.
KRIESEL: It's good to see you, buddy.
FRYER: John and Katie's kids now visit Washington every couple weeks or so.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Smacking (ph) a purple dragon.
FRYER: And this trip...
KRIESEL: Isn't that cool?
FRYER: ... is extra special.
KRIESEL: I guess to walk again, just like I used to.
FRYER: For the first time ever, Kriesel's kids get to check out dad's bionic legs.
KRIESEL: That's my real leg in there. See?
FRYER: And that's not the only first. It's time for Sergeant Kriesel to expand his boundaries...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the first time I've seen him on a walker, too.
FRYER: ... and take a step outside the parallel bars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're doing great, man.
I can't believe he's walking. It's amazing, man. It's crazy.
KRIESEL: Thank you.
FRYER: Sergeant Kriesel may not remember the first steps of his childhood ...
KRIESEL: It feels good.
FRYER: ... but he'll never forget take his first steps for the second time.
KRIESEL: Yes, that was kind of a milestone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's amazing.
KRIESEL: So I'm kind of soaking up the moment.
FRYER: It's a milestone he sometimes doubted would come...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, you've graduated.
FRYER: ... until older, wiser amputees who volunteer at Walter Reed told him otherwise.
KRIESEL: And I was, you know, hating life. And he was the one that said it's going to get better, you know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it looks like it has.
KRIESEL: Oh, absolutely.
FRYER: Now there's only one way to get him to stop.
KRIESEL: To have my legs locked up in a room so that I can't sneak down there at night and, you know, maybe go for a run.
FRYER: Despite all the progress with his body, his mind is healing at a much slower pace.
KRIESEL: You know, still having to deal with not even the loss of my legs, but the loss of my friends.
FRYER: Those friends, Specialist Brian McDonough (ph) and Cory Risted (ph), died December 2nd. Kriesel thinks often about them and the blast that killed them.
KRIESEL: Having to live through it the one time is horrible enough, but to repeatedly have to go through, you know, that situation is miserable.
FRYER: Still, he would go back to Iraq if he could. And recently, one of his relatives did.
When more Minnesota guardsmen deployed in April, Kriesel's in- laws were in the audience...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I challenge you to continue to seek excellence.
FRYER: ... because his brother-in-law was in the sea of soldiers getting ready to leave.
This is not the first time they've sent a son to war. But in the wake of what happened to their son-in-law John...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't want to lose another child. FRYER: ... it's not easy to send off their son.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry. I want those 16 months to go by fast so we can have all our kids back.
FRYER: While one child might be leaving, another is coming home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wave! Wave!
FRYER: For the first time since losing his legs, Sergeant Kriesel is touching down on Minnesota soil.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They brought mom and dad home.
FRYER: As if his mere arrival isn't memorable enough, his mode of transportation is even more meaningful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Boy, have you mastered those.
FRYER: No walker, no parallel bars.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You guys got to be first for dad's hugs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just don't knock him over.
FRYER: Just a chance for two sons to do something most kids take for granted. And Sergeant Kriesel coming home is the biggest step yet.
KRIESEL: I think that once I actually get out and see more Minnesota license plates, and I don't get cut off by everybody on the road, then I'll realize that I'm in Minnesota.
FRYER: He will return to Washington in a couple of weeks to continue his therapy. And he has no regrets.
KRIESEL: Then you look and there's people way worse than me. There's people that are missing two legs and an arm. So, yes, I have a lot to be thankful for, you realize. You know?
FRYER: Some might think a part of Sergeant Kriesel's life ended December 2nd. But it is quite clear life for this family is just beginning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: If you're not moved by that...
ROESGEN: Yes. A really story.
LEMON: Those are -- those...
ROESGEN: And, you know, you always hear so many of those guys say, "I want to go back. If I could go back, I'd go back without my legs. I'd go back to Iraq."
LEMON: Yes. So I hope he goes on that run. I'm sure he will.
We're wishing him the very best.
ROESGEN: But not back to Iraq.
LEMON: The very best to everyone over there.
The closing bell and a wrap up of all the action on Wall Street straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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