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Memorial Day Celebrations; Helping Wounded Veterans

Aired May 26, 2007 - 17:00   ET

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


RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And cue the hats. There they go, they fly in celebration as graduating cadets celebrate at West Point. Now, duty calls, CNN's Memorial Day weekend coverage continues.
Also, on the road again, Warrior One, with a mission. I've been telling you about this one, but Bonnie Schneider's got more on it. In fact, she's standing by in Ohio. Bonnie, what's going on?

BONNIE SCHNEIDER: Well this Hummer has been refurbished from the outside in. I'm Bonnie Schneider live in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. We'll tell you how this hummer is touring the country to raise money for our veterans. Rick?

SANCHEZ: All right, thanks a lot Bonnie, we'll be looking forward to talking to you throughout the newscast.

Also, reported plans by the White House to reduce combat troops in Iraq. We are live in Washington for this appropriate story on this day. We're going to start with some developing news that we're just now getting out of Iraq. The U.S. military is now reporting five more U.S. troops have been killed today in Iraq, including three task force lightning soldiers. The information we're getting is that they were killed in an explosion and a marine killed in combat as well. That means there is a total of eight U.S. troops that have died in Iraq since Wednesday, we're sorry to report. One hundred and one U.S. forces have died just this month.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BUSH: This Memorial Day weekend Americans honor those who have given their lives in service to our nation. As we pay tribute to the brave men and women who died for our freedom, we also honor those who are defending our liberties around the world today.

(END OF AUDIO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We're here in B control, where we're going to be following a lot of these Iraq stories for you. Obviously the big story over the last couple of days has been the funding for the war. Let's get into that a little bit. President Bush signed a war funding bill stripped of the mandatory triggers for a troop withdrawal. Many of the Democrats had said they were going to put in but then at the last minute things changed. On the face of it, it almost looks like a White House victory, according to most Republicans. Both Democratic leaders though are insisting that they have changed the debate as a result of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D) HOUSE SPEAKER: Congress took a new small step in the direction of accountability that the Americans have demanded in the war in Iraq. I would have hoped for more, but it does represent a change in direction.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The direction indeed might be changing. "The New York Times" is reporting a possible U.S. troop reduction could come during the 2008 presidential campaign. CNN's Elaine Quijano has been following this development throughout the day, she's at the White House. Good afternoon, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you Rick. A senior Bush administration official I talked to wouldn't confirm or deny the details laid out in that "New York Times" report but said look, it makes sense that people right now would be looking at different kinds of scenarios. But officials here insist that it is early yet, not all of the U.S. forces, they say, are in place as part of the latest Iraq security strategy. White House spokeswoman Dana Perrino says the troop increase is meant to create the conditions that ultimately will allow U.S. troops to leave Iraq. She said in a statement quote, "We of course would like to be in a position to bring down troop levels, but certain conditions as assessed by senior military advisors and commanders on the ground need to be met to warrant that." Now come September President Bush has said he is going to be looking to the assessment of Lieutenant General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. That is going to be a major factor he has said and officials have said privately in deciding what course of action the president will take next. But according to the "The Times," General Petraeus was not even in on the discussions on that possible troop reduction plan and that would seem to suggest Rick that this particular idea is not very far along at all. Rick?

SANCHEZ: If the president does move in this direction, is it safe to say that it may be as much a political move as much as anything else, given the heat that he's been getting recently from some Republicans who have gone to visit him and said, Mr. President, we need help from you with our base.

QUIJANO: Yeah, absolutely. Republicans obviously recognize the fact that they don't want to be dealing with this when it comes time for the '08 campaigns to really get going in earnest. There is certainly that political calendar as well. At the same time the military folks, the people on the ground in Iraq, have a very different view and a very different mission. What you're seeing and what you could see something to look out for in months to come is what is likely to be that very messy intersection of political pressure and then the reality for the military folks on the ground in Iraq.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, I think you've captured it. Elaine Quijano, thanks so much for that report from the White House.

Meanwhile, the past two weeks have been absolutely agonizing for the families of two U.S. missing soldiers. They disappeared after attackers ambushed their patrol May 12th. An intense search goes on for Specialist Alex Jimenez and Private Byron Fouty. CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff has spoken now with Jimenez' mother. Here's that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The anguish of a mother worried for her son missing in Iraq.

MARIA DURAN, MOTHER OF MISSING SOLDIER: This is terrible and Alex is wonderful, wonderful son.

CHERNOFF: Maria Duran's son, 25-year-old army specialist Alex Jimenez, has been missing in Iraq since May 12th, his father's birthday. Ramon waited all day for the birthday call that never came. The Pentagon says Alex's unit was ambushed 20 miles south of Baghdad. As American forces conduct an intensive search for Alex, his family and friends hold prayer vigils every day.

DURAN: I say, God, I put my son in your hands. You have the power. You can do everything.

CHERNOFF: When the body of a third missing soldier was found earlier this week in Iraq, Maria feared it could be her son.

DURAN: When I saw the tattoos, I said, God, thank you. It's not him. It was terrible.

CHERNOFF: Family and neighbors describe Alex as mentally and physically tough, a man who grew up with the goal of joining the military.

MICHAEL VIAS, NEIGHBOR OF MISSING SOLDIER: He was kind of gung ho, you know.

CHERNOFF: Always wanted to be a soldier.

VIAS: Oh, yeah.

CHERNOFF: If Alex is being held captive, Maria Duran has a message for his kidnappers.

DURAN: Please, don't do anything bad to him. Please, please, bring me my son, Alex. I miss you, Alex.

CHERNOFF: Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: On this Memorial Day back in this country now, Vice President Dick Cheney got a standing ovation after his speech at West Point's commencement ceremony but not everybody was happy to see him there. Our own Jim Acosta explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): West Point's class of 2007 carries one unique distinction, when they started, the war in Iraq had just begun. Now their graduation, a sign of how long the conflict has lasted. In front of nearly 1,000 graduates, family and friends, Vice President Dick Cheney insisted the war is still worth the sacrifice, time and again linking Iraq and 9/11.

CHENEY: We are there because the security of this nation depends on a successful outcome. The war on terror does not have to be an endless war. But to prevail in the long run we must remove the conditions that inspire such blind, prideful hatred that drove 19 men to get on to airplanes and come to kill us on 9/11.

ACOSTA: Just outside the gates at West Point a group of more than 200 anti-war protestors accused Mr. Cheney of glossing over the realities in Iraq. The demonstrators had appealed to a federal court for the right to gather on the academy's grounds and lost.

MIKE SUSSMAN, WAR PROTESTER: Each year at graduation, West Point is used as a political tool by the powers that be trying to justify the war. They come and they try to give a defense of the war, using West Point and the cadets as a prop.

ACOSTA: But for the graduates now newly commissioned officers in the army, the war seemed half a world away. At least for the day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Graduating class of 2007, dismissed!

ACOSTA (on camera): This is no ordinary commencement ceremony. That's because these graduates aren't entering the job market, they're likely heading off to war. Since the class of 2007 entered West Point, 49 graduates of this academy have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

(voice-over): As they embrace their families, the overwhelming sense of pride gave way to some apprehension. But just barely says Lieutenant Sarah Knutson.

2ND LT. SARAH KNUTSON, WEST POINT GRADUATE: I think we're still focused right now, it hasn't quite hit you like the scary part of it. You want to get in there and start doing what you've been preparing for the past four years.

ACOSTA: Four years into the war, a fresh crop of graduates hopes it's that preparation that will also get them home, safe. Jim Acosta, CNN, West Point, New York.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Coming up -- the story of true love. Yes, the kind of love that truly has conquered all. The story in the NEWSROOM, it's coming up in about 20 minutes.

First let's go back to Bonnie, see what she's going to have for us coming up in just a little bit. How are things going, Bonnie?

SCHNEIDER: They're going great, Rick. We're going to be talking to a local family here who unfortunately has suffered a major loss.

Plus we'll tell you how the CNN hummer Warrior One is raising money to help wounded veterans. That's all coming up on CNN NEWSROOM.

SANCHEZ: Bonnie Schneider always trying to get in the driver's seat. Good for her.

Also, we're going to have pop culture and lots of it from the force to the duke to the pirates. We're going to connect all these dots for you. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: This is obviously a special Memorial Day for so many families across America. I'm Rick Sanchez here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice are being remembered around the country this Memorial Day weekend. CNN is helping to raise money for some of the wounded veterans with our Warrior One exhibit. The high-tech hummer is on display at the blossom time festival, it's in Chagrin Falls, Ohio today. And our Bonnie Schneider has been following this story for us and she's joining us from there. As a matter of fact, you were just on board a little while ago. That thing is really souped up, isn't it?

SCHNEIDER: It sure is, you're absolutely right Rick. It's an amazing vehicle. We've been here since early this morning, since about 4:00 a.m. Some of the local families have been tuning in to CNN and they decided to come down because they wanted to share their stories with us. Joining me now is Marti and David Sparks. I'm so sorry for your loss. I understand your son was killed just four weeks ago in Iraq.

MARTI SPARKS: Four weeks ago today, April 28th.

SCHNEIDER: His name is Lane Tilette.

SPARKS: Yes, Sergeant Lane Tilette.

SCHNEIDER: Can you tell us a little bit about Lane?

SPARKS: He joined late, he was 28 years old. He was with the 82nd airborne out of Ft. Bragg, 1504th parachute infantry regiment in Baghdad.

SCHNEIDER: You have some pictures to show us of him actually. I believe that's him --

SPARKS: This was a training exercise in Kuwait just before he went to Baghdad. This was his second tour in Iraq.

SCHNEIDER: He'd been there before?

SPARKS: Yes.

SCHNEIDER: I understand you have some more pictures to show us as well. This loss has been tremendous for you. Why did you want to come down to talk to us today?

DAVID SPARKS: Pardon me?

SCHNEIDER: Why did you want to come down and talk to us today?

D. SCHNEIDER: Well, Marti had seen something of it on the internet and she -- since this was kind of in connection with Iraq, she wanted to come down and take a look at the hummer.

SCHNEIDER: Marti, seeing the hummer here, we've had a lot of veterans stop by, some even from World War II that came by. Now you're standing in front of it. How does it feel for you to be here now?

M. SPARKS: It's awesome. It truly is awesome. Just everything that the guys have gone through, all the soldiers over there and that -- it's an awesome feeling and it's just contributes to all the support that all the family, friends, neighbors and strangers from all over the area have given us in the last four weeks.

SCHNEIDER: Take one more picture of your son, Lane Tilette. Thank you so much for joining us here today. We're really truly sorry for your loss this Memorial Day weekend. We will be thinking of your son and the many others unfortunately killed in the line of duty. Rick, let's go back to you.

SANCHEZ: All right, thanks so much Bonnie. Really our prayers, our thoughts are with the Sparks and so many other families around our country on this day. We'll continue our coverage focusing on just that.

Do you believe in love? If not, you will see after seeing -- you will, I should say, after seeing this amazing story of two young people facing what is an enormous challenge.

Also, travel plans over the Memorial Day weekend. We're going to be keeping track of it for you. Well, when I say "we," it's not like I have a pea in my pocket. It's more like Jacqui will because she's the one who's so good at this. Jacqui?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I sure will. The nations mid section popping up with showers and thunderstorms, isolated severe storms. We've got a tornado warning right now in Will County, Illinois, just south of Chicago. We'll tell you about that storm and the rest of your holiday weekend forecast that's coming up.

SANCHEZ: All right, thanks a lot Jacqui. Also, a little girl's account of what happened when she got mauled by two pit bulls. So now we're looking into this story. Maybe it's time for all of us to look at some lessons about making sure this doesn't happen to us or our children. Don't miss it, it's in the NEWSROOM, that's coming up in about 20 minutes. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We welcome you back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rick Sanchez. You know microchip technology has been used now in animals, pets for the most part for years. Well, now some people are starting to get into the act with implants. John Bachman of Florida affiliate WPEC has this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is kind of a dangerous job. There is a lot of cops getting in accidents.

JOHN BACHMAN, WPEC (voice-over): That's why Palm Beach County Sheriff's Sergeant Mike Tranchant doesn't want to take any chances in case he has to come to the emergency room. He has no family nearby and no one doctors can call with questions about his medical history. So he volunteered to be the first sheriff's deputies to get a verichip, it's the same technology used to track lost pets. But doctors say it has even more potential for humans with a simple wave of this device.

DAVID SORIA, DOCTOR: We now know everything about the patient from the standpoint of their medical history, the medicines that they're on, their allergies, potentially old EKGs and so on, versus knowing nothing.

BACHMAN: Only patients and doctors can access the information kept in an encrypted database. Only the patient can change their medical history information.

(on camera): As you just heard, doctors say there are a lot of advantages to this little microchip, especially here in the emergency room. But there are still folks out there who say this is controversial and a microchip doesn't belong in a human being's body.

(voice-over): Two weeks ago people demonstrated against implanting the chips in Alzheimer's patients. Other critics say putting microchips in humans is unethical and a sin. So Sergeant Tranchant says it helps him and other first responders feel safer while on patrol.

SGT. MIKE TRANCHANT, PALM BEACH CO. SHERIFF'S OFFICE: This medical device, if I'm unconscious or in an accident and come to the hospital, they can scan me and know all my medical history. I want to get the word out to other cops about this chip, that it's right here for us.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Buffalo saying bye-bye to an old building. We show you these because we can. In fact, let's see it again. Amazing. Isn't that just amazing how they can do that? I mean an implosion it's all done from inside the building, no harm around it. This is downtown Buffalo, by the way, Buffalo, New York of course. The blast, the crash, enough to scare a few people out of their beds in the nearby hospital, the old medical office building came down pretty quickly. No current plans to put anything else there in its place, for now. I'm sure eventually the realtors will come knocking.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: She loves him, she loves him, she loves him, she loves him. I was supposed to say that three times. There is a reason for that, you see. It's a real love conquers all story and it's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

And then this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he got my cheek then they were dragging me off the sidewalk. They were dragging me everywhere.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: A little girl describes her terrifying encounter with two dogs. All the details on this one are coming up in just 10 minutes.

We call them CNN heroes, they're ordinary people, perhaps your friends or your neighbors, who are doing some extraordinary things for others. So we dedicate a part of many of our newscasts to them because of that. Our CNN hero today is Dr. Randy Christiansen. This Arizona doctor doesn't simply take new patients, he goes out and he finds them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I was 10 years old I decided I'm going to run away from home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been on the streets from 12 until 20.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, its scary living on the streets. There are so many drugs and there's violence.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I sleep in an abandoned house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I live in a shack.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was taken away from my parents when I was like 10 years old.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My dad dropped me off at a dumpster. He told me don't even think about going back home.

[ bells tolling ]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are as many as 5 to 10,000 kids on the streets of Arizona. We turn our heads, we don't look at them in their eyes. Many of the kids are truly forgotten. I'm Dr. Randy Christiansen, I'm a medical director for the cruise and health mobile. We take care of kids on the streets through a medical mobile van. Everything that would be in a regular doctor's office is on the van. All of the kids that are seen by us are seen free of charge. I've never really been about the money. I went to medical school thinking that I was going to be a surgeon. But everything that made me stop and think had to do with children and adolescents. I chose to come out on the streets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dr. Christiansen makes it to where people actually want to come back and actually want to get help.

CHRISTIANSEN: We pull up in the van and within five to ten minutes there is 20 or 30 kids coming out of every different alley or different street. You get out there and you see some of these kids and you talk to them and you give them a little bit of dignity and respect. And all of a sudden they open up, it's like a light bulb goes on and they want to talk and they want to tell you their story. Let me listen to you, I think you might have pneumonia. Take a deep breath. They still have that gleam of hope in their eyes. It's that hope that gives you hope. And at the very end they give you a big hug and they say "thank you," and that means the most to me.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: It's not about the money, you heard him say. If you'd like to make a contribution to organizations that support Dr. Randy Christiansen and what he does you'll find links to their website on ours, at cnn.com/heroes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Ah, we missed them throwing it up! We got the good part. They're still coming down. Hats off to the latest graduates of the U.S. military academy at West Point, New York. Giving today's commencement speech was Vice President Dick Cheney, who told the 978 new army officers that there is no policy of retreat when it comes to fighting the war on terror. Those are Mr. Cheney's words.

American lives lost to terrorism were remembered today at Chicago's annual Memorial Day parade. Long considered the country's largest observance, the parade honoring the lives of service members killed in Iraq, Vietnam and of course both World Wars. Thousands lined the streets despite the less than perfect weather they had to experience today.

One hallmark of the Iraq war has been horrific, disfiguring wounds. The product of indiscriminant weapons of terror. CNN's Keith Oppenheim has the story of one U.S. Marine whose war wounds have met their match in the healing power of love.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They walk arm- in-arm, arguing about what car to buy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can we get a different color?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. This is what we're doing, Renee.

OPPENHEIM: They talk about the future, having children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I definitely want to wait until we get into the new house and get settled in there.

OPPENHEIM: In one sense, Ty and Renee Ziegel would seem like a typical couple, just two kids from small towns in Illinois, who fell in love. But they're not typical. Two years ago when Ty was serving in the marines on his second tour of duty in Iraq, his vehicle was struck by a suicide bomber.

TY ZIEGEL, WOUNDED MARINE: It was just one second I'm there and then the next second it felt like just getting -- just getting hit in the face.

OPPENHEIM: This is his face now. Burned so severely that anyone who looked at Ty might not know it was him, including his fiance. What did he look like when you first saw him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't recognize him. I didn't want to believe that that was actually him.

ZIEGEL: I saw myself in the mirror, and I didn't really know it was me until I kind of moved my arm and I realized that it was a mirror.

OPPENHEIM: At first, doctors at the Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio didn't think Ty would survive. His left arm was amputated, part of his brain removed, in all, more than 30 surgeries and nearly 19 months of recovery. Through it all, Renee stayed right by the hospital at Fisher House. The organization that provides housing and support to the war wounded and their families. She never lost hope.

RENEE ZIEGEL, TY'S WIFE: I always thought in my heart that he was going to make it because he knows if he doesn't make it I'm going to kick his ass. When I die I'm going to come back and haunt him. So, that was just how I looked at it, like he's not going to leave me because he knows I'm going to kill him if he does.

OPPENHEIM: Because you love him?

R. ZIEGEL: Um-hmm.

OPPENHEIM: The love was returned. This past October, Ty and Renee were married.

R. ZIEGEL: He's still the same person. He has things different about him now on the outside, but he's still the same.

T. ZIEGEL: We joke a lot, but I'm pretty sure I'm the lucky one. I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have her there.

OPPENHEIM: As they start their life together, Ty and Renee Ziegel are unsure about jobs, schooling, how they'll make a living. But they are sure that the wounds of war and a changed face will not change the depth of their love. Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Washington, Illinois.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: A story that really tells it all. Doesn't it? This Memorial Day weekend turn your frequent flyer miles into hero miles to help other people like Ty at Fisher House. Because Fisher House will then use those miles to transport servicemen and women wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families to some of the treatment centers around the country that sometimes they can ill-afford. It is so simple, just go to fisherhouse.org to find out how you can donate your frequent flyer miles and to find a list of the airlines that are going to match your contributions. In other words, if you do 5, they'll do 5. You do 500, they'll do 500. And they're doing that match this weekend.

A 7-year-old Pennsylvania girl is out of the hospital after being viciously mauled by two pit bulls. The little girl is talking about the attack. We get this story now from reporter Melissa Batulis of CNN affiliate WFMZ in Reading, Pennsylvania.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BATULIS, WFMZ (on camera): The sign in the window of the dog owner's home warns of guard dogs. But 7-year-old Erin Dickenson was just playing here on Maple Street just a couple of blocks from her home when she was attacked. Now the humane society is taking measures to make sure that what happened to Erin doesn't happen to anyone else.

ERIN DICKINSON, DOG ATTACK VICTIM: And the dogs came outside and they started running after my brother. Then I got in the middle of it. I jumped in and then they started running after me.

BATULIS (voice-over): What happened next was a nightmare.

DICKINSON: They got my cheek and they were dragging me off the sidewalk. They were dragging me everywhere.

BATULIS: Erin's next memory is waking up at Redding Hospital with 18 stitches in her face and more on her leg. The two pit bull mixes were euthanized by humane officers and the owner charged. Dickinson is the latest victim of a pit-bull attack.

DYLAN HECKHART, BERKS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY: Very near to the 30-bite mark already and it's only May.

BATULIS: If the city sees more than 30 victims it will reinstate the dangerous dog ordinance. In light of this recent incident, humane officers are responding with a licensing sweep through the city, looking for proper tags and rabies shots and citing owners on the spot.

HECKHART: It will be a block-by-block measure, much like Redding Police's weed and seed operations.

BATULIS: As for Erin she says she feels ok, and even went to visit her friends at school after she left the hospital. DICKINSON: Some people said "I hope you get better."

BATULIS (on camera): If the city's dangerous dog ordinance is brought back into effect, owners of pit bulls could face licensing fees of up to $500 and be forced to muzzle their dogs in public. In Redding, Melissa Batulis, 69 News.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: More than 4.5 million people a year are bitten by supposedly man's best friend. Of course not when you're being bitten do you call them that. 400,000 children need medical attention because of it. Now what makes a dog attack? And how do you avoid a scenario where a dog comes after you or your children? There are actually some real good tips that we all should take heed of. Especially after seeing a report like the one that Melissa just filed. We'll have it for you, stay with us. We'll bring you that in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Somewhat lost in the war on terror is the battle of the bulge that's being fought within the U.S. military. Dr. Sanjay Gupta gives us now the skinny on the navy's war on obesity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The mantra of the navy is honor, courage and commitment. And now more than ever a commitment to health and fitness. The military has always set certain standards for their men and women in uniform and the navy is no exception. Those who fail their physical assessment evaluations could end up here. 22-year-old Benjamin Spencer landed in the fitness enhancement program, structured to help sailors who struggled to get back in shape. It includes cardio, strength training and nutrition classes.

PETTY OFFICER BENJAMIN SPENCER, U.S. NAVY: There's a lack of motivation there for a little while. I've always been very heavily involved in working out. I was a football player when I was in high school. But I just kind of lost a little bit of motivation and I'm really trying to get back into it.

GUPTA: A sailor can only fail the physical fitness test three times in a four-year period. While the sailors are in the program, they're in limbo. They can't advance in their career and there are no pay increases. So it's a strong motivation to get in shape. 38-year- old chief petty officer Earnest Dorsey found himself in the program after his commanding officer challenged him to lower his body fat score. The maximum allowed is 22 percent. He came in at 24 percent. He changed his lifestyle, eating healthier and working out more and he lost 35 pounds in less than six months. He says the military has physical fitness challenges, especially obesity, that weren't as much of a problem at the time he enlisted.

CHIEF PETTY OFFICER ERNEST DORSEY, U.S. NAVY: When I came in 20 years ago until now, we were more active as young folks it now a days we're in a different type of world, computer world, and things like that. So when they come in, physical fitness is not part of the routine.

GUPTA: Captain Rick Cline of the Naval Air Station in Atlanta wants to create a culture of fitness and renewed readiness.

CAPT. RICK CLINE, U.S. NAVY: Our goal is not to make it something that just lasts as long as they're wearing the uniform but to make it something that they will carry on for the rest of their life.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We showed you that report just moments ago and you know, it's serious enough to see what happens when a dog goes after someone. You saw that little girl describing her scenario out of Detroit. Well, did you know that dogs actually bite more than 4 1/2 million people each year? A lot of them are children. Some of the attacks can end up fatal. Susan Feingold is joining us now, she's wrapping up things for us here with national dog bite prevention week. So, we're going to do our part, executive director of the Fulton County Animal Control in Atlanta. Got that right?

SUSAN FEINGOLD, FULTON COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL: That's right.

SANCHEZ: I was reading in the research that pit bulls do a lot of the damage. Why pit bulls? Is it any one breed that's worse than the others?

FEINGOLD: In Atlanta it is pit bulls that bite more often.

SANCHEZ: Probably not just Atlanta but we see reports all over the country. Is it because it's a pit bull or it because it was trained to be nasty?

FEINGOLD: It can be both. Pit bulls were bred to take down bulls, and a lot of people around here don't exactly treat their pets well or sometimes actually breed them for aggression to fight with other dogs. So sometimes it can be that. Pit bulls tend to have a strong prey drive. Animals with strong prey drives sometimes will chase and attack children.

SANCHEZ: So it's fair to say that if you see a pit bull you have to be a little more cautious than if you see another dog, you would say that as an expert?

FEINGOLD: I would say that but I would say for especially children to be cautious approaching any dog they don't know.

SANCHEZ: First of all, a child probably should not approach any dog that they don't know, right? FEINGOLD: That's completely correct, they should not approach any dog they don't know. Even a dog that's with the owner, they should ask the owner first for permission to pet it before they do.

SANCHEZ: And dogs like to chase, especially children. For some reason they see them as toys. Even good dogs will chase a child, knock it down. The child will get hurt even if they don't bite it. So, lesson is, don't run from a dog, right?

FEINGOLD: Don't run from a dog. Don't scream and run from a dog. If you see a dog and you feel like it might be chasing you, especially with children, you should stand still like a tree and look down. Don't make the eye contact with the dog.

SANCHEZ: Stand still like a tree and look down.

FEINGOLD: Absolutely.

SANCHEZ: Why not make eye contact with the dog? I thought that was an old wise tale, but I guess it's true.

FEINGOLD: No, it's true, it's true. Dominant dogs want to assert their dominance and if you look them directly in the eye sometimes they feel it's a threat and so it's just best just to look down.

SANCHEZ: It's interesting you used the word dominant because we have a dog, and everything that we've been trained to do is be dominant. The dog is not dominant, you're dominant over the dog. Whenever you see an aggressive dog it's because for the most part someone hasn't trained that dog right.

FEINGOLD: That's part of it, definitely. There's also some dogs that have an innate aggressive nature, they just are born that way.

SANCHEZ: Well then you shouldn't have -- that dog shouldn't be in a neighborhood living with other people, correct?

FEINGOLD: I agree. If they have consulted a trainer and they can't train the aggression out of it or if they're not willing to, then they should do the right thing, which is take it to a vet and have it humanely euthanized because it's a liability and can cause severe bites.

SANCHEZ: I was told, and correct me if I'm wrong, that there is a good test. If your dog doesn't let you touch his food when he's eating and growls and acts like he's going to bite at you, that's not good. You've got an aggressive dog or the tendencies toward aggression. Correct?

FEINGOLD: Yes and no. There is times when dogs will sometimes growl at you if you do that. First of all, don't ever have a child try that test, ever. But if you do, do that that is something that can normally be trained. With a trainer you can normally fix that problem. I personally growing up had a German Sheppard that at first would growl at us when we would do that. We completely trained him and he never caused us a problem. So it's a matter of putting the effort forth to fix the problem.

SANCHEZ: But the key is what we agreed on, dominance belongs to the owner, the master

FEINGOLD: The owner should be the dominant person, absolutely.

SANCHEZ: All right, thanks so much. Executive director of the Fulton County Animal Control, Susan Feingold. Thanks for being with us.

FEINGOLD: Thank you for having me.

SANCHEZ: Luke Skywalker, Hans Solo, the sand people, you still with me? "Star Wars," ladies and gentlemen, that's what we're going to be talking about. Fans of the force are packing into L.A. More crowded than that bar at the space port city of -- whatever. Still with me? The "Star Wars" celebration straight ahead. Why do they do this? And they're in costume, many of them. We'll be back.

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SANCHEZ: Oh, he's right there. Hey, thousands of "Star Wars" fans, old and new, have gathered not too far away. They're in Los Angeles to mark the 30th anniversary of the film's U.S. release. L.A. looks like little tatwine today. Also, Duke would have turned 100 today, we're talking about the actor, the legend John Wayne. And we're going to talk about the lasting impact of both the movie and the man as well as the summer movie season with entertainment reporter Tom O'Neil.

Now, I said we're going to do all that, but I was just told by producer we have 2 1/2 minutes so let's try and go as fast as we possibly can. You know that shot when you see the beginning of "Star Wars," the starships going over you and it like fills the screen? Didn't you as soon as you saw that you knew movies would never again be the same?

TOM O'NEIL, IN TOUCH WEEKLY: Oh I know, yes. This thing is a masterpiece, Rick. It is great adventure, a great love story. Wonderful music. It still is, by the way, the second top grossing movie of all time behind "Titanic."

SANCHEZ: But would you ever put on a costume to go to one of these?

O'NEIL: Oh, if I got drunk enough maybe. And let's not write that up. No, it brings out the child in all of us. It's one of those rare, rare great movies that redefined other movies.

SANCHEZ: I don't know. Are they geeky? Are they trekky? What would you call them?

O'NEIL: They're geeky. But you know what this was? It was the first movie that took us into outer space where it was from the young people's point of view. You know it was Flash Gordon movies before that, it was the old guys against the tough aliens. But this is a younger generation.

SANCHEZ: Let's talk about John Wayne because he would have been 100 years old today. Did you know? Here's a guy, interestingly enough, who really did transform things as well in a much different way, right? Much more primitively, should we say?

O'NEIL: Yes. And he was born not so macho by the way with the name Marion Morrison in Iowa, the son of a pharmacist.

SANCHEZ: That wouldn't have worked.

O'NEIL: No it wouldn't have worked at all. But he holds the record today as the star who was the leading man in more movies than anyone else, 142. He is the definitive Hollywood icon.

SANCHEZ: Here's a question, are there any John Waynes today? Can you think of a parallel?

O'NEIL: No, I really -- he was so legendary as a person and as an actor, I think he was the end of his own breed.

SANCHEZ: But he wasn't that great an actor, was he?

O'NEIL: No, he really wasn't, no, no. He was a character.

SANCHEZ: Exactly.

O'NEIL: And he embodied this genre of westerns which is so important in our culture.

SANCHEZ: Final question, Shrek, "Spider-Man," "Pirates. All of these things going to be winners?

O'NEIL: They all are. "Shrek" is already the top grossing opener movie for animated films. "Spider-man 3" set the record for the biggest Friday opening ever. And now "Pirates" just set the record for the biggest Memorial Day weekend ever. These movies are topping each other one after another.

SANCHEZ: Tom O'Neil, thanks so much for being with us.

O'NEIL: Thanks.

SANCHEZ: Go have a cocktail and get dressed up in a costume or something.

O'NEIL: Ok, off camera.

SANCHEZ: Thanks.

The war in Iraq from a unique perspective. A marine song straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

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SANCHEZ: We thank you for spending part of your Memorial Day weekend with us. Tonight two specials, "Combat Hospital" at 8:00 p.m. eastern. You're going to see the frantic fight to save the lives of wounded troops inside a Baghdad ER. Then at 10:30 p.m. eastern, "Chopper Down." They were military professionals but they were also sons, daughters, husbands, fathers, friends. An incident that started in Iraq ended in hometowns around the country.

First we leave you though with a song and some pictures from another world. On other days, courtesy of Marine Mike Carotto from Camp Fallujah. This is from Iraq. We'll see you later.

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