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Joplin Honors Tornado Victims; "Rolling Thunder" Ride and Rally ; New Book on How to Define Success; Joplin Residents Say Weather Service Estimates of Tornado Path too Low; Saints Ride into War with Troops
Aired May 29, 2011 - 16:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to Joplin, Missouri and a memorial service has just ended there. CNN White House correspondent Dan Lothian has been traveling with the president. The president making these remarks after leaving his six-day journey abroad and now focusing on domestic issues here and making a very stern promise to the people there of Joplin that they will not be forgotten, that the federal government will be there every step of the way.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And you heard the president tie in that international trip to this event as well when he talked about how as he was traveling throughout Europe, that various world leaders would pass along message to essentially the message essentially to thank the people of Joplin, Missouri for their courage. They have been watching the situation here on the ground.
And as you pointed out, the president did have words of comfort for many of the people who attended this memorial service here today. The president pointing out some of the touching emotional stories of strangers helping strangers throughout this disaster, of people giving their lives in order to save their co-workers, but the main theme again from the president, what we heard earlier when he was on the ground touring some of the devastated areas and then here at the memorial service is that the federal government will not abandon the people of Joplin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's no doubt in my mind that Joplin will rebuild. And as president I can promise you, your country will be there with you every single step of the way. We will be with you every step of the way. We're not going anywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LOTHIAN: The president also had a message for people outside of this area all across the country and around the world saying that they should help many of the organizations that are providing shelter, food, water, water and other supplies for those who have lost everything such as the Red Cross. The president says that this is a time for people to get engaged and help out.
I should point out that what you are watching now is all of the people filing out of that memorial service. The capacity inside was over 2,000 people, but they had an overflow section of the building right in front of me here, so at some point they had to cut it off, and hundreds more went to the overflow section. So certainly a lot of people wanting to take part in this memorial service today.
And one other note, lining the pathway here from the hardest hit area were thousands of people who were really showing a strong force of hope, waving signs that said "God Bless Joplin," waving American flags. That's the spirit that you see here. Yes, there is a lot of pain. There are some people who are still missing, but there's also a lot of hope. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Dan Lothian, thanks so much. Appreciate that from Joplin, Missouri. And of course, we are also going to check back in Joplin, Missouri as the people are picking up the pieces there and still trying to recover more than 40 people that remain missing.
Meantime we are also going to take you to the nation's capital. It's an annual right, Memorial Day weekend paying homage to our fallen heroes, to those missing in action and those prisoners of war. A live report from the nation's capital, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: And after an annual Memorial Day event in Washington that raises awareness of POWs and MIAs, it's the roll be thunder motorcycle ride and rally. CNN's Sandra Endo is live at the National Mall where the rally is wrapping up right about now. So what was the turnout like, Sandra?
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, I can tell you that organizers say every year this event grows bigger and bigger. This is the 24th annual rolling thunder ride for freedom. They are worried about next year how they can accommodate everyone for the 25th anniversary. But this year thousands have bikers, as usual, come out for this Memorial Day event and, of course, they are trying to put the spotlight and keep the spotlight on the effort to make sure the POWs and those missing in action are paid attention and that their mission is not forgotten but new this year and special this year is that Secretary Gates, Robert Gates talked to the people here as well as Joint Chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen and addressed the crowd.
They both reaffirmed their commitment to the mission and Secretary Gates says that everyone has to be accounted for or else their efforts will not be put to rest. So they are certainly reaffirming the mission at hand. That's certainly something the people here wanted to hear this Memorial Day as they move forward. And interesting to note also the Defense Secretary says this is his last memorial day in his position, so certainly he paid a big thank you to all of those people serving in the military and who have served in the past. Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: And, Sandra, there were others there, too, not necessarily speaking there at the podium along with Secretary Gates, but one notable individual who may or may not be running for president.
ENDO: That's right, Fredericka. You are talking about former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a possible presidential contender. She rode in with the group from the Pentagon to the National Mall on the back of a motorcycle. As you mentioned, she did not speak to the crowd on stage, but we did catch up with her when she arrived here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Oh, out here to support our vets. And making sure that Americans don't forget.
(INAUDIBLE)
ENDO: Are you advertising this event at all?
PALIN: Heck no, does it look like I am? I'm an American. I have no title. I have no office. And to be an American citizen with the freedom to come out here and assemble and thank our veterans, I can't tell you how honored I am that I can participate.
ENDO: What about this last tour?
PALIN: The last tour is to get out there and remind Americans about our foundation. (INAUDIBLE) constitutions and the historical sites that should be a reminder every day to every American by how important it is to stand strong on our foundation and build upon it. So it made us the greatest country on earth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENDO: And "Rolling Thunder" says it's a nonpartisan, nonpolitical group. It would welcome any American regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum. Fred?
WHITFIELD: Sandra Endo, thanks so much on the National Mall.
All right. Crowds are packing public spaces in Belgrade, Serbia today. They are showing their support for a man accused of genocide.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Take a look at this crowd gathered right now in Belgrade, Serbia, the capital. It looks festive, smile, music but these people are supporters of Ratko Mladic. He is the former Bosnian Serb general arrested a few days ago on genocide and war crimes charges dating back to the Balkan civil war. Many people in Serbia still consider Mladic a war hero.
All right. Staying overseas now, let's talk about the uprising in Yemen and some very disturbing pictures coming into the CNN NEWSROOM today. Ralitsa Vasileva is here from CNN International to bring us an update on the all that's taking place.
RALITSA VASILEVA, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes, we just received some very disturbing pictures from the southern city of Taizz in Yemen where security sources allegedly have been using live ammunition and you can actually see this. We don't have reporters there on the ground, Fred, so we are relying on eyewitness.
Take a look at this video. Let's take it in. Let's watch.
Dozens of people have been injured. That's according to witnesses from Taizz when security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters. They say there were tens of thousands in the streets. We can't confirm that. They belong mostly to the youth revolutionary movement which wanted to begin a march through the streets. Security forces tried to prevent them by starting to shoot live ammunition at them. Trying to disperse them.
When they couldn't disperse them, protesters started throwing rocks. You see blood on this what appears to be a protester.
WHITFIELD: And so what is the response from any government officials or anyone any one in terms of what precipitated this? How people are doing on the ground?
VASILEVA: Well, we know very little. There has been - the government is involved in another fight in the capital Sanaa with a very powerful tribe which has turned against the President Saleh who is resisting a lot of pressure, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people on the streets since February who want him to step out after 33 years in office. There have been several mediation that have failed, in which he backs out at the last moment. The last one failed in the last week.
WHITFIELD: Agreed in principle and then went nowhere.
VASILEVA: Yes. And that's when this powerful tribe rose against him. There's been fighting in the capital as well.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness.
VASILEVA: But the most troubling thing was another development today, again in the south, in which a key city, was the main streets in that key city were ceased by Islamic militants. And Yemen is very important in the fight against Al Qaeda. It has the most active, the most dangerous cell of Al Qaeda there.
WHITFIELD: We are talking about a very small country.
VASILEVA: Very poor. Very little room for this kind of strife.
WHITFIELD: Yes. But it is permeating the country.
VASILEVA: Yes. And counter terrorism efforts have stopped because the president has pulled out his security forces from the south where the hot bed of Al Qaeda is to battle protests against his government. So there's huge concern about this.
WHITFIELD: Very worrisome in that region. Ralitsa Vasileva, thanks so much. Appreciate that.
VASILEVA: You're welcome.
WHITFIELD: All right. A woman facing a daunting task looking for her missing grandmother amid the rubble of an EF-5 tornado. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TABITHA FREEMAN, LOOKING FOR GRANDMOTHER: That's the bathroom, and that's - they always say the safest place to be is in the bathroom. Looks, it's just - even if she would have been in there, she wouldn't have made it because it's collapsed on itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Our Jacqui Jeras was there in Joplin as this search continued. What happened? Next, that story in two minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: It has been a real struggle identifying the victims killed when that massive tornado slammed into Joplin, Missouri. Right now, there are still 44 people unaccounted for. Our Jacqui Jeras helped one woman tried to find her grandmother.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREEMAN: Before I was told that there was no body found in the rubble and that they had seen an elderly woman digging through the rubble but they don't know where she went, you know. I can't look at her anywhere.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Tabitha Freeman has been trying for days to locate her 67-year-old grandmother, Ellen. She lived here on Pitcher Street where the homes are so demolished, they have to be identified with spray paint on the sidewalk.
FREEMAN: That's the bathroom. They always say the safest place to be is in the bathroom. And, look, it's just - even if she would have been in there, she wouldn't have made it because it's collapsed on itself.
JERAS: Tabitha drove to Joplin from Oklahoma hoping to get answers after not being able to contact nearby relatives and trying online services.
FREEMAN: I still have a lot of friends and family and everybody here in Joplin (INAUDIBLE), you know. I mean, I know a lot of people are missing loved ones.
JERAS: Earlier, I met neighbor Aaron Cole who says he knows almost everyone on the block.
AARON COLE, Yes, she is alive. Miss Cook, she got stuck in her basement door, she's all right too. I did know that Ms. Freeman, she did make it too. She's in the hospital somewhere.
FREEMAN: OK. Well, that will make it easier to find her.
JERAS: We called Freeman Hospital in Joplin to see if she was there. She wasn't. In the confusion, immediately following the tornado, the records show that she was transferred to three different hospitals. We were ready to try them all.
(on camera): Yes. I'm looking for a possible patient. Ellen Freeman. I do. Thank you very much. She's in room 612 in Arkansas.
(voice-over): Grandma Ellen Freeman was found OK and resting in an Arkansas hospital.
FREEMAN: Is Ellen Freeman in this room? OK. This is her granddaughter, and I just now figured out where she's at. OK. No, that's fine. As long as I know where she's at now.
JERAS: Tabitha says she plans to get to know her grandmother better now.
FREEMAN: It's sad to say it takes this. You know make you realize, you know, you don't really have all that long because you never know when it's going to end. You know, I mean, for all I knew, she could have been crushed or, you know, died or something.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And so Jacqui, what is the latest now?
JERAS: Well, her grandma has had a couple of surgeries, we know. She's still in the hospital in Arkansas, but she's OK. Too weak to be able to talk to her, so they haven't been able to communicate quite yet.
WHITFIELD: Wow, extraordinary. And that's how difficult it is for a lot of people to connect. Clearly, they don't know where to begin. You obviously will go to the place of residence, look through debris.
JERAS: Right.
WHITFIELD: And you don't know whether someone has been transported. We heard the president say earlier that people were using their pickup trucks to transfer people like ambulances.
JERAS: Yes, it really gives you an idea of the chaos that was going on in the minutes immediately following the tornado. You know, she may have been sent to three different hospitals. We don't know where she may have been planning on sending her to one and then that one was full and didn't work out and then sent her to another one and, you know, cell phones were out, so she had relatives in town but she couldn't get a hold of them to know how they were doing. You know, it's been difficult for a lot of people. So many of those people say that waiting has been the worst part and the not knowing.
And so it was nice to have a happy story out of this one because that has not been the case for unfortunately so many people.
WHITFIELD: Indeed. And really this entire year has been a devastating one. Already a record breaking one that there have been so many more deadly tornadoes in the year of 2011 already compared to 1953. JERAS: It really is. You know, it's amazing to think that anyone survived out of this tornado. I mean, Fredericka, I have seen a lot of tornado damage, but I have never seen anything like this. I mean you will hear about one house is fine, one house is not fine. This was like a lawn mower went through this town. Every single house in the path of this tornado was damaged. Every single tree was broken off. I mean, there was maybe part of a wall standing on some of these homes, so it just devastated everything there.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jacqui, thanks so much. And thanks for bringing their story as well.
All right. This Memorial Day one country music duo wants to remind you to honor our military veterans. Montgomery Gentry has traveled to Germany, Kuwait and Iraq to entertain soldiers. Impact your world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, we are Montgomery Gentry, and we can make an impact for our troops.
We love to entertain our heroes and let them know how much we do love them and miss them when they are overseas.
This is the greatest country in the world. We can say and be and dream as big as we want to in this great country. And you know, we don't give enough for our American heroes.
Join the movement, "Impact your World." Cnn.com/impact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And of course there are many ways to impact your world. And if you want to help people in the recent tornado outbreaks, just go to cnn.com/impact and see the various organizations that will accept your donations.
So if you are at home stewing about work when you should be out playing, perhaps, the key may be in our happiness. Career tips in two minutes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SGT. JEANETTE DEFOREST, U.S. ARMY: My name is Sergeant Jeanette Deforest. I am stationed here in Baghdad, Iraq with the 25th ID Tropic Lightning (ph). I would like to wish all my family and friends back in Buffalo, New York, a happy Memorial Day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, FORMER HOST, OPRAH: This is what I was called to do. What I know for sure from this experience with you is that we all are called. Everybody has a calling. And your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it. Every time we have seen a person on this stage who is a success in their life, they spoke of the joy, and they spoke of the juice that they received from doing what they knew they were meant to be doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: After 25 years of her own success, Oprah Winfrey leaves her show, encouraging others to follow their passion, their calling, which brings me to our "Reclaim Career" segment. How do you define success or do you let success define you in your life?
Valorie Burton is the author of "Where Will You Go from Here"?, a new book to be released next month. We have got her right now.
Talk about five new ways to look at success, because everyone does define it differently.
VALORIE BURTON, AUTHOR & LIFE COACH: Yes. We do all define it differently. I love that intro during her finale. It was amazing. But for most people, they go after success and often they find a bit of emptiness. And there's a big difference between being fulfilled and being successful. One of the ways you have to redefine it is to say, what fulfills me, what brings me joy, what allows me to tap into my purpose.
WHITFIELD: And beyond that you need to, I guess, aim for excellence, you say.
BURTON: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Because we all measure success differently, some people define success as it's money, some by fulfillment. You say, for one, aim for excellence.
BURTON: Yes, aim for excellence and not just success. We have all heard the cliche of it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. But that is so true. And in our really busy hectic lives, a lot of times we are just flying by the seat of our pants. And we never really delve deep to be in flow and to be truly engaged in what we are doing.
WHITFIELD: We're here and now.
BURTON: That's right. To live in the moment and be the best you can be in this moment, and that leads you to that next moment. That leads to more success.
WHITFIELD: You say, measure by your standards, not society's. But, oh, my gosh, isn't that so hard?
BURTON: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Isn't that one of the biggest battles? BURTON: Our culture defines what success is. It's very external. It's the titles you have, the money, where do you work, who do you work for, all of those things. You have to say, how will I define it for me. And I say look at those key areas of your life, your career, your work, your relationships, your health, your spiritual life, and have one measure in each area that you can look at and say, yes, I'm on track.
WHITFIELD: What's my impact? That's the question you are asking yourself. We are talking about Oprah at the very beginning and she talks about her calling being to serve, and you're saying, what is my impact.
BURTON: Yes, we all --
WHITFIELD: How am I making a difference?
BURTON: How am I making a difference? We all want to make a contribution, and one of the best questions you can ask to understand your purpose is how is someone's life better when they cross my path? And whether it's in your job specifically, or it's about who you encounter on the job, you want to make sure that you're making some kind of a contribution that's meaningful to you.
WHITFIELD: And then is my success making a difference for me.
BURTON: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
So this is about saying, you know what, am I better or am I bitter? When I go through the challenges of life, when I go through the difficulties, am I becoming the kind of person that can accomplish the vision that I want to accomplish. Because if we grow through things and don't just go through them, we find ourselves expanding and being able to have greater levels of success in the future.
WHITFIELD: Wow. Very inspiring. Valorie Burton -- that's why you have the book.
(LAUGHTER)
Author of "Where Will You Go from Here"?
Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
BURTON: Thanks so much.
WHITFIELD: And not just a book but several books.
(LAUGHTER)
This being the latest. She's amazing. She's just on fire all the time.
BURTON: Thank you. WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Valorie.
All right, Joplin misery. Locals say weather service estimates of how long that tornado was on the ground are wrong, they say. Our Casey Wian measures the destruction from beginning to end.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A moving and uplifting service for the people of Joplin, Missouri. Hundreds packed the auditorium at Missouri State University last hour where President Barack Obama paid tribute to the victims of last Sunday's tornado. He praised the city for its spirit and praised that city for staying together through those fierce winds and all this devastation. And he said the disaster was a national tragedy that deserved a national response. His promise, that the country would be there every step of the way was greeted by cheers, standing ovation, and tears.
There is a dispute today over just how long last week's deadly tornado stayed on the ground. The National Weather Services says it cut a six-mile swath against Joplin, but locals say it was on the ground much longer than that.
Casey Wian traces the tornado's path from beginning to end.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Show us the initial damage from the tornado.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Initially, there was little trees starting through there and the stuff over here. That's the trailer, the business here, a working trailer.
WIAN: So this is ground zero of the Joplin tornado, and we are going to drive its entire length from west to east to get a good picture of just how widespread the damage was.
Here's the first downed power line, major electrical transmission lines. One reason much of Joplin is without electrical power.
So less than a mile into our journey, you see the first homes that have lost part of their roofs. You can see over on this house a sign warning looters will be shot.
We can see some of the power company crews who are working on repairing these downed electrical lines. That will be vital to this area's recovery.
We are now about three miles into our journey, and you can see behind me that, by the time the tornado got here, it destroyed almost everything in its path, including one of the iconic images of this disaster, St. John's Hospital.
Now about four miles into the path of the tornado, this is where we first came just hours after it hit and spoke with a family who was trying to salvage what they could, despite a driving rain and hail storm. JAMES BLACKWOOD, TORNADO SURVIVOR: It was just starting off with hail, I'm used to that. Then it just went insane afterwards.
WIAN: Here is the collapsed Home Depot where we first met 17-year-old Aundrea Osborn, who was desperately searching for her father.
AUNDREA OSBORN, LOST FATHER IN TORNADO: My dad and my uncle are in there and I'm hoping and praying to God they are OK.
WIAN (voice-over): Turned out they were buried in that rubble.
(on camera): So we are now about seven miles to the east of where the tornado first touched down. As you can see, there's still lots of damage here. So those original estimates of six miles on the ground are way too conservative.
This is where Jim and Stacy Richards lived. Stacey survived the tornado by hanging on to two dog crates as her home collapse around and on top of her.
STACY RICHARDS, TORNADO SURVIVOR: That was awful. Laying there screaming and screaming and screaming and -- it was horrible.
WIAN: This week, they got that insurance settlement so they can rebuild.
How far east did it go?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not sure. I know there's damage over on the next section.
WIAN: We are now almost exactly 12 miles due east of where we started this journey and where the tornado first touched down. This is the area where locals say the tornado actually lifted off the ground, meaning its path is about twice as long as first estimated.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIAN: And just to clarify, there's no longer a dispute about how long this tornado's path was. All week long, the National Weather Service -- (AUDIO PROBLEM). Just today they updated their web site to say that it was 13 miles, and they are basing that on aerial surveillance photos of treetop damage. Our estimate was 12 miles based on driving on the ground. So, it's pretty close -- Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: Very close indeed.
Casey Wian, thanks so much. Appreciate that.
And, of course, if you want to help people recovering from the recent tornado outbreaks, just go to CNN.com/impact to see the organizations that will accept your donations and help.
This Memorial Day weekend we honor a war widow. When Taran Davis couldn't find the support that she needed after her husband's death, she founded a group now helping hundreds of families. (CNN HEROES)
WHITFIELD: Extraordinary lives being honored there.
And there are lots of storms expected for the rest of this Memorial Day weekend, potentially. We are going to check in with our Jacqui Jeras in two minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: As if there has not been enough, now more potential severe weather on the horizon.
Jacqui Jeras in the weather center.
JERAS: Hey, Fredricka. Yes, we are watching things in the Midwest right now, especially into the state of Indiana as well as into Michigan, where a tornado watch is in effect here for the next several hours. We will show you the area we are most concerned about, a couple of warnings in place. These are Doppler radar-indicated tornado so no ground sightings (ph) of them right now, but you need to be taking it seriously and getting to the lowest level of your home, away from doors and windows. There's one warning just to the west of Toledo. We also have warnings for Barry, Calhoun, as well as Kalamazoo counties. Those are the areas we are watching. Lots of lightning and really heavy downpours. In fact, we've even seen as much as one to two inches per hour with these thunderstorms. They're causing problems at the airports. Chicago got nasty thunderstorms a few hours ago. You still have a few rumbles of thunder and some rain on and off. Two hours and 50 minutes, that's what the delays are to get into Chicago O'Hare. Over an hour departure delays at Midway. JFK looking at delays, around 45 minutes. Departure delays for you, 30 minutes at Baltimore and Toronto looking at ground delays around 20 minutes.
Tomorrow, Memorial Day, are you barbecuing? Watch out for thunderstorms across the nation's midsection from Minnesota down towards Texas.
The southeast is going to be one of the best locations of the nation. Great for going to the beach because you are going to be really hot.
(LAUGHTER)
Look at the temperatures here. We are talking low to mid-90s. The heat is really going to be building across the southeast through the mid-Atlantic in the next couple of days. So don't say I didn't warn you.
WHITFIELD: That's was a sufficient warning.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: That's right. Well, people kind of welcome that kind of hot stuff on Memorial Day weekend.
JERAS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Because, you know, they want to be at the beach or at the pool.
JERAS: It's a good time to have it.
WHITFIELD: That's right.
Well, Jacqui, you probably saw this video a little bit earlier in the week. We just can't get enough. This is kind of our "ah" moment. Is that not too sweet? So, yes, little kitty here having a little nightmare, and then ma cat --
JERAS: Oh, mama.
WHITFIELD: -- just kind of hugs.
(LAUGHTER)
Is that not too sweet? Isn't that just sweet, that it's just so instinctive for little mama, no matter what breed --
(LAUGHTER)
-- just want to comfort your little one.
JERAS: So cute.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
JERAS: Maybe she's like, quit moving.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Yes, it could have been that too.
JERAS: I'm trying to sleep.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: And, of course, you know, this is a holiday weekend, big on car racing. There's the Indy 500 --
JERAS: Oh, yes.
WHITFIELD: -- Monaco Grand Prix, NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 taking place in Charlotte, which bring me to, I had a rather exciting week --
JERAS: I heard about that.
WHITFIELD: -- being in Charlotte at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. And there are two racers who were in the race today who I had a chance to spend some time with earlier this week, Joey Logano and Jason Leffler. My new best friend --
(LAUGHTER) -- Jason Leffler got me in the car with him around the track. Here's a little sneak peek of what that was like.
(VIDEO)
WHITFIELD: OK. I'm cheesing. That's the one on the left where all you see is teeth --
(LAUGHTER)
-- because I'm cheesing the whole time. I loved it. We went 170 miles per hour. Love, love, loved it.
Anyway, I sat down with Jason and Joey face to face. We are going to bring that to you next month. Just really what it is to be a race car driver. Is there not a better profession, to be a race car driver? They are going to talk about it. They started at a very early age. They are going to talk about the evolution of the sport, what it is to be an elite athlete.
JERAS: What did it feel like?
WHITFIELD: It was invigorating.
JERAS: Yes?
WHITFIELD: Better than any roller coaster ride. Better than any kind of jet flying. It's awesome. We'll talk about that.
JERAS: Did you get to do one lap yourself?
WHITFIELD: No. I don't have that kind of training.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Not yet. Not yet.
(LAUGHTER)
Then there's this other fascinating story out there. We are talking about fans of Marilyn Monroe. We are going to love to hear that there are other images of her as Norma Jean, never-before-seen pictures. These really was by chance. These new photos were bought as negatives at a garage sale decades ago. Can you believe the owner --
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Yes.
JERAS: It keeps happening.
WHITFIELD: It just keeps happening. The owner and a noted art dealer are now trying to figure out exactly who took these pictures. But this was Norma Jean before she was huge as Marilyn Monroe.
(CROSSTALK) JERAS: They're beautiful.
WHITFIELD: She was forever very photogenic. Still unclear exactly how much these pictures would be worth as well. Of course, many would say just simply priceless.
Thanks, Jacqui.
JERAS: Sure.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate that.
All right, for a soldier going into a battle zone, it never hurts to ask for a little help from above. Saints riding into the fight on the wrists of America's warriors.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJOR EDWIN KILPATRICK, U.S. ARMY: Hi, this is Major Kilpatrick from Liberty Camp here in Baghdad, currently stationed in Pax River (ph). I'd like to wish a happy Memorial Day to my wife, Amy, and children, who are there at Pax River (ph), as well as my family back in Lebanon, Ohio. I love you and I hope you guys have a great day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The danger our troops face inspired a military mom to call on the help of a few saints. She's making bracelets that carry the images of battle saints. We to want point out that the woman is the wife of our weekend managing editor, Jim LeMay.
And CNN's Reynolds Wolf reports that the bracelets are showing up on the battlefield and beyond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(APPLAUSE)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A solemn march --
(APPLAUSE)
WOLF: -- a loud ovation, and a last good-bye for these deploying troops. The Atlanta Airport is the final stop on their way to war, so that's where you will find military moms like Cynthia LeMay.
CYNTHIA LEMAY, MILITARY MOM & CREATOR, BATTLE SAINT BRACELET: Where are you guys headed?
UNIDENTIFIED U.S. SOLDIER: Afghanistan.
LEMAY: Afghanistan?
WOLF: LeMay knows the pain of deployment all too well.
LEMAY: Our son right now is in Afghanistan. And my nephew just got back from his third tour in Afghanistan, and we also have several other members that are in harm's way.
WOLF: While she can't be on the front lines protecting her son, she can ask for a little help from above.
LEMAY: We put together these saints bracelets.
UNIDENTIFIED U.S. SOLDIER: Oh.
LEMAY: My son has been wearing one since he went over. He's been in a couple of fire fights and attacks.
WOLF: This is the battle saint bracelet. It's made up of 12 to 15 different saints, each with a unique military connection.
LEMAY: These are bracelets that actually have different saints on them, including St. Christopher to protect you when you travel, and St. Barbara to protect you if you work with explosives. They have very specific meaning to the military and provide them specific protection.
WOLF: She started it as a way to feel connected and to show support for the troops overseas. And now, the small memento has spread to Hollywood and beyond.
(SINGING)
WOLF: You will find them on the wrists of celebrities like Zach Rand --
(SINGING)
WOLF: -- and the cast of "Band of Brothers." And now you can get them online too, a token of support for those at home and those on the front lines.
SPEC. BRANDON KUHN, U.S. ARMY: I feel pretty proud to wear this. And it makes me feel like I'd be a little more protected over there, like I got somebody watching over me a little more.
LEMAY: When you have a loved one in harm's way, not a moment goes by where you don't think of them. So we wear these every day. We think of our loved ones and all the other service men and women who make so many sacrifices every day.
WOLF: Reynolds Wolf, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Parts of the proceeds from the bracelet sales go to the Intrepid Fallen Hero Fund.
Stay with CNN. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "YOUR MONEY" is next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
