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CNN 10
Bushfires Flare Up in Australia; We Look Back at the Fall of an Infamous Dividing Line in Germany; Program Teams up Veterans with Former Pro Athletes
Aired November 11, 2019 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: New South Wales, the most populated state in Australia is where we start a new week of coverage in CNN 10. I`m Carl
Azuz at the CNN Center. New South Wales is where you`ll find Sydney, the Australian capital and largest city in the country. It`s also where dozens
of bushfires are burning up land and homes. A New South Wales rural fire service said yesterday that 70 fires were burning and that half of them
hadn`t been contained yet, meaning they weren`t blocked in and prevented from spreading. Several people have died in the fires. More than 1,000
firefighters are trying to put out the blazes and a fire official says 100 or more homes might have been destroyed so far.
Witnesses have posted pictures of bright orange skies. Intense wildfires are capable of causing their own weather and the fire service says that`s
what`s happening in some parts of New South Wales where fire clouds were developing. These can produce their own lightening without rain.
Officials say the state`s under tinderbox conditions and that all it takes is one spark to start a fire that can burn for days. Major roads and
highways have been closed. Several schools have been closed. Evacuations have been ordered in the state of Queensland which borders New South Wales
to the north. Both of these states are prone to wildfires in the spring which it is right now in the southern hemisphere and firefighters are
predicting catastrophic fire danger for areas around Sydney this Tuesday.
10 Second Trivia. Which of these events occurred 30 years ago? Soviet troops left Afghanistan, Hubble telescope was launched, Gulf War began or
the Berlin Wall fell. The only one of these events from the year 1989 was the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The date was November 9th and that made Saturday the 30th anniversary of when the wall started tumbling down. European leaders met in Berlin,
Germany on November 9th when German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on them to defend democracy. The Berlin Wall was a physical and symbolic barrier
between democracy and communism. It had stood since August of 1961 when residents of Berlin woke up one morning to find a dividing line built of
barbed wire and cinder blocks. It was eventually fortified with concrete, armed guards, electric fences and it would take almost three decades for
the winds of change to bring it down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The iconic moment the Berlin Wall came down is an image the world will not soon forget. For 28 years, the wall had been dividing a
city and a nation becoming a symbol of east/west divisions during the Cold War. So what led to this 12 foot high, 27 mile long wall being built?
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: Break down the wall! Break down the wall!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After Germany`s defeat in World War II, the country was divided into four zones of occupation and Berlin was also divided into east
and west territory. The United States, France and Britain took West Germany and the western sectors of Berlin and the Soviet zone became East
German and East Berlin. West Germany became a democracy while East Germany was a communist country aligned with the Soviet Union. Between 1949 and
1961 almost 3 million East Germans escaped to the west. To prevent more people from fleeing the Soviet rule, the East German communist party closed
the border in Berlin and built a wall.
So in the 1960s` the wall was built for the opposite reason most are. Instead of trying to keep people out, this wall was built to keep people
in. At least 140 people were killed at the Berlin Wall trying to escape East Germany. High profile people spoke out like U.S. President John F.
Kennedy who delivered his famous speech in West Berlin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY: (UNTRANSLATED)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The wall became a symbol of democracy versus communism. People came from all over the world to protest that division.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By 1989, large demonstrations began in various East German cities, people wanted change.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN: This wall will fall because it cannot withstand faith. It cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In October of 1989, the Communist Party Chief Erich Honecker was ousted and replaced by Egon Krenz. Although reforms were
announced including travel rights, it was too late. On November 9th, 1989 the East German government mistakenly announced that travel restrictions
for East Germans had been lifted effective immediately. Thousands appeared at border crossing in East Berlin demanding to be let through, even without
orders the border guards eventually opened the gates.
In the following months tens of thousands of Germans literally tore down the wall piece by piece by hand, using their fists, pick axes, sledge
hammers and shovels. Streets and crossing points opened and tens of thousands of people crossed into the west of Berlin for the first time.
Freedom and ultimately a unified Germany emerged from the bitter Cold War that had separated Berlin for decades. In 1990, Germany official reunified
under the Federal Republic of Germany. Few parts of the wall still exist today. Tourists from around the world come to see these pieces of history
yet this dark chapter of German division is not forgotten.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: November 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, an armistice goes into effect ending the fighting in World War I.
A year later, people in the United States first observe Armistice Day. It becomes an official national holiday in 1938 and after World War II and the
Korean War, the name of Armistice Day is changed in 1954. It`s been known as Veterans Day ever since then. It`s an event that honors everyone who
served in the U.S. Armed Forces. As American`s pause to thank them, salute them, remember and respect their service and sacrifices, MVP is the name of
one of many programs dedicated to helping former U.S. servicemen and women.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: MVP is about putting teams together and when you retire it`s a weird feeling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Merging vets and players is an organization that brings together combat veterans and retired professional athletes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s about a team. It`s about a unit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As football players they don`t miss training camp, I promise you. All right? But they sure miss being part of a team and next
to your locker and talking to your guys about the things that are going on in your life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You already know that the - - the military has a high rate of suicide and once people get out that struggle doesn`t end. Because
they`re trying to determine who they are, what their place is in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To hear a soldier say, I`m not on any medication anymore. You know, this is my new therapy and so those - - that`s
powerful. Those are the moments that you hear that make you tear up to know that the little impact you can have makes a difference.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How you doing brother?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got your back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I already know. I`ve got yours too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I left that, it was a shock because I no longer put on that uniform and I lost who I was I felt like.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was like begging, you know, to take the misery away because I lost my tribe. I lost my team. I mean to lose that bond, it
nearly broke me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not the only one going through this and - - and it gave me hope. Because there were times that I did feel hopeless, you know,
but this - - it`s brought me hope man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s an opportunity to come together and be with people like yourself and share some of those stories and some of the things
you`ve been through. Very powerful and it`s a healing thing that happens.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don`t have to struggle by yourself. We are - - we`re - - we`re willing to reach down and pick each other up because - -
because I know deep down tomorrow I might be the one reaching out my hand and needing someone to lift me up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who`s got my back?
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: I`ve got your back!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three - -
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: MVP.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: Stella the talking dog gets 10 out of 10 or at least she`s communicating. Her master is a speech pathologist who says the same method
she uses to teach children to communicate can be used to help dogs do the same thing. And while come outside may seem kind of basic, one time when a
button wasn`t working Stella went over to the help button and pressed that. She`s doing a pretty "Stella" job if you know what I`m saying.
And some dogs could "hound" you to death with that making you "terrier" your hair out and hit the "malamute" button but it could also be a
"bassingenius" invention. A "Newfoundland" way in the course of "coveeslation" when your dog could "malllteasably" "corgive" you the
"skipperkeys" to what he wants at least "mastiff" the time. I`m Carl Azuz and you knew this "doggone" show would come to an end "schnauzer" or later.
END
