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Memorial Day Celebrations
Aired May 27, 2007 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: The news unfolding live this Sunday, May 27th. I'm Fredricka Whitfield and you're in the NEWSROOM.
All Memorial Day weekend we're focusing pride, sacrifice and service, honoring those who gave all for their nation.
Coming up, a military mom's surprise turns into the best birthday present she could give her children.
And when a U.S. plane or helicopter goes down in Iraq or Afghanistan, they go in. We'll give you an exclusive look inside the military's elite combat search and rescue teams.
First this hour, the U.S. military says it freed several dozen Iraqis from the hands of al Qaeda. The raid happened overnight in Iraq's Diyala Province.
A military official said the security crackdowns in Baghdad and Anbar Province have forced al Qaeda into Diyala, where they're trying to intimidate civilians. A spokesman said a tip led to 42 Iraqi prisoners in desperate straits.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
LT. COL. CHRISTOPHER GARVER, U.S. ARMY SPOKESMAN (by telephone): Some of the hostages had been held as long as four months. There is evidence of torture, and some had broken bones. Some stated that they had been hung from the ceiling. And one boy in the group stated his age was 14, as the evacuation of these prisoners was going on to the treatment facility.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Meantime, no let-up in the search for two missing U.S. soldiers. U.S. and Iraqi troops are combing an area near Yusufiya, south of Baghdad. The soldiers disappeared after an insurgent ambush more than two weeks ago. The body of a third missing soldier was pulled from the Euphrates River on Wednesday.
CNN's Arwa Damon is embedded with an Army unit that is now scouting the river.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, NEAR YUSUFIYA, IRAQ (voice-over): The boats slip into the Euphrates River at first light. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right side. Take it easy. Left side.
DAMON: Water operations, with all the gear the U.S. military carries, are extremely dangerous.
The men are fully exposed, vulnerable to any attack. A single shot could capsize this boat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We train for this all the time, you know, but we never expect to actually do it.
DAMON: Humor tempers the tension.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the greatest amphibious assault in the history of the Army right here.
DAMON: The scout platoon's mission, to clear an island that may have been used as a transit point to move the kidnapped soldiers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like quicksand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're getting back in the boats, and we're going to move north on the island and try to find our spot. Over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to kick out of here, dude and just ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DAMON: The military says that in the past, this island was used as a cache site.
LT. MICHAEL JOHNSTON, U.S. ARMY: What the story is, is that they fired some ground bursts (UNINTELLIGIBLE) here, and it kicked off a bunch of secondaries. Like, if there was either a lot of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) here, caches.
DAMON: That was over a year ago. And since then, no American has set foot here. The entire island could be a series of bombs.
The Americans say this is a place the insurgents don't think the U.S. military can get to. And they know, with the recovery of Private First Class Joseph Anzack's body, that he was put into the water at some point.
They have to check all the possible spots, gather clues on hard- to-get-to areas.
JOHNSTON: You know, searching for (UNINTELLIGIBLE) one (ph) stuff, any evidence - equipment, anything we can find pertaining to that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is really soft, dude.
JOHNSTON: Usually when it's real soft there, there might be something in front of it. DAMON: A couple of spots look suspicious, but nothing comes of it.
DAMON (on camera): The intelligence about this island wasn't solid, but this is another example of the U.S. military continuing to follow up on any possible lead to find their remaining two kidnapped soldiers.
Now that they have searched the island, these troops need to make it back across the river in broad daylight.
DAMON (voice-over): There is nothing friendly about this area. Quarghuli village, where the attack took place, is right along that bank.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This ought to be on "National Geographic."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, men. Watch out for the hippos.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're in breeding season.
DAMON: There is an eerie beauty about this place, and the men's sarcastic humor comes back into play.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Motors are for wimps.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're laughing at us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thought we'd be intimidating. Don't laugh at us.
DAMON: Being laughed at preferable to being shot at, as the relentless search for the two remaining kidnapped soldiers continues.
Arwa Damon, CNN, near Yusufiya, Iraq.
(END VIDEO)
WHITFIELD: Meantime, the U.S. military has announced the deaths of two more U.S. troops in Iraq. An improvised explosive device killed one and wounded four others Saturday in western Baghdad. A second soldier was killed Saturday and two others hurt in an explosion in Diyala Province, north of Baghdad.
May is on the brink now of becoming the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Iraq. This year, 103 service members have been killed this month alone.
In all, 3,454 U.S. troops have died since the start of the war. And the total wounded, the most recent number we have is 25,549.
Long-awaited talks are set for tomorrow in Baghdad between the United States and Iran. The talks will deal with Iran's role in Iraq, with no discussion of its nuclear plans.
But on the eve of the talks, there's another grievance brewing.
Here's CNN's Aneesh Raman.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, TEHRAN, IRAN (via broadband): Iran on Sunday charged the U.S. government with working within Iran to destabilize the regime here. A formal and strong protest was made on Sunday to the Swiss ambassador in Tehran by the Iranian foreign minister.
The Swiss, of course, represent U.S. interests here, given that the U.S. has no diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic.
Now, Iran is alleging that U.S.-backed spy networks are working within western, southwestern and central parts of the country to undermine the regime.
No other specific information was provided about the allegations, but yesterday the work broke in a statement from the Ministry of Intelligence.
Now, what we do not know is, one, whether or not this news is linked to the fact that Iran is holding direct talks with the U.S. tomorrow in Iraq, and two, whether the news is linked to the arrest of Haleh Esfandiari, a U.S. scholar who is in jail in Iran, accused by the military of working to undermine the government.
Regardless, it certainly adds higher tensions to a contentious relationship between Iran and the U.S., and one that won't get fixed, analysts say, much by Monday's meeting. Iran has greatly limited what it will talk about - not negotiating - simply planning to tell the U.S. in Iraq that it must set a timetable for withdrawal and it must fix the security situation there.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEO)
WHITFIELD: Americans are paying tribute to fallen troops this Memorial Day weekend, and so are we.
CNN's Warrior One is on a tour for the troops. The souped-up Hummer is making the rounds across the country to raise money for wounded veterans.
Our Bonnie Schneider is with Warrior One in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN AMS METEOROLOGIST, CHAGRIN FALLS, OHIO: I'm Bonnie Schneider in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, at the Chagrin Valley J.C. Blossom Time Festival. We're here because CNN's Warrior One is on tour - Tour for the Troops, it's called - sponsored by RE/MAX. And this tour is taking the Hummer all over the country to raise money for severely wounded veterans. They provide a scholarship program that actually offers four years of assistance to wounded veterans' families.
And joining me now, we have someone from Chagrin Falls. We're joined by Mary Jane Kashkoush. Mary Jane, thank you for joining us.
Your son Michael was killed in Iraq back in January of this past year.
MARY JANE KASHKOUSH, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: Yes, he was.
SCHNEIDER: Can you tell me about Michael? What was he like.
KASHKOUSH: He was a wonderful boy, very - an only child - precocious, creative - just the love and light of my life.
SCHNEIDER: Why did he want to get involved with the military?
KASHKOUSH: He wanted to be a Marine, and then it came to culmination ...
SCHNEIDER: And he had a passion ...
KASHKOUSH: ... about four years ago.
SCHNEIDER: ... for languages, as well.
KASHKOUSH: He liked structure. Yes, yes. And he was a communicator naturally, and he was very disciplined naturally. He always worked out since he was like 14 years old.
SCHNEIDER: With Memorial Day coming up tomorrow, what will you be doing on that day?
KASHKOUSH: Going to do the silent walk. I have T-shirts with one of Mike's pictures at the boot camp graduation and me and him on T-shirts.
SCHNEIDER: I'm really pleased that we had a chance to talk. And thank you so much for joining us.
KASHKOUSH: Oh, thank you.
SCHNEIDER: You're welcome.
KASHKOUSH: Thank you, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: You're welcome.
Well, we are here in Chagrin Falls as the Hummer continues its tour around the country to raise money for severely wounded troops and creating awareness, as well, for this Memorial Day weekend.
I'm Bonnie Schneider from Chagrin Falls.
(END VIDEO)
WHITFIELD: All weekend long, turn your frequent flyer miles into hero miles. So, you can help, too.
Fisher House will use those miles to transport servicemen and women wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families to treatment centers around the country.
It's so simple. Just go to FisherHouse.org. Find out how to donate your frequent flyer miles. And to find a list of the airlines that will match your contributions this weekend, go to that Web site.
So, they had presents, they had cake and candles - everything for their birthday party - except their mom. She was in Iraq. Or so they thought.
The story straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
Plus, putting their lives on the line to save other soldiers. An exclusive look inside combat search and rescue, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, this Memorial Day weekend, as you look at what appears to be the haze in the nation's capital, as well as New York City in those live shots, that's probably humidity, whereas the haze we're seeing in Atlanta - well, it's because of a lot of smoke.
Our Jacqui Jeras is in the weather center with an explanation of the weather picture all across the country. But along the East Coast, wow, what a variation.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST, CNN WEATHER CENTER: Yes, really. We've got severe storms across the northeastern quarter, and across the Southeast it's just bone dry with that ongoing drought.
And the haze and the smoke in the Atlanta area just unbearable today. The air quality is unhealthy. You don't want to be outside today if you don't have to be.
And this is all from those Georgia and north Florida wildfires. Look at that. Visibility between one and three miles can be expected.
We were hoping that the temperatures heated up this afternoon, it might helps disperse some of this smoke. But at this point, it doesn't look like that's going to happen.
And that should be sitting around over the next couple of days. So, it looks like tomorrow and possibly even Tuesday, we're going to be having to deal with it once again.
Now, those fires have really grown quite a bit, by the way, too. The Bugaboo fire, the Bugaboo scrub (ph), the Florida Bugaboo fire, the sweat farm road fire and then also the big turnaround fire, they have all now combined into one.
So, this is about 560,000 acres, all that have burned together and it has become one of the largest wildfires in modern history. So, really a very serious situation that continues.
People in south Florida are now finally getting a break. They had it first, and now everything's kind of blowing on up towards the north with the easterly wind. That high pressure system is also bringing in some very strong rip currents, by the way, across the Atlantic shores into Florida.
Unhealthy cities today, not just Atlanta. We also have some air quality issues in Birmingham, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Riverside, California, and Wilmington, Delaware. Those are all ozone action cities today between 3 and 6 o'clock. So, right now, those are the times that you want to stay inside.
Also watch out for the severe thunderstorms. You want to stay inside for these, too, for Pittsburgh on up towards Syracuse - Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. So much for those outdoor barbeques in some parts.
JERAS: They'll get them in the West.
WHITFIELD: Oh, well, lucky them. All right. Thanks a lot, Jacqui.
Well, they had their presents. They had cake and candles - just about everything for a birthday party, except their mom. She was in Iraq. At least that's what they thought for a good while.
That story straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. President Bush kick-starting his day by welcoming members of the Rolling Thunder motorcycle group at the White House right there. Rolling Thunder is in the nation's capital to take part in the Memorial Day weekend festivities honoring the sacrifices of America's war veterans.
And a little girl's birthday wish comes true with the arrival of a very special guest. Fresh off the plane from Iraq, Airman Tech Sergeant Caroline Deal, right there, surprising her daughter, Taylor, at a birthday party yesterday.
Deal arrived just as the kids were videotaping a message for the military mom.
Well, the Deal family is sharing their story now with us from Charleston, South Carolina.
Good to see all of you, Tech Sergeant Caroline Deal and Tech Sergeant Bryan Deal and Taylor, the birthday girl, and Kobe. Good to see all of you.
SGT. BRYAN DEAL, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Well, give me the deal, Deals. How did this deal go down?
Tech Sergeant Caroline Deal, give me an idea of how this plan came about while you were in Iraq and the plans at home were being for Taylor's birthday.
TECH SGT. CAROLINE DEAL, U.S. AIR FORCE, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: Well, I was pretty much just waiting to hear for direction. Taylor's father was the one that put everything together for us. And he let me know a few weeks ago that he wanted me to surprise her at her birthday.
Her birthday was actually Friday, the 25th of May, and she had her party on Saturday, the 26th.
So, I came home Friday afternoon and did my best not to go sneak a peek at my kids, and then made it to their birthday party, where I was able to surprise the both of them.
WHITFIELD: So, sergeant, all this time Taylor was thinking, OK, mom's abroad. We're going to have this party. You knew about this little secret.
How in the world did you keep this secret from her, so that the surprise would really take place?
C. DEAL: I had to lie to my children, which was a horrible thing. But she knew that I was coming home soon. I never actually told them when I was coming home.
I told her awhile back that there was a possibility that I was not going to be home for her birthday, so she was already prepared for that.
So, it was no big surprise that I was not going to be there. The surprise was when I actually showed up and snuck up behind her. So it was great.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that is so great.
So, Sergeant Bryan Deal, I'll give you guys a chance to hand over the mike. Where did this idea come from? How did you know that this plan would be a success, that it would actually work?
B. DEAL: Everything went smooth. From the moment that my fiancee and I planned it, to contacting public affairs, everything went smooth.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
B. DEAL: We had a plan, and it went good.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well ...
B. DEAL: Trying to keep it away from the children went pretty good, too.
WHITFIELD: Well, it seemed to work.
All right.
B. DEAL: Yes, it did.
WHITFIELD: So, Taylor, let me talk to you, birthday girl. What an incredible surprise. Here you were thinking, just knowing that mom was away in Iraq.
Give me an idea of what that felt like when you saw her. Could you believe your eyes?
TAYLOR DEAL, DAUGHTER OF SGT. CAROLINE DEAL: Well, no, because I really missed her and haven't seen her for four months. And I was really glad to see her.
WHITFIELD: And so, when you saw her - we're looking at the video tape where you were standing there with the other kids at the party. And when you saw her, did you know immediately that was her? Or did you feel like this is a bad trick - somebody who looks like my mom?
T. DEAL: Well, I thought that - I didn't know that it was my mom, because of the uniform. So, I just had to take two looks at her.
WHITFIELD: Oh, well, what a great birthday gift. You couldn't ask for anything more. A big 10th birthday.
Taylor and Kobe, your little brother there, and Tech Sergeants Caroline Deal and Bryan Deal, thanks so much. And congratulations for a great birthday surprise that seemed to have worked so nicely.
B. DEAL: Thank you.
C. DEAL: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: And you all have a great holiday weekend together. And thanks for your service.
Well, this Memorial Day weekend, Americans are paying tribute to those who have given their lives in the line of duty. It's a sacrifice that has a lasting impact on so many families of the fallen.
The children often struggle to overcome the shock and sadness of losing a parent.
And now, kids are getting support.
CNN's Brianna Keilar reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO) BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA (voice- over): It's the greatest show on earth, guaranteed to get smiles and laughs.
And on this day, performers from Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus are helping their audience forget for a moment the reason they are all here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My uncle was killed in action in July. And my dad died four years ago. So, my uncle was more like a father figure to me after that.
KEILAR: This is 17-year-old Latisha Emil's (ph) first year at Good Grief Camp, a weekend-long seminar put on by the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a support organization for military families who have lost a loved one.
The Halls - Tyler, Tory, Trisha, Tanner and Tony - have been coming for several years. They lost their dad in a training accident in 1998.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My dad would come home from work and he'd start doing pushups. And he'd always put us on his back while he was doing them.
KEILAR: The younger kids struggle with knowing dad only through photos. At Good Grief Camp, they have found ways to cope.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I deal with it at the end of the day. I write a letter to my dad and say how the day has gone. And I read it to my mom, and it helps me talk about it and not be able to like go and cry in the corner.
KEILAR: Kids pair up with mentors, many of them active members of the military. And they find solace in the company of people who know exactly how they feel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know that they are on the same level as you and that went through the same things with you. At school, everyone looks at you differently and they don't really understand.
KEILAR: They share stories. They share laughs. And today they take a break from their grief, putting on their very own circus, a small step as they try to move forward.
Brianna Keilar, CNN, Arlington, Virginia.
(END VIDEO)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Happening right now in the NEWSROOM, the U.S. military says the discovery of 42 Iraqis held hostage in a torture house illustrates the growing level of trust Iraqi civilians have for American soldiers.
U.S. commanders say it was residents of the Diyala Province who tipped them off to the suspected al Qaeda hideout.
The U.S. military says the discovery in Diyala is separate from the ongoing search for two missing U.S. soldiers abducted two weeks ago in Mahmoudiya.
Four U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi translator died in the May 12th ambush. The body of a third missing soldier was found five days ago, floating in the Euphrates River.
And on the eve of the first meeting between Iranian and U.S. diplomats in nearly 30 years, Tehran reiterates they've disrupted a Western-based spy ring.
U.S. officials have yet to comment on the Iranian claims.
Our Memorial Day weekend coverage includes an exclusive, inside look at Air Force combat search and rescue teams.
CNN correspondent Alex Quade was given unprecedented access to these elite troops. As they share their stories and pictures, we identify them only by their call signs.
We begin with a race against time and the enemy as rescue crews rush to the aid of downed aircrews.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AVON PARK AIR FORCE BASE, FLORIDA (voice-over): Downed aircrew.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sandy 1, this is Mud Hog 5-1.
QUADE: Looking for cover. Isolated in the middle of a war zone. Desperate for rescue before enemy insurgents find them first.
Training based on the real thing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
That's what happened to these soldiers, their Chinook in a sandstorm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were on a resupply mission - dust and the sand. The aircraft started to roll. We really didn't have time to think. We hit the ground. The aircraft rolled over on its right side.
QUADE: Two combat search and rescue helicopters, known as Jolly, responded. Pilot, call sign Shrimp.
QUADE (on camera): They worried that they - that you wouldn't come get them because of the sandstorm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That crashed helicopter is like a beacon. The insurgents, they will definitely descend on that, and they would have become POWs. QUADE (voice-over): So Shrimp and the second Jolly, piloted by Chef, flew into the same sandstorm that took the Chinook out.
QUADE (on camera): How difficult were the conditions?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's kind of like being in a heavy rainstorm without the windshield wipers on.
QUADE (voice-over): The soldiers, injured but alive, waiting for the para-rescue men, or PJs - just like they'd learned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The PJs run out, armed, you know, to the teeth. They kind of drag them back to the aircraft, because we need to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The sight of these guys coming in, those two aircraft coming in to pick us up, that was one of the best sights I've ever seen in my life.
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