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Buying a Half-Priced Home; Memorial Day: A Soldier's Perspective; Cyber-Bullying on a Whole New Level; Helping Military Families Cope with Loss

Aired May 25, 2009 - 09:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Anger, anxiety and international outrage. North Korea says it has carried out a powerful nuclear test. Today much of the world is demanding answers and action.

In Washington the search for center. Colin Powell scolds his own Republican Party and issues a warning.

Then...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I try not to think about the sad stuff. I just try to remember him as an awesome guy. What a great dad he was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Families remember the parents lost to war. They share their heartbreak at grief camp.

Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Today is Memorial Day. It is Monday, May 25th, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

First up this morning, North Korea's alleged nuclear test. CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae is in South Korea where, of course, no where does that fear strikes closer to home.

And then also in Washington our Jill Dougherty is standing by. The president, of course, condemns the test but now what's next?

Also, Jim Walsh. He's our international security consultant. We're going to be talking with him about all of the reasons that we should be concerned. We'll talk about that in a moment.

Of course, there is a lot of ground to cover so let's bring you up-to-speed now of what we know. North Korea says it carried out an underground nuclear test. That word came just about an hour after an earthquake registered a 4.7 magnitude. Now that quake came at the site of North Korea's first test 2 1/2 years ago.

President Barack Obama calls the claim a grave concern to all nations.

News reports from South Korea say the North also fired three short-range missiles today. There is growing speculation that the United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting a little bit later on today. We'll keep you updated on that.

Let's begin on the Korean Peninsula now this morning. CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae is in South -- Seoul, South Korea.

How are people reacting to what happened in the North?

SOHN JIE-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, for the South Korean government, the reaction is very harsh. The president Lee Myung-bak upon hearing the news of the nuclear test convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council.

After the meeting the spokesman said the South Korean government considered this a serious threat to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia as a whole, that it was considered an act of provocation that could not be condoned.

However, we went to the Seoul's street to get the South Korean people's reaction to the nuclear test and they were more preoccupied with actually the weekend's suicide death of its leader -- of the late president Roh Moo-hyun.

There were some groups. There were always some groups that are very anti-North Korean, but for the majority, we found that people wanted to talk about their late president who was actually trying to be -- to get friendlier relations with North Korea.

There is only one person who said that he felt betrayed because he felt that North Korea should not have conducted such a controversial test when the South Korea was in a state of mourning. Heidi?

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae for us live this morning from Seoul, South Korea. Sohn Jie-Ae, thanks for that.

President Obama among the world leaders condemning North Korea's nuclear claims. Let's get the very latest from CNN foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty. She is in our Washington bureau this morning.

So, Jill, the U.S. and the rest of the world have been warning North Korea for a long time, yet, they went ahead with this test anyway. Why?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It's not working, obviously.

COLLINS: Yes.

DOUGHERTY: They had been warning. In fact, if you look at the statement from President Obama today, originally, they were taking a very measured approach. This is not as measured. This is pretty strong. The president saying that, "These actions, while not a surprise given its statements and actions to date, are a matter of grave concern to all nations."

And then President Obama going on, "By acting in blatant defiance of the United Nations Security Council, North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community."

But Heidi, you know, the question really is what can they do? What can they do? Because they have tried a lot, including trying to change the relationship.

COLLINS: Yes. There's no question about that. All right. We're going to talk more about it here. CNN's Jill Dougherty in our Washington bureau this morning.

Thank you, Jill.

North Korea seizing the world's attention, but what now? Joining us with a closer look, international security analyst Jim Walsh.

Jim, nice to see you.

Does today's claim by North Korea come as any surprise to anybody?

JIM WALSH, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, MIT: Well, no, Heidi. You're right to say it's not a surprise. That is the test itself. But the timing is a surprise. I think most people weren't expecting this. They were expecting the short-range missile test. Those were the rumors that people heard earlier in the week. So when we all got the phone calls late last night, it was unexpected.

COLLINS: So I don't know. I mean, I guess part of me want to ask who's running the show here? I mean who's -- who's got the cards that they are playing first? And which ones are more powerful, should I say?

WALSH: Well, that's the $64,000 question. What is happening inside North Korea? Who is calling the shots and why are they taking these steps?

Now in the old days, the old days being about, you know, three or four months ago, we would have thought that this was bargaining behavior, that North Korea was going to create a crisis in order to improve its leverage at the negotiation table. Because when you have a crisis, people want to do something about the crisis and it tends to divide the allies.

For example, Japan has one view, China another.

COLLINS: Sure.

WALSH: But increasingly it may be that it's not foreign relations or bargaining that drives us, but internal political dynamics within North Korea. Remember Kim Jong-Il, the leader of North Korea that had a stroke? There's no clear successor named.

They seem to be going through a transition process and when countries do that, Heidi, they often have a show of strength. They often try to pump themselves up and then also withdraw from the outside world while they're doing that and that's what we're seeing. If North Korea comes back to the bargaining table that will be evidence for the bargaining theory, but if they don't, it may mean it has more to do with what's going on inside, rather outside.

COLLINS: And so then what? And I want to be very clear here. I don't just mean for the United States. I also mean for the rest of the world. What can be done?

WALSH: Well, at the end of the day, you can't force North Korea's hand. You can't make them, you know, short of invading them and no one wants a war on the Korean Peninsula. You can't make them get rid of their nuclear program if they are bound and determined to keep it.

Hopefully you persuade them over time to give it up. They had in the February 13th agreement back in 2007 agreed to give up all their nuclear weapons.

COLLINS: That's right. So what? Sanctions? I mean what more can actually really happen?

WALSH: I think patience and persistence are really the watch words now. Sanctions, you know, North Korea is the most sanctioned country in the world.

COLLINS: Yes.

WALSH: You can't squeeze blood from a stone. People are going to point to China and say well, maybe China should do this and China should do that. Frankly, China doesn't like this nuclear test. They want the six-party talks and North Korea has rebuffed them on the six- party talks.

COLLINS: Yes.

WALSH: If anything, there may be some difficult relations between China and North Korea right now. So I think all we can do is wait and see and, again, it's going to be persistence and patience that resolves this problem. There is no simple or quick fix.

COLLINS: Yes. Absolutely not. All right. Jim, we'll talk with you again. Thanks so much. Jim Walsh, our international security analyst here at CNN. Thanks.

Here's a quick rundown now of North Korea's nuclear history for you. Its first test 2 1/2 years ago in October of 2006. Today's test, a month and a half after North Korea conducted a long-range rocket test. The U.S. and its allies have dismissed Pyongyang's claim that it was a satellite launch.

The international community has tried and failed to rein in nuclear ambitions. Over the last several years, six-party talks have stalled repeatedly as we were just talking with Jim about.

The main international concerns? North Korea has proven itself unpredictable in the past and the nation is strapped for cash and that races concerns it could sell the nuclear technology to other nations.

A day marked for somber reflection and appreciation. Memorial Day, the time for us to honor our service men and women who gave their lives for our country. It's observed on the last Monday in May.

People in the town of Waterloo, New York marked the first Memorial Day in May of 1866. The holiday also known as Decoration Day. It's different from Veterans Day, of course, which honors all those who have served in the military.

Among the service members whose sacrifices we honor today more than 4,000 troops who have died in Iraq and more than 600 killed in Afghanistan.

And a new map from Google shows in graphic detail how the loss of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan touches communities across our country. It is called the "Map of the Fallen." Take a look. You can search for a fallen service member by name, age, gender, hometown or place of death.

The developer of the interactive tool says he created it on his own time as a way for people to connect with those service members we have lost.

Coming home in honor. A proper welcome for two service members who were killed last week in Iraq. It's called the dignified transfer of fallen soldiers. That is a solemn return of the soldier's remains back to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The ceremonies were recently reopened to the media if the troop's families allow it.

Thirty-six-year-old Brian Naseman of Racine, Wisconsin was killed Friday in a non-combat related incident. He was with the Wisconsin National Guard and leaves behind a wife and two sons.

Thirty-five-year-old Paul Brooks was one of three soldiers killed in a suicide bombing outside an Iraq market. He is Ft. Leonardwood in Missouri. He leaves behind a wife and seven children all under the age of 14.

Military families dealing with personal tragedies. We'll show you a special place where those families can not only try to heal, but also honor their lost loved ones.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Critics have challenged his loyalty to the Republican Party. Now Colin Powell is breaking his silence to defend himself and his views.

As Jim Acosta explains, the direction of the party could be at stake.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEN. COLIN POWELL (RET.) U.S. ARMY, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm what people call, oh, heavens, a moderate Republican. JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Colin Powell says he's still a Republican. No matter what Dick Cheney says.

DICK CHENEY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican.

POWELL: Neither he nor Rush Limbaugh are members of the membership committee of the Republican Party. I get to make my decision on that.

ACOSTA: The former secretary of state sounded moderate to the core noting he had voted for Reagan and both Bushes as well as Kennedy, Johnson, Carter and Obama. Powell says it's the GOP that should do some soul-searching, not him.

POWELL: Republican Party is losing north, south, east, west, men, women, whites, blacks, Hispanics and I think the Republican Party has to take a hard look at itself and decide what kind of party are we?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Guantanamo will be closed.

ACOSTA: Powell revealed he has consulted with President Obama on Guantanamo.

POWELL: I felt Guantanamo should be closed for the past six years.

ACOSTA: But he also criticized the president's move to shut down the detention camp without telling Congress how he'd do it.

POWELL: I think President Obama didn't handle it very well by going up to the Congress and ask then for $80 million without a plan.

ACOSTA: On the Bush administration's use of harsh interrogation methods, Powell insisted their primary purpose was to prevent terrorist attacks.

POWELL: If we had another attack like 9/11, say, on 9/11 a year later, nobody would have forgiven us.

ACOSTA: One of Powell's closest confidants says the retired general is still reluctant to speak out on his years in the Bush administration and is still haunted by his flawed presentation to the United Nations for war in Iraq.

LAWRENCE WILKERSON, POWELL'S FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF: It's difficult to say on a personal basis that you were a part of such an episode.

ACOSTA: But Powell is gaining allies in the GOP's war of words. Former homeland security secretary Tom Ridge rejected a key Cheney talking point.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you believe we are less safe today because of steps taken by President Obama?

TOM RIDGE, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: I do not.

KING: You disagree with Dick Cheney then?

RIDGE: Yes, I disagree with Dick Cheney.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Jim Acosta joining us now live from Washington with a little bit more on this.

So what's Colin Powell's answer for the party?

ACOSTA: Well, he's model he says is Jack Kemp, the former congressman from New York and former vice presidential candidate, a principled conservative, Powell says, who also reached out to minority voters and Powell is not alone in this analysis.

You heard Tom Ridge yesterday on "STATE OF THE UNION" here on CNN say that he thinks people like Rush Limbaugh are being too shrill so there are some moderates still left in the party who are still willing to speak out.

And one of the big tests for the Republican Party will be down in Florida. Charlie Crist, the moderate Republican governor down there now running for the U.S. Senate. If he wins there will still be a strong voice for moderation in the Republican Party.

COLLINS: That's the third time I heard you use the word moderate.

ACOSTA: Yes.

COLLINS: Is that what everybody seems to be looking here for from the circles that you hear is moderate?

ACOSTA: Well, I don't know if that's the case. You know Karl Rove yesterday was on one of the talk shows and was asked who he would choose between Dick Cheney and Colin Powell -- excuse me, not Cheney and Colin Powell, but Rush Limbaugh and Colin Powell. And he chose Rush Limbaugh.

So there is still...

COLLINS: Wait. Is Rush Limbaugh running for anything?

ACOSTA: I don't think he is. No. Not the last time that I checked.

COLLINS: Isn't he a radio guy?

ACOSTA: And Rush will be the first to say hey, stop talking about me, although I think he likes it just a little bit.

But no, you know, there are Republicans coming out of the woodwork like Colin Powell and Tom Ridge to try to shout down Rush Limbaugh. It's not working because there's still people like Karl Rove who, remember, comes from a very different political philosophy.

COLLINS: Yes.

ACOSTA: Karl Rove, who is in the 51 percent doctrine, which you can win elections with 51 percent of the vote. Colin Powell yesterday on "Face the Nation" was saying no, that is not the case. If you look at the Republican Party now they are losing north, south, east, west, women, men, minorities. He does not see that as being the future for the Republican Party, Heidi.

COLLINS: It's a fascinating discussion. All right. Jim Acosta, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

ACOSTA: You bet.

COLLINS: We heard former homeland secretary Tom Ridge just a moment ago disagreeing with former vice president Cheney on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION". When it comes to picking a path for the Republican Party, Ridge says he's his own man.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: There's a big huge debate within your Republican Party about what to do.

RIDGE: Right.

KING: Thumped in 2006, thumped in 2008. I want your thoughts going forward. And as I do so, I want to bring into the debate there's been, as you know, a lot of chatter about this.

And Colin Powell, who was secretary of state when you served in the Bush administration, gave a speech in Boston this week where he was responding to some criticism from the right and Colin Powell said this.

"Rush Limbaugh says get out of the Republican Party. Dick Cheney says he's already out. I may be out of their version of the Republican Party, but there's another version of the Republican Party waiting to emerge once again."

Where's Tom Ridge? Are you in the Rush Limbaugh/Dick Cheney version of the Republican Party or the Colin Powell version of the Republican Party?

RIDGE: I'm in the Tom Ridge version of the party. And my version of the party is simply when you're asked to serve, as I have been by two Republican presidents, so one gave me a draft notice and sent me to Vietnam. The other called me away from the office sideline as governor and neither one asked me where I stood on gay rights on abortion.

They said will you serve? And I think for American public, for the Republican Party to restore itself is not as a regional party but as a national party. We have to be far less judgmental about disagreements within the party and far more judgmental about our agreements with our friends on the other side of the aisle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: On the show, Ridge said he wouldn't rule out a presidential run of his own for 2012.

Across the country, the famous and not so famous are speaking of hope to college graduates. Somehow they find a silver lining in the economic clouds. We'll share some of those words of wisdom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Finding the right words for tough times. That's the challenge for this year's commencement speakers talking to (INAUDIBLE) of college grads across the country.

Our Christine Romans is joining us now from New York.

Yes. What do you say? That's the point.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know. That's the question. It's tough, right? On stages and stadiums most weekend and May and early June, Heidi, notable speakers are trying to inspire this class. A graduating class with the worst job prospects in half a century.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OBAMA: We gather here tonight in times of extraordinary difficulty for the nation and for the world.

ROMANS (voice-over): And for these graduates. Only 1 in 5 has a job offer. So how do you find the right words and what are the right words to say to these graduates?

KEN BURNS, FILMMAKER/HISTORIAN: You've been drafted to help clean up this mess.

ROMANS: Filmmaker and historian Ken Burns considered not even mentioning the financial crisis to Boston College's class of 2009.

BURNS: You can say, boy, it's really bad out there. You're looking at the worst job prospects, and I'm sure there are people that will be talking about. I want to talk about larger things, about what it is that we do as human beings to be closer together.

ROMANS: In the end he put the crisis in the context of America's history, saying it has tested America's exceptionalism and, quote, "reveals the bankrupt soul of many of our trusted institutions."

BURNS: You remind them that they have a shared stake in something bigger than themselves, and that permits you to be realistic. These are really, really tough times. Your prospects aren't as good as they were five years ago for someone graduating from college.

But you know what? This is another challenge and you have that opportunity to do it, and so there's no BS. You just have to give it to them straight.

ROMANS: And the statistics don't lie. The jobless rate for 20 to 24-year-olds was 14.7 percent last month while the overall rate was 8.9 percent.

Speech writing expert (INAUDIBLE) says acknowledge it, yes, but dwell on it, no.

LEEAUNDRA TEMESCU, EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS COACH: I would simply acknowledge the realities of the economic climate with maybe a couple of sentences, and then move right on to the inspirational, the vision, the -- all the good things that are in store for these people.

ROMANS: Inspiration for these 2,000 undergraduates delivered here by a man known for his way of words.

BURNS; The last, you know, decade since the second world war has all been mine, it's all been about greed, and so rather than talk about the specifics of an economy right now, which is just we know like the air we breathe isn't good. Let's talk about the mechanics of our reassembly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: The mechanics of our reassembly. That's the message from Ken Burns for these 2.3 million graduating seniors this class of 2009 who even in the academic bubble have already struggled with student loans with the jobless and home, they know they need inspiration.

COLLINS: Yes. No question. All right. Well, we are watching closely. Done a lot of stuff here on the show. We'll continue to follow...

ROMANS: Sure.

COLLINS: ... this class in particular. Christine Romans, thank you.

ROMANS: You're welcome, Heidi.

COLLINS: On this Memorial Day now, we'll talk with some of our troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. They'll tell us how they are remembering and honoring their fallen comrades.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.

COLLINS: Thousands of families have lost their homes in the housing crisis. And others have been able to realize the American dream. CNN's Susan Candiotti introduced us to one family that bought their home at a foreclosure auction. It turns out that winning bid was just the beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's moving day. And Victor Guevares can hardly believe it. He finally is a homeowner and what a journey.

(VIDEO CLIP)

CNN was there last March when Guevares after saving and renting for 12 years, sweated it out at a New York foreclosure auction, hoping to gain on someone else's pain.

(VIDEO CLIP)

Amid ear-splitting auctioneers, he nervously battled other bidders to snatch his bargain basement home that last sold for more than a half million dollars last fall.

(VIDEO CLIP)

Sold for $230,000, but that was just the start. He had to plunk down 5 grand just to bid and another $7,000 cash in fees to go to the next step. In April, before Guevares could get a mortgage, an inspector first had to certify the house was up to code. It passed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's work on the deed.

CANDIOTTI: A few weeks later, it's closing day. Guevares officially owns a home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's gratifying for us to help you.

VICTOR GUEVARES, NEW HOMEOWNER: My dream came true.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): This is the new place, huh?

(voice-over): After some fever pitched renovation, including new floors and much more.

V. GUEVARES: We opened this up. I got a new banister and a new post.

CANDIOTTI: Victor Guevares moved his family into their new home.

V. GUEVARES: What I had to do when I moved in was make it home, and that's what we did.

CANDIOTTI: It's a work in progress. So far, they spent $20,000 fixing it up. But Guevares says he's still coming out ahead.

V. GUEVARES: I got a good deal on the house. I got a great deal on the house. My mortgage is $300 less than I paid rent. DEVON GUEVARES, VICTOR GUEVARES' SON: Right there.

CANDIOTTI: Eight-year-old son Devon now has his own room with a window overlooking his backyard, and no downstairs neighbors.

D. GUEVARES: This is my house.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): This is my house. Does that make you feel what?

D. GUEVARES: Strong.

CANDIOTTI: Strong.

V. GUEVARES: The last three months has been an incredible run.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): But buying a foreclosed home at auction takes preparation.

V. GUEVARES: So, definitely, research the property that you're into, be prepared to dole out a buyer's premium, and bring ear plugs.

CANDIOTTI: Yes, ear plugs. The family already is planning backyard barbecues.

(on camera): What are you going to have?

V. GUEVARES: Hot dogs, Italian sausages, hamburgers, steak.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): And a lifetime of memories.

V. GUEVARES: I don't look at it like it's my home. It's their home. It's for them.

CANDIOTTI: Their future.

V. GUEVARES: Their future.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): For one Queens' family, a new adventure, owning its first home. For a neighborhood, perhaps a sign of better things to come -- in an area still smarting from a high number of foreclosures.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Queens, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: All that rain in Florida left behind a lot of flooding. Look at this. Water at the doorstep of many homes there and yards washed out. It's so bad. In fact, Florida's governor is asking the Obama administration to declare one county a major disaster area. An initial survey earlier this week estimated around 1,000 homes and businesses with damages totaling about $55 million. Wow.

That's a lot of money, Reynolds Wolf.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: That's right. That's right. In fact, we're going to be talking with a couple of troop members. One from Iraq, Reynolds, and one from Afghanistan joining us very shortly. We see them getting all set up so we'll be talking with both of them in just a couple of minutes from now.

Reynolds, thank you.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You bet.

COLLINS: We'll check back a little bit later on.

And now there's a cartoon video depicting how to kill a classmate. The sixth grade girl targeted in the video and how she's handling the ordeal.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A day marked for somber reflection and appreciation. Memorial Day is a time for us to honor our service men and women who gave their lives for our country. It is observed on the last Monday in May.

And people in the town of Waterloo, New York, marked the very first Memorial Day in May of 1866. The holiday is also known as Declaration Day. It is different from Veterans Day, which honors all of those who served in the military. Among the service members whose sacrifices we honor today are more than 4,000 troops who have died in Iraq and more than 600 killed in Afghanistan.

They know what it's like to serve their country. Let's have a candid conversation now with two of our soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Chaplain John Morris is serving in Basra, Iraq. And Specialist First Class David Henzler is with the U.S. National Guards stationed at Camp Phoenix in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Good morning and hello to both of you. Thanks for being with us today.

Chaplain Morris, I know that earlier today, you led a very special ceremony for your troops.

Can you tell us a little bit about it?

LT. COL. JOHN MORRIS, MEMBER OF THE MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD: Yes. Good morning, Heidi. And good morning to all of your viewers today. Later in the day, the Red Bulls will gather at Camp Basra for a 30-minute memorial ceremony to honor the men and women who have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. And all of America's wars.

COLLINS: As a military --

MORRIS: We'll combine this with a...

COLLINS: Forgive me --

MORRIS: ...a concert.

COLLINS: So sorry, sir. We're dealing with a little bit of a delay here, as you might imagine talking with Basra, Iraq and also Kabul, Afghanistan.

I just want to talk to you a little bit about how difficult the job is on a day like today. I know that you talk with a lot of family members and a lot of soldiers who have lost fellow soldiers. Talk to us a little bit about that.

MORRIS: Heidi, Memorial Day is a very poignant day, and it's reinforced by the fact that we do memorial ceremonies here in Iraq when we have soldiers killed in combat. In the last several weeks we've had two soldiers in part of Iraq killed. And so the ceremonies for us are very, very real. Cut very deep. And so, on a day like today, each of us know somebody who has given their life here. And many of us are on our second and third tour in Iraq or Afghanistan, and so the ceremony is not theoretical, it's very personal.

And for us, today, they'll have a very heightened sense of importance and it will be one small way we can honor those who have made the sacrifice for our nation and for the freedom of Iraq.

COLLINS: Tell us what you think people at home could be doing in your eyes, and certainly from where you come to us from today, Basra, Iraq, in order to support the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

MORRIS: Well, the first thing I would hope that all American citizens would do would pause for a minute and give thanks for the sacrifice made by men and women in all of our wars. And the second thing I would ask is say a prayer for all of those who are in harm's way today and for their families. We are paying a big price so America can enjoy its freedom, Iraq and Afghanistan as well, and we could use your support and form a prayer and all the love you can send our way.

COLLINS: Very good. Chaplain John Morris, we certainly appreciate your service and everything you do for the troops, especially on a day like Memorial Day.

Specialist First Class David Henzler joining us today from Kabul, Afghanistan. And I know we have a really big delay with you. So hopefully everyone can be patient.

I know that you're currently stationed in Afghanistan. You also served in Iraq. On a day like today, is there anything special that you'll be doing?

SPEC. 1ST CLASS DAVID HENZLER, U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD: Well, Heidi, today, just a normal day just like any other day. We did have a ceremony for Memorial Day, but we still have missions going on, which we will have -- actually some missions coming up here later this week. We're preparing for today. So it's just like any other normal day in Afghanistan.

COLLINS: Understood. You're from a military family, too, which is often the case for many of our troops. Tell us a little bit about your family.

HENZLER: Well, both my grandfathers served in World War II. My father served in Vietnam and my brother is currently serving with the Marine Corps as a captain in Hawaii. He's also been deployed and will be deploying soon once I come home from this tour.

COLLINS: I want to hear what you have to say as well about what people at home can be doing in order to support their troops.

HENZLER: In order to support the troops, I would just say families -- families of service members should definitely just stay in touch, sending packages and letters is always a plus.

And just the general population, just generally supporting the effort and all of the service members and their families back home and helping the families take care of things that their soldiers and service members can't take care of, especially in the guard where troops are giving away their family at home and pushed over here when they're not used to doing like the active duty normally would.

COLLINS: Understood. Understood completely, and very good point. To the both of you, we certainly appreciate your service very much.

Chaplain John Morris coming to us from Basra, Iraq. And also Specialist First Class David Henzler from the U.S. Army National Guard in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Thank you both.

Since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began, the army reports more than 4,300 troops have died in Iraq. More than 3,400 troops died in hostile situations. 859 were killed died in non-hostile conditions. The army also reports 601 service members have died in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My brother, specialist Ernest Dallas Jr. He fought in Iraq war. He was killed in action on July 24th of 2005. He was 21. He helped me a lot raising my daughter. He was a person that can make anybody smile. He's considered my hero. If it wasn't for him, along with others, we wouldn't have the freedom that we have today, and I'm very proud of him. He is missed very much, every day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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COLLINS: A very disturbing case of cyber-bullying in Washington state. A group of young girls around 11 and 12 years old posted a video online showing several ways to kill their classmate. Reporter Elisa Hahn, from our affiliate KING-TV spoke to the targeted student and her mother about the incident.

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ELISA HAHN, KING-TV REPORTER (voice-over): The cartoon is called "Top Six Ways to Kill Piper." It includes depictions of five girls shooting her, making her commit suicide, even pushing her off a cliff.

BETH SMITH, MOTHER: I was horrified. I hope to find kids making jokes and it wasn't. It was death.

HAHN: Beth Smith says the cartoon targeting her daughter was posted on YouTube to a Hannah Montana song called "True Friend." Piper is a 6th grader at Elk Plain School of Choice. The girls who made the video attend the same school.

PIPER SMITH, STUDENT: It was beyond funny stuff. I mean, it really, really hurt my feelings. I mean, if somebody could hate me that much to make a video about me like that, it would make me feel, like, really bad.

HAHN: Piper's mother contacted the parents of the girls who made the video. Some were shocked. Others were dismissive.

B. SMITH: One guy blew it off and said he was making dinner. Yes, he's busy making dinner right now. He would get back to us.

HAHN: The school district says, because of privacy rules, it can't say how the girls were disciplined.

KRISTA CARLSON, BETHEL SCHOOL SYSTEM: Since then, these students have expressed their remorse about this incident, and we do believe that Elk Plain has been and will continue to be a safe place for students to learn.

HAHN: Not knowing what happened leaves Smith frustrated because she wants to know her daughter is safe.

B. SMITH: My heart aches. I fear for her safety.

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COLLINS: Piper says some of the girls have called to apologize. Also, a spokesman from the sheriff's department says no criminal charges will be filed against the girls who made the video.

Miami Dolphins defensive end Randy Starks was arrested early Sunday. According to a police report, he hit a police officer with a truck after repeated attempts to pull the truck over. They say they tried to pull the truck over when they saw it carried more than the required number of passengers. But when an officer on foot tried to stop the truck, it swerved slightly, hitting the officer in the chest and pinning him against another vehicle stopped in traffic. The officer was not injured. Miami Beach police have charged the NFL player with aggravated battery. There's a whole lot going on this morning. And CNN crews are working hard to bring it to you. We want to get a quick look now beginning with Barbara Starr, very appropriately at Arlington National Cemetery.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, good morning to you. We are at a very special corner of Arlington National Cemetery. It is known as the saddest acre traffic.

DOUGHERTY: I'm Jill Dougherty in Washington. President Obama calls it blatant defiance. But what can the world community do about North Korea's nuclear test? I'll have that story at the top of the hour.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Elizabeth Cohen. It's Memorial Day and the official beginning of summer. You'll have to get your sunscreen on. But do you know what number you'll need? I'll explain it to you at the top of the hour.

COLLINS: All right. Thanks so much, guys.

We were also going to be checking in with Elaine Quijano. She's on the Supreme Court watch. President Obama expected to name his nominee soon.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Staff Sergeant Phillip Anderson was my only sibling. He was 28 years old and had a wife and 2-year-old son. My brother was killed on his second tour in Iraq. My brother's smile was just completely infectious. Could just make friends wherever he went. I would just tell him how proud I am of him and that he, you know, did proud by his big sister. And that I can't wait to see him again someday.

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COLLINS: Live pictures to show you now of Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns. Among those in Arlington, some of more than half a million Americans who died in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Since Bill Hodgman served in all three wars, he has a lot of comrades to remember on this Memorial Day. He spent part of the weekend visiting graves where he lives in New Hampshire.

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BILL HODGMAN, VETERAN OF THREE WARS: It's a memory I've always guided. It passed away. It's different. You know, think what you can do today that people couldn't do years ago because of (INAUDIBLE).

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COLLINS: Hodgman served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. During Korea and Vietnam, he was in the Air Force.

Close to 5,000 U.S. service members have now died in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it's not only a tragedy for the country, but also a personal tragedy for so many military families.

A special camp brings some of these families together in Washington to honor their love ones. Kate Bolduan has their story.

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KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): These are the courageous faces and the most heart-breaking legacies of war -- young people brought together in Washington for Memorial Day to honor and to heal.

PAUL SYVERSON, DAD DIED IN COMBAT: I try not to think about the sad stuff.

BOLDUAN: Meet 12-year-old Paul Syverson.

SYVERSON: I just try to remember him as an awesome guy, and what a great dad he was.

BOLDUAN: His dad, Army Major Paul Syverson III, fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. He died in combat in 2004. This is the Syversons' only family photo. Little Amy was just a newborn.

The memories and the pain still raw.

How do you want people to remember your husband and what he fought for?

JACKIE SYVERSON, HUSBAND DIED IN COMBAT: I'd like him and he, I know, would have liked to be remembered as a great husband, a great father and a great soldier. He loved -- being in the military, he loved his job, but he also loved to come home at night and be with his kids.

BOLDUAN: Joey and Billy Ruocco share a similar loss. Their dad, Marine Corps Major John Ruocco, flew 75 helicopter missions in Iraq.

JOEY RUOCCO, 15 YEARS OLD: I mean, no one can ever replace my dad, but, I mean, that it helps a lot to have so much support.

BOLDUAN: Then in 2005 just before returning to Iraq for a second tour of duty, John Ruocco killed himself.

(on camera): The nature of your husband's death, does it add another layer of difficulty?

KIM RUOCCO, WIDOW: Absolutely. And one of the first things I said is why couldn't he have died in a cover? It would have been so much easier, you know. It would have been so cut and dried. You could fall back and say, he died doing what he loved.

The fact that someone can come back from war and make it through and survive and then kill himself, take his own life, is very confusing.

BOLDUAN (voice-over): Along with the Ruoccos and Syversons, about 1,000 children and family members of fallen soldiers are here in Washington this weekend, helped by an organization called T.A.P.S., Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.

BONNIE CARROLL, FOUNDER, T.A.P.S.: Good Grief Camp is the chance for all those who have lost a loved one in military service to come together, find each other, find hope and peace and comfort and support and to become once again part of that military family on Memorial Day.

BOLDUAN: It's also a chance to let loose, enjoy the monuments, spend time with newfound friends. Every kid assigned their own mentor like Matt Thibodeau, a soldier himself.

MATT THIBODEAU, T.A.P.S. MENTOR: I thought, you know, if I already had children and I were to go and pass away, that I would want somebody to do the same for me.

K. RUOCCO: It's about remembering the love, remembering the memories that you have with that person, and not just focusing on the death. So, there's a lot of joy here along with the grief.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do I look? How do I look?

BOLDUAN: And though the pain never seems to be far away, at least this weekend...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After one, that's when you let go!

BOLDUAN: Kids like Paul, Amy, Billy and Joey...

J. RUOCCO: Dear Dad, baseball season starts soon.

BOLDUAN: ...can let go, healing together...

J. RUOCCO: Don't feel bad about what happened.

BOLDUAN: ...carrying on the stories...

J. RUOCCO: I can imagine what you're going through.

BOLDUAN: ...and the legacies of their fathers.

J. RUOCCO: I miss you. Love, Joey.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: 3, 2, 1, blast off!

BOLDUAN: Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COLLINS: And we do want to hear from you on this Memorial Day. What are your thoughts? Are you remembering anyone special? Post your comments on our blog if you would. Just go to cnn.com/newsroom and then click on my name.