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Pastor: I Didn't Punch Her; Three Killed Near Auburn Campus; Presidential Election in Mexico; Cashing in on Candidate's Infidelity; McCain Blasts White House on Leaks, Congresswoman's Down Syndrome Crusade; Jerry Sandusky Trial Begins; Marine Takes Direct Hit from RPG, Lives; Christ the King Graduating Class
Aired June 10, 2012 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Don Lemon.
Let's talk about a mega-church preacher. He takes to the pulpit and says no to charges he beat up his teenage daughter. I'm talking about Creflo Dollar. He preaches to a congregation 30,000 strong in his massive church just outside of Atlanta.
Today his message is denial. No, he says he did not punch her. No, he says, he did not choke her. Those are the accusations that got Creflo Dollar thrown in jail on Friday on charges of child cruelty family violence and battery.
Earlier today -- these words from the pastor to his congregation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. CREFLO DOLLAR, MEGACHURCH PASTOR: The truth is, she was not choked, she was not punched. There were not any scratches on her neck. But the only thing on her neck was a prior skin abrasion from eczema. Anything else is an exaggeration and sensationalism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Our Nick Valencia is watching these developments, watching them very closely, saw him in church today.
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
LEMON: This whole thing is very ugly. Somebody is not telling the truth somewhere. The truth is somewhere in the middle, who knows what's going on here?
VALENCIA: Well police are saying one thing and Creflo Dollar is saying another. What police are alleging is that he struck and choked his 15-year-old daughter over an argument about going to a party. He's saying, no, you can't go because you had bad grades.
What happened was -- what police are saying happened was he choked and he beat her. He's saying that it was just a family incident that escalated; got out of hand, he never meant to harm anyone.
LEMON: Ok before we move on and talk more about this, can you please remind us who this guy is? Because --
VALENCIA: Sure.
LEMON: -- we said 30,000 strong, he's on television, he's syndicated, you see him all over the country, so it's not just those 30,000 people in the physical church.
VALENCIA: No, he's on line. He has a huge presence on line.
LEMON: Right.
VALENCIA: He's what is called a prosperity minister, T.D. -- T.D. Jakes and Joel Osteen among the other popular preachers. He preaches a message of God rewarding his followers with material wealth and spiritual gifts -- those who follow his message.
LEMON: That was his standing ovation that we were looking at. He got a standing ovation today when he went -- when he went to church as he walked to -- walked the pulpit. So people -- so people stand by him. And you spoke to some of the -- well, you got -- we have -- we have some people who were standing by him at church today. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOLLAR: And I want to say this very emphatically. I should have never been arrested.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is the best pastor in the world. He teaches the word with simplicity and understanding. He's a great father and husband.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I know this is a great man of God, him and his family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a 15-year-old daughter myself, and if she needs discipline, that's what she will get. Thank you. Case dismissed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't think for a second about not coming this week?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, no. And come on in and join us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Wow, wow. Ok so to they're standing by him.
VALENCIA: It doesn't seem that this incident --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: There was one person there who said -- there was a one person there and probably you would be hard pressed to find someone in the church --
VALENCIA: Right. LEMON: -- who will speak out against him.
VALENCIA: Well, it was tough to talk to them at all. Fortunately, our affiliate WXIA got sound with some of the congregation. It seems that this incident hasn't really affected their support for Creflo.
LEMON: What's next?
VALENCIA: Well there is no formal charges, the district attorney has go to look at this investigation. He's arrested, he spent the night in jail, posted a $5,000 on bond. We'll be watching the developments on Monday.
LEMON: Yes isn't -- this is -- I don't know maybe it happens to a lot but a parent being arrested for disciplining their kid.
VALENCIA: That's his point that he made. You know and disciplining a child in today's society, how are you supposed to do it? He said he didn't mean to make -- do any harm against his daughter.
LEMON: We don't know what that discipline was, but he's saying it's not what everyone is making it up at least his daughter.
VALENCIA: Right.
LEMON: There's a -- there's a bigger story there. I'd love for him to come on and talk about it. Come on, talk about it.
VALENCIA: I'll be here.
LEMON: Yes we're inviting Creflo Dollar to come on if he wants to say his piece. Thank you, Nick Valencia.
VALENCIA: Thank you.
LEMON: We appreciate it.
All right, you've seen this video. If you haven't, take a look. It's difficult to look at. It is a boy being whipped with a belt in his backyard. We showed it last night here on CNN. He is an elected official in Imperial County, California. He is hitting his stepson with the belt while the two of them were playing catch. The neighbor had videotaped just from a next-door balcony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have problem with the way I --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm having a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) problem with you for beating (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out of him because he won't catch the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) ball.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know my son?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know your son, but I'm watching you. I'm a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) father, too. (END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Ok, well, the stepfather was arrested on felony child abuse charges. The boy's grandfather went on TV today, he was on the "Weekend Today" show and he has mixed feelings about what he sees on this videotape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRY GRAMMAR, SANCHEZ'S FATHER-IN-LAW: I'll tell you Anthony had excessive spanking. He spanked him -- he spanked him a little too much. But Anthony, again, is in a very difficult situation. He's trying to be a stepfather for a -- a -- a child that has some behavioral issues, a child that I love dearly, like I said, that -- that's blessed my life.
And -- and on top of that they have -- you know they're -- and this is all documented, Zach and my daughter, they're going to behavioral counseling in California. And you know the -- the first thing, they try time out, they try removing things, but it is documented in his church, it's documented in school, when the -- the spanking discipline has worked, it's helped his behavior.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The boy's stepfather is out of jail after posting bail. Prosecutors will decide tomorrow whether they'll file formal charges of child abuse against him.
A raging wildfire in Colorado has grown significantly just in the last 24 hours, engulfing more than 14,000 acres. It's (inaudible) fire; it's being fueled by dry brush and high temperatures. Firefighters went door to door to make sure people got out safely, but some residents aren't sure what they'll come back to.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't -- I can't imagine that my house is there right now, to be honest with you. I really can't imagine it is. How close the fire was and now I'm not going to have a home and I have no place to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Here is the official word out of there 18 structures have already been lost or damaged.
More extreme weather to tell you about now, this time it's on the Gulf Coast; record amounts of rainfall for Alabama and Florida. Can you -- can you believe look at that. It's like waves coming up on a beach there. Amazing.
So it is -- the worst isn't over for these folks. Storms have drenched Escambia County, Florida and a state of emergency has been declared. People living in low-lying areas are being asked to evacuate because of flooding. Look at the radar. We said it's not over. More than 20 inches of rain fell in some areas near Pensacola over a 24-hour period and the rain is still coming down.
We go now to Alabama and the intense manhunt for a gunman wanted for killing three people including two former Auburn University football players. This is the man police are looking for, 22-year-old DesMonte Leonard. They also say they want to talk to two people they consider persons of interest.
This all went down last night at a party at an off campus apartment. And in addition to the three people killed, three others were wounded in the shooting including another Auburn player. One of the wounded is in critical condition right now. Former Auburn football player Edward Christian was the first victim found, the 20-year-old dead at the scene.
A second former player, Ladarius Phillips, also 20, he died at the hospital; as did another man identified as Demario Pitts. The Auburn police chief says the shooting has rocked the community to its core.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF TOMMY DAWSON, AUBURN POLICE: This is a trying time because it's -- it's not only university students and athletes, but it's a -- it's young people. It's six young people that have been shot and we're -- as you can tell, the community is shaken by this and -- and grieving today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Wow. Police say they consider Leonard to be armed and dangerous. They aren't discussing a possible motive, but they did say they aren't aware, they are not aware of any connection between the university and Leonard. We'll follow that story for you.
Protestors in Mexico are furious. They're angry, shouting accusations about corruption and what they see as media manipulation.
And you'll hear from one congresswoman who is fighting for those stricken with Down syndrome.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Tonight is the last televised debate for Mexico's presidential election and protestors are gathering, furious over what they see as media manipulation. A grassroots social media group is behind the -- some of these protests. Activists accused the country's media companies are trying to influence public opinion in favor of the election's front runner Enrique Pena Nieto.
It is not clear how a new president might change Mexico's policies for the U.S. or the drug war raging all around the country.
Miguel Marquez has been following this election for us and he joins us now from Guadalajara, Mexico. So Miguel, can we expect -- what can we expect if Pena Nieto, if he were to win?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, if he wins, I think it's going to be very interesting. We're actually in Mexico City at the moment but there are protests planned for Guadalajara as well. That's where the -- the debate is taking place tonight.
Judging from the crowd that I met today, it is - it has spread now beyond the "Yo Soy 132" the "I Am 132" crowd, mostly a student movement. It is now all -- many sectors of Mexican society. These are people who feel that if Pena Nieto is re-elected, it will be a step back for democracy in Mexico and they feel that it will change Mexico irrevocably and take them back to a time of institutionalized corruption that they don't want to see.
It's a -- well, today's protest so far has been sort of festival like. I fear that after this election, some of these people were so serious and so angry out there at the same time that they were trying to stay light, that we could see a -- we could see quite a response if Pena Nieto is elected, if Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is denied the presidency again.
LEMON: I want to ask you -- I want to ask you this, Miguel, because this is a big problem for Mexico. The drug war, the cartels, how would this change the drug war in Mexico?
It is very unclear. That this is something that the candidates have talked about but not said very many specifics about. The cartels have pretty much taken their hands off the presidential elections and aren't really affecting it very much.
Lopez Obrador, the more populist candidate, if you will, he had talked about it at one point of taking the military, you know, the Mexican military is on the streets here fighting the drug war. Many have been critical of that because they feel that it took it to another level and made it even the bad violence even worse, and they -- but -- but since he said that, he has backed off of that.
I think there is a concern that if one were to let up on the cartels at all that they would -- that would even -- that their power would become even greater in those areas and it would be even more difficult to fight them -- Don.
LEMON: Miguel Marquez, thank you very much. We appreciate it.
And if you don't believe politics in Mexico can be tough, you have to see this story. Pena Nieto has admitted to having affairs in the past -- you'd expect his opponents to take advantage of that but they aren't the only ones.
Rafael Romo looks at the company that's trying to cash in on his affairs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): The billboard is hard to miss at this busy intersection in Mexico City. Mexican presidential frontrunner Enrique Pena Nieto is shown with a finger on his lips -- the universal hushing gesture -- and lipstick on his collar.
"Unfaithful with his family", the billboard says, "faithful and committed to his country".
JORGE SALVADOR CASTRO, MEXICO CITY RESIDENT (through translator): It might even be giving extra publicity to the candidate. It doesn't matter. It's his life. He's with a woman who was also married. I don't know. It shouldn't matter to us. What matters is that things improve in our country.
ROMO: Pena Nieto has publicly admitted that he was unfaithful to his first wife who died in 2007 and fathered two children out of wedlock.
The billboard was the creation of Ashley Madison, a Canadian company that publishes a Web site catering to married people interested in having an affair. The company is trying to expand its clientele in Mexico.
RICARDO CASTANEDA, ASHLEY MADISON REPRESENTATIVE (through translator): When we use the image of the presidential candidate, it's to say that if he had used our services, his infidelity would never have been discovered.
ROMO: Mexico will hold presidential elections on July 1st, and Pena Nieto has a double-digit lead in the polls. The 45-year-old former governor is now married to soap opera actress Angelica Rivera and is greeted as a rock star at most campaign events.
CASTANEDA: We believe in freedom of expression and this is related to freedom of expression. We're not saying anything negative about him. His infidelity was already known, so we don't fear any reprisal. On the contrary, we are using his campaign slogan and we are saying something that he's already accepted. There is even a book about it.
ROMO: There has been no comment from Pena Nieto or his campaign but his party the PRI has denounced the billboard.
HELIODORO DIAZ ESCARRAGA, PRI CONGRESSMAN: Translator: it's defamatory. It's abuse against a person. Independent of the fact that he's a candidate for the presidency, he's a person, a citizen, someone who has political and human rights which must be respected.
ROMO (on camera): This is not the first time Pena Nieto has made headlines for embarrassing reasons. Last December, questioned at a book fair, he couldn't name three books that have influenced him. In an interview with a newspaper, he couldn't remember the Mexican minimum wage or the price of tortillas.
In spite of the gaffes and massive student protests against him, he remains solidly popular among with Mexican voters and well positioned to become the next Mexican president.
Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers is a rising star in the Republican Party but she's also a mom whose son inspired a bipartisan initiative. Ahead, the personal issue that's inspiring political unity.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Holding President Obama accountable, Senator John McCain told our Candy Crowley today the President needs to own up to the leaks coming out of his White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I have no idea whether the President knew or did not know. I have never alleged such a thing, but I have alleged that if you look at the information that's been leaked, again, that information in the book says that several officials said that they had to remain anonymous who gave this information because they would lose their jobs. The President may not have done it himself but the President is certainly responsible as commander-in-chief.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The senator was responding to several classified reports that were leaked from the White House. Some claim the leaks were done intentionally to make the President look tough in an election year. The White House flatly denies this claim.
Attorney General Eric Holder said he's assigned two special prosecutors to investigate the issue.
It's going to be a close call in the fall, that is according to President Obama's former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel who thinks the presidential election will come down to a handful of states.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR, RAHM EMANUEL (D), CHICAGO: It will be a close election. I'm not saying anything that the President doesn't believe. I mean it's a close election. And I think it's going to come down to a handful of states, and I say this with pithy, I don't mean an exact science. It's five states, 500 precincts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: He didn't say what exact states it would come down to, just that candidates would have to appeal to major groups in those battleground states to get the vote.
Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers is a busy mom on a crusade and that crusade is to advocate for more independence for people with Down Syndrome. Her inspiration is her five-year-old son. The congresswoman invited our Lisa Sylvester into her home to explain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thinking about messaging, moving forward --
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There are 435 of the House of Representatives --
REP. CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS (R), WASHINGTON: We have some work to do.
SYLVESTER: -- 76 of them are women.
MCMORRIS RODGERS: Ok.
SYLVESTER: But only one woman in the House Republican leadership --
MCMORRIS RODGERS: Messaging beams (ph) --
SYLVESTER: Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers --
MCMORRIS RODGERS: Tendencies increasing for that.
SYLVESTER: -- who represents eastern Washington State.
RODGERS: So what's been the highlights so far?
SYLVESTER: To say that she has a busy job --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And a busy week.
SYLVESTER: -- is an understatement.
MCMORRIS RODGERS: We're going through all of this?
SYLVESTER: She has one foot on each coast, shuttling back and forth.
But she's more than an elected official. She's also a mom.
MCMORRIS-RODGERS: These are his little feet at six weeks.
(inaudible) This is the first time I brought him to the Capitol, so he was just a little guy.
SYLVESTER: Reporter: she holds the distinction of being the only member of congress in history to give birth twice while in office.
MCMORRIS RODGERS: I was first elected to Congress in 2004 and I was still single. Met Brian a year later, we got married and then soon after that, I was pregnant; Cole was born in 2007, and Grace was born, then, in 2010.
SYLVESTER: One-year-old Grace and five-year-old Cole. Cole, who loves rocking out to Bruce Springsteen, who was a budding athlete --
MCMORRIS RODGERS: That's his favorite.
SYLVESTER: And who was born with Down syndrome.
MCMORRIS-RODGERS: That's tough news to receive. It's not what you dream. It's not what you expect.
SYLVESTER: Life has been a series of adjustments.
MCMORRIS RODGERS: Look at that.
SYLVESTER: A pressing of the reset button for Cathy McMorris Rodgers and her husband Brian, who retired from the military.
BRIAN RODGERS, CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS' HUSBAND: I spent 26 years in the Navy, and so this is a lot like the Navy. You know, it's dynamic, it's very interesting, there is a lot of purpose to it. It's good. It's all good.
SYLVESTER (on camera): Your commanders are a little younger, though, right?
RODGERS: That's right. That's true. That's true.
SYLVESTER (voice-over): the family moved to Washington, D.C., but it's still a challenge trying to make all the pieces fit.
MCMORRIS RODGERS: I love what I do and I love being a mom. And it's a constant juggling act, and some days if feel like I'm handling it better than other days.
SYLVESTER: If becoming a parent has given her a new outlook, having a child with a disability has given her a new objective.
MCMORRIS RODGERS: Want a bit. There you go.
SYLVESTER: She is the co-founder of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus.
MCMORRIS RODGERS: You want to be the best parent possible.
SYLVESTER: McMorris Rodgers wants a new law that would let the parents of children with disabilities set a tax-free account, similar to a 401(k), retirement plan or a 529 college savings plan.
MCMORRIS RODGERS: Just help them whether it is, maybe through furthering their education or housing or transportation needs that they might have, it just would give them some more resources to hopefully be as independent as possible. And the Able Act will help do that.
SYLVESTER: It's an issue that unite even political opposites.
MCMORRIS RODGERS: Good job.
I met the lobbyist for the Sierra Club. On most issues, I'm not on board with the Sierra Club, and yet he has -- he has two sons with Down syndrome, and he said, you know what, I want to work with you on these issues, and these are really tough numbers.
SYLVESTER: To the world she's a rising star in the GOP --
MCMORRIS RODGERS: What are you doing here bud?
Sylvester: But at home, she's mommy.
MCMORRIS RODGERS: What does this say up here?
SYLVESTER (on camera): Cathy McMorris Rodgers is being considered as a possible running mate for Mitt Romney. There are about a dozen people frequently named as contenders and on that list there are only a couple of women. She was recently given a new plum assignment. She's now the House of Representatives official liaison with Team Romney.
Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Lisa, thank you very much.
Opening statements begin tomorrow in the trial of Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State football coach is charged with child sex abuse. We'll look at the legal challenges from both sides -- both sides face here.
And keep an eye on CNN on your mobile phone. You can also watch live, CNN Live from your laptop, cnn.com/live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Half past the hour right now. We're going to look at your headlines for you.
A raging wildfire in Colorado has grown significantly in the last 24 hours, engulfing more than 14,000 acres. Dry brush and high temperatures, that's what's helping fuel this fire. Eighteen structures have already been lost or damaged. Firefighters are going door to door to make sure people get out safely. They say windy conditions will likely cause the fire to continue to spread quickly.
A record amount of rainfall causing severe flooding in Alabama and Florida, and the worst isn't over yet. A state of emergency has been declared in Escambia County, Florida, and people living in low-lying areas are being asked to evacuate. Flash flood warnings and watches are in effect for parts of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
And a manhunt in Alabama to tell you about for a gunman accused of killing three people, including two former Auburn University football players. This is the man police are looking for, 22-year-old Desmonte Leonard. It all went down last night at a party in an off-campus apartment. Three others were wounded in the shooting including another Auburn player. One of the wounded is in critical condition.
Mega church pastor Creflo Dollar says people around him are lying, that people are trying to discredit him, and he never should have been arrested. Dollar went to jail Friday in suburban Atlanta after his daughter told police he punched her and choked her. Dollar started his Sunday service today by denying he had done anything wrong. In just hours, the trial of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky gets under way. The jury is set, and final attempts to have the case thrown out were denied. Sandusky faces 52 counts of sexual misconduct involving young boys. CNN's national correspondent Jason Carroll talks about the legal challenges both sides face.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Jerry Sandusky case will likely come down to one simple question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you feel about the opportunity to face your accusers, sir?
CARROLL: Who did jurors believe, the 68-year-old former defensive line coach from Penn State or his accusers, who say Sandusky sexually assaulted them when they were children. Legal analysts say the defense will have to carefully show the accusers are not credible.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: One of the big challenges for the defense here is to try to discredit the accusers without making the jury even more sympathetic to them. That's very hard to do.
CARROLL: State law may end up playing into the defense's favor. Pennsylvania is the only state that does not allow expert witness testimony in cases involving rape and sexual abuse.
That means the prosecution will not be able to call expert witnesses to explain why, for example, some of the alleged victims waited long periods of time to report the abuse, or why some continued to have contact with Sandusky. State Representative Cherelle Parker helped introduce a bill to change the law.
REP. CHERELLE PARKER (D), PENNSYLVANIA: The jury, without there having an expert to testify about the normalcy of this type of behavior, they don't have a proper context in which to develop their response.
CARROLL: The prosecution strategy appears clear. Let each of the accusers testify, allow the jury to hear the common pain they allegedly suffered because of Sandusky. So says the attorney who was privately representing the young man identified in court records as victim number 5.
TOM KLINE, ATTORNEY: We have a serial presentation of serial predatory acts which occurred one after another in similar fashion, in similar manner, with similar technique. That's what I believe the jury will be shown in this case.
CARROLL: Before the judge imposed a gag order, Sandusky attorney Joe Amendola told CNN he will challenge the accusers' motivation, saying it's all about money.
JOE AMENDOLA, ATTORNEY: We may never know what allegations were basically fabricated because people are looking for some money.
CARROLL: Even so, legal analysts say the defense has its work cut out for them.
TOOBIN: The sheer number of accusers makes this an incredibly difficult case to defend. One person can be lying, two people can be lying. But can eight accusers really be lying?
CARROLL: Sandusky says they are. He continues to maintain his innocence.
Jason Carroll, CNN, Belfont, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: This next story is incredible. A Marine has a live rocket- propelled grenade shot into his body. It's an incredible story of survival.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: In wartime, there are countless dangers, including being hit with a live rocket-propelled grenade. That happened to one Marine, and he lived to tell about it. Here's CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Marine Corporal Winder Perez knew the rocket-propelled grenade was coming right at him.
CPL. WINDER PEREZ, U.S. MARINE CORPS: All of a sudden just I just saw the RPG coming towards me, and it hit me, and, you know, I was hit. And my boys, they knew exactly what to do, and they came down, no hesitation, no nothing, and they picked me up, they got me to safety.
STARR: Winder Perez had a live, foot-long, rocket-propelled grenade embedded in his left side. But even so, he kept his cool.
PEREZ: I tried to call in my own medevac but I couldn't because my radio -- the RPG had struck the battery in my radio.
STARR: Plain words from this baseball loving 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic. Perez and his fellow Marines knew the RPG could explode at any minute. But they also knew he needed medical help as soon as possible. It would become a journey of courage and even humor by so many.
PEREZ: We were just joking around while they were tending to me. We were there like it was nothing, you know, just talking.
STARR: Captain Kevin Doo's helicopter crew immediately agreed to take on the dangerous mission.
CAPT. KEVIN DOO, U.S. ARMY MEDEVAC PILOT: There was quite a bit of alarm amongst the crew at the time, as you can imagine.
STARR: Perez and that live rocket were just inches from 300 gallons of aviation fuel. When the helo landed, Navy trauma nurse Lieutenant Commander James Gennari ordered his staff to stay away.
LT. COMMANDER JAMES GENNARI, U.S. NAVY NURSE: I decided that I was going to go, because quite frankly, I am not going to ask somebody to do what I am not going to do. It is just not going to happen.
STARR: Look at this video. Gennari in the helmet made a vow to Perez.
GENNARI: I promise you I will not leave you until that thing is out of your leg. And he said, cool.
STARR: Gennari and an explosives expert struggled to pull the rocket out. Remember, it could have exploded at any moment. Surgeons say just a few millimeters to the left or right, and the RPG would have cut an artery; Perez would be dead. As it is, he's hanging out again with his Marine buddies.
PEREZ: We went out to baseball games. We did stuff buddies do back home, you know. They don't really talk much about when we were over there. We kind of just forgot about it and moved on with our lives. Hung out, drank a little. Just did man stuff.
STARR: Barbara Starr, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: We want to say that our Dr. Sanjay Gupta spoke with the lieutenant commander who was also the U.S. Navy nurse responsible for saving Perez's life. Sanjay asked him what the risks were.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENNARI: The choices were two. One, we would pull it out, see if we could control the bleeding and carry on from there. Or two, we would send out the one general surgeon we had with an O.R. tech and a nurse anesthetist or an anesthesiologist and see if they would surgically remove it.
It seemed prudent to try plan A first, because quite frankly, one of two things was going to happen. It was either going to come out or it was going to blow up. If it didn't blow up, then we could get it out or at least dislodge it enough that then surgical intervention could be used.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A lot of Lieutenant Commander Gennari's friends are calling him a hero, and his family as well.
An exciting new tool for Facebook got a real rough start. At the premiere here, here's how TV host Joel McHale characterized it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOEL MCHALE: Right now, what this is called, is it's called a disaster. No -- (END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You could end up face to face with a live celebrity if it works right, and we'll tell you about it, straight ahead.
But first this. The emotional aftermath for U.S. troops returning home from war is so devastating. There are an estimated 18 veterans committing suicide every day. This week, "CNN Hero" gives veterans who suffer from traumatic brain injuries and other invisible wounds a positive outlook on life by enlisting man's best friend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I got back from Iraq, I stood away from large crowds, malls, movies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't leave the house. Just didn't want to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stayed inside, windows blacked out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was really numb. Didn't feel like I had a purpose anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nightmares, constantly, flashbacks. Everything to me is still a combat zone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Veterans with invisible wounds we can't see a wheelchair, a prosthetic leg. They appear like you and I. But their suffering goes so deep, it touches the soul.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you doing, buddy?
MARY CORTANI: I learned how to train dogs while I served in the Army. I knew that a dog can add a lot in your life, and I realized this is what I was supposed to do.
My name is Mary Cortani. I match veterans with service dogs, train them as a team, so that they can navigate life together.
When a veteran trains their own service dog, they have a mission and a purpose again.
Talk to them. Tell them they did good.
Dogs come from shelters, rescue groups. They are taught to create a spatial barrier and can alert them when they start to get anxious. Are you OK? Getting overwhelmed? Focus on Maggie.
The dog is capable of keeping them grounded.
You're focusing on him and he's focusing on everything around you.
You start to see them get their confidence back. Communicate differently. They venture out, they are beginning to participate in life again. Being able to help them find that joy back in their life, it's priceless.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: To nominate someone making a difference in your community, visit CNNheroes.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Can special glasses trick you into losing weight? Our CNN in Espanol anchor Alejandra Oraa. Alejandra Oraa. She's trying to get me to say it correctly. She's here talking tech with us. We're going to get to those glasses in just a moment, but first, a new Facebook video chat tool. It sounds great, but wow, the launch was a mess. It is called Airtime, so what is it?
ALEJANDRA ORAA, TECH REPORTER: Well, a lot of people call it the exact copy of Chatroulette. Did you ever hear about Chatroulette?
LEMON: I heard about Chatroulette. Yes, that was very controversial. It's still around, too, yes?
ORAA: It's still around, but a lot of people said it was a website for profanity and also for people to have indecent behavior. However, Airtime is trying to use your Facebook information, including your Facebook profile, name -- however, it doesn't give it to the users on Airtime -- and it's trying to link you with users on Airtime that have the same taste in music. All the information that you put in the "about me" section on Facebook, the information that you have about your favorite TV shows, favorite movies, and try to find somebody that actually might share those types of interests.
LEMON: OK. So, is it working? The launch -- they had some hiccups, right? It was bad.
ORAA: Horrible. They had Jim Carey. They had Joel McHale from "The Soup," and when they tried to connect all the web cams to the people that were trying to use it, they had a lot of issues with the connection. So I actually went on it today, I will be honest with you, I spent about an hour on it today. I had a couple of issues, but once the connection gets well, I think it's going to be a lot of fun. Because it has technology, it has a special algorithm that it shows -- it actually scans all the pictures and all the videos to make sure that nobody is doing anything indecent.
LEMON: OK. Something else I wanted to talk to you about, another tech story today. These goggles that can trick you into losing weight. How does that work? Did you bring this because you thought I was too skinny? But anyway, those are the goggles.
ORAA: Well, you work on television, so I'm sure you've tried many diets, right?
LEMON: Yes, absolutely. ORAA: The infamous ten pounds that TV adds. Basically, what it does is that researchers at Tokyo University created those glasses that we see on the screen, we just had it on the air a few seconds ago, and when you wear them, any food that you might have in front of you is going to appear more than 50 percent larger. It doesn't make the food larger, but it looks like it. So basically, if you put on the goggles, two Oreo cookies, we're looking at it right here, is going to look like a donut. So when you're eating it, if you see this, you're going to be hungry, right?
LEMON: It would be great if it could make like those -- make it taste as big as that.
ORAA: Well, they're trying to actually have smell with that, so it might actually work. But it's not going to be the same.
LEMON: This is great -- this is your second time speaking English on live on -- knowing -- you know, a lot of people were upset about our joke last week.
ORAA: They kept saying that you called me dumb.
LEMON: I did not.
ORAA: I will say, though, he did not call me dumb. He just said that since I am good looking -- and thank you for the compliment --
LEMON: We kind of joked around off a bit, people didn't get it on the air. I also said you were very smart.
ORAA: Thank you very much.
LEMON: And I prefaced it by saying, this may sound like I'm being chauvinistic, but I'm not, because we're friends, and--
ORAA: And I was not offended by it at all whatsoever. I knew about it. And by the way, if you're good-looking, does (inaudible) people shouldn't be paying attention to you either? Does that happen to you all the time?
LEMON: No. I'm not that good-looking. She got me after the show. She zinged me. She's going to zing me on the air, so thank you, it's a pleasure having you. See you again soon. You are awesome. Gracias.
ORAA: De nada. You're learning Spanish!
LEMON: I am.
Graduates of a Chicago prep school have a lot to be proud of. All 50 students in its very first senior class are graduating. Why it's unique, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Now to a story about achievement and success against the odds. It's out of Chicago. Here's Rob Johnson. He's from our affiliate WBBM.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROB JOHNSON, WBBM CORRESPONDENT: It is one of the final things these students will do as high school seniors. Take final exams. But come next fall, all 50 of these Christ the King pioneers will be going to college. But where?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to NIU.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wilbur Wright College.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alabama.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: University of Iowa.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Texas Southern University.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tennessee State University.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Marquette University.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Farnham University in South Carolina.
JOHNSON: Father Chris Devron is president at Christ the King.
FATHER CHRIS DEVRON, PRES., CHRIST THE KING: We really see this as a means to an end. It's not the end. Your degree is not an end.
JOHNSON: The school recruits middle schoolers all over Austin and covers most of the cost for those who qualify. A Jesuit background is not necessary. Embracing a Jesuit education is.
DEVRON: That really is the motto of Jesuit education, to become a young woman or man for others. I think every parent wants that for their kids.
JOHNSON: Kids like Shalamiyah Brown.
What have been your most important lessons here?
SHALAMIYAH BROWN, STUDENT: Being open to growth is something that you need to be in life. To start something new, to go into something new, to have no background is OK. You'll learn.
JOHNSON: Or Rowshawn Treadwell.
ROWSHAWN TREADWELL, STUDENT: As a kid, people didn't have these types of opportunities.
JOHNSON: But not everyone makes it. There's a dress code. There are high expectations for the academics and religious studies. And all students must work five days a month at a corporate job.
TREADWELL: Hi, welcome to U.S. Bank.
JOHNSON: To help pay for their tuition. Rowshawn has spent four years at U.S. Bank in Oak Park.
TREADWELL: File papers, run errands, do the coin machine.
JOHNSON: But no matter student or administrator, for those who've embarked upon this journey --
TREADWELL: It's going to be sad.
JOHNSON: -- this is a special moment.
DEVRON: This diploma isn't the end. This is an invitation to go out and make the world a better place.
BROWN: I'll be the first graduating class of my school and the first graduating student of my family.
TREADWELL: We're the first to come in, the first to leave out together as one. So that's why at graduation, it's going to be bittersweet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And that was WBBM's Rob Johnson. One other note to tell you about, all the students will get some kind of financial aid for college. Congratulations to them.
It is -- oh, my gosh. Every time I see this. We'll explain it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You want to watch this one. Our Jeanne Moos tells us about a man who just couldn't say goodbye to his dead cat.
OK. So here's the thing. This is supposed to be Jeanne Moos. But this guy's cat died. And so he had it stuffed, I believe. And then he -- there it is. Put the suit all over it. And then he turned it into a flying cat-copter. It went viral. And that is what you end up with. That's the first -- oh, my gosh. Isn't that weird looking? It's just weird and kind of creepy. Anyway, he loves his cat. We'll see if we can get the Jeanne package for you later. But now you know the rest of the story.
OK. I'm Don Lemon. I'm at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. A little technical glitch there, but you get the idea. I'm going to see you back here at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. There's a great show coming up next here on CNN, it is "GLOBAL LESSONS." It is a "GPS" road map for making immigration work, and it's hosted by our very own Fareed Zakaria, and it begins in just a bit here on CNN. See you back here at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
