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New Theory -- Flight 370 Fire?; Medal of Honor Ceremony at White House

Aired March 18, 2014 - 15:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Bottom of the hour, you're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin, and this is special coverage of the search for Flight 370.

You know what? The pilots of Flight 370, they're coming up clean. U.S. officials say they have gone over and over the communication between the pilots and radio control in those key moments before the flight vanished, and you know what their conclusion was? Nothing suspicious.

So this ties into what police have found after a search of the pilots' homes. They have gone through e-mail after e-mail.

They have even, as we've been reporting, have seized and were investigating that at-home flight simulator. Again, nothing suspicious.

So, who reprogrammed the plane's cockpit computer to veer off course? We know now from a law enforcement official that that is likely the case.

We also know as we've been learning, that's a pretty tough thing to do, and you have to do it from the cockpit, so we can assume it was someone with aviation knowledge, but the when, the where, the how, the why, all still a mystery, as I speak to you this hour.

Let's dive a little deeper into that sharp left plane that that plane took before disappearing. That's really also been a source of confusion. Watch the red line as it takes that sharp left.

One theory is really a point of stunning simplicity. One expert believes there was a fire on the plane, and he suggests that that left turn indicates that the pilot, who by the way has more than 18,000 hours in the air, did precisely what experienced aviators do -- aim for an airport.

So, Chad Myers is back with me, because you're going to help us explain, just putting these pieces together from this one theory that's all over the Internet now.

So the facts that we have on the ground.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I wish we could get one, two, three, four, five all to add up to something.

BALDWIN: Wouldn't that be nice?

MYERS: We get one plus two, that equals four. And then a third theory, that doesn't equal five. And then one here doesn't even go near the arcs.

BALDWIN: Show us what we know. Show me what we know.

MYERS: Here's what this theory is talking about. It's all over Twitter, all over Google. The plane left Kuala Lumpur, it came up here, and it made a hard left turn.

That was programmed into the computer. Not just grabbed the yolk and turned the thing left or step on the rudder, like some yahoo who wouldn't know how to fly a plane would do.

The person that did this turn, it is concluded, knew what they were doing. Knew how to do that.

Now we go to step two. Where were they going? The theory says there was a fire onboard. Let's get it to the closest airport.

That's a 13,000-foot runway right there, very good runway to make a heavy landing on, especially if you don't have full control.

BALDWIN: Right along that line. So that would have made sense.

MYERS: But guess what, Brooke. Guess, if they weren't trying to go there, or if they were incapacitated and they couldn't land the plane, take it off autopilot, guess where it goes.

All the way over to here, where the same morning, a low-flying white jumbo jet with red stripes was reported by many people being very low and very loud, in fact, so low, one person that saw it could count the doors on the airplane, and very loud means it still had power.

BALDWIN: Chad, thank you. I know. I feel you loud and clear. Thank you.

We're going to come back to this. First, let's pause and go to the White House, because there's something pretty incredible that's happening here because we're about to see President Obama righting the wrongs of many years ago with these veterans.

Let's dip in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- the strength and will which these men possessed, with courage, with humility that we may follow their path, that our spirit, Eternal God, that we may never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to become a model of what we advocate, as we pray and ask in your holy name, amen.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good afternoon, everybody. Please be seated.

Welcome to the White House.

The presentation of our nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, is always a special occasion, but today, it is truly historic.

This is the single largest group of service members to be awarded the Medal of Honor since the Second World War. And with several of these soldiers recognized for their valor during that war, this ceremony is 70 years in the making.

As one family member has said, this is long overdue. Many of these families -- and I had a chance to meet all of them who are present here today, you know, they've known these stories of heroism for decades.

Still, they were pretty surprised when we called them to break the news about the Medal of Honor. Some of them thought it was a prank.

Some of them thought it was a scam. A few of them thought it might be some trick to get their credit card number.

When I called Melvin Morris, who we'll recognize in a moment for his actions in Vietnam, his first reaction was, "Oh, my god, what have I done"?

When I told him it was all good, the Medal of Honor, I could hear through the phone, he almost passed out.

You see, for their gallantry under fire, each of these soldiers were long ago recognized with the Army's second-highest award, the Distinguished Service Cross.

But ask their fellow veterans, ask their families, and they'll tell you that their extraordinary deeds merited the highest recognition, and today, we have the chance to set the record straight.

This ceremony reminds us of one of the enduring qualities that makes America great, that makes us exceptional. No nation is perfect, but here in America, we confront our imperfections and face a sometimes painful past, including the truth that some of these soldiers fought and died for a country that did not always see them as equal.

So, with each generation, we keep on striving to live up to our ideals of freedom and equality and to recognize the dignity and patriotism of every person, no matter who they are, what they look like, or how they pray.

And that's why more than a decade ago, Congress mandated a review to make sure the heroism of our veterans wasn't overlooked because of prejudice or discrimination.

Our military reviewed thousands of war records. They teamed up with veterans groups and museums to get this right. It was painstaking work, made even harder because sometimes our service members felt as if they needed to change their last names to fit in.

That tells a story about our past, but ultimately, after years of review, these two dozen soldiers, among them Hispanic, African- American, and Jewish veterans, were identified as having earned the Medal of Honor.

This is the length to which America will go to make sure everyone who serves under our proud flag receives the thanks that they deserve.

So, this is going to be a long ceremony. We're going to read all 24 citations, because every one is a story of bravery that deserves to be told.

But, first, I want to take just a few minutes to describe the Americans behind these actions, the men these families know, the brilliant lives behind the smiling faces in those old photographs, and how they reflected all the beauty and diversity of the country that they served.

They were Americans by birth and Americans by choice, immigrants, including one that was not yet even a citizen. They grew up in big city neighborhoods like Brooklyn, rural communities like Hooper, Nebraska and small towns like Puerto Rico.

They loved to fish and play baseball. They were sons who made their parents proud and brothers who their siblings looked up to. They were so young, many in their early 20s, and when their country went to war, they answered the call.

They put on the uniform and hugged their families goodbye. Some of them hugged the wives and children that they'd never see again. They fought in the rocky hills of Italy, the bloodstained beaches of France, the freezing mountains of Korea, the humid jungles of Vietnam.

Their courage almost defies imagination. When you read the records of these individuals, it's unimaginable the valor that they displayed -- running into bullets; charging machine gun nests and climbing aboard tanks and taking them out; covering their comrades so they could make it to safety; holding back enemies, wave after wave, even when the combat was hand to hand; manning their posts, some to their very last breaths so that their comrades might live.

Of the 24 American soldier s we honor today, 10 never came home. One of them, Corporal Joe Baldonado from the Korean War, is still missing, reminding us that as a nation we have a sacred obligation to keep working to give the families of our missing service members from all wars a full accounting of their loved ones.

Through their grief, the families of our fallen summon the strength to carry on -- wives whose hearts ached for their husbands; sons and daughters who grew up without their dad; nieces and nephews and grandchildren -- and these families join us here today.

And they know more than most that because others laid down their lives for us, we've been able to live our lives in freedom, pursue our dreams.

So there's a legacy here, borne of sacrifice that includes a soldier's nephew, a kid from New York who grew up to become one of the great rock stars of all time and who honors his uncle here today.

It includes soldiers who came home and took different paths, some continuing to serve in uniform, some beginning new careers, some getting married and raising their kids, serving their communities, taking care of their fellow vets.

These veterans lived out their lives in the country that they helped to defend and doing what they love, like William Leonard, who at age 71 passed away in his backyard, sitting in his chair listening to his beloved Yankees play on the radio.

And that's where the story might have ended. But Mitchell Libman, a friend of one of these soldiers and an Army vet himself, set out on a mission.

He and his wife Marilyn spent years writing letters and working with Congress and our military to get this done.

And so we thank all those who worked so hard for so long to bring us to this moment, especially Marilyn and Mitchell, now 83-years-old, who I'd ask to stand so that we can all say thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

Finally, of these 24 soldiers, three remain with us and have joined us here today, men who remind us that sometimes the heroes we seek are right in front of us, literally living right next door.

Most days, you can find Jose Rodela at his San Antonio home, a 76- year-old retiree who enjoys watching baseball on TV and working on his 1975 Chevy pickup, and mowing the grass for his neighbors.

Joe is such a humble guy -- Jose is such a humble guy that he did not even mention the ceremony to his neighbors, who I think would be pretty shocked to turn on the news tonight and see that the guy who cuts their lawn is getting a Medal of Honor.

Today, we remember how 32-year-old Sergeant First Class Rodela fought through his wounds in Vietnam and rallied his men during 18 hours of constant combat.

Most days you can find Melvin Morris at home in Port St. John, Florida. Seventy-two-years-old, a retired salesman and a great- grandfather, you'll find him working on his boat, going fishing, reading the Bible, spending time with his beautiful wife, Mary, married 53 years this month.

You're going to have to give me some tips. We're not that far along yet.

Today, we remember how 27-year-old Staff Sergeant Morris, one of our nation's very first Green Berets -- one of our very first Green Berets, think about that -- that's legendary -- how Staff Sergeant Morris recovered a fallen comrade in Vietnam, took out several enemy bunkers, and kept going even after he was shot three times.

And on most days, you can find Santiago Erevia at home in San Antonio. He's a 68-year-old retired postal worker. He's fixing up his house, typically, tending to the garden, going on walks with his wife, or doing some push-ups to stay in shape.

Today, we remember how 23-year-old Specialist Four Erevia, under a hail of bullets in Vietnam, gave first aid to his wounded comrades and single-handedly destroyed four enemy bunkers.

These are extraordinary Americans. They are exemplary soldiers.

And so I want to begin by welcoming Santiago Erevia to stage for the reading of the citation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Specialist Four Santiago J. Erevia, United States Army, the president, the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Specialist Four Santiago J. Erevia, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty.

Specialist Four Santiago J. Erevia distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving as a radio-telephone operator in Company C, First Battalion Air Mobile, 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division Air Mobile during search-and-clear mission near Tham Thai (ph), the Republic of Vietnam, on May 21, 1969.

After breaching an insurgent perimeter, Specialist Four Erevia was designated by his platoon leader to render first aid to several casualties and the rest of the platoon moved forward.

As he was doing so, he came under intense hostile fire from four bunkers to his left front. Although he could have taken cover with the rest of the element, he chose a retaliatory course of action.

With heavy enemy fire directed at him, he moved in full view of the hostile gunners as he proceeded to call from one wounded man to another gathering ammunition.

Armed with two M-16 rifles and several hand grenades, he charged toward the enemy positions behind the suppressive fire of the two rifles.

Under very intense fire, he continued to advance on the insurgents until he was near the first bunker.

Disregarding the enemy fire, he pulled the pin from a hand grenade and advanced on the bunker, leveling suppressive fire until he could drop the grenade into the bunker, mortally wounding the insurgent and destroying the fortification.

Without hesitation, he employed identical tactics as he proceeded the eliminate the next two enemy positions.

With the destruction of the third bunker, Specialist Four Erevia had exhausted his supply of hand grenades.

Still under intense fire from the fourth position, he courageously charged forward behind the fire emitted by his M-16 rifles.

Arriving at the very edge of the bunker, he silenced the occupant within the fortification at point-blank range.

Through his heroic actions, the lives of the wounded were saved, and the members of the company command post were relieved from a very precarious situation.

His exemplary performance in the face of overwhelming danger was an inspiration to his entire company and contributed immeasurably to the success of the mission.

Specialist Four Erevia's conspicuous gallantry, extraordinary heroism and intrepidity at the risk of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris.

Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving as commander of a strike force drawn from Company D, Fifth Special Forces Group Airborne, First Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Chi Lang (ph), Republic of Vietnam, on September 17, 1969.

On that afternoon, Staff Sergeant Morris' affiliated companies encountered an extensive enemy minefield and were subsequently engaged by a hostile force.

Staff Sergeant Morris learned by radio that a fellow team commander had been killed near an enemy bunker, and he immediately reorganized his men into an effective assault posture before advancing forward and splitting off with two men to recover the team commander's body.

Observing the maneuver, the hostile force concentrated its fire on Staff Sergeant Morris' three-man element and successfully wounded both men accompanying him.

After assisting the two wounded men back to forces' lines, Staff Sergeant Morris charged forward into withering enemy fire with only his men's suppressive fire as cover.

While enemy machine-gun emplacements continuously directed strafing fusillades against him, Staff Sergeant Morris destroyed the positions with hand grenades and continued his assault, ultimately eliminating four bunkers. Upon reaching the bunker nearest the fallen team commander, Staff Sergeant Morris repulsed the enemy, retrieved his comrade and began the arduous trek back to friendly lines.

He was wounded three times as he struggled forward, but ultimately succeeded in returning his fallen comrade to a friendly position.

Staff Sergeant Morris' extraordinary heroism and selflessness, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Master Sergeant First Class Jose Rodela.

Master Sergeant First Class Rodela distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving as the company commander Detachment B-36, Company A, Fifth Special Forces Group Airborne, First Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy in Puk Long (ph) Province, Republic of Vietnam on September 1, 1969.

That afternoon, Master Sergeant Rodela's battalion came under an intense barrage of mortar, rocket and machine-gun fire.

Ignoring the withering enemy fire, Master Sergeant Rodela immediately began placing his men into defensive positions to prevent the enemy from overrunning the entire battalion.

Repeatedly exposing himself to enemy fire, Master Sergeant Rodela moved from position to position, providing suppressing fire and assisting wounded and was himself wounded in the back and head by a B- 40 rocket while recovering a wounded comrade.

Alone, Master Sergeant Rodela assaulted and knocked out the B-40 rocket position before successfully returning to the battalion's perimeter.

Master Sergeant Rodela's extraordinary heroism and selflessness, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: I just want to ask Santiago and Melvin to return to the stage, please. This is a remarkable moment, and as they come up, I'd like to recall -- as they take their positions, I'd like to recall the words of a poet.

"Though much is taken, much abides; and though, "We are not now that strength which in old days "Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; "One equal temper of heroic hearts, "Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will, "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

Santiago Erevia, Melvin Morris, Jose Rodela, in the thick of the fight all those years ago, for your comrades and your country, you refused to yield.

And on behalf of a grateful nation, we all want to thank you for inspiring us, then and now, with your strength, your will, and your heroic hearts.

Please give them a big round of applause.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: Gentlemen, thank you.

Please take your seats and we'll proceed with the rest of the ceremony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lenora Alvarado, accepting on behalf of her father, Specialist Four Leonard L. Alvarado.

Specialist Four Leonard L. Alvarado distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity, above and beyond the call of duty, while serving as a rifleman with Company D, Second Battalion, Twelfth Cavalry, First Cavalry Division Air Mobile during combat operations against an armed enemy in Puk Long (ph) Province, Republic of Vietnam, on August 12, 1969.

On that day, as Specialist Four Alvarado and a small reaction force moved through dense jungle en route to a beleaguered friendly platoon, Specialist Four Alvarado detected enemy movement and opened fire.

Despite his quick reaction, Specialist Four Alvarado and his comrades were soon pinned down by the hostile force that blocked the path to the trapped platoon.

Specialist Four Alvarado quickly moved forward through the machine-gun fire in order to engage the enemy troops.

Suddenly, an enemy grenade exploded nearby, wounding and momentarily stunning him.

Retaliating immediately, he killed the grenadier just as another enemy barrage wounded him again.

Specialist Four Alvarado crawled forward through the fusillade to pull several comrades back within the hastily formed perimeter.

Realizing his element needed to break away from the hostile force, Specialist Four Alvarado began maneuvering forward alone. Though repeatedly thrown to the ground by exploding satchel charges, he continued advancing and firing, silencing several emplacements, including one enemy machine gun position.

From his dangerous forward position, he persistently laid suppressive fire on the hostile forces. And after the enemy troops had broken contact, his comrades discovered that he had succumbed to his wounds.

Specialist Four Alvarado's extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Richard Conde accepting on behalf of his father, Sergeant 1st Class Felix M. Conde-Falcon.

Sergeant 1st Class Felix M. Conde-Falcon distinguishes himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an active platoon leader in Company D, 1st Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment, Third Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy in Ap Tan Hoa, Republic of Vietnam on April 4, 1969.

While entering a heavily wooded section on a route of advance, Sergeant 1st Class Conde-Falcon and his company encountered an extensive enemy bunker complex later identified as a battalion command post. Following tactical artillery and airstrikes on the heavily secured enemy position, Sergeant 1st Class Conde-Falcon's platoon was selected to assault and clear the bunker fortifications.

Moving out ahead of his platoon, Sergeant 1st Class Conde-Falcon charged the first bunker, heaving grenades as he went. As the hostile fire increased, he crawled to the blind side of the entrenchment position, jumped to the roof and tossed a grenade into the bunker aperture.

Without hesitating, he proceeded to two additional bunkers, both of which he destroyed in the same manner as the first. Rejoining his platoon, Sergeant 1st Class Conde-Falcon advanced about 100 meters through the trees before coming under intense hostile fire.

Selecting three men to accompany him, he maneuvered towards the enemy's flank position. Carrying a machine gun, he single-handedly assaulted the nearest fortification, killing the enemy inside before running out of ammunition.

After returning to three men with his empty weapon and taking up an M- 16 rifle, he concentrated on the next bunker. Within 10 meters of his goal, Sergeant 1st Class Conde-Falcon was shot by an unseen assailant and soon died of his wounds.

Sergeant 1st Class Conde-Falcon's extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call and duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

(APPLAUSE)