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Tracy Morgan Critically Hurt in Limo Crash; Hailey Residents Heartbroken at Bergdahl Backlash; Family Suing GM Over Daughter's Death; Stabbed 12-Year-Old Girl is Out of the Hospital; Update on Bowe Bergdahl; California Chrome Tries for Triple Crown; Tribute for Maya Angelou; World War II Veterans Attends D-Day Anniversary
Aired June 07, 2014 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Poppy Harlow in for Don Lemon this evening. Ahead this hour, you have to hear what this D-Day vet did to get to the 70th Anniversary Observance in Normandy. You may just say he went AWOL. We begin, though, with the former "Saturday Night Live" comedian fighting for his life. Tracy Morgan at this hour in critical condition. This after a tractor trailer smashed into his limo bus early today on the New Jersey Turnpike. One person was killed. Seven others were injured in that pileup. Right now, many of Morgan's fellow comedians wishing him well on media. The NFL weekend update team tweeting quote, "Wishing a speedy recovery to our friend, Tracy Morgan."
I want to go straight to CNN Alexandra Field, she's in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Alex, what can you tell us? What's the latest on his condition?
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Poppy, at this point we are being told not to expect his condition to change today. Meaning that he remains in critical condition along with two other victims of last night's crash. New Jersey state police are now telling us that crash happened with the driver of a tractor trailer failed to notice slowing traffic and tried to veer and wound up hitting the back of Morgan's limo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FIELD (voice-over): A horrific scene overnight along the New Jersey Turnpike inside this mangled limo, former SNL house member and "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan.
He is in intensive care at the Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick. Two tractor trailers, a limo bussed, SUV, limo bus overturned. Tracy Morgan was in the limo bus but he is alive.
FIELD: The 45-year-old comedian had just wrapped up a live performance of the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in Delaware when the multi-vehicle accident happened around 1:00 a.m. Fellow funnyman Ardie Fuqua posted these pictures on his Facebook page from the event just before hitting the road back to New York City. New Jersey State police tells CNN that one person inside the limo was killed. Seven others hospitalized. Morgan remains in intensive care. The accident also involved two cars. Seven people, including Morgan, were taken to the hospital.
SGT. GREGORY WILLIAMS, NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE (voice-over): No way really of knowing whether or not alcohol was involved as of yet. I do not have that information right now. The information that I have does not indicate that.
FIELD: The Turnpike was closed for several hours as investigators combed the area for clues. It has since reopened but the investigation continues. Including trying to determine the cause of the fatal crash. Morgan joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1996 but after seven years he left to start his own show that bore his name. Ten years later, he came back to NBC and the show "30 Rock" created by SNL co-star Tina Fey.
Today, the outpouring of support from fans and loved ones continues to pour in on social media. Morgan himself tweeting earlier in the week, "Dover Downs, I come with truckloads of funny. Delaware, stand up, get those tickets while you can, baby."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FIELD: And two other comedians who were onboard that little bus were also hospitalized including Ardie Fuqua. We have no word on Fuqua's condition right now. But New Jersey State police have confirmed that the man killed in the accident was James McNair, a 63-year-old comedian -- Poppy.
HARLOW: Yes. Hearts go out to all of them. We are wishing them a speedy recovery. But again, one life lost. Then let's pull that up again. We can show people a picture of James McNair along with Tracy Morgan if we can. There you go. James McNair losing his life in that accident. We will bring you more throughout the evening as we have it all. Alexandra Field reporting live for us. We appreciate that.
Meantime, a senior U.S. official tells CNN army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was physically abused during his years of captivity under the Taliban and is suffering from psychological trauma. Bergdahl remains at a U.S. military hospital in Germany one week into his freedom from Taliban captors in Afghanistan. The official tells CNN that at one point Bergdahl tried to escape, was caught and then was made to stay in a small box or possibly even a cage. Military doctors call his condition stable and improving but they will not give a timeline for his release. The people who live in Bergdahl's small hometown saw their joy at his release turned to frustration this week when their plans for a big welcome-home celebration fell apart. Our Ed Lavandera is in Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, it has been one week since Bowe Bergdahl was rescued in Afghanistan. And while many people here in his hometown expected that there might be some controversy surrounding the way he disappeared five years ago, many people here didn't expect anything like what they have seen this past week.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): This moment was supposed to be an emotional triumph for Bowe Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho. It has spiraled into a nightmare and Stefanie O'Neil is heartbroken.
STEFANIE O'NEIL, BERGDAHL FAMILY FRIEND: It is a feeling of extreme sadness that we are not allowed or not able to have this event for Bow to welcome him back to the community. This is something to honor him and we can't do that now. Not at this time.
LAVANDERA: O'Neill and her family organized what was supposed to be called the Bowe is back celebration in the park where Bowe Bergdahl played as a child. Last year on the fourth anniversary of Sergeant Bergdahl's chapter, O'Neill organized the bring Bowe back rally. Bergdahl's parents were overwhelmed by the support.
BOB BERGDAHL, BOWE BERGDAHL'S FATHER: It is my privilege to know him I think better than anyone else. As a father and as a man, I will defend his character until the day I die.
LAVANDERA: O'Neill says, the town of Hailey was flooded with more than 3,000 requests for protesters permit for the celebration. As well as nasty threats and e-mails. The event was cancelled because of security concerns and Bowe Bergdahl's parents have remained out of sight.
(on camera): How are his parents taking it?
O'NEIL: You know, I think they were upset. I mean, I think in a way it was shocking to them that we weren't able to do this for their son. You know, again he has not been able to talk. And so I think they are pretty saddened by it all.
LAVANDERA: Well, the yellow ribbons and banners declaring Bowe is free at last still line the streets and storefronts inside city hall, the flood of angry e-mails and phone calls pour in. One woman wrote, "If your town can still welcome this traitor home, you are not part of the U.S. that I know." An army veteran e-mailed to tell city leaders that ceremonies honoring Bergdahl would be grave insult as well as a stain upon the reputation of our community. An editorial in the town's newspaper lashed out at those critics.
(on camera): Five years of captivity is enough, bring him home, leave him alone and let him heal.
(voice-over): The Idaho Mountain Express editor Greg Foley says, the backlash against Bowe Bergdahl has surprised many.
(on camera): What kind of reaction have you gotten to that editorial?
GREG FOLEY, IDAHO MOUNTAIN EXPRESS EDITOR: We had a lot of positive reaction locally. But certainly outside of our immediate area, there have been people who think that we are casting a blind eye on what they believe to be fact. Where in our mind, the facts of his capture really haven't been established.
(voice-over): Bowe Bergdahl's family friends say, the homecoming celebration has only been canceled for now. They are not giving up on Bowe yet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: And we are still waiting for news of when Bower Bergdahl will be reunited with his parents. That reunion is supposed to take place at a medical center in San Antonio, Texas. But the exact timeline of when that will happen seems to be very much up in the air at this point -- Poppy.
HARLOW: I appreciate the reporting from Hailey, Idaho. Ed, thank you.
Ahead, going for a spot in racing history books. California chrome tries to complete the Triple Crown. We are previewing the Belmont states. But first, General Motors saying, why the company didn't tell the public about a deadly defect for more than a decade. And one couple's fight against GM in the name of their daughter. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: This week, we found out why General Motors waited more than a decade to tell the public that ignition switches and 2.6 million of its cars can be unintentionally knocked into the accessory position while someone is driving. That causes the engine to shut off, it disabled the air bags, its power steering and the anti-lock brakes. Now, the company denied a cover-up but said that there were 11 years of incompetence and neglect that led to tragedy. One Georgia couple believes their daughter -- her death was caused by this defect. Before the recall they settled with General Motors but now they are fighting to reopen their case, claiming they were deceived.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY BARRA, CEO, GENERAL MOTORS: The pattern of incompetence and neglect.
HARLOW: GM's CEO Mary Barra admitting the auto giant's failures.
BARRA: We misdiagnosed the problem from the very beginning.
HARLOW: But those words aren't enough to the parents of Brooke Melton who died driving a 200 Chevy Cobalt on her 29th birthday.
BETH MELTON, MOTHER OF BROOKE MELTON: I kept thinking that this is not possible. It is her birthday. It can't. This can't have happened that she died.
KEN MELTON, FATHER OF BROOKE MELTON: When I touched her hand and it was cold. I knew in my heart and gut there was something wrong with the car. That it was not her fault.
HARLOW: It was here, the Georgia State patrol says, Brooke Melton's 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt hydroplaned on a rainy evening four years ago. The car spun out and was struck by another vehicle. Then dropped 15 feet into this creek. The accident report says Melton was driving too fast for roadway conditions causing her to lose control of the vehicle.
BETH MELTON: She was driving 58 and the speed limit was 55.
HARLOW (on-camera): Do you believe that could have caused the accident?
KEN MELTON: No. I believe that she lost power.
HARLOW (voice-over): It is now known the ignition switch on her cobalt was defective. This analysis of the car's data recorder provided by the Melton's attorney shows the switch was in the accessory position at the time of the crash. Shutting the engine off and disabling the air bag's power steering and anti-lock brakes.
LANCE COOPER, ATTORNEY FOR THE MELTON FAMILY: We believe the evidence is overwhelming that the defects in this key system resulted in Brooke's loss of control and her death.
HARLOW: GM would not comment on the data recorder information. The defect led GM to recall 2.6 million cars but before the recalls, the Meltons settled their case with GM for an undisclosed amount. Now they are fighting an uphill legal battle to reopen it.
COOPER: They thought they had the truth when they settled their case. We now know they had some of the truth but not all of the truth.
HARLOW: In a new lawsuit, the Meltons alleged that GM hid key documents from them and say a GM engineer lied in a sworn deposition.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We, the designer release engineer for the ignition switch in the '05 Cobalt.
RAY DEGIORGIO, ENGINEER, GENERAL MOTORS: Yes, I was.
HARLOW: The Meltons' attorney gave CNN part of his deposition of Ray Degiorgio, who denied approving any changes to the ignition switch.
DEGIORGIO: There was never a work order that I saw outlining this spring.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: So any such change was made, it was made without your knowledge and authorization?
DEGIORGIO: That is correct.
HARLOW: But in 2006, Degiorgio signed this form, authorizing a fix to the ignition switch, making it harder to turn inadvertently.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: This subcommittee will come to order.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: GM CEO was questioned by Congress about this.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: You know that he lied under oath.
BARRA: The data that's been put in front of me indicates that, but I'm waiting for the full investigation.
HARLOW: That full investigation came out on Thursday. And Degiorgio is among 15 employees dismissed from GM. He did not return CNN calls.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Good evening, everyone.
HARLOW: GM declined an interview with CNN, but denies the assertion that it fraudulently concealed relevant and critical facts in connection with the Melton matter. And GM denies it engaged in any improper behavior in that action. The automaker admits 13 people died as a result of the defect, but won't release those names. GM's list only includes frontal crashes where air bags didn't inflate.
(on camera): General Motors says 13 deaths, 47 crashes.
BETH MELTON: And they're playing with numbers. That they don't count Brooke's death and she's dead because of that ignition switch.
HARLOW: Why is General Motors only counting frontal crashes where airbags did not deploy?
DAN AMMANN, PRESIDENT OF GENERAL MOTORS: What we've done is we've analyzed all of the information we have available to us based on one specific definition that you described. We counted 13 people.
KEN MELTON: Her death has not been counted. It means like it doesn't matter.
HARLOW (voice-over): Ken Melton still keeps his daughter's number in his cell phone, something for him to hold on to.
HARLOW (on camera): Are you willing to settle this time?
KEN MELTON: No. Settlement is off the table.
HARLOW: Any amount of money?
KEN MELTON: Right.
BETH MELTON: It's not about the money. Brooke's worth it. Whatever it takes. If it took the next 20 years, knowing the truth for her, it's certainly worth it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: Well, if the Meltons are allowed to reopen their case they may have to give back the settlement money to General Motors. They told me, they are willing to do that. They want the see this go to trial.
Meantime, this is not over for GM. Congress is still investigating and the Department of Justice is in the midst of a criminal probe.
Meantime, horror movies are one thing. But this week, police say that two young girls turned horror into reality. Next, we will explain what slender man is. This character who allegedly inspired a pair of 12-year-old girls to try to kill their friend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARLOW: It is the thin line between fantasy and reality and the 12- year-old girl who nearly lost her life because of it. Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier allegedly lured their friend into a wooded area outside Milwaukee and then stabbed her 19 times. A horrific tragedy. And here's where it gets even more bizarre. Police say that both suspects had a fascination with a fictitious character called Slender Man and were allegedly trying to impress him. The 12-year-old victim is out of the hospital, she is in the care of her family and her friends. When her parents asked her how she found the strength to crawl out of the woods, her response was simple -- "I wanted to live."
Let me bring in CNN's Rosa Flores, she's been covering this from the beginning. When you look at this, I didn't even know what Slender Man was, first of all. Apparently it has gone viral. Very popular online. In terms of the creator, you actually heard from the man who created this.
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I think we all had a free preconceived notion as to who was the creator.
HARLOW: Right.
FLORES: And I'm thinking about like, perhaps the age, the aspiring, a profession of this particular person. And I think you will going to be very surprised by what you hear in this piece because, first of all, he'd never thought that Slender Man would go viral.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FLORES (voice-over): The police say these two 12-year-old girls Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier wanted to impress Slender Man. A fictitious character on the internet by killing someone allegedly stabbing their 12-year-old classmate 19 times in the woods. Newly released 911 tapes revealed the horror of their actions.
CALLER: She says, she's having trouble breathing. She said she was stabbed multiple times.
911 OPERATOR: Is she awake?
CALLER: She is awake.
911 OPERATOR: Is she breathing?
CALLER: Yes. She is breathing. She can take shallow breaths. She is alert.
FLORES: Now we are learning more about the man behind this creepy monster living on the internet and in the minds of hundreds of thousands of fans.
ERIC KNUDSEN, CREATOR OF SLENDER MAN: I'm the creator of Slender Man.
FLORES: His name is Eric Knudsen. And in an interview earlier this year with NPRs on the media show, the 33-year-old father and aspiring school teacher says he was just looking to create a character. KNUDSEN: I like the concept of a monster. A creature that causes
general unease and terror. Its methods are strange, its motives are completely inscrutable.
FLORES: In 2009, Knudsen entered into a paranormal photo shop contest submitting these two black and white images of children. The dark character appearing in the background. That's when Slender Man took on a life of its own on the web. Followers writing their own twisted horror stories about the mythical creature on websites, including Creepypasta.wiki.
KNUDSEN: You know, certain people just don't want to believe that its fiction. Because it's obviously much scarier that way. You know, if it is something that's real or could be real, that is much more frightening.
FLORES: Knudsen known as Victors Surge on the internet recently released a statement to various media outlets writing, quote, "I am deeply saddened by the tragedy in Wisconsin. And my heart goes out to the families of those affected by this terrible act."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FLORES: And the family of that 12-year-old victim telling CNN that the girl is out of the hospital, she was discharged. She is getting better. And they also released this statement saying, in part, our family is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support and love from not only the local community but from around the nation and around the world.
HARLOW: Yes.
FLORES: And Poppy, I talked to the police chief. I asked him if the 12-year-old victim also knew about Slender Man and she says that she did not. She was completely blindsided by this entire act.
HARLOW: It is tragic, it's horrific, it is one of those things that you can't imagine until it happens. I appreciate your report and some insight into what could have inspired this. Thank you, Rosa.
FLORES: You're welcome.
HARLOW: All right. So, let's talk more about this. I want to bring in criminal defense Attorney Holly Hughes, also forensic psychologist Jeff Gardere. Thank you both for being with us. We appreciate it. Let me start, first, with you, Holly. So, the girls have been charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide. I'm wondering if you think that will stick. Will the charges be downgraded? And if you think they are going to succeed in charging them as adult.
HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think that they will succeed in charging them as adults. The defense is obviously going to challenge this. What they are going to say is because of these girls' age, an emotional maturity or lack thereof, they could not comprehend -- they could not fully understand the consequences of their actions. So, that's where the defense is going to go. The reason I don't think it's going to be successful, Poppy, is because these young women actually had multiple plans.
They thought that this through, you know, first plan was, we are going to get her into the park -- bathroom at park and we will stab her there because there is a drain that the blood will go down. And that will get rid of the evidence. There were multiple plans and they thought and rethought. And then when they went out to commit the actual, they were seem to back and forth about whose going to do the stabbing, and the one girl said, oh, don't worry about me, I'm just a little kitty cat. They thought through this. They planned this, they knew the consequences of their actions and their own words are what is going to end up keeping them in adult court.
HARLOW: Jeff, I want to talk about the state of mind and the development of the brain as a 12-year-old. Couldn't defense attorneys here argue these are 12-year-olds without fully developed brains? They did not fully understand what they were doing?
JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Yes. Absolutely. What we do know is that the frontal lobe of part of the brain which is -- controls our executive functioning and -- cognition, understanding consequences, doesn't fully develop until the age of 25. And that's why I see so many youngsters involved in car accidents and getting involved in things that can be pretty dangerous to their own health. So, certainly I think that going to try to push this as part of the defense.
And of course, also try to look at perhaps these 12-year-olds didn't know the difference between fantasy and fact and there were something called the (INAUDIBLE), in other words they were supporting one another in going into this fantasy world. Singularly they may not have been able to do it but being each other's cheerleaders and pushing each other towards this very dark room, very dark thinking, might be a way that this could have happened.
HARLOW: And Jeff, another focus right now is on these two girls who allegedly committed this horrific act and we don't, you know, we're not putting this name of the victim out there, any images. But it is so important to focus on her, this 12-year-old girl, thank God, survived. Now with her family trying to recover. Talk to me about psychologically what it is going to take for her to get through this.
GARDERE: Well, certainly she may still be in shock. She is terrified, she is healing. Physically. But that will be a drain on her emotional functioning. What the family has done, Poppy, is actually asked people from around the world to send in hearts so that her walls in her bedroom can be completely covered with hearts to show love because what happened was a terrible, terrible heinous act of hate. So, it will take long time for her to be able to trust people outside of her family. But this child is very resilient. We saw that physically and I think that will translate emotionally. But it is a long road ahead for her to be able to recover psychologically and physically.
HARLOW: Certainly in her parents saying, "how did you make it through," and her saying, "I wanted to live." That human desire and instinct to survive playing out here. I appreciate the expertise from both of you. Thank you.
Also, this just in to CNN. A Georgia truck driver has now been charged in the crash that left comedian and actor Tracy Morgan and two others hospitalized in critical condition. Police in Middlesex, New Jersey say that 35-year-old Kevin Roper of Jonesboro, Georgia, was charged with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto after his tractor trailer, the one that he was driving, crashed into Morgan's limo around 1:00 a.m. today on the New Jersey Turnpike. One person, a 63-year-old man, was killed in that pileup. Again, we have three others in critical condition at this hour.
Meantime, when it come to the case of Bowe Bergdahl, the lines are drawn. The administration defending their decision to bring this soldier home. The critics calling Bergdahl a deserter. Next, the reintegration process that must happen before that search for answers can even begin.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: We are beginning to learn more about the time that Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl spent in the hands of Taliban and how he is doing. He remains in stable condition. He continues to improve at an American military hospital in Germany, but he's not ready to travel back to the United States.
Our Brian Todd takes a closer look at Bergdahl's road to recovery.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He has been out of reach, in isolation, five years in the hands of America's most bitter enemies. Now Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is in the middle of a carefully engineered physical recovery program, a plan to prevent him from suffering further psychological damage.
His father equates to it a deep-sea diver returning to the surface.
ROBERT BERGDAHL, FATHER OF BOWE BERGDAHL: If he comes up too fast and it can kill him.
TODD: Sources tell us Bergdahl isn't just sitting in a hospital bed. He is undergoing examinations and psychological counseling, a three- phased reintegration possible designed by the Army. Phase one is called Initial Recovery. It includes emergency medical care, early psychological support and meetings debriefing him on my specifically information he can share about where and how he was held. Sources say that that's already taken place at a forward operating base in Afghanistan. Bergdahl is now in phase two in Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany, something called Decompression. It involves more psychological and medical treatment to make sure Bergdahl is ready for regular social contact.
DR. ELSBETH RITCHIE, FORMER U.S. ARMY DOCTOR: Decompression almost, as it sounds, is a chance between intense captivity period of the fear of death all the time and the intense period he is about to go into with the pressure of the media scrutiny. TODD: Once the 28 year old's doctors say he's ready to return to the
U.S., Bergdahl will be accompanied by doctors trained in the military's SERE Program, Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion, a program taught to Special Ops commandos.
(on camera): Why do specialists have to move with him?
RITCHIE: The nightmares, flash backs, difficulty reconnecting with other people. They have been through that and they have studied other prisoners of war and they can help him prepare for those symptoms.
TODD (voice-over): In phase three, Bergdahl will finally be allowed to have a family reunion, most likely at the San Antonio Military Medical Center. It is the longest phase of reintegration, connecting emotionally with relatives.
Keith Stansell was held for more than years in the jungle by Colombia's FARC rebels. A year after his release, he had his first meeting with his family saying he was only given a few minutes with them.
KEITH STANSELL, FORMER HOSTAGE IN COLOMBIA: It is an emotionally taxing moment that -- it is tough. It is emotional. I will be honest with you, I loved them and missed them, but about 20 minutes I needed to retreat.
TODD (on camera): After that family reunion and that last exhaustive phase of treatment, Bergdahl will not be finished. In fact, he may just be getting started with the most difficult part, an Army investigation into how he ended up in enemy hands.
Brian Todd, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: Brian, thank you for that.
Let's bring back in clinical and forensic psychologist, Jeff Gardere.
Jeff, we have been told at CNN that Bergdahl is able to call his parents but he has not yet. Does that surprise you?
JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL & FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST: It doesn't surprise me at all. As we heard from the Army doctor, this young man is now in the decompression phase, phase two. Therefore, he is just not ready emotionally, psychologically, to be able to interact in a healthy manner. He is still in shellshock. He is still traumatized.
HARLOW: Right, it is not like the movies that you run into the arms of the loved ones and, all of a sudden, you are safe. I can't imagine trying to feel safe after those five years. Then, we begin to learn more about the conditions that he was under. A senior U.S. official telling CNN he was physically abused during those five years in captivity, suffering from psychological trauma, and then after he ride to escape, he was held in a very small enclosed space, someone described it as a cage or a box. Talk to me about what that would do mentally to his state of mind. None of us can even imagine that.
GARDERE: Well, he's treated like an animal. He is broken down completely. His humanity is gone. He's completely powerless and totally at the whims of the people who are holding him, and they probably starved him at times. So they gave him -- they put him in a situation where he just did not feel like a human being in any way and felt more like a trapped animal, no hope.
HARLOW: Of course, we have no idea what he knows about the reaction and the political debate going on here in the United States about his rescue and his ultimate homecoming. But clearly, people are judging him on both sides. Even those they served him, some of them saying he deserted his post, he was a deserter. Being judged in this way before you've had a chance to tell your side of the story, what does that do to someone's psychologically trying to recover from something like this?
GARDERE: I think certainly that's something that is going to hold him back from the recovery that he should have. Certainly his family and friends are so affected by this right now that, even when he reintegrates with them, that's going to be an issue. He will be able to pick up on the fact that they are so hurt emotionally by this and being called a coward.
HARLOW: Appreciate the expertise today. Jeff Gardere, thanks for coming in.
GARDERE: Pleasure.
HARLOW: Coming up, pretty soon here, Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, California Chrome, racing to become the first Triple Crown winner in decades. 36 years, folks. How did he get there? Can he do it? Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: In an hour, California Chrome will attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years. But this is anything but your typical racehorse.
Here's Stephanie.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): California Chrome was born a flashy horse, a beautiful chestnut brown with a blaze of white.
(on camera): What's that about the Chrome?
PER ANTONSEN, TRAINER, HARRIS FARMS: The Chrome is all the white California Chrome got, power white legs and Chrome, the white face.
ELAM (voice-over): The champion racehorse was born here at Harris Farms, nestled in California's Central Valley.
DAVE MCGLOTHLIN, GENERAL MANAGER, HARRIS FARMS: The California Chrome has a lot of finger points are it. Everyone hear takes pride in the fact that they have probably got one there.
ELAM: There being the road to the Triple Crown.
MCGLOTHLIN: Everyone who is in the horse business, one of the first questions you are asked, did you ever win the derby.
ELAM: That was the first hurdle, the Kentucky Derby.
DR. JEANNE BOWERS LEPORE, VETERINARIAN, HARRIS FARMS: Here is an upstart in their minds coming along and just blowing everybody away.
ELAM: The staff who tended to Chrome day and night on the farm gathered to watch the derby were anxious.
(CHEERING)
ELAM: As California Chrome's trainer at the farm, Per Antonsen, laid the groundwork for the horse's racing career.
ANTONSEN: And I knew we had the kick going in there. Very exciting. Brought tears to my eyes. And that was a thrill of a lifetime.
ELAM: California Chrome went on to win the middle jewel of the crown, the Preakness, putting legendary status within reach.
(on camera): Not since 19612 had a horse from California won the Kentucky Derby. And if California Chrome goes on to win the Triple Crown, he will be first horse from California to do so. But regardless, his feat has put the spotlight on California horse racing and breaking.
LEPORE: It's pretty awesome. Considering I knew him when he was a follicle.
(LAUGHTER)
ELAM (voice-over): Chrome's mother, Love the Chase, is lucky to be alive after she was injured while giving birth to Chrome. While doctors tended to Love the Chase, Chrome also got a lot of attention.
LEPORE: That's like a little above and beyond what the average foal gets.
ELAM: All of that affection may have helped Chrome in training.
ANTONSEN: Everything he did just came very natural to him.
ELAM: And, naturally, here on the farm, just about everyone believes Chrome is going to take the crown.
MCGLOTHLIN: It is amazing that -- it is coming up the way it is. We think that there is at least one more very successful chapter to be written.
ELAM: Stephanie Elam, CNN, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: Thank you for that, Stephanie.
All right. How much of a shot does California Chrome have at winning the Triple Crown?
Let's bring in the experts. They may know better than we do. Horse racing reporter, Gene Menez, from "Sports on Earth"; and also on the phone, we have editor and publisher emeritus of "The Daily Racing Form," Steven Crist.
Let me start with you, Gene.
Believe it or not, you have been to every Belmont Stake since the mid '90s and you are not there this year. What if you miss history?
GENE MENEZ, HORSE RACING REPORTER, SPORTS ON EARTH: I know. I would be very disappointed if I miss history. And, you know, it is -- it is going to be the toughest race for him to win of the three Triple Crown races. It is a mile and a half. There are a lot of fresh horses in here. But I think he has a big shot.
HARLOW: Steve, to you. We know the length of this track is exhausting. A lot of the horses only train a mile. This is a mile and a half. Why is this a tricky track, though, other than the length?
STEVEN CRIST, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER EMERITUS, THE DAILY RACING FORM (voice-over): It is not just the length of the race but the circumference of the track. Belmont Park is more like a European track. It is a mile and a half around. You are still just going from finish line to finish line. At most tracks, that's a mile or a mile and an eighth. You have jockeys who aren't used to riding on such an unusual track.
HARLOW: Gene, can I get a reality check on this nose strip? If this even matters. There was so much hoopla over whether or not he would be allowed to wear this nose strip that helps him breathe. He has worn it in the last six races he has won. Does it matter? Does it give him an unfair advantage?
MENEZ: No, it doesn't. It was much ado about nothing. It was resolved very quickly the day afterwards. It has been two weeks now. Thankfully, we haven't heard anything about the nose strip.
(LAUGHTER)
We can just go ahead and concentrate on the things that are important right now.
HARLOW: Of course, until I bring it up, right?
(LAUGHTER)
OK. Steve, let me go to you. A lot has been made about the humble beginnings of California Chrome. His mother, I think, the breeder paid $8,000 to $10,000 for her. This horse could be worth millions. But he's actually related to some Triple Crown winners. Is that right?
CRIST: It is. You know, just about every horse in America is related to a good horse if you go back far enough.
(LAUGHTER)
I mean, he is a great grandson of Seattle Slew, who won the Triple Crown. But, you know, everyone has good ancestors. That's the reason horses go to stud and procreate. But having said that, yes, he is at the lower end of fancy breeding.
HARLOW: Quick pick time, guys. To you first, Gene, and then you, Steve. Is California Chrome going to win and take the Triple Crown, first time in 36 years?
MENEZ: Well, he is my pick to win today. I think that he is -- he definitely has the class to win today, has the speed. It will be a matter of him at the top of the stretch, whether or not he can hang on. But I think we will see the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years.
HARLOW: To you, Steve. Do you agree?
CRIST: No. I'm against this horse. I have nothing against him. I will applaud as loudly as anyone if he does it. But 11 horses in a row have been in this position.
HARLOW: Yeah.
CRIST: And all 11 of them have lost. I think it is -- some of them were better than California Chrome. The price that you have to take on him, given 11 in a row lost, is terrible. I'm looking to beat him.
HARLOW: We will see what happens. It will be exciting. T-minus hour and 15 minutes.
Thank you, guys. Appreciate it.
Coming up next here, her words, her voice, unforgettable. Today, the words of others paying a lasting tribute to literary giant, Maya Angelou.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: Powerful tributes from powerful people at today's memorial for legendary poet and author, Maya Angelou. Her son led off the service. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUY JOHNSON, SON OF MAYA ANGELOU: We are joyful the way in which my mother made her essential and now we are ready to celebrate her life.
(MUSIC) OPRAH WINFREY, OWNER, OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK: The loss I feel, I cannot describe. It's like something I have never felt before.
ELMOT JONES, GRANDCHILD OF MAYA ANGELOU: You see, this has been very difficult for our family. We have always had to share grandma with the globe.
(MUSIC)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: When I think about Maya Angelou, I think about the affirming power of her words.
(SINGING)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: History despite its wrenching pain need not be lived again. That's what she taught me and millions of others.
OBAMA: She touched me. She touched all of you. She touched people all across the globe.
(MUSIC)
WINFREY: Maya Angelou is the greatest woman I have ever known.
(APPLAUSE)
JOHNSON: And she has left each one of us with something in our heart. Whew.
(SINGING)
WINFREY: She was my anchor, so it's hard to describe to you what it means when your anchor ships.
JONES: The legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou will forever shine.
(SINGING)
OBAMA: Words so powerful they carried a little black girl from the south side of Chicago all the way to the White House.
(APPLAUSE)
WINFREY: She was the ultimate teacher.
(SINGING)
CLINTON: She had the voice of God and he decided he wanted her back for a while.
(APPLAUSE)
HARLOW: Truly remarkable woman. Here is to Maya Angelou.
And coming up next here, a story you have to hear. You're going to laugh and cry when you find out what this D-Day veteran did to get to the 70th anniversary observance in Normandy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZANE BUZBY, CNN HERO: "As a child, I ran from killing squads three times. Even now, I dream I'm running. Our entire town was burned to nothing. My mother and father were killed in the mass graves. I sometimes think it would have been better if I had died with them. I cry at night. Your letters for me are like medicine." These are the last survivors of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe and they are out there today, elderly, alone, suffering. They don't have extended family.
Life is so hard in these places. They don't have anything.
I saw it with my own eyes and I knew no one was helping them. So I wanted to reach out and help them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
BUZBY: We provide them with direct continuous financial aid for food, heat and medication and shelter.
OK, stay healthy. And great to meet you.
We let them though they have not been forgotten.
This person I'm worried about. His wife is paralyzed. He himself is so not well.
We get stacks and stacks of letters every week, mostly in Russian. They send out the translators and then we start answering them immediately and sending money. We're now helping 2,000 people in eight countries.
The money is life saving but the connection, the letters, the communication, that's equally live saving.
I'm going to come back and see you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
BUZBY: We can finally write a more hopeful final chapter to the Holocaust, this time, one of kindness and compassion that they deserve at the end of their lives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: That is a great story.
Now listen to this. He wasn't going to let anything stop him from attending the 70th anniversary of D-Day. World War II veteran, Bernard Jordan, reportedly went missing from his nursing home in England wearing his war medals hidden under his jacket. He was later found on the French shores of Germany. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So nothing is going to stop you, basically?
BERNARD JORDAN, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: Oh, no, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was it worth it?
JORDAN: Oh, definitely. Yeah, yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any idea how much interest there has been in this?
JORDAN: Oh, I didn't realize it. No, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think you're in trouble when you get back?
JORDAN: I might be but I hope not.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
HARLOW: Well, the 89 year old called the commemoration a, quote, "first-class show."
