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CNN Live Saturday

World War II Memorial Dedication on the National Mall

Aired May 29, 2004 - 14:00   ET

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

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


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR, CNN LIVE SATURDAY: ...on a tour crashed today killing everyone onboard.
Those are the headlines. I'm Catherine Callaway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a CNN special presentation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was the day of infamous. Americans heard the call and marched off to war. Their courage changed history. On land, by sea, and in the air, they fought for freedom. Midway, Anda (ph), Normandy, Iwo Jima (ph), they overthrew tyrants, liberated millions, the lucky ones came home. They raised families, grew old and always remembered.

The others, forever resting peacefully on the foreign shores they fought to save. Today in Washington, more than a half century later, America dedicates a monument to the warriors of the greatest generation. Now in honor the World War II Memorial.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from the National Mall in Washington, here is Paula Zahn.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR, WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL: Good afternoon. Welcome. Thank you so much for joining us on this extraordinary day here on the National Mall in the heart of Washington, D.C. Surrounded by an estimated 60,000 World War II vets and more than 100,000 guests overall. Please join me as these heroes watch as the National World War II Memorial is presented to the American people and accepted on their behalf by President George W. Bush. A little bit later on, I will have an exclusive interview with the president's father, Former President George Herbert Walker Bush who was twice shot down in the Pacific during the Second World War.

We will also hear from other World War II veterans who dedicated their lives to public service. Former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern. During the war, George McGovern piloted a B24 bomber, flew 35 combat missions and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. Also here with me today a prolific author as well as a decorated veteran of World War II, Tony Hillerman. Mr. Hillerman served as an infantry soldier in the European Theater.

It is an honor to have both of you with us here this afternoon. Senator McGovern, I know that you feel that the vets here are not only walking around with the tremendous sense of pride but with quiet smiles on the faces, because they believe that World War II was a very different war from the wars fought since then. How so? GEORGE MCGOVERN, (D) FMR. U.S. SENATOR: It was a war where we were very clear on our mission. We believed in what we were doing. The whole country was behind that effort because the country understood the necessity of it. And so when the war was all over I think every veteran of the Second World War has a sense of satisfaction and pride about what we achieved.

Unfortunately, some of the more recent wars have not been that clear in their definition. The goals have not been that clear. And there's considerable division in the country about it. I'm glad I participated in World War II where I never had one day of regret about what we did.

ZAHN: Tony, I know you had the opportunity to talk with other veterans here today. Give us a sense of an emotional levels what it means to finally have this memorial be built in your honor.

TONY HILLERMAN, AUTHOR: Well, everyone I talked to has been glad to be here. And feeling very pleased that this is happening. Thinking, yes, maybe we do deserve a pat on the back.

ZAHN: The reluctant ones to kind of consider yourself part of the greatest generation. We look forward talking to you throughout this ceremony today. But out in the sea of veterans right now is someone whose job is always focused on American servicemen and women. CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre, what have you found out there this afternoon Jamie?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, there are thousands of veterans here to talk to, so we picked one that has one of the rare distinctions. He can still fit into his uniform. His original uniform. This is photographer's first mate Steve Kanyusik. Steve thanks for being with us. So I see from your hat you're on the USS Ranger, a little about your experience in the war.

STEPHEN KANYISIK, U.S. NAVY (RET): A 62 years ago I left Newport, Rhode Island, got on the Ranger and went to sea. And I stayed in the Ranger for 18 months. We were at North Africa and also up in the North Atlantic chasing the turpits (ph). Then we came back and I went into photo school because I was on the guns prior to the photography and after I transitioned out of Pensacola I went to San Diego, went into the Pacific.

MCINTYRE: So you did your shooting with a camera?

KANYISIK: Yes, it was.

MCINTYRE: What is it like being here today at this event?

KANYISIK: This is such a spectacular breath-taking thing. I don't know if I can find words for it. But to see all the other veterans out here, you can feel so small that you are a part of something so big.

MCINTYRE: What's your most memorable moment from the wartime. KANYISIK: Well there are all kind of situations or shooting coma cozies with a camera but the most memorable is when I got transferred to Washington, D.C. Went to Arlington Cemetery which is very dramatic and three of us sailors met three girls. And eventually two years later I married one of them and she was married for 43 years. She was buried at Arlington Cemetery when she died at the same place where we met.

MCINTYRE: Have you been back there?

KANYISIK: We were there yesterday. My family is here. I have five children. Four of them are here this time visiting.

MCINTYRE: Stephen thank you very much. Paula, just one of thousands of stories down here today. Back to you.

ZAHN: And one of the bittersweet memories that are going to be shared with us here this afternoon. Jamie McIntyre I look forward hearing more from you a little bit later on this afternoon. And just a short time ago I had the privilege of sitting down with a decorated veteran of the war who is lucky to have survived it all. In 1944, Lieutenant Junior Gray George Herbert Walker Bush's plane was shot down over the Pacific. His two fellow crewmen died. He parachuted to safety, and of course, went on to become the 41st president of the United States.

What is it that you want to resiant with the American public about this generation of Americans?

GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: We did our duty, saluted the flag and said the Pledge of Allegiance. None of us thought of ourselves as super patriots of anything. But in time of trouble, my generation, you might say, stepped up and honored the United States by our service. And that's what it was all about. And still about that. It's still about that.

ZAHN: That seems to be a common thought of all you veterans. That it was your duty to serve the country. Many of you plucked off farm and plucked college campuses, never having thought about defending your country.

MCGOVERN: You know I didn't feel there was any other choice. We were attacked at Pearl Harbor. The next day it was declared war on the United States. So we had no recourse except to get into service. I couldn't wait to sign up. We went to Omaha, ten of us from the little college. We didn't know whether to join the army or the navy. One of the guys pick up a rumor that if you went to the army air corps recruiting station they would give you a free meal ticket to a downtown cafeteria in Omaha.

So on the strength of that unsubstantiated roomer and a ticket that was worth about a dollar, all ten of us joined up as army air corps pilots. That's the cheapest I ever sold out for.

ZAHN: I hope so. Then, of course, you ended up flying some very dangerous bombing missions. Do you have any regrets about any of your actions in the war?

MCGOVERN: Just one. We hit a target, the spodua (ph) ammunition works in Czechoslovakia the biggest ammunition plant in the world, we got hit over the target, we were losing altitude and one of the crew called up and said that one of the ten bombs had not fallen from our Bombay, it was jammed in the bomb rack. I said you guys got to get rid of that.

I can't land this plane back at our base with a loose bomb bouncing around. They kept working on it and I dropped out of the formation. Right at noon, it broke loose and fell and we were close enough to the ground you could see it hit right in the middle of a little Austrian farmyard. I felt terrible. They thought they were safely out of the war zone. 40 years later I told that story on Austrian television and an elderly man called that night and said tell the American senator that was my farm. It was exactly the time that he said and the place he said. We saw that bomber coming. We got into a ditch and hit and all of us are safe and sound. I got redeemed after all those years.

ZAHN: As you tell this rather pointed story we're watching the parade of flags. Flags representing every state of the union and the territories of what made up the United States at that time. And in America, what kind of pride do you feel here today, particularly at a time when we have more than 100,000 of our troops in harm's way? You feel a great sense of patriotism here today.

MCGOVERN: There is something about this mall that brings that out. The Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, all these great monuments. I worked in this United States Capital for 24 years. I never once drove through this area without a lump in my throat. And real sense of pride that I worked for the United States government.

ZAHN: I can hear that in your voice now. We'll pause for a moment and watch this glorious procession.

We are also joined today by a World War II veteran and author, Tony Hillerman. Tony the one thing that strikes me as vets have come here today how long they have waited for this memorial. Is there any sense of resentment among any of the veterans you talked to that it has taken so long to isolate the marine have been recognized before but to isolate you all of the forces that served during World War II.

HILLERMAN: I haven't heard anyone complaining about the length of time. I generally just enthusiasm for it. Which I share, I must say.

ZAHN: Why is your generation so reluctant to consider yourself the greatest generation?

HILLERMAN: We just naturally modest, unassuming, grew up in a great American depression and dustbowl and never -- my mother used to say, he expect -- he who expects little is seldom disappointed, see.

ZAHN: Your mother had the right idea there. HILLERMAN: So, here I'm a PFC, I rose to that rank twice and that's as high as I got. But here I am, I still feel like a private first class, see. Always will.

ZAHN: And I know, Senator McGovern, you feel there were so many things that happened during that period of our history besides Tony just mentioned coming out of the depression. The experience, the memory of World War II. But also how the G.I. Bill changed this nation when all of you, you the lucky ones, came home.

MCGOVERN: You know I am both an admirer and friend of Tom Brokaw, I'm glad he wrote that book, if we were, in fact, the greatest generation, I'm not sure about that, if we were, there are probably three reasons we were toughened and honed in the great depression.

We were further strengthened by our experiences in World War II, and thirdly, the G.I. Bill. This is the most marvelous thing I think the federal government could have done for the 16 million GI's that fought in World War II. I came back without a dime. I had a wife and a child. I went to Northwestern University, went all the way through to a PHD in history. The G.I. Bill did that for millions of young men. And interestingly enough, while it cost a lot of money, the government actually made money on it.

ZAHN: In productivity.

MCGOVERN: They made money because they raised our earning power; therefore we paid more taxes and the government actually made money on that program. Maybe we ought to do it again.

ZAHN: One of the more painful things to focus in on today is the reality that your generation World War II vets, Tony is dying off at a rate of a thousand a day. As you see the sea of veterans today, what goes through your mind? This might be one of the last large gatherings we will ever see of this kind.

HILLERMAN: I try to avoid such thoughts.

ZAHN: I don't blame you.

HILLERMAN: I'm in no hurry. I'm enjoying life. But I sure agree with the senator's remarks about the G.I. Bill. I could have -- I could have never gone back to college with -- when I got out of the army. I had one semester and I run out of money and was rescued by the draft, you know. And in my little platoon, the weapon platoon I was in, what the few of the guys that came home, produced five college professors and one fairly famous engineer and all sorts of notable historian, author a book, none of those guys would have gone to college without the G.I. Bill.

ZAHN: Senator McGovern.

MCGOVERN: Tony Hillerman is one of our most distinguished writers. He went to the University of Oklahoma where they produced great football teams. But they also in this case produced a great writer. I think that G.I. Bill just enriched the whole nation. Everybody is better off because of these millions of veterans who had their real opportunity to get a good education.

ZAHN: Tony, tell us a little bit more about what you experienced when you were sent abroad to fight.

HILLERMAN: I think my most -- the memory I frequently go back to is I was wounded on one of these, you know, patrols where you are supposed to go out and capture prisoners. You might have seen one on "Band of Brothers." And turns out the Germans weren't ready to give up any prisoners and we got a -- lost a lot of men on it.

I was one of them. And when I was wounded the -- a friend of mine Donald Kristorerson (ph) picked me up and put me on a stretcher and -- we were behind the German lines, across a little river. He was helping carry me back. He was hit and I knew he was hit because they dropped the, you know, then somebody -- when I'm put on the ambulance I was mostly out of it but I heard them putting Kristorerson (ph) on the ambulance.

Above me. They racked you up. Then poor Kris started bleeding and he bled to death dripping down on me and I was too out of it to get anybody's attention because, you know, I always thought about that. Why couldn't I have somehow revived myself? I didn't. And he died. And too bad. And you remember things like that.

ZAHN: There is such a great selective sense of loss in this crowd today.

HILLERMAN: Yes.

ZAHN: Do you think much about your comrades that you have lost?

MCGOVERN: I do. Half the bomber crews that I went into combat with never finished. The average crew never got beyond 17 missions. I didn't know that at the time or I would have been awfully nervous after I got to 17. And recognized that I had 18 more to go. We had some -- we had some missions. I don't know how we survived. But we also had one experience that in a way kind of changed my public life.

We were coming into Naples Harbor on a troop ship for the first time. We saw little children lined up along the dock. They were yelling to us in broken English, as we got a little closer we could hear them say Baby Ruth, Butterfingers, Hershey bars. At that point the captain of the ship said do not throw anything to those children. This is war torn Italy. Those children are near starvation. An American ship came in here yesterday with G.I.s started throwing candy and some of them fell in the water, 25 of them drowned. That was my first introduction to human hunger. And I had been interested in that hunger issue ever since.

ZAHN: When you think about the time it took you, from the time you came off college campus, to flying and not just bomber it was three years. Extraordinary isn't it?

MCGOVERN: That is about what it was. I was 19 when I went in. I went in to combat when I was 21, just barely turned 22. ZAHN: Let's pause for a second. As you are speaking you will see in the right hand part of the screen the official party being introduced in advance of the president of the United States speaking. Carry on.

MCGOVERN: In any event, we were well trained. They did it in two and a half years. But I had a crew of ten men that I was responsible for at the age of 22. I look at my grandchildren today and I'm sure they would have risen to the occasion, too, but it does make you think about what we did at a very young age.

ZAHN: I just heard Tom Hanks mentioned because of his effort. A lot of the private funds were raised for this extraordinary memorial. We'll continue to hear the introductions of other people who have been very involved in getting this project off the ground. And who we are about to hear is General P. X. Kelley, who is the former commander of the U.S. Marine Corps and joint chiefs of staff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome Archbishop Philip M. Hammond.

ARCHBISHOP PHILIP M HAMMOND: Let us pray. General Eisenhower in World War II called for that crusade in these words, let us all beseech the blessing of all mighty God upon this great and noble undertaking. Today, by God's grace we dedicate this memorial to the victory of that crusade bringing peace with justice and mercy and freedom for friend and foe.

The royal call includes every sector of our nation, all the braun and all the brains, parents and children, farmers and factory workers, fishermen and scientists. But above all, we remember the brave men and women of the armed forces on the sea, in the air, and on the ground who sacrificed heroically, especially those who merited the highest praise.

Greater love than this no man has that he lay down his life for his friend. We stand here today, as legacies of that crusade and peace to proclaim these sacrifices and lives will never be forgotten. And that the rights for which they suffered and died will never be surrendered. We proclaim for this land we love so much, that we shall ever use our might for the defense of the right. We shall not flinch and by God's grace we shall not fail the cause of our freedom at any time or any place.

We stand with our forefathers who proclaimed with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence. We mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. And in compliance, with our national motto, in God we trust. We beg God to give us the light to guide us. The courage to support us, and his love to unite us in building a kingdom of God's peace here on earth. Amen, amen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the chairman of the American battle monument commission, General P. X. Kelley, United States Marine Corps, retired.

GEN. P. X. KELLEY, FMR. JOINT CHIEFS: If you could stand here and see this site, it's one of the most amazing sites that I have ever seen in our nation's capital and all I can think of is God bless America. Good afternoon, and President Bush, President Clinton, and all of our honored guests in particular my fellow members of the greatest generation.

Believe it or not, as a 14-year-old boy I was a junior air raid warden in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. On behalf of the American Battle Monument Commission, the executive agency authorized by the Congress to establish a National World War II Memorial here in the nation's capital it's my honor, my deepest honor to welcome you all here for today's dedication.

Our commission was established in 1923 shortly after World War I; appropriately, General of the Army's John J. Pershing was our first chairman. Our primary mission is the care of over 131,000 Americans who sleep silently with their comrades overseas beneath the pristine white crosses and stars of David in our 23 -- 24 overseas cemeteries, 14 of which are as you know dedicated to World War II.

As we visit or as I visit and each time I walk along those uniformed rows of crosses, I'm constantly reminded of a spiritual tribute made by a chaplain following one of the most costly battles of World War II. And he said here lay officers and men together. Blacks and whites together. Rich men and poor together. Here no man prefers another because of his faith. And despises him because of his color. Here there are no quotas of how many from each group are admitted or allowed. Among these men, there is no discrimination, no prejudice, no hatred; theirs is the highest and purest democracy.

While being entrusted by you, all of you, the American people, with this sacred mission, we do not take our responsibilities lightly. It is with that same sense of purpose that we accepted the challenge to design and construct a memorial that would reflect forever more that World War II was the most significant event in the history of mankind. It was a conflict which involved every man, woman, and child in our country. It was a conflict in which over 53 million souls departed from this planet and it was a conflict in which over 400,000 Americans made the supreme sacrifice.

In the end, -- but in the end it was a conflict which our way of life prevailed. And our eternal thanks for that go to our greatest generation. As World War II was the most significant event in the history of mankind, so it is today that the most significant event of its kind thus far in the 21st century is today. What we're doing today is historic, hopefully in the annals much our country. Our grateful nation remembers the 16 million men and women who wore the uniform of the country but also the 144 million who manned the home front.

Let us pray, let us pray to our chosen God, that our nation's -- that our nation's memory of their service will never fade. Now, let me recognize some of those in our audience. We have former presidents, as you have seen, and distinguished members of our Congress. We have Medal of Honor winner recipients and just for a brief moment, give the Medal of Honor recipients your great hand.

(Applauding) Each night we should probably all get down and say to our good lord, thank God that we have such men. We have cabinet heads and government leaders. Members of the memorial design and construction team, and representative of the gold star wives and I must say parenthetically and sadly, that during World War II my own mother became a gold star wife. We have representatives from the American war orphans and our memorial advisory board and the military services.

But in the audience we also have families whose names resonate with the second World War, families like Roosevelt and Churchill and Eisenhower to name but a few. And we also have our former and currant commissioners and staff of the American battle monuments commission. We have delegations, delegations from our World War II allied nations and of those who fought against us then but stand with us now. And representatives of the veterans service organizations and those thank God for those who made possible this memorial with generous financial donations.

But more -- most importantly, most importantly, our distinguished and honored guests, the thousands of World War II generation members gathered here in Washington and the millions watching with family and friends at community gatherings or in veteran hospitals and homes throughout the nation. All sharing in this long overdue and most deserved moment of tribute and remembrance. To our greatest generation, wherever you are gathered, I extend a heartfelt and very respectful welcome to our national celebration in your honor. It is now my pleasure to introduce and invite the distinguished news anchor and author Tom Brokaw to share his reflections about "The Greatest Generation."

TOM BROKAW, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Thank you all very much. It goes without saying that this for me is a special privilege here today, because we gather to pay tribute to sacrifice and valor, to common cause and compassion, to triumph and determination. It has taken too long to erect this monument to symbolize the gratitude of our nation now and forever more to those of you who answered the call at home and abroad in what General Kelley rightly called the greatest war the world has ever known. A war in which more than 50 million people perished in their homes and on the battlefields a long way from home. Infernos at sea and beneath the sea and planes falling from the sky and gas ovens and in slave labor camps. A war for all of it's cruelties and terrible cost was a just war and a great victory, that will be remembered for as long as history is recorded.

So it is fitting that we gather today around this handsome and evocative monument to such a noble undertaking. But no monument, however well positioned or polished can take the place of the enduring legacy of all of you, the people that we honor here today. Your lives and how you lived them, the country you defended and loved and cared for for the rest of your days, THat is the undeniable legacy of you, the men and women I call "The Greatest Generation." Now my declaration that this is the greatest generation has occasionally been challenged even by members of that generation. My short answer is, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

(APPLAUSE) BROKAW: My longer answer, however, can be found in the trials and triumphs of your dweneration. At an early age this generation learned the harsh reality of deprivation and common cause during the great depression. They quit school not to indulge their selfish interest but to put food on the family table or shoes on their brothers and sisters. They just didn't double date, they went six and eight to a car to a dance or a movie where admission was maybe a dime. They learned to live without more than with. And as their children learned later, they never took a dollar for granted, or spent one without thinking about it first.

Veterans here today will tell you that the first thing they notice about basic training was breakfast. You could eat all that you wanted. Many got their first new pair of boots or trousers in basic training after a young life of hand-me-downs. Many will also tell you that before war came to America at Pearl Harbor they were opposed to this country getting involved. But when the Japanese attacked and the Germans declared war they converted overnight and transformed America into a mightily military machine and uniform and factories and laboratories and shipyards and coal mines and farm fields and shops and offices.

Men, women, young and old, everyone had a role. Farm boys who had never been in an airplane were soon flying new bombers with four engines. Surgical nurses were in mash units on front lines operating while they were being shelled. Teenagers were wearing sergeant stripes and fighting from North Africa to Rome. Guys from the city treats were in close quarter combat in dense jungles. Women were building ships and whatever were needed and driving trucks.

Kids went without gum and new toys and in too many cases they went the rest of their lives without fathers they never knew. In the halls of Congress and at the White House they bet the future of this country on the absolute necessity of unconditional victory while simultaneously creating new international, political, financial, and military institutions and alliances that protected and enhanced America's national interests through a cooperation and common goals.

Through not just shared strength, but also a shared commitment to diplomacy. And when victory was complete, this generation, all of you, returned to this country and married in record numbers and went to college in record numbers thanks for the G.I. Bill. You gave us new industries and new art, new science, and unparallel prosperity. But you also understood the real meaning of victory.

You did not take revenge. Instead, you embarked on your next mission. Unprecedented for military victors, you rebuilt the shattered countries and confidence of your enemies. Wherever you settled, you brought with them a discipline and maturity beyond your years, shaped by the hardships of depression, the training and the horrors and the deprivations of war. Those of you who returned with unshakable nightmares of war were held through long nights, by your uncomplaining wives and when daybreak came, you went off together to resume your lives without whining or whimpering.

You were conditioned to serve so you became members of the school board or elders in your church, you ran for mayor and governor and Congress, the Senate and the White House. You were the join-up generation. You had given so much, but you didn't hesitate to give more. Because too many of your friends had died defending the way of life and system of government, that is renewed only by good people willing to do the right thing.

Some of you became rich, famous and powerful. But the tell-tale strength of this generation came from the ordinary men and women who awoke every morning to tend to the needs of their families, their communities, their nation, and mankind without expectation of recognition or reward. Not every member had a common point of view. There were ferocious political battles by day, and one shared concern by night fall, what is best for the country?

On some issues it took a little longer than others. While this was a great generation, it was not perfect. When the men came home, it took them a while to fully appreciate the right of women to take their place at their side whatever the endeavor. And despite the patriotism and the courage of black Americans and Hispanic-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Native Americans and other people of color during the war, it took too long, much too long, to legally and morally confront the cancer of racism.

When America was divided, by another war and a cultural upheaval, "The Greatest generation" was bewildered and divided, as well. It didn't give up on the generation that came after, their kids. Even though you wanted them to cut their hair to get married before they lived together and for God's sake turn down the music. More-over as the men and women of "The Greatest Generation" know not everyone in their own generation was up to the standard. There were the slackers and the coward. The profit years and the blow hards. The bullies and the bone heads. But they've been forgotten now. They have been lost in the pettiness of their own behavior. Overwhelmed by the sweeping and indisputable achievement of the authentic members of your generation, "The Greatest Generation."

On a personal note, I want to thank you all of you for the privilege of sharing your stories and your lives. I am humbled by our relationship. Those of us in succeeding generations are deeply indebted to you for first giving so much of your youth, your families and your friends to war. And then so much of the rest of your days to your country, and to the world. As I know personally, so many of you have been reluctant to talk about these difficult days, because the painful memories have not faded. And because as so many of you have said, you were the lucky ones. You came back. You survived. So many of your friends did not.

So you have felt an enduring obligation, a duty to them. To live your life in a way that honors them. Your lives have led the way in war and peace. And now it falls to the succeeding generations, to the rest of us to honor your lives, the greatest legacy of "the Greatest Generation," not with words or memorials or ceremonies or tributes. We are honored and obligated to honor you with our lives by fulfilling our duty, the duty to carry on your noble mission. I salute each and every one of you. Thank you all very much.

(APPLAUSE)

BROKAW: Thank you all very much. It's now my pleasure to introduce a man who embody the best of the greatest generation in his portrayal of Captain John Miller, Charlie Company Fifth Rangers in "Saving Private Ryan" with his friend and collaborater Steven Spielberg. He also gave the nation a band of brothers that memorable account of heroism, loyalty and humility in combat. And when the need was greatest for this memorial, this remarkable American answered the call without hesitation. He is a movie star. But as I have come to know from personal experience, he is first a husband, a father, and a citizen. Ladies and gentlemen, the youngest member of "The Greatest Generation," the schoolteacher from Pennsylvania, Ranger Captain John Miller, my friend Tom Hanks -- Tom.

TOM HANKS, ACTOR: Had this memorial been erected at war's end. The surviving participant of the second World War would have long ago gathered here to remember those lost in the conflict. Those that survived the battlefield, who waited in provisions, and who sacrificed comforts would have already dedicated this memorial and gone on to live in a new yet still imperfect world. But as we now live in the third millennium, time, demands that more than the fallen be remembered in this place of national honor. Let us remember not just those who lost their lives in the war, but all Americans who are alive, conscientious, and who chose to serve as best they could in the years from 1941 to 1945.

It is no embellishment to say their lives were interrupted. Their futures were forever altered. Their dreams were held in statis, while every minute of their youth was burdened with fear, with loss and with uncertainty. For them each day began with unanswerable questions as to when peace would come. When liberators would rise. If tolerance could fill the dark void left by terror or if tyrants were to rule half the world?

Every day they asked themselves what can I do, and every day they provided their own answers. Against twin enemies who believed they were genetically, racially, theologicly, institutionally superior to all others in the world, those Americans and their allies proved them not only wrong, but foolish. In the 45-month long battle against the conseat, the moral superiority can be declared, those Americans across the sea, and at home in the United States many of you who are here today, prove the true human morality can only be demonstrated by deed, by sacrifice and ultimately by mercy.

Lingering through the year's though is a question asked every time we sing our national anthem. A question which wil be as relevant to our American character a century from today, as it was 60 years ago. The first stanza of the "Star Spangled Banner" asks not merely about our flag, but about ourselves. In time, each generation is called to answer that question as it sees fit, as each generation must.

If our nation is to last, if liberty is to be the standard for the world, if truth is to be our legacy, if tolerance is to reign over humankind, all generations of Americans will respond to that query as did those Americans whose spirit we memorialize here in granite and bronze. As demonstrated by the sacrifices made by those alive in 1941, and by those who never saw 1946, you, our extended national family declared by your actions, that, yes, our flag still flies. We do come from a land of the free. And America is a home of the brave. Thank you.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks to all of you there's an important new memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The National World War II Memorial. Designed by Frederic St. Florian (ph), it create a special place to commemorate the sacrifice and celebrate the victory of World War II.

At the same time it enhances a space that is already special. Our National Mall. The memorial covers more than 7 acres. Two thirds of it landscaping and water. It's built of bronze and granite. Some 17,000 pieces of granite from South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, California, and Brazil. The Memorial commemorates the battles of World War II and the people who fought them.

But it's much more than a memorial to hardship and gunfire, sacrifice and heroism. It's a celebration of the spirit that brought all Americans together, black and white, Native American and first- generation immigrant, soldier and factory worker. On the battle front, and on the home front, they have been called the greatest generation that ever lived. And Americans everywhere have helped create this memorial to say thank you.

Come with me and discover the special significance that's built into the granite and bronze of this memorial. We'll enter by the ceremonial walkway that leads from 17th Street. To your left and right you will see flagpoles. The base of each flagpole bears an inscription and the seals of the military services and merchant marine. Inset in the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to your left and right are 24 sculptured bronze panels by Raymond Casky (ph) whose studio created all the sculpture for the Memorial.

The 12 on the north to your right depict the Atlantic front. The 12 on the south show the Pacific front. Most of the panels were inspired by historical photos. They depict not just battles but the all-out mobilization of America's agricultural, industrial, military, and human resources that ultimately led to victory.

When you reach the Memorial Plaza you will see a restored and improved Rainbow Pool with its historic fountains working again for the first time in decades. Embracing the plaza are 56 pillars that represent each of the individual states, teritorries, and the District of Columbia. They are joined together by a bronze rope that symbolizes the bonding of the nation in a common cause.

Two bronze wreaths, one of oak and one of wheat, symbolize America's role as both the arsenal of democracy and the bread basket of the world. To the right and left are two memorial pavilions, each 43 feet high. The south pavilion commemorates the war in the Pacific. And the north the war in the Atlantic. In each pavilion, four bronze columns support American eagles that hold the suspended laurel wreath to memorialize the victory of the World War II generation. On the floor of each pavilion is the World War II victory medal. Beyond the Rainbow Pool, you will see the Freedom Wall. Here we mark the price of freedom. The field of 4,000 sculpted gold stars commemorates the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives. The gold star has its own history. During the war, blue stars were displayed to indicate family members serving in uniform. The stars changed to gold when a loved one was lost. The pillars closest to the Freedom Wall occupying places of honor represent the original 13 states. The rest are ranked in the order in which they achieved statehood or became part of the United States.

Every element of the World War II Memorial works to a single purpose, eloquently expressed in engraving of the announcement stone we passed at the ceremonial entrance. Here in the presence of Washington and Lincoln, one the 18th-century father and the other the 19th-century preserver of our nation, we honor those 20th-century Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us. A nation conceived in liberty and justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome, the founder, chairman and CEO of Fedex Corporation, Frederick W. Smith, national co-chairman of the World War II Memorial campaign.

FREDERICK W. SMITH, NATL. CO-CHAIRMAN, WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL CAMPAIGN: Thank you. You know, it seems so long ago now that Senator Dole asked me to help raise funds for this magnificent memorial you have just seen. It was the summer of 1997 and he had been national chairman of the fundraising campaign for only a few months. The campaign was in its embryonic stage, slowly picking up momentum. But it really wasn't until the summer of 1998 that we began to see solid results. If you remember, that's when Steven Spielberg's film "Saving Private Ryan" put a face to the World War II generation for millions of Americans reminding us of the selfless courage, dedication and sacrifice so common during the war years.

Tom Brokaw further defined the greatest generation as ordinary people doing ordinary things. And Tom Hanks began telling appropriately the American people that it was time to say thank you. At that point the memorial honoring the sacrifices made during the Second World War came to represent an entire generation of Americans who selflessly left their homes for battlefields, factories and farms, doing whatever it took to meet the needs of a nation at war.

Now, every family has stories to tell of those years including my own with six World War II veterans in it. The World War II theme, the films and books that became popular as we reached the end of the 20th century, encouraged others to share those stories and generated increased awareness of our efforts to fund the World War II Memorial.

Our fundraising became a campaign across America from corporate boardrooms to school classrooms. From the largest veterans organizations to the smallest reunion groups. From state legislatures to individual homes. Many of our contributors are listed in your program. Their gifts led the way but every bit as important were individuals like young Zane Fales (ph) from Fayreville (ph), New York. He gave his entire life savings of $195 to say thank you to grandma and grandpa. We sincerely thank you everyone who did their part, large or small to make this memorial a reality.

Being part of this national memorial project has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my professional life. And it has been a special honor to work along side a man who has become the personification of America's World War II veterans. As most of you know, Senator Bob Dole was a distinguished combat leader, griveously wounded, whose incredible tenacity allowed him to come to the national stage and go on to become one of our nation's greatest leaders. It is my distinct pleasure and my great honor, ladies and gentlemen, to introduce the national chairman of the World War II Memorial Fundraising Campaign, one of the true greats of the greatest generation, Senator Bob Dole.

BOB DOLE, FMR. U.S. SENATOR: Thank you. Thank you very much. Never had a crowd like this when I was running. Well, it's a real honor and privilege to be here. And I won't even begin to start where you say thank you because where do you stop? But Fred Smith who so kindly introduced me was my mainstay and opened a lot of doors along with General Hurling (ph) and others at our commission and P.X. Kelly (ph) has done a splendid job and has a great staff.

When our fundraising was sort of ebbing, President Clinton, if you recall, he took us down to the White House and brought in some potential contributors and gave us a little spark. I want to thank both President Clinton and President Bush 41 for their generous contributions to World War II Memorial.

In the first week of January 1945, a hungry and lonesome second lieutenant from small town Kansas, dispatched a message to his folks back home. "You can send me something to eat whenever you are ready," he wrote. Send candy, gum, cookies, cheese, grape jelly, popcorn, nuts, peanut clusters, Vicks Vapo Rub, wool socks, wool scarf, fudge cookies, ice cream, liver and onions, fried chicken, banana cake, milk, fruit cocktail, swiss steaks, crackers, more candy, Lifesavers, peanuts, the piano, the radio, the living room, the suite, and the record player and Frank Sinatra. I guess you might as well send the whole house if you can get it into a five-pound box. PS, keep your fingers crossed.

In authoring that only slightly exaggerated wishlist I merely echoed the longings of 16 million Americans whose greatest wish was for an end to the fighting. 60 years on our ranks have dwindled for the thousands assembled here on the Mall and the millions more watching all across America in living rooms and hospitals and wherever it may be. And overseas, our men and women overseas and our friends in Great Britain and our allies all around the world. Our final reunion cannot long be delayed.

Yet if we gather in the twilight it is brightened by the knowledge that we have kept faith with our comrades. From a distant youth, sustained by over 600,000 individual contributions. 600,000. We have raised this memorial to commemorate the service and sacrifice of an entire generation.

What we dedicate today is not a memorial to war, rather it's a tribute to the physical and moral courage that makes heroes out of farm and city boys but inspires Americans in every generation to lay down their lives for people they will never meet, for ideals that make life itself worth living.

This is also a memorial to the American people who in the crucible of war forged a unity that became our ultimate weapon. Just as we pulled together in the course of a common threat 60 years ago, so today's Americans united to build this memorial.

Small children held their grandfathers' hand while dropping pennies in a collection box. Entire families...

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Aired May 29, 2004 - 14:00   ET
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CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR, CNN LIVE SATURDAY: ...on a tour crashed today killing everyone onboard.
Those are the headlines. I'm Catherine Callaway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a CNN special presentation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was the day of infamous. Americans heard the call and marched off to war. Their courage changed history. On land, by sea, and in the air, they fought for freedom. Midway, Anda (ph), Normandy, Iwo Jima (ph), they overthrew tyrants, liberated millions, the lucky ones came home. They raised families, grew old and always remembered.

The others, forever resting peacefully on the foreign shores they fought to save. Today in Washington, more than a half century later, America dedicates a monument to the warriors of the greatest generation. Now in honor the World War II Memorial.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from the National Mall in Washington, here is Paula Zahn.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR, WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL: Good afternoon. Welcome. Thank you so much for joining us on this extraordinary day here on the National Mall in the heart of Washington, D.C. Surrounded by an estimated 60,000 World War II vets and more than 100,000 guests overall. Please join me as these heroes watch as the National World War II Memorial is presented to the American people and accepted on their behalf by President George W. Bush. A little bit later on, I will have an exclusive interview with the president's father, Former President George Herbert Walker Bush who was twice shot down in the Pacific during the Second World War.

We will also hear from other World War II veterans who dedicated their lives to public service. Former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern. During the war, George McGovern piloted a B24 bomber, flew 35 combat missions and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. Also here with me today a prolific author as well as a decorated veteran of World War II, Tony Hillerman. Mr. Hillerman served as an infantry soldier in the European Theater.

It is an honor to have both of you with us here this afternoon. Senator McGovern, I know that you feel that the vets here are not only walking around with the tremendous sense of pride but with quiet smiles on the faces, because they believe that World War II was a very different war from the wars fought since then. How so? GEORGE MCGOVERN, (D) FMR. U.S. SENATOR: It was a war where we were very clear on our mission. We believed in what we were doing. The whole country was behind that effort because the country understood the necessity of it. And so when the war was all over I think every veteran of the Second World War has a sense of satisfaction and pride about what we achieved.

Unfortunately, some of the more recent wars have not been that clear in their definition. The goals have not been that clear. And there's considerable division in the country about it. I'm glad I participated in World War II where I never had one day of regret about what we did.

ZAHN: Tony, I know you had the opportunity to talk with other veterans here today. Give us a sense of an emotional levels what it means to finally have this memorial be built in your honor.

TONY HILLERMAN, AUTHOR: Well, everyone I talked to has been glad to be here. And feeling very pleased that this is happening. Thinking, yes, maybe we do deserve a pat on the back.

ZAHN: The reluctant ones to kind of consider yourself part of the greatest generation. We look forward talking to you throughout this ceremony today. But out in the sea of veterans right now is someone whose job is always focused on American servicemen and women. CNN senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre, what have you found out there this afternoon Jamie?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, there are thousands of veterans here to talk to, so we picked one that has one of the rare distinctions. He can still fit into his uniform. His original uniform. This is photographer's first mate Steve Kanyusik. Steve thanks for being with us. So I see from your hat you're on the USS Ranger, a little about your experience in the war.

STEPHEN KANYISIK, U.S. NAVY (RET): A 62 years ago I left Newport, Rhode Island, got on the Ranger and went to sea. And I stayed in the Ranger for 18 months. We were at North Africa and also up in the North Atlantic chasing the turpits (ph). Then we came back and I went into photo school because I was on the guns prior to the photography and after I transitioned out of Pensacola I went to San Diego, went into the Pacific.

MCINTYRE: So you did your shooting with a camera?

KANYISIK: Yes, it was.

MCINTYRE: What is it like being here today at this event?

KANYISIK: This is such a spectacular breath-taking thing. I don't know if I can find words for it. But to see all the other veterans out here, you can feel so small that you are a part of something so big.

MCINTYRE: What's your most memorable moment from the wartime. KANYISIK: Well there are all kind of situations or shooting coma cozies with a camera but the most memorable is when I got transferred to Washington, D.C. Went to Arlington Cemetery which is very dramatic and three of us sailors met three girls. And eventually two years later I married one of them and she was married for 43 years. She was buried at Arlington Cemetery when she died at the same place where we met.

MCINTYRE: Have you been back there?

KANYISIK: We were there yesterday. My family is here. I have five children. Four of them are here this time visiting.

MCINTYRE: Stephen thank you very much. Paula, just one of thousands of stories down here today. Back to you.

ZAHN: And one of the bittersweet memories that are going to be shared with us here this afternoon. Jamie McIntyre I look forward hearing more from you a little bit later on this afternoon. And just a short time ago I had the privilege of sitting down with a decorated veteran of the war who is lucky to have survived it all. In 1944, Lieutenant Junior Gray George Herbert Walker Bush's plane was shot down over the Pacific. His two fellow crewmen died. He parachuted to safety, and of course, went on to become the 41st president of the United States.

What is it that you want to resiant with the American public about this generation of Americans?

GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: We did our duty, saluted the flag and said the Pledge of Allegiance. None of us thought of ourselves as super patriots of anything. But in time of trouble, my generation, you might say, stepped up and honored the United States by our service. And that's what it was all about. And still about that. It's still about that.

ZAHN: That seems to be a common thought of all you veterans. That it was your duty to serve the country. Many of you plucked off farm and plucked college campuses, never having thought about defending your country.

MCGOVERN: You know I didn't feel there was any other choice. We were attacked at Pearl Harbor. The next day it was declared war on the United States. So we had no recourse except to get into service. I couldn't wait to sign up. We went to Omaha, ten of us from the little college. We didn't know whether to join the army or the navy. One of the guys pick up a rumor that if you went to the army air corps recruiting station they would give you a free meal ticket to a downtown cafeteria in Omaha.

So on the strength of that unsubstantiated roomer and a ticket that was worth about a dollar, all ten of us joined up as army air corps pilots. That's the cheapest I ever sold out for.

ZAHN: I hope so. Then, of course, you ended up flying some very dangerous bombing missions. Do you have any regrets about any of your actions in the war?

MCGOVERN: Just one. We hit a target, the spodua (ph) ammunition works in Czechoslovakia the biggest ammunition plant in the world, we got hit over the target, we were losing altitude and one of the crew called up and said that one of the ten bombs had not fallen from our Bombay, it was jammed in the bomb rack. I said you guys got to get rid of that.

I can't land this plane back at our base with a loose bomb bouncing around. They kept working on it and I dropped out of the formation. Right at noon, it broke loose and fell and we were close enough to the ground you could see it hit right in the middle of a little Austrian farmyard. I felt terrible. They thought they were safely out of the war zone. 40 years later I told that story on Austrian television and an elderly man called that night and said tell the American senator that was my farm. It was exactly the time that he said and the place he said. We saw that bomber coming. We got into a ditch and hit and all of us are safe and sound. I got redeemed after all those years.

ZAHN: As you tell this rather pointed story we're watching the parade of flags. Flags representing every state of the union and the territories of what made up the United States at that time. And in America, what kind of pride do you feel here today, particularly at a time when we have more than 100,000 of our troops in harm's way? You feel a great sense of patriotism here today.

MCGOVERN: There is something about this mall that brings that out. The Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, all these great monuments. I worked in this United States Capital for 24 years. I never once drove through this area without a lump in my throat. And real sense of pride that I worked for the United States government.

ZAHN: I can hear that in your voice now. We'll pause for a moment and watch this glorious procession.

We are also joined today by a World War II veteran and author, Tony Hillerman. Tony the one thing that strikes me as vets have come here today how long they have waited for this memorial. Is there any sense of resentment among any of the veterans you talked to that it has taken so long to isolate the marine have been recognized before but to isolate you all of the forces that served during World War II.

HILLERMAN: I haven't heard anyone complaining about the length of time. I generally just enthusiasm for it. Which I share, I must say.

ZAHN: Why is your generation so reluctant to consider yourself the greatest generation?

HILLERMAN: We just naturally modest, unassuming, grew up in a great American depression and dustbowl and never -- my mother used to say, he expect -- he who expects little is seldom disappointed, see.

ZAHN: Your mother had the right idea there. HILLERMAN: So, here I'm a PFC, I rose to that rank twice and that's as high as I got. But here I am, I still feel like a private first class, see. Always will.

ZAHN: And I know, Senator McGovern, you feel there were so many things that happened during that period of our history besides Tony just mentioned coming out of the depression. The experience, the memory of World War II. But also how the G.I. Bill changed this nation when all of you, you the lucky ones, came home.

MCGOVERN: You know I am both an admirer and friend of Tom Brokaw, I'm glad he wrote that book, if we were, in fact, the greatest generation, I'm not sure about that, if we were, there are probably three reasons we were toughened and honed in the great depression.

We were further strengthened by our experiences in World War II, and thirdly, the G.I. Bill. This is the most marvelous thing I think the federal government could have done for the 16 million GI's that fought in World War II. I came back without a dime. I had a wife and a child. I went to Northwestern University, went all the way through to a PHD in history. The G.I. Bill did that for millions of young men. And interestingly enough, while it cost a lot of money, the government actually made money on it.

ZAHN: In productivity.

MCGOVERN: They made money because they raised our earning power; therefore we paid more taxes and the government actually made money on that program. Maybe we ought to do it again.

ZAHN: One of the more painful things to focus in on today is the reality that your generation World War II vets, Tony is dying off at a rate of a thousand a day. As you see the sea of veterans today, what goes through your mind? This might be one of the last large gatherings we will ever see of this kind.

HILLERMAN: I try to avoid such thoughts.

ZAHN: I don't blame you.

HILLERMAN: I'm in no hurry. I'm enjoying life. But I sure agree with the senator's remarks about the G.I. Bill. I could have -- I could have never gone back to college with -- when I got out of the army. I had one semester and I run out of money and was rescued by the draft, you know. And in my little platoon, the weapon platoon I was in, what the few of the guys that came home, produced five college professors and one fairly famous engineer and all sorts of notable historian, author a book, none of those guys would have gone to college without the G.I. Bill.

ZAHN: Senator McGovern.

MCGOVERN: Tony Hillerman is one of our most distinguished writers. He went to the University of Oklahoma where they produced great football teams. But they also in this case produced a great writer. I think that G.I. Bill just enriched the whole nation. Everybody is better off because of these millions of veterans who had their real opportunity to get a good education.

ZAHN: Tony, tell us a little bit more about what you experienced when you were sent abroad to fight.

HILLERMAN: I think my most -- the memory I frequently go back to is I was wounded on one of these, you know, patrols where you are supposed to go out and capture prisoners. You might have seen one on "Band of Brothers." And turns out the Germans weren't ready to give up any prisoners and we got a -- lost a lot of men on it.

I was one of them. And when I was wounded the -- a friend of mine Donald Kristorerson (ph) picked me up and put me on a stretcher and -- we were behind the German lines, across a little river. He was helping carry me back. He was hit and I knew he was hit because they dropped the, you know, then somebody -- when I'm put on the ambulance I was mostly out of it but I heard them putting Kristorerson (ph) on the ambulance.

Above me. They racked you up. Then poor Kris started bleeding and he bled to death dripping down on me and I was too out of it to get anybody's attention because, you know, I always thought about that. Why couldn't I have somehow revived myself? I didn't. And he died. And too bad. And you remember things like that.

ZAHN: There is such a great selective sense of loss in this crowd today.

HILLERMAN: Yes.

ZAHN: Do you think much about your comrades that you have lost?

MCGOVERN: I do. Half the bomber crews that I went into combat with never finished. The average crew never got beyond 17 missions. I didn't know that at the time or I would have been awfully nervous after I got to 17. And recognized that I had 18 more to go. We had some -- we had some missions. I don't know how we survived. But we also had one experience that in a way kind of changed my public life.

We were coming into Naples Harbor on a troop ship for the first time. We saw little children lined up along the dock. They were yelling to us in broken English, as we got a little closer we could hear them say Baby Ruth, Butterfingers, Hershey bars. At that point the captain of the ship said do not throw anything to those children. This is war torn Italy. Those children are near starvation. An American ship came in here yesterday with G.I.s started throwing candy and some of them fell in the water, 25 of them drowned. That was my first introduction to human hunger. And I had been interested in that hunger issue ever since.

ZAHN: When you think about the time it took you, from the time you came off college campus, to flying and not just bomber it was three years. Extraordinary isn't it?

MCGOVERN: That is about what it was. I was 19 when I went in. I went in to combat when I was 21, just barely turned 22. ZAHN: Let's pause for a second. As you are speaking you will see in the right hand part of the screen the official party being introduced in advance of the president of the United States speaking. Carry on.

MCGOVERN: In any event, we were well trained. They did it in two and a half years. But I had a crew of ten men that I was responsible for at the age of 22. I look at my grandchildren today and I'm sure they would have risen to the occasion, too, but it does make you think about what we did at a very young age.

ZAHN: I just heard Tom Hanks mentioned because of his effort. A lot of the private funds were raised for this extraordinary memorial. We'll continue to hear the introductions of other people who have been very involved in getting this project off the ground. And who we are about to hear is General P. X. Kelley, who is the former commander of the U.S. Marine Corps and joint chiefs of staff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome Archbishop Philip M. Hammond.

ARCHBISHOP PHILIP M HAMMOND: Let us pray. General Eisenhower in World War II called for that crusade in these words, let us all beseech the blessing of all mighty God upon this great and noble undertaking. Today, by God's grace we dedicate this memorial to the victory of that crusade bringing peace with justice and mercy and freedom for friend and foe.

The royal call includes every sector of our nation, all the braun and all the brains, parents and children, farmers and factory workers, fishermen and scientists. But above all, we remember the brave men and women of the armed forces on the sea, in the air, and on the ground who sacrificed heroically, especially those who merited the highest praise.

Greater love than this no man has that he lay down his life for his friend. We stand here today, as legacies of that crusade and peace to proclaim these sacrifices and lives will never be forgotten. And that the rights for which they suffered and died will never be surrendered. We proclaim for this land we love so much, that we shall ever use our might for the defense of the right. We shall not flinch and by God's grace we shall not fail the cause of our freedom at any time or any place.

We stand with our forefathers who proclaimed with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence. We mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. And in compliance, with our national motto, in God we trust. We beg God to give us the light to guide us. The courage to support us, and his love to unite us in building a kingdom of God's peace here on earth. Amen, amen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the chairman of the American battle monument commission, General P. X. Kelley, United States Marine Corps, retired.

GEN. P. X. KELLEY, FMR. JOINT CHIEFS: If you could stand here and see this site, it's one of the most amazing sites that I have ever seen in our nation's capital and all I can think of is God bless America. Good afternoon, and President Bush, President Clinton, and all of our honored guests in particular my fellow members of the greatest generation.

Believe it or not, as a 14-year-old boy I was a junior air raid warden in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. On behalf of the American Battle Monument Commission, the executive agency authorized by the Congress to establish a National World War II Memorial here in the nation's capital it's my honor, my deepest honor to welcome you all here for today's dedication.

Our commission was established in 1923 shortly after World War I; appropriately, General of the Army's John J. Pershing was our first chairman. Our primary mission is the care of over 131,000 Americans who sleep silently with their comrades overseas beneath the pristine white crosses and stars of David in our 23 -- 24 overseas cemeteries, 14 of which are as you know dedicated to World War II.

As we visit or as I visit and each time I walk along those uniformed rows of crosses, I'm constantly reminded of a spiritual tribute made by a chaplain following one of the most costly battles of World War II. And he said here lay officers and men together. Blacks and whites together. Rich men and poor together. Here no man prefers another because of his faith. And despises him because of his color. Here there are no quotas of how many from each group are admitted or allowed. Among these men, there is no discrimination, no prejudice, no hatred; theirs is the highest and purest democracy.

While being entrusted by you, all of you, the American people, with this sacred mission, we do not take our responsibilities lightly. It is with that same sense of purpose that we accepted the challenge to design and construct a memorial that would reflect forever more that World War II was the most significant event in the history of mankind. It was a conflict which involved every man, woman, and child in our country. It was a conflict in which over 53 million souls departed from this planet and it was a conflict in which over 400,000 Americans made the supreme sacrifice.

In the end, -- but in the end it was a conflict which our way of life prevailed. And our eternal thanks for that go to our greatest generation. As World War II was the most significant event in the history of mankind, so it is today that the most significant event of its kind thus far in the 21st century is today. What we're doing today is historic, hopefully in the annals much our country. Our grateful nation remembers the 16 million men and women who wore the uniform of the country but also the 144 million who manned the home front.

Let us pray, let us pray to our chosen God, that our nation's -- that our nation's memory of their service will never fade. Now, let me recognize some of those in our audience. We have former presidents, as you have seen, and distinguished members of our Congress. We have Medal of Honor winner recipients and just for a brief moment, give the Medal of Honor recipients your great hand.

(Applauding) Each night we should probably all get down and say to our good lord, thank God that we have such men. We have cabinet heads and government leaders. Members of the memorial design and construction team, and representative of the gold star wives and I must say parenthetically and sadly, that during World War II my own mother became a gold star wife. We have representatives from the American war orphans and our memorial advisory board and the military services.

But in the audience we also have families whose names resonate with the second World War, families like Roosevelt and Churchill and Eisenhower to name but a few. And we also have our former and currant commissioners and staff of the American battle monuments commission. We have delegations, delegations from our World War II allied nations and of those who fought against us then but stand with us now. And representatives of the veterans service organizations and those thank God for those who made possible this memorial with generous financial donations.

But more -- most importantly, most importantly, our distinguished and honored guests, the thousands of World War II generation members gathered here in Washington and the millions watching with family and friends at community gatherings or in veteran hospitals and homes throughout the nation. All sharing in this long overdue and most deserved moment of tribute and remembrance. To our greatest generation, wherever you are gathered, I extend a heartfelt and very respectful welcome to our national celebration in your honor. It is now my pleasure to introduce and invite the distinguished news anchor and author Tom Brokaw to share his reflections about "The Greatest Generation."

TOM BROKAW, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Thank you all very much. It goes without saying that this for me is a special privilege here today, because we gather to pay tribute to sacrifice and valor, to common cause and compassion, to triumph and determination. It has taken too long to erect this monument to symbolize the gratitude of our nation now and forever more to those of you who answered the call at home and abroad in what General Kelley rightly called the greatest war the world has ever known. A war in which more than 50 million people perished in their homes and on the battlefields a long way from home. Infernos at sea and beneath the sea and planes falling from the sky and gas ovens and in slave labor camps. A war for all of it's cruelties and terrible cost was a just war and a great victory, that will be remembered for as long as history is recorded.

So it is fitting that we gather today around this handsome and evocative monument to such a noble undertaking. But no monument, however well positioned or polished can take the place of the enduring legacy of all of you, the people that we honor here today. Your lives and how you lived them, the country you defended and loved and cared for for the rest of your days, THat is the undeniable legacy of you, the men and women I call "The Greatest Generation." Now my declaration that this is the greatest generation has occasionally been challenged even by members of that generation. My short answer is, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

(APPLAUSE) BROKAW: My longer answer, however, can be found in the trials and triumphs of your dweneration. At an early age this generation learned the harsh reality of deprivation and common cause during the great depression. They quit school not to indulge their selfish interest but to put food on the family table or shoes on their brothers and sisters. They just didn't double date, they went six and eight to a car to a dance or a movie where admission was maybe a dime. They learned to live without more than with. And as their children learned later, they never took a dollar for granted, or spent one without thinking about it first.

Veterans here today will tell you that the first thing they notice about basic training was breakfast. You could eat all that you wanted. Many got their first new pair of boots or trousers in basic training after a young life of hand-me-downs. Many will also tell you that before war came to America at Pearl Harbor they were opposed to this country getting involved. But when the Japanese attacked and the Germans declared war they converted overnight and transformed America into a mightily military machine and uniform and factories and laboratories and shipyards and coal mines and farm fields and shops and offices.

Men, women, young and old, everyone had a role. Farm boys who had never been in an airplane were soon flying new bombers with four engines. Surgical nurses were in mash units on front lines operating while they were being shelled. Teenagers were wearing sergeant stripes and fighting from North Africa to Rome. Guys from the city treats were in close quarter combat in dense jungles. Women were building ships and whatever were needed and driving trucks.

Kids went without gum and new toys and in too many cases they went the rest of their lives without fathers they never knew. In the halls of Congress and at the White House they bet the future of this country on the absolute necessity of unconditional victory while simultaneously creating new international, political, financial, and military institutions and alliances that protected and enhanced America's national interests through a cooperation and common goals.

Through not just shared strength, but also a shared commitment to diplomacy. And when victory was complete, this generation, all of you, returned to this country and married in record numbers and went to college in record numbers thanks for the G.I. Bill. You gave us new industries and new art, new science, and unparallel prosperity. But you also understood the real meaning of victory.

You did not take revenge. Instead, you embarked on your next mission. Unprecedented for military victors, you rebuilt the shattered countries and confidence of your enemies. Wherever you settled, you brought with them a discipline and maturity beyond your years, shaped by the hardships of depression, the training and the horrors and the deprivations of war. Those of you who returned with unshakable nightmares of war were held through long nights, by your uncomplaining wives and when daybreak came, you went off together to resume your lives without whining or whimpering.

You were conditioned to serve so you became members of the school board or elders in your church, you ran for mayor and governor and Congress, the Senate and the White House. You were the join-up generation. You had given so much, but you didn't hesitate to give more. Because too many of your friends had died defending the way of life and system of government, that is renewed only by good people willing to do the right thing.

Some of you became rich, famous and powerful. But the tell-tale strength of this generation came from the ordinary men and women who awoke every morning to tend to the needs of their families, their communities, their nation, and mankind without expectation of recognition or reward. Not every member had a common point of view. There were ferocious political battles by day, and one shared concern by night fall, what is best for the country?

On some issues it took a little longer than others. While this was a great generation, it was not perfect. When the men came home, it took them a while to fully appreciate the right of women to take their place at their side whatever the endeavor. And despite the patriotism and the courage of black Americans and Hispanic-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Native Americans and other people of color during the war, it took too long, much too long, to legally and morally confront the cancer of racism.

When America was divided, by another war and a cultural upheaval, "The Greatest generation" was bewildered and divided, as well. It didn't give up on the generation that came after, their kids. Even though you wanted them to cut their hair to get married before they lived together and for God's sake turn down the music. More-over as the men and women of "The Greatest Generation" know not everyone in their own generation was up to the standard. There were the slackers and the coward. The profit years and the blow hards. The bullies and the bone heads. But they've been forgotten now. They have been lost in the pettiness of their own behavior. Overwhelmed by the sweeping and indisputable achievement of the authentic members of your generation, "The Greatest Generation."

On a personal note, I want to thank you all of you for the privilege of sharing your stories and your lives. I am humbled by our relationship. Those of us in succeeding generations are deeply indebted to you for first giving so much of your youth, your families and your friends to war. And then so much of the rest of your days to your country, and to the world. As I know personally, so many of you have been reluctant to talk about these difficult days, because the painful memories have not faded. And because as so many of you have said, you were the lucky ones. You came back. You survived. So many of your friends did not.

So you have felt an enduring obligation, a duty to them. To live your life in a way that honors them. Your lives have led the way in war and peace. And now it falls to the succeeding generations, to the rest of us to honor your lives, the greatest legacy of "the Greatest Generation," not with words or memorials or ceremonies or tributes. We are honored and obligated to honor you with our lives by fulfilling our duty, the duty to carry on your noble mission. I salute each and every one of you. Thank you all very much.

(APPLAUSE)

BROKAW: Thank you all very much. It's now my pleasure to introduce a man who embody the best of the greatest generation in his portrayal of Captain John Miller, Charlie Company Fifth Rangers in "Saving Private Ryan" with his friend and collaborater Steven Spielberg. He also gave the nation a band of brothers that memorable account of heroism, loyalty and humility in combat. And when the need was greatest for this memorial, this remarkable American answered the call without hesitation. He is a movie star. But as I have come to know from personal experience, he is first a husband, a father, and a citizen. Ladies and gentlemen, the youngest member of "The Greatest Generation," the schoolteacher from Pennsylvania, Ranger Captain John Miller, my friend Tom Hanks -- Tom.

TOM HANKS, ACTOR: Had this memorial been erected at war's end. The surviving participant of the second World War would have long ago gathered here to remember those lost in the conflict. Those that survived the battlefield, who waited in provisions, and who sacrificed comforts would have already dedicated this memorial and gone on to live in a new yet still imperfect world. But as we now live in the third millennium, time, demands that more than the fallen be remembered in this place of national honor. Let us remember not just those who lost their lives in the war, but all Americans who are alive, conscientious, and who chose to serve as best they could in the years from 1941 to 1945.

It is no embellishment to say their lives were interrupted. Their futures were forever altered. Their dreams were held in statis, while every minute of their youth was burdened with fear, with loss and with uncertainty. For them each day began with unanswerable questions as to when peace would come. When liberators would rise. If tolerance could fill the dark void left by terror or if tyrants were to rule half the world?

Every day they asked themselves what can I do, and every day they provided their own answers. Against twin enemies who believed they were genetically, racially, theologicly, institutionally superior to all others in the world, those Americans and their allies proved them not only wrong, but foolish. In the 45-month long battle against the conseat, the moral superiority can be declared, those Americans across the sea, and at home in the United States many of you who are here today, prove the true human morality can only be demonstrated by deed, by sacrifice and ultimately by mercy.

Lingering through the year's though is a question asked every time we sing our national anthem. A question which wil be as relevant to our American character a century from today, as it was 60 years ago. The first stanza of the "Star Spangled Banner" asks not merely about our flag, but about ourselves. In time, each generation is called to answer that question as it sees fit, as each generation must.

If our nation is to last, if liberty is to be the standard for the world, if truth is to be our legacy, if tolerance is to reign over humankind, all generations of Americans will respond to that query as did those Americans whose spirit we memorialize here in granite and bronze. As demonstrated by the sacrifices made by those alive in 1941, and by those who never saw 1946, you, our extended national family declared by your actions, that, yes, our flag still flies. We do come from a land of the free. And America is a home of the brave. Thank you.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks to all of you there's an important new memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The National World War II Memorial. Designed by Frederic St. Florian (ph), it create a special place to commemorate the sacrifice and celebrate the victory of World War II.

At the same time it enhances a space that is already special. Our National Mall. The memorial covers more than 7 acres. Two thirds of it landscaping and water. It's built of bronze and granite. Some 17,000 pieces of granite from South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, California, and Brazil. The Memorial commemorates the battles of World War II and the people who fought them.

But it's much more than a memorial to hardship and gunfire, sacrifice and heroism. It's a celebration of the spirit that brought all Americans together, black and white, Native American and first- generation immigrant, soldier and factory worker. On the battle front, and on the home front, they have been called the greatest generation that ever lived. And Americans everywhere have helped create this memorial to say thank you.

Come with me and discover the special significance that's built into the granite and bronze of this memorial. We'll enter by the ceremonial walkway that leads from 17th Street. To your left and right you will see flagpoles. The base of each flagpole bears an inscription and the seals of the military services and merchant marine. Inset in the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to your left and right are 24 sculptured bronze panels by Raymond Casky (ph) whose studio created all the sculpture for the Memorial.

The 12 on the north to your right depict the Atlantic front. The 12 on the south show the Pacific front. Most of the panels were inspired by historical photos. They depict not just battles but the all-out mobilization of America's agricultural, industrial, military, and human resources that ultimately led to victory.

When you reach the Memorial Plaza you will see a restored and improved Rainbow Pool with its historic fountains working again for the first time in decades. Embracing the plaza are 56 pillars that represent each of the individual states, teritorries, and the District of Columbia. They are joined together by a bronze rope that symbolizes the bonding of the nation in a common cause.

Two bronze wreaths, one of oak and one of wheat, symbolize America's role as both the arsenal of democracy and the bread basket of the world. To the right and left are two memorial pavilions, each 43 feet high. The south pavilion commemorates the war in the Pacific. And the north the war in the Atlantic. In each pavilion, four bronze columns support American eagles that hold the suspended laurel wreath to memorialize the victory of the World War II generation. On the floor of each pavilion is the World War II victory medal. Beyond the Rainbow Pool, you will see the Freedom Wall. Here we mark the price of freedom. The field of 4,000 sculpted gold stars commemorates the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their lives. The gold star has its own history. During the war, blue stars were displayed to indicate family members serving in uniform. The stars changed to gold when a loved one was lost. The pillars closest to the Freedom Wall occupying places of honor represent the original 13 states. The rest are ranked in the order in which they achieved statehood or became part of the United States.

Every element of the World War II Memorial works to a single purpose, eloquently expressed in engraving of the announcement stone we passed at the ceremonial entrance. Here in the presence of Washington and Lincoln, one the 18th-century father and the other the 19th-century preserver of our nation, we honor those 20th-century Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us. A nation conceived in liberty and justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome, the founder, chairman and CEO of Fedex Corporation, Frederick W. Smith, national co-chairman of the World War II Memorial campaign.

FREDERICK W. SMITH, NATL. CO-CHAIRMAN, WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL CAMPAIGN: Thank you. You know, it seems so long ago now that Senator Dole asked me to help raise funds for this magnificent memorial you have just seen. It was the summer of 1997 and he had been national chairman of the fundraising campaign for only a few months. The campaign was in its embryonic stage, slowly picking up momentum. But it really wasn't until the summer of 1998 that we began to see solid results. If you remember, that's when Steven Spielberg's film "Saving Private Ryan" put a face to the World War II generation for millions of Americans reminding us of the selfless courage, dedication and sacrifice so common during the war years.

Tom Brokaw further defined the greatest generation as ordinary people doing ordinary things. And Tom Hanks began telling appropriately the American people that it was time to say thank you. At that point the memorial honoring the sacrifices made during the Second World War came to represent an entire generation of Americans who selflessly left their homes for battlefields, factories and farms, doing whatever it took to meet the needs of a nation at war.

Now, every family has stories to tell of those years including my own with six World War II veterans in it. The World War II theme, the films and books that became popular as we reached the end of the 20th century, encouraged others to share those stories and generated increased awareness of our efforts to fund the World War II Memorial.

Our fundraising became a campaign across America from corporate boardrooms to school classrooms. From the largest veterans organizations to the smallest reunion groups. From state legislatures to individual homes. Many of our contributors are listed in your program. Their gifts led the way but every bit as important were individuals like young Zane Fales (ph) from Fayreville (ph), New York. He gave his entire life savings of $195 to say thank you to grandma and grandpa. We sincerely thank you everyone who did their part, large or small to make this memorial a reality.

Being part of this national memorial project has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my professional life. And it has been a special honor to work along side a man who has become the personification of America's World War II veterans. As most of you know, Senator Bob Dole was a distinguished combat leader, griveously wounded, whose incredible tenacity allowed him to come to the national stage and go on to become one of our nation's greatest leaders. It is my distinct pleasure and my great honor, ladies and gentlemen, to introduce the national chairman of the World War II Memorial Fundraising Campaign, one of the true greats of the greatest generation, Senator Bob Dole.

BOB DOLE, FMR. U.S. SENATOR: Thank you. Thank you very much. Never had a crowd like this when I was running. Well, it's a real honor and privilege to be here. And I won't even begin to start where you say thank you because where do you stop? But Fred Smith who so kindly introduced me was my mainstay and opened a lot of doors along with General Hurling (ph) and others at our commission and P.X. Kelly (ph) has done a splendid job and has a great staff.

When our fundraising was sort of ebbing, President Clinton, if you recall, he took us down to the White House and brought in some potential contributors and gave us a little spark. I want to thank both President Clinton and President Bush 41 for their generous contributions to World War II Memorial.

In the first week of January 1945, a hungry and lonesome second lieutenant from small town Kansas, dispatched a message to his folks back home. "You can send me something to eat whenever you are ready," he wrote. Send candy, gum, cookies, cheese, grape jelly, popcorn, nuts, peanut clusters, Vicks Vapo Rub, wool socks, wool scarf, fudge cookies, ice cream, liver and onions, fried chicken, banana cake, milk, fruit cocktail, swiss steaks, crackers, more candy, Lifesavers, peanuts, the piano, the radio, the living room, the suite, and the record player and Frank Sinatra. I guess you might as well send the whole house if you can get it into a five-pound box. PS, keep your fingers crossed.

In authoring that only slightly exaggerated wishlist I merely echoed the longings of 16 million Americans whose greatest wish was for an end to the fighting. 60 years on our ranks have dwindled for the thousands assembled here on the Mall and the millions more watching all across America in living rooms and hospitals and wherever it may be. And overseas, our men and women overseas and our friends in Great Britain and our allies all around the world. Our final reunion cannot long be delayed.

Yet if we gather in the twilight it is brightened by the knowledge that we have kept faith with our comrades. From a distant youth, sustained by over 600,000 individual contributions. 600,000. We have raised this memorial to commemorate the service and sacrifice of an entire generation.

What we dedicate today is not a memorial to war, rather it's a tribute to the physical and moral courage that makes heroes out of farm and city boys but inspires Americans in every generation to lay down their lives for people they will never meet, for ideals that make life itself worth living.

This is also a memorial to the American people who in the crucible of war forged a unity that became our ultimate weapon. Just as we pulled together in the course of a common threat 60 years ago, so today's Americans united to build this memorial.

Small children held their grandfathers' hand while dropping pennies in a collection box. Entire families...

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