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Glenn Beck

Operation Helmet Equips Soldiers; Self-Made Millionaire Serves in Army Reserves; Former Miss America Favors Flag Burning Amendment

Aired September 04, 2006 - 19:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP0
GLENN BECK, HOST: Hello, everybody. GB here. And this is one of our interns. You know, internships are a great way for the youth of America to get hands on experience here in the workplace. And let me tell you something. Here at the GLENN BECK show our interns are treated with respect and dignity.

Isn`t that right, Kenny?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Adam.

BECK: Don`t ever look me in the eye, and don`t ever talk back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: When I first agreed to do this cable news show, I made a promise to myself, and I made the promise to you, as well, that we`re going to try to cover this war differently. I`m not just going to show you all the depressing things you`re going to see everywhere else. You can`t miss that.

We`d like to show you some of the inspiring stories. They`re never told, and they`re everywhere. Tonight, more good news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): Help protect our heroes. The tagline says it all. The program is called Operation Helmet. It was started two years ago by the Meaders family, when their grandson. U.S. Marine Sergeant Justin Meaders, called home asking for helmet upgrades. Not just for himself, but for his entire company.

Apparently, their Marine-issued helmets are made to protect against gunfire, but did little in the way of protection against a growing danger of bomb explosions. The sharp rise in traumatic brain injuries among troop casualties was causing great concern that their helmets were simply just not safe enough.

The Meaders family took up donations from friends and loved ones and sent the upgrade kits off. That`s when Operation Helmet began. The upgrade to the helmets is actually quite simple. The kit consists of seven foam cushioned inserts which go right into the existing helmet, making it more resistant to bomb blasts and injuries from motor vehicle accidents. The price of each kit is about $70, but the protection it provides can mean the difference between life and death.

Its founder, Dr. Bob Meaders, is looking for support from our own government. He`s testified before Congress and has implored the Pentagon to equip our soldiers with safer helmets.

To date the organization has distributed 11,000 kits, all at no cost.

(on camera) Joining me now is Mark Meaders, Bob`s son, who also works with Operation Helmet and also a good friend of my family`s.

Hi, Mark.

MARK MEADERS, OPERATION HELMET: Hi, Glenn.

BECK: How are you?

MEADERS: I`m doing well, thank you.

BECK: Why is the government not doing this?

MEADERS: You know, I don`t have a good answer to that. Perhaps it`s funding. Perhaps it`s -- they`re fighting the last war, perhaps a myriad of reasons.

And frankly, it doesn`t really matter why they`re not. All we can do as Americans, as citizens, as private people, is to go out and take one of a couple actions.

BECK: Yes.

MEADERS: You can write a letter and send it to all your congressmen and senators, anybody you can think of. You can send some money or you can start an organization that will provide these helmet upgrade kits to our troops at no cost.

BECK: Hang on just a second. I want to show you this -- this helmet here. This is what you`re buying with $7. Actually, Mark, I`ve got to tell you, I think it`s kind of cool that we`re doing it together. For one reason, I think if the government would buy this, it would be like $475. For you, if you act now, only $7 -- but here`s...

MEADERS: Glenn, you got -- you got a typo there, $71.

BECK: Seventy-one dollars.

MEADERS: Yes, sir.

BECK: Oh, well, yes, forget it, no, $71. OK. It`s all of these pieces in here that fit, and you can see that if you didn`t have all of this, if you got hit or were in some sort of an accident, this helmet is really hard and quite heavy. It would rattle around and really do some additional injury, but here if you put these pads in there, it keeps the helmet snug on our soldiers` heads.

And I think -- I actually really like it, Mark that, you know, we the people, are kind of doing this and taking it on ourselves, getting actively involved in doing what we can.

How many soldiers have been affected? How many -- how many have received these kits?

MEADERS: Well, we`ve shipped over 11,000 at this point, and frankly, the numbers that are coming in day in and day out are staggering. The book that I have here is the requests, just the requests that we received since the 22nd of June.

BECK: Wow.

MEADERS: That`s six days ago. And in fact, it doesn`t have today`s requests. This is as of yesterday.

BECK: I know that when we first had your dad on my radio show, what was it, Mark, two years ago maybe?

MEADERS: Something like that.

BECK: There were just -- there were just a few people that had requested, and they had kept coming in and coming in. And I know Cher now has gotten involved. She saw your father, I think, on C-SPAN and was, you know, spending a wild weekend watching C-SPAN, and wrote a check for $100,000 to ship a lot off. And now we have even more, because she covered everybody who wanted them at the time.

MEADERS: Exactly. She zeroed our backlog out. And what`s interesting is that that backlog within a few days came right back up, because of the requests that come in. Yesterday alone we received requests for 244 kits from the Marines, from a few Army, from a few Navy, and a lot of Air Force.

BECK: All right. So how do people get involved? If they are sitting at home and saying, "I`ve got $70. I want to get involved." How do I get involved?

MEADERS: Go to OperationHelmet.org, and click on the "get involved" link or clink on the "donate" or "contribute" link. Or if you`re a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine, click on "kit request" and request an upgrade.

BECK: That`s great. Bob, say hi to your father for me. And I have to tell you, this is so weird, because you`re in D.C., I`m in New York, and your daughter is with my daughter tonight here in New York. And I`m going to -- with your permission, Dad, if I can take them to "Superman", we`re going to go see to see "Superman" late tonight. Is that cool with you?

MEADERS: Absolutely.

BECK: That`s great, great. Bob, thank you very much. And again, the address, if you would like to get involved is?

MEADERS: OperationHelmet.org.

BECK: Thanks, Mark.

MEADERS: Thanks, Glenn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Since we first brought this story to you, 13,000 additional kits have been shipped out. Unfortunately, there is still a backlog of 3,500 requests. This is where you come in. The kits can`t be sent out because, frankly, they`ve run out of money.

Operation Helmet needs your help now more than ever before. Remember, OperationHelmet.org. If you can help, check them out.

When we come back, we`re going to meet a multimillionaire businessman who put everything aside to serve his country. We`re also going to take a look at a group called Jacob`s Light that is making a real difference to the troops overseas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Why does this man was to eliminate these cuddly creatures from the earth? The answers on this week`s podcast, "Ask Glenn". Download it on iTunes or at CNN.com/Glenn.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: They just did a study of 14 to 29-year-old Americans. Fifty- nine percent of 14- to 29-year-old Americans -- get this -- say the American dream is to be famous. Yes. Frightening, isn`t it? We`re all doomed.

The American dream is now to be famous. I`ve got news for you. Fame is a byproduct. Not a goal. People don`t understand that. They`re like "give me a plat of cow`s sphincters. I`ll eat it, and I`ll be famous."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BECK: At every stop on our road trip we have met amazing people. I call them real Americans. Here in Fort Wayne, a special soldier. He has a wife, free kids and a thriving business and still takes time to serve his country. But there`s something else about this guy that makes his simple story into an extraordinary one.

BECK (voice-over): This is Dennis Witte, a dad, a businessman, a soldier, a man with clear priorities.

DENNIS WITTE, SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT, NATIONAL GUARD: I serve my God, I serve my country, and I serve my family. And they are so closely intertwined.

BECK: Dennis joined the Air Force when he was just 19 years old. Twenty years later, he`s still doing it. Now he`s in the Reserves as a senior master sergeant in the Air National Guard. He supervises mechanic work on fighter jets, and he takes his job very seriously.

D. WITTE: That`s the sound of freedom.

BECK: His story may sound like countless others serving their country, but Dennis Witte is different because he`s a self-made multi- millionaire.

D. WITTE: All right, Dave, I`ve checked. I think you`re doing just fine.

BECK: He didn`t have to be here, but he is.

D. WITTE: This is just something that I have to do. I don`t believe I could sit at home knowing what our country is going through and faced with at this point in time, being an able body, physically able to serve and defend our country.

BECK: Dennis is in the restaurant franchise business. He made his first million when he was 38 years old.

D. WITTE: Business is very good.

BECK: He started with one restaurant in July 2001. Business was booming. He was just about to open his second restaurant, and then September 11.

D. WITTE: I was -- it`s emotional, so, I don`t know that it will ever change. I can remember so vividly. I knew, I knew, I knew what it was, without question. And I remember looking at my wife, and I grabbed her hand and I said, "They`ve got to get the fighter jets up because this is an attack."

BECK: Within just a few hours, Dennis had left his new business and his family to serve his country.

D. WITTE: I dropped everything for everything, really. This is -- this is my country. It`s my country, and it`s my children`s country, and it`s your country. And we were under attack.

HEIDI WITTE, WIFE: We`re a very Christian-based family, and you know, we believe that we have a duty. We have a duty to God, the way we live our life. We have a duty to our country.

BECK: Dennis` wife, Heidi, has stood by his side through all of this. She says the hardest part is explaining to their three children why their dad has to leave.

H. WITTE: I just tell them, you know, Daddy`s doing what he wants to do, and this is protecting our country, protecting our rights, and our freedom.

D. WITTE: How`s it going?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

D. WITTE: What`s new?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing.

BECK: It wasn`t the only time Dennis was called to serve his country. The past year, he was called again. This time, to Iraq.

D. WITTE: Well, I talked to my wife about it right away, so that she had plenty of time to prepare, but the timing was a little odd for us, because Christmas was coming. We didn`t leave until January, so we decided not to talk to our children about it until after Christmas.

H. WITTE: I didn`t really want the kids to be worried about this, especially at that time of the year. And if it was our last Christmas together, certainly, we would want it to be something that was joyous and not sad.

BECK: When Dennis left, his kids understood exactly why he had to go. But that didn`t really make it easier for them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was really weird because we`d only have one parent. I`m really used to being around my dad. A lot.

BECK: And the experience in Iraq for Dennis was unforgettable.

D. WITTE: It was pretty intense, you know, some long days, living in tents, being mortared daily.

BECK: But he came home. And he says the next time his country calls, he`ll be there again, to protect his country and the ideals of the American dream, a thing that he has experienced first-hand.

D. WITTE: I grew up in a small little farm town. No college. Below median income, not necessarily very supportive family. A lot of things, a lot of things going against me.

BECK: He grew up in a time of fear in America. It was the Cold War.

D. WITTE: I remember growing up with a father who really seemed to enjoy that environment. He enjoyed that situation. He liked, I believe, he liked the idea that -- that we could be under attack any minute.

BECK: But Dennis says he actually owes a lot to his father.

D. WITTE: I know when I joined the Air Force, my father was very upset about that, because he`d always been very, really anti-U.S. And I wonder if he`s ever thought about, because of all that, maybe he`s the one who actually, you know, pushed that into me.

BECK: Whatever it was, Dennis has overcome adversity to achieve something wonderful in his own life: a successful business and a beautiful family.

D. WITTE: But only because of the opportunities in this free country have I been able to accomplish what I`ve accomplished, and I want my children and their children to have the same opportunities, and I believe it`s my -- it`s my duty to protect that.

BECK (on camera): Dennis, what a pleasure, sir, to shake your hand.

D. WITTE: Thank you.

BECK: Thank you for your service to your country and also for raising a great, great family. I know your wife and kids are here watching you.

I think it says an awful lot about you, you know, some of the guys from 122nd are here, and they said, "So why did you -- why did you pick Dennis? I mean, why are you doing a feature on him?"

And Kristen, who did the piece, said, "Well, you know, because he`s a multi-million year."

And they all said, "What?" They had absolutely no idea, which I think says an awful lot about your character. You`re either a really good guy or just stingy as hell, one of the two.

Tell me about growing up. You said your dad was somebody that might even enjoy the idea that we might be attacked at any time. What do you mean by that?

D. WITTE: I just remember so many times having conversations in my house where -- fearful conversations about, you know, the missiles that may be pointed at our country.

BECK: Right.

D. WITTE: And how easy it would be for Russia to strike us and how we probably wouldn`t be able to defend or sustain an attack like that, and it...

BECK: So you grew up in an anti-U.S. home, anti-military home. Where was the turning point?

D. WITTE: You know, I`m not real sure, but I -- when I reflect on that now, I think that maybe because I was afraid so much when I was young, that somebody was going to take those freedoms away from me, that somewhere, that`s where it really began to cultivate, and when I became old enough and able enough, I said no, they`re not going to take that from me, not if I can help it. And that`s what I think perhaps started it.

BECK: How did you get the appreciation for the freedoms and what we have here with somebody who was bashing them?

D. WITTE: You know, it`s difficult to explain. I just know that -- that the appreciation I have today is because of all the opportunities that I have.

BECK: That`s amazing. You and I are -- with an exception, I had a very supportive dad, but with the exception of that, I grew up in a relatively poor family, didn`t have a college education. I`m doing well for myself. You`re doing well for yourself. It is -- it`s amazing to me the opportunities that this country will provide if you just never give up, if you just never give up.

Now, you joined, and you`re serving, and you are lucky enough to have great business partners, apparently, that will allow you to go and serve. Tell me about your business partners.

D. WITTE: I have two business partners, and they -- they`re very supportive. They know -- they`ve known all along. We`ve been together for about ten years, and they`ve known all along really, really where the inside passion lies for me, but they also understand that they wouldn`t be able to accomplish the things that they have either.

BECK: What do you think you`re teaching your kids by -- by doing this?

D. WITTE: That, you know, no sacrifice is too great for the freedoms we have today. That`s what I think I`m teaching them. And I hope they understand, and I believe they do understand that somebody has to stand up, somebody has to defend our freedom. And perhaps even advance freedom around the world.

BECK: And how much of a role does God play in this? Is it intertwined for you?

D. WITTE: Yes, for all -- I would say all my adult life. When I was able to structure the goal sets in my life. You know, faith, freedom and family are all really intertwined together. They are.

BECK: Dennis, pleasure. Thank you for your service, sir.

D. WITTE: Thank you.

BECK: And everybody at 122nd.

D. WITTE: Thank you.

BECK: Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: You know, when I was in high school, I was basically the white version of Urkel, except not quite as cool. I never hung out with the wrong crowd, or really any crowd for that matter. I never set fire to the American flag. No, in my high school that activity was really reserved for the hippie dirt bags.

Flag burning, I believe, is a slap in the face to everything America stands for. But you know what? I don`t really think there should be a constitutional amendment to ban it.

I know, I know, that puts me in a place where I`m agreeing with Hillary Clinton and the ACLU and it makes my eyes bleed and projectile vomit for about a week and a half, but here`s the thing. I cherish the flag. I`ve taught my son Raphe how to fold, how to care for it. Never let it touch the ground.

If Michael Moore wants to set fire to his flag, hey, I`m disgusted, but he has every fat right to do with it. That`s what the flag stands for.

Well, recently I spoke to a former Miss America, who thinks I`m wrong. She says she disagrees with me.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Heather, you think I`m a dirty hippie, don`t you?

HEATHER FRENCH HENRY, FOUNDER, HEATHER FRENCH FOUNDATION: I don`t think you`re a dirty hippie.

BECK: Come on, be honest.

HENRY: I certainly think that you`re a little misinformed when it comes to protecting our flag, because certainly the luxury that a few people have today of burning the flag today has only been that luxury since 1989.

So the amendment that we`re asking for is actually to restore the Constitution to where it was previously before 1989, before five Supreme Court justices took the majority of the people`s voice and silenced it by their vote, because certainly, this is an issue that is even larger than protecting the flag.

BECK: Right.

HENRY: It`s about democracy, what the flag truly stands for. And when 80 percent of Americans...

BECK: Yes, but it`s a symbol -- wait a minute...

HENRY: Eighty percent of Americans want the flag protected. Fifty states have resolutions wanting the flag protected. So a majority of the people have spoken, and that is what "we the people" mean. It means a majority.

BECK: Right. I get it. The majority of people want to do that, and if that`s what the majority of people want to do, you know, Jefferson said, you know, one of the nice things about a democracy is people can make a mistake and then restore it. And whichever way you look at it, whichever side of the argument you`re on in this, he`s right in this particular case. However...

HENRY: That`s right. That`s right.

BECK: ... the flag, what the flag represents is sacred. To me, the flag is sacred, but when you -- when you really want to speak out, what is the harm with setting the flag on fire? It does command attention.

HENRY: Well, it does command attention, and there are people who will use it for that. The harm is the very fabric of our nation, which is the men and women who have fought and died for this nation. If it drapes the coffin of a man or woman, a brave soldier of our country that has died, certainly it is not appropriate to burn.

And our forefathers knew that there would be people in the future that would want to do this, which is why Thomas Jefferson said at every cost, it should be suppressed, the desecration of our flag should be suppressed at people doing that.

BECK: Right. OK. You...

HENRY: And you know, the ruling at the Supreme Court, Abraham Lincoln said that you should never let a fixed decision be given to the Supreme Court that was for the majority of the people, because people would cease to lead themselves.

BECK: Right, you said -- you said last week -- by the way, thank you for all of the hard work you`ve done with veterans.

HENRY: Thank you, I appreciate that.

BECK: I know you do a lot for veterans.

HENRY: We try.

BECK: You said last week that you believe the dollar bill is flying over the White House. Why -- what do you mean by that?

HENRY: Well, certainly -- there are actually laws that protect the U.S. dollar from being burned, being cemented together, being mutilated. It`s actually under the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

And if the dollar bill can be protected, for goodness sake, is nothing sacred in this country? So we should let the majority of the people speak for themselves. They want the flag protected.

BECK: Heather French Henry, thank you very much.

HENRY: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: In the constant barrage of bad news that comes in from Iraq every single day, we sometimes forget that there are a lot of good stories, people doing good things, helping improve the quality of life for others and showing support for the soldiers who are willing to sacrifice everything they have to make sure we hold on to everything we have. Doreen Kenney is one of those stories. She`s the focus of this week`s "Real America."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): For Doreen Kenney, it started out pretty simple.

DOREEN KENNEY, WAR MOTHER: I`m a mother. You have your kid over in Afghanistan or Iraq and you send them tastes from home.

BECK: Her care packages for her son Jacob became so popular that while serving in Iraq he asked mom if she would also send some things to some of the buddies who weren`t getting any mail from home. Doreen happily obliged.

KENNEY: When I get the special requests it`s a lot of fun for me to fulfill that. I`ll get a letter back, gee, the Triscuits you sent were really great or love the macaroni and cheese or I had a soldier write back and say Oreos are a soldier`s favorite cookie so of course I bombarded him with Oreos.

BECK: And so it went. Sending packages and letters became Doreen`s tangible connection to her son. Checking the mail became her highlight of her day.

KENNEY: I used to come home and I would go to my mailbox and when I saw a letter I would sit in my car and hold it to my heart and I would rock for a while so I could feel him.

BECK: She shared a piece of her favorite letter.

KENNEY: "Thanks for being my mom. I love you with all my heart. One picture that stands out in my head is the picture I gave you of us. You must have about 21, me about three. I`m in my pea coat with my curly hair. You with your long straight hair. I know now how much I mean to you because I know what it means to sacrifice for another like you did me. You gave it all up for me. I was your best friend and here we are 25 years later. And guess what? I`m still you`re best friend. I`ve got to go, miss you, mom. Love, your son Jacob Samuel Fletcher. Please be safe."

BECK: Jacob was in Iraq for seven and a half months before he was killed by a random roadside bomb. Now, the letters are all Doreen has left.

KENNEY: I remember walking in the door, and my sister was here in the apartment, I was out taking care of funeral arrangements. And when I came in I`ll just never forget the look on her face, and she said I have some letters. I received two of them on the last day, and they were the last two letters.

BECK: After Jacob`s death it would have been easy for Doreen to stop sending packages and try to move past losing her son and somehow go on. Doreen Kenney did just the opposite. To date she`s sent over 61,000 pounds of supplies to soldiers. Honoring her son, her efforts have been named the Jacob`s Light Foundation.

KENNEY: Knowing that the soldiers` over there are having it a little easier through the work we do, it`s really kept me alive, it`s given me focus. It`s given me a strong purpose. Just knowing that their morale is boosted helps.

BECK: What is it she thinks Jacob would say about all this?

KENNEY: Wow, mom, look at all those boxes that are going. And thank you for caring for my brothers and sisters over there. It`s pretty rough on them, and I know it makes it a little bit easier for them to receive support from home.

BECK: Nowadays Doreen says Girl Scout cookies are the most popular requests she gets from soldiers, and once again checking the mailbox is the highlight of her day.

KENNEY: "I am Staff Sergeant Leeson (ph), I`m a soldier with the 501st just stationed in Iraq from Friedberg, Germany. Upon arrival here in Iraq I`ve inherited one of your boxes that you and your volunteers sent to us. Knowing that we`re not forgotten by the American people such as you and your volunteers mean a lot to us. It reminds us that we`re not just fighting for the American way of life but for the people and puts a face to those who enjoy the freedoms we proudly fight to the death to protect."

BECK: For Doreen Kenney continuing to send comforts of home has given her hope and lifted her spirits. The light that has gotten her through her darkest days.

KENNEY: I named it Jacob`s Light because the light that`s within every spirit and who he was as a person and his giving and his heart and his compassion lives on through the Jacob`s Light Foundation.

BECK (on camera): Doreen Kenney is -- here in the studio. What a pleasure.

KENNEY: Thank you for having me.

BECK: I notice you are wearing his dog tags.

KENNEY: Yes. I always wear his dog tags, I hold on to him when I really have a shaky day, it gives me strength.

BECK: You`re an amazing woman to take your sadness and your grief and when there`s so many signs now of -- people who just turn it to anger, and you have taken and turned such grief and such sorrow into just something so wonderful and beautiful.

KENNEY: Well, the soldiers that are over there, they need to be supported, they need their morale boosted, and they need to know we`re thinking of them.

BECK: Do you believe - I hear from people and I am torn on this because I think disagreement is so important to America but do you think you can be antiwar and pro troops?

KENNEY: Absolutely. Absolutely.

BECK: What do you think of Cindy Sheehan.

KENNEY: I think she`s a grieving mother. I understand some of her questions, and she has a right to express herself whatever way she needs to.

BECK: What do you hear from the guys over there? When you get these letters, what is the one theme that you hear throughout?

KENNEY: Thanks for thinking of us. Thank you for supporting us. It really means a lot.

BECK: I heard -- this is disturbing to me. We said in the piece that Girl Scout cookies are the number one thing that they need. Or that they want. But there`s something that they need, blood coagulants? Is that -- that`s true?

KENNEY: Yes. That`s life saving.

BECK: Why aren`t we providing that as a nation?

KENNEY: They asked for it, and we send them what they can. I actually brought the situation to Congressman Steve Israel who took immediate action. Put an inquiry into the Department of Defense and brought it to the floor of the House. Within days. And Senator Schumer has placed and amendment to a defense authorization bill for more money for them. And Jacob`s Light Foundation has sent about 650 units of it over there so far.

BECK: If somebody wants to get involved how do they get involved? How do they find you?

KENNEY: Through our Web site, Jacobsprogram.org. And boy do we need help. We need donations and if anybody wants to help us with donations they can send it to Jacob`s Light Foundation, 116 Nadia Court, Port Jefferson, New York, 11777.

BECK: And we`ll find you again on the Web.

KENNEY: Yeah.

BECK: Thank you so much. What a pleasure and what a testament to your son. God bless you.

KENNEY: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: Since we first aired this story the response has been overwhelming. The generosity of our viewers has helped Doreen Kenney raise over $60,000 for the Jacob`s Light Foundation. If you would like to help, please go to jacobsprogram.org.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: Tonight an incredible story about a truly amazing man. NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo is spending millions of dollars of his own money to help the people of his homeland in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This guy is like a seven-foot Oprah Winfrey.

He`s a man who has gotten so far in his own life, he`s amassed a very large fortune, but refuses to sit back. Instead, he chooses to give back and in the process, this NBA giant, and I do mean a giant, he`s a mountain, he`s leaving his people with a legacy unlike any other.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK (voice-over): There`s no doubt Dikembe Mutombo is truly a giant in the NBA.

Four time NBA defensive player of the year, Dikembe Mutombo is a living legend making tens of millions of dollars throughout his career.

But for all the fame and fortune that life has afforded him, Dikembe comes from a much more humble beginning. He grew in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a poverty stricken, war-torn nation in desperate need of things we take for granted like medicine or a doctor`s office.

Here in the Congo the average life expectancy is about 43. Every day children under 5 die from preventable diseases like polio and measles, diseases that don`t even exist in most parts of the world. In the Congo 20 percent of all newborns don`t reach their first birthday. They die because they don`t have access to a simple vaccine.

But Dikembe plans on changing all that. He`s building a $14.5 million hospital. It`s the nation`s first fully equipped medical facility to be built in more than 30 years.

It`s a place where kids can get vaccines, and anyone will be treated for whatever their ailment. Dikembe is giving back to his fellow countrymen and in the process honoring his mother, Biamba, the namesake for the new hospital.

Dikembe`s mother died three years ago, a victim of the circumstances that have taken so many other lives in the Congo. They believe she had a stroke, but they can only speculate because she never received medical attention.

It was the onset of a civil war and venturing in the street brought real danger of being shot or worse. So instead of going to the hospital Dikembe`s mother stayed at home that night and died in Dikembe father`s arms.

Dikembe will not let his mother`s death go in vain. In her memory and in the hopes of saving millions of lives he`ll open his state-of-the-art hospital in September.

He says it`s a gift. To his people. And a thank you for all the blessings in his life.

(on camera): Absolutely incredible story. And now Dikembe Mutombo is here with us. How are you, sir?

DIKEMBE MUTOMBO, BASKETBALL PLAYER AND PHILANTHROPIST: I`m doing good.

BECK: What a pleasure?

MUTOMBO: Thank you.

BECK: What an amazing tribute to your mother. To be able to grow up the way you did, and to be able to honor her this way. What does that feel like as son?

MUTOMBO: I think it means a lot. She was not just a mother for Dikembe Mutombo, she was a model for everybody, and she was a special mom who brought this special child in this world.

BECK: Is it true, most Americans, we`re not even familiar with the Congo and what is going on. Is it true that you are -- you`re so famous, you`re such a target that you because of security reasons couldn`t even come back to attend her funeral?

MUTOMBO: Yes. When she passed away, it was very tragic moment, and there was a state of civil rest that caused her death, and I just couldn`t make it because I was scared for my own life, and I found out until the situation got better I couldn`t go and they were trying to ask me if they wanted to hold the funeral, and I told them I can`t go, just bury mommy, and I had to let it be that way.

BECK: What is it that -- I`m so -- Americans -- I know me in my own life, we get so fat and lazy, we take everything for granted. There`s so many people that walk around and think oh, America will always be like this, oh, these troubles will pass. They don`t realize how fragile freedom really is. What do you see now as a new American citizen, you come over here and you think to yourself Americans, you just don`t get it, you take so much for granted.

What is it that we`re missing that we take for granted.

MUTOMBO: I think in America you`re free to do whatever you want to do. Traveling. I don`t have much problem no more, where I have to go get my passport somewhere and wait for the visa for two weeks, maybe if they don`t call me for the interview or not. Despite my stature of being a basketball superstar, it was a big problem for me.

Now I feel free. I can go to a lot of countries and visit and not just have great comfort but good treatment instead of being from the African continent.

BECK: This is who you are. You start this hospital, but it goes much beyond that. You`ve -- it`s my understanding you`ve also adopted your nieces and nephews?

MUTOMBO: Yes.

BECK: And you`ve brought them here and they live with you.

MUTOMBO: And they go to school.

BECK: That`s tremendous. Just tremendous. What do you say to people who are in your position? I mean I hear a lot of sports stars that say, I`m no role model. What do you say to that?

MUTOMBO: I believe that each one of us has a big role to play in our society. Despite accepting or not, we still have an obligation to do something in our society, and that`s why the world was created. The world was created for somebody else to make a difference for the future generations, and if we don`t do it, we`re going to leave so much work for our next generation to come to do it, especially our children and our grandchildren, and I`m glad that I`m part of the solution that`s taking place.

BECK: Where do you go next? This is it for you in the NBA, is it not, soon?

MUTOMBO: Maybe one or two years.

BECK: Where do you go from here? Are you kind of the NBA`s Oprah where you are going to just do good stuff?

MUTOMBO: I love my philanthropic works. I think I want to do it for the rest of my life. Why not?

I have a great organization, and we have so many plans to do. We hope that by the time the hospital opens and everything, we can start thinking about something else, maybe building a school or basketball gymnasium. Because I`d love to see the next Dikembe Mutombo coming in the NBA.

BECK: That`s great. What a pleasure.

MUTOMBO: It was my pleasure.

BECK: Thank you, sir. Best of luck.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BECK: All right. I figure since it`s Labor Day, a day that`s all about taking some time off from work we can do hate mail from people who never want me to work on this network ever again.

First up, Alan. "Glenn Beck is divisive and obnoxious. Do we really need another partisan. Please end this so I can watch CNN at night again. Thanks."

Alan, I must be the worst partisan in the world since I`m not really registered as a member of any party. I am a conservative. Don`t get me wrong. I ain`t a Republican and definitely not a partisan.

Dana writes, "I would just like to say that I don`t find Mr. Beck humorous in any way, shape or fashion. There`s nothing more embarrassing than seeing a middle-aged man or woman act like juveniles. I find this conduct to be juvenile at best. The America is screwed up right now is because teenagers are behaving like adults and adults are behaving like teenagers."

I know, I can`t tell you how many times I see teenagers at the mall coming out of Limited Too talking about President Ahmadinejad. It`s crazy. They`re also running up their cell phone bills with ACLU talk. Stop it, kids. Stop it.

Next up is Ed in Florida. "I swore I wouldn`t watch CNN until that opinionated, idiotic, shallow, incompetent Glenn Beck was gone. A few weeks later I surfed through CNN and noticed that Dingbat is still there. What`s the point of having a jerk like that on TV? Get him the hell off the air."

Thanks for the kind words, Ed. I`ll e-mail you when I`m off the air so you can feel free to surf the channels safely.

Brad writes, "I`m just wondering why you didn`t cover the Warren Jeffs arrest." Actually, we did. Thanks for watching. "It wouldn`t be because he`s a Christian and a good portion of Christians are pedophiles, would it?" Really? "It wouldn`t be because Christians protect each other, would it? You will cover Highpants but not Christian pedophiles. You have once again shown how insane religions are."

Well, I will give you that there`s been some insanity demonstrated in the past few seconds, although we might disagree on the source of it. A good portion of Christians are pedophiles? Really? I would say that if you`re touching a kid, you know, you might not have the whole Christian thing down to well.

Here`s my promise to you. Regardless of religion we`ll cover anyone who`s dragged from thailand for a fake confession to a highly publicized unsolved child murder. It`s a Glenn Beck guarantee and I stand by it. It`s good for 10 years. We`ll see you tomorrow, you sick twisted freaks.

END