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Lou Dobbs This Week
Tribute to the Troops
Aired November 29, 2008 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KITTY PILGRIM, HOST: Tonight: A special tribute to our troops. More than 200,000 of our troops are in harm's way, fighting insurgents and terrorists. And tonight: How you can help our warriors when they return from combat. We'll also have some remarkable stories of our troop's bravery on the battlefield.
All that and much more: Straight ahead here on this very special hour of LOU DOBBS TONIGHT.
This is a special edition of LOU DOBBS TONIGHT: Honoring our Heroes. Here now: Kitty Pilgrim.
PILGRIM: Good evening, everybody.
The war in Iraq, tonight, is at a turning point. Our troops have achieved stunning success. The number of casualties is sharply lower. President-elect Obama says he will withdraw all our combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office. But violence has sharply escalated in Afghanistan, what some call the "other war." The president-elect is promising to send more of our troops to Afghanistan to fight radical Islamist terrorists and insurgents.
Barbara Starr reports from a remote U.S. outpost in Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is one of the most dangerous areas in the Afghanistan war, the border with Pakistan. We are in a heavily-armed helicopter with Major General Jeffrey Schloesser, landing on top of a 7,000-foot mountain peak. This is Combat Outpost Malakashy.
Just a few dozen of his Schloesser's 101st Airborne Division troops defend this tiny plot of land. CNN is the first news group Schloesser has brought here.
MAJ. GEN. JEFFREY SCHLOESSER, TOP U.S. CMDR., AFGHANISTAN: That's Pakistan right there. That ridge line there, that ridge line all along right over there.
STARR: All along these mountain passes are insurgent route lines, Taliban and foreign fighters in Pakistan take these routes into Afghanistan. The soldiers try to stop them. Schloesser's men have been in firefights with shockingly bold insurgents.
SCHLOESSER: They came up here and they attacked this outpost. STARR: We are sitting on sandbags on top of the guard tower. Underneath us, more soldiers keep their eyes and weapons trained on the border.
Attacks are up 30 percent in this region since last year.
SCHLOESSER: Still, it's far more than I'm willing to accept.
STARR: Schloesser says foreign fighters crossing the border are better trained and better equipped than ever before. He has identified six areas in Eastern Afghanistan where insurgents gather and train. Schloesser's message to President-elect Barack Obama: Send more troops and deal with the problem on both sides of these violent mountains.
SCHLOESSER: The potential solution here is going to have to be a regional solution.
You all know you're far out here at the edge.
STARR: Schloesser is one of the few generals who has already briefed Obama when he came to Afghanistan earlier this week. There's one thing he wants the president-elect to know about the men of Combat Outpost Malakashy.
SCHLOESSER: I would want him to know that at 7,500 feet with 40 pounds of gear on and literally at the edge of the frontier, that there are young Americans out here doing incredible things.
Thanks an awful lot for it.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Thank you, sir.
STARR: Commanders here agree, this war will not be won by more U.S. troops alone. It will take more Afghan troops and billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance.
Barbara Starr, CNN, Combat Outpost Malakashy, Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: The surge in Iraq has contributed to a sharp reduction in violence. By some estimates, violence has fallen by as much as 80 percent over the past year. But serious political and military challenges remain in Iraq. Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware has this memo to President-elect Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL WARE, CNN BAGHDAD CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mr. President-elect, the war in Iraq will soon be yours to command. It's a war that's weakened some of your enemies while strengthening others.
And though it's a war in which America has not lost a fight, professor of Middle East studies Juan Cole said solutions won't be found on the battlefield. PROF. JUAN COLE, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: If I were writing a letter to the future president, I would tell him to be diplomat-in- chief.
WARE: And to somehow deliver a miracle, by bringing Iraq's warring factions together will contain the influence of America's enemies.
COLE: It is that kind of diplomacy that is needed if a military withdrawal is to be accomplished.
WARE: Getting out of Iraq will come at a price, perhaps including an emboldened Iran. It is already well-placed to fill any vacuum left by a U.S. withdrawal. From the moment of the U.S. invasion, Iran has sponsored powerful militia like this one, and nurtured its ties with Iraq's most powerful political factions now running the governments in Baghdad. U.S. military intelligence says Iran has contributed to the deaths of countless American soldiers.
So, America needs all its allies, like these Sunni militiamen who systematically assassinated al Qaeda members. Mostly former insurgents, now more than 100,000 of them, are on Washington's payroll. Another ally are the Kurds. They helped topple Saddam but are now in dispute with Baghdad over oil and land. One hundred forty thousand American troops have been keeping the rival militias from an all out civil war.
COLE: There are these looming conflicts. A quick U.S. withdrawal with no diplomatic arrangements made for reconciliation could throw the country back into very substantial chaos.
WARE: A problem, as president, you must find a way to avoid.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Michael Ware reporting.
President Bush strongly defended his strategy in Iraq when he addressed troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Now, the president thanks all our troops for their service overseas in a speech to 101st Airborne Division.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, TUESDAY)
PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES: The war in Iraq is not over. But we're drawing closer to the day when our troops can come home. And when they come home, they will come home in victory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PILGRIM: More than 10,000 of our troop have returned to Fort Campbell in recent weeks after deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. But thousands of other troops are preparing to deploy overseas.
President Bush says our troops are fighting overseas so we don't have to fight terrorist in this country. More than 200,000 of our troops continue to fight wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In all, nearly 300,000 of our troops are serving in 150 countries around the world or onboard ships. Apart from Iraq and Afghanistan, the biggest overseas deployments are in Germany, Japan and South Korea.
Well, joining me now, LOU DOBBS TONIGHT military analyst General David Grange. He is the president and CEO of the McCormick Foundation, one of the country's largest public charities. And David also lectures on leadership at army bases around the country. He's a non-paid board member of a security company that has some Pentagon contracts.
General Grange, thanks very much for joining us today. We have a promise from President-elect Obama that he will withdraw our troops within 16 months. What do you think of that promise?
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: If I was president-elect, I don't know if I'd phrase it as a promise. I think what maybe make more sense is to say -- my goal is 16 months. And it could happen. It could very well happen. But it's pretty tough to come back on a promise if conditions change for the worse.
PILGRIM: What do you do of the situation in Afghanistan? We see that Iraq seems to be, in some ways, of less importance in term of the terrorist threat than Afghanistan at this point. What do you think should be done in Afghanistan? And what aren't we doing that should be done in the next administration?
GRANGE: Well, Iraq has turned. There's no doubt about it. I think what's critical in Iraq right now is the sustainment plan used in other elements of power, economic information, et cetera, along with whatever few troops remain. When you get to Afghanistan, I think that a new strategy has to be taken on.
The soldiers are doing a great job on these combat outputs, along the lines (ph), trying to stop Taliban infiltrators for coming into Afghanistan. But it's really focused on the enemy. And the enemy, really, is a second order effect.
What's required is a strategy that focuses on the Afghanistan people, at the local level, the village level, so they know that they can have a safe and secure environment, that we're there for the long- term to help them change their lives around, to have some level of prosperity. But it has to be a focus on the people in order to be successful.
PILGRIM: General Grange, why is the Taliban stronger now after all these years of combat? Is it because of the situation on the ground?
GRANGE: It's because we don't have all the eyes and ears of the local population supporting the Karzai government in Kabul or ourselves, the coalition forces. You want those people to turn in Taliban infiltrators. You just can't pick them all up from combat outposts. You have to have the local people involved. And, in fact, there is a sanctuary in Pakistan which is, really, now the heart of the main terrorist forces that wish us harm, that is tough to fight a counterinsurgency when you have a sanctuary that's still effective against your forces.
PILGRIM: General Grange, do you believe we need a surge in Afghanistan at this point?
GRANGE: We do need a surge. We need a surge not just of military. And, in fact, it may not take that much more military.
What you need the surge is the other elements of national power from the private, from the -- which is both the profit and nonprofit sectors, along with the government that provides, like I talked about before for Iraq, for economic growth, for informational -- for messaging to the people, to each other, financially, those types of thing have to be on the ground. What you want to do is do this at the local level on the Afghanistan side of the border to make sanctuaries in Pakistan irrelevant.
So, they don't want the people to come back across. You want them to want to protect what they have, what we've helped them achieve. And that's what has to be done in Afghanistan to be successful.
PILGRIM: Well, let's go back to Iraq. Do you believe that that has been accomplished in Iraq? Do you think that the Iraqi security forces are sufficient to enable a withdrawal of U.S. troops? And when might that happen?
GRANGE: Well, I think that it's happening right now and it will continue on for the next year and a half, two years. But it depends. Some Iraqi units are very capable and some are still at a lower level of readiness that they can't transition. And only the leaders on the ground that evaluate those forces can make those decisions. They know when they're ready.
And so, I can assure you, our military leaders want to get our soldiers back as soon as possible. When that transition can happen, they'll make it so.
PILGRIM: General Grange, we frequently speak around the holidays, and as we celebrate Thanksgiving, you've been in the field during the holidays. Is there any message you'd like to give our troops at this point?
GRANGE: I think it's a message that's important for not only the troops but for the American people, I think that for the troops, that they have to know that we're still behind them. And when they return from conflict, when they come back home, that the American people will still take care of them.
Their fellow citizens, what we need to do is have the whole nation behind the American G.I.s and support them as best we can with programs like "Welcome, Veterans," the Intrepid, those types of things that shows that we still care, that we want to integrate them into our society after they be taking off their uniform. It's extremely important to the G.I.s and their families. And I think that's what we can do at home to make sure this is successful. PILGRIM: General David Grange, thank you very much. Happy Thanksgiving. And I join you in saying "Happy Thanksgiving" to our troops. Thank you, sir.
GRANGE: Thank you.
PILGRIM: Coming up: Remarkable stories of heroism on the battlefield, and among them: former Army Staff Sergeant Scott Lawson, who took part in fierce house to house fighting in Iraq. And we'll introduce you to an army reservist who used his civilian skills to correct a potentially deadly flaw in armored vehicles. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: Former Staff Sergeant Scott Lawson is safely back in civilian life, working construction in Detroit. But just a few years ago, Lawson was faced with a life and death situation in the battlefield in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM (voice-over): In his work boots and hard hat, Scott Lawson is indistinguishable from his fellow construction workers. He's part of the team with a goal to accomplish. Yet, what happened on a house to house search for members of al Qaeda will distinguish him forever. Lawson was in charge of an army weapons squad in Fallujah, with orders to enter a maze of darkened houses, to kill or capture insurgents.
CNN Baghdad correspondent, Michael Ware, then writing for "Time" magazine, embedded with Lawson's platoon on the mission.
WARE: When Lawson and the others in the platoon went into that house, al Qaeda lay in wait. They set in ambush under the stairs, drawing the young soldiers into the house, and waiting until they were just six feet away in a narrow corridor before they opened up with machine guns from behind the fortified bunker position.
PILGRIM: Driven out by heavy fire, the soldiers regrouped. Lawson's squad leader asked for volunteers to join him and root out the enemy. Lawson armed only with a pistol and 30 rounds, stepped forward.
STAFF SGT. SCOTT LAWSON, U.S. ARMY (RET.): He was going to go in and I said I can't let you go in by yourself. I wasn't going to let him go in by himself and die. That's what we thought was going to happen. So much is running through your head. It's like, am I going to come back out of this house? What's going to happen?
That night, it was hectic (ph), crazy, you know? You lose your mind a little bit. You try to keep yourself sane but there's not much you can do when you got, you know, bullets whizzing all around.
PILGRIM: As Lawson provided cover, the squad leader killed two al Qaeda terrorists and then moved to a second floor. By the time the fight was over, there were as many as six al Qaeda terrorists dead. Today, Lawson works for a contractor in suburban Detroit. Soon, he will marry his fiancee, four years after Lawson left Fallujah.
LAWSON: The owner of the company, he calls me a hero every time he sees me. It's kind of funny, you know. A lot of the guys I worked with never really knew. I felt like I did my job over there, you know. That's what I went over there for.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Scott Lawson does not have an award for his heroic actions or courageous leadership yet. Recently, he learned that his brothers in arms nominated him for a Silver Star. It's the military's third highest award.
Army reservist William Grinley is a welder from Pelham, New Hampshire. He found his skills invaluable during his service in Iraq. The chief warrant officer used his civilian experience to correct a flaw in armored vehicles that endangered soldiers' lives. For his ingenuity, Grinley earned a Bronze Star. Fay Valhalan (ph) reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FAY VALHALAN (ph), CNN REPORTER (voice-over): The name on the front door says it all. In May of 2007, Chief Warrant Officer William Grinley left behind his small business and his family to serve his country in Iraq. Grinley was deployed to Tullo (ph) in Southern Iraq, where he ran a shop of 28 mechanics, welders and machinists called the "Frag 5," that maintained armored security vehicles. It was there he learned of an issue that could threaten the lives of American soldiers.
CW2 WILLIAM GRINLEY, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: The vehicles were so large and top-heavy that when they did encounter an IED, they were likely to roll over. And, you know, of course, the first thing you want to do is get the soldiers out, bring the soldiers to safety. And if you can't get in the vehicle, it makes that task very difficult.
VALHALAN (ph): The vehicles, by design, were difficult to access from the outside. So Grinley and his team tackled the problem head on, developing and fabricating an extraction device from a Humvee handle that could be attached to the outside of an upturned vehicle to open a side porthole.
GRINLEY: Worked round-the-clock some days to be able to build up, you know, an inventory of these. Because, literally, there were days where they were lined up outside the gates to get these installed on their vehicles. They all wanted one. And they all wanted to be first in line.
VALHALAN (ph): Grinley and his team fabricated more than 300 of these devices. For this and other contributions, the army awarded Grinley the Bronze Star. The Army called the device, quote, "simple and expedient" as well as "vital to soldiers' safety."
Grinley's commander says the Army is making these modifications to vehicles throughout Iraq.
GRINLEY: I don't like to think about, you know, fellow soldiers suffering, you know, especially when there's something that we can do to help them.
VALHALAN (ph): All in the days work for a citizen soldier.
Fay Valhalan (ph), CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Coming up: New medical advances are saving countless lives on the battlefield. We'll have the story of those who tend to the wounded on the front line. And, building a state-of-the-art center for treating traumatic brain injury, the men behind the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund will join me here. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: There have been dramatic improvements in combat medicine in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. During the Vietnam War, one in three of our troops died of wounds sustained on the battlefield. Today, it's one in seven. And seriously wounded servicemen and women are quickly evacuated from the battlefield for treatment in Germany and then home.
Well, one of the men treating our wounded troops is Petty Officer Joshua Chiarini. Seven years ago, he was turned down by three branches of the armed forces because they believed he had asthma. Well, Chiarini was later recruited by the United States Navy and became a combat medic. Petty Officer Chiarini has treated dozens of wounded marines. He was awarded a Silver Star for his outstanding service in Iraq.
Lisa Sylvester has his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There are many calls on the battlefield, yet none so urgent as "Corpsman up." It means a marine is down. Petty Officer Joshua Chiarini is one of the corpsmen. In three deployments to Iraq, he did not lose a single marine. Chiarini says he owes that success to one thing.
PETTY OFFICER 2N CLASS JOSHUA CHIARINI, U.S. NAVY: As a corpsman, you got to be always flexible. You know, the role of a medical provider at one time but you also might need to step in the role as a rifleman, you know, to save one of your marines.
SYLVESTER: During a 2006 deployment in al Anbar Province, Doc Chiarini (ph) traveled with the marine convoy. A roadside bomb forced the lead vehicle off the road.
CHIARINI: As I'm watching this, I'm on the radio, I'm looking forward at them. I see them all climb out. And all of a sudden, as soon as they step out of the vehicle, there is a massive secondary explosion. That was twice as big as the first one. And they all disappeared in the giant fire wall and, oh, my heart just dropped.
SYLVESTER: Chiarini grabbed his rifle and medical kit and dashed more than 100 yards, dodging enemy bullets to the wounded marines and their interpreter.
CHIARINI: I've started taking fire from different sides of the road. But, to me, I didn't know I was getting shot at, like I just running, like all I could think about was, you know, getting to my guys. And it's like running the longest run of your life.
The dreaded sound. You have "Corpsman up."
SYLVESTER: Chiarini moved each wounded man to safety, treating them with one hand, and returning fire with the other.
CHIARINI: It felt like all the other corpsmen had gone before me in the past had their hands on my shoulders while I worked. You know, a guy was looking down on me and taking care of me that day.
SYLVESTER: Chiarini now wears a Silver Star for his heroism and he knows what the medal signifies.
CHIARINI: Freedom is not free. I mean, the price is paid in blood, unfortunately.
The real heroes are the ones that haven't come back, who gave all the sacrifice to all, and the ones that are still over there fighting right now. And you know, my heart goes out to them, you know. Be safe, brothers.
SYLVESTER: Lisa Sylvester, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Coming up: A remarkable program to care for our wounded troops and their families. We'll talk with the two men behind that program. And an incredible story of survival under enemy fire in Iraq. The soldier at the center of that story is now a role model for new recruits.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: The historic World War II aircraft carrier, the Intrepid is back in its home berth in New York City. After a two- year, multimillion-dollar restoration, the floating museum reopened in a fitting celebration on Veterans Day. President Bush honored those who served aboard her in a special rededication ceremony.
Bill Tucker has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pomp and ceremony welcomed home the Intrepid. It was a fitting return for a ship of her stature. She was christened in 1943 in the thick of World War II. She survived attacks by kamikaze planes. FELIX NOVELLI, USS INTREPID 1944-1946: And the kamikazes? The skies were blackened with kamikazes. They tried like hell to sink her.
TUCKER: She led the way to victory in the Pacific. For 31 years, the Intrepid actively served, carrying men and planes into combat, and rescuing astronauts from the sea. In the 1980s, she retired to become a floating museum, the museum that eventually became mired in mud. And then, it was the Intrepid's turn to be rescued. Towed to dry dock two years ago, she was refurbished and returned to her home berth in New York in time to honor and be honored.
FMR. USS INTREPID CREWMEMBER: We like that she's back. She's got a new dress on. She's a lady.
BILL WHITE, INTREPID MUSEUM FOUNDATION: The Intrepid is a symbol. You know, it's a ship but within the ship is the soul of these men who saved it. And that's what the lesson of today's day is. How 3,000 guys got together and saved this ship from five kamikaze attacks.
TUCKER: A message of inspiration and honor.
GENERAL JIM CONWAY, MARINE CORPS COMMANDANT: Today, we honor all our veterans, those who have gone before, those who have served, and those who wear the uniform.
TUCKER: It's a day to say "Thank you."
PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES: These noble Americans are our sons and daughters. They are our fathers and mothers. They are our family and they are our friends. They leave home to do the work of patriots -- and they lead lives of quiet dignity when they return. Today, we send a clear message to all who have worn the uniform: Thank you for your courage, thank you for your sacrifice, and thank you for standing up when your nation needed you most.
TUCKER: Bill Tucker, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KITTY PILGRIM, CNN GUEST HOST: Joining me now, two men who have worked tirelessly not only for the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, but for our troops. Arnold Fisher, honorary chairman, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Mr. Fisher and his family are the force behind the Intrepid Museum here in New York City, the center for the Intrepid and the Fisher Houses which provide homes for our wounded troops and their families.
We're also joined by Bill White, president of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. And he is also the co-author of the new book, "Intrepid, the Epic Story of America's Most Legendary War Ship."
Gentlemen, thank you both for being with us. Bill, I have to ask you, what does the new ship have after this multimillion-dollar restoration? It is now looking absolutely fabulous. Tell us about the improvements many.
BILL WHITE, PRESIDENT OF INTREPID MUSEUM & AUTHOR: Well, it's really exciting. It is a brand new museum. We have a beautiful new 1,000-foot pier for everybody to come see with the beautiful British Airways Concord jet sitting right at the end of the Hudson River. We have about 30 new aircraft in the collection. And we actually gutted the interior exhibit space. So it is a brand new museum from the bow to the stern.
Lots of hands-on interactives where the kids can learn how a ship, 40,000 tons, it sits right in the middle of the water and doesn't tip over. They also get a chance to learn about the service and sacrifice of those brave men who served on the ship.
PILGRIM: Absolutely. Lovely.
Mr. Fisher, you were very involved in multiple of these projects. Tell me what you like most about the restoration on the ship.
ARNOLD FISHER, INTREPID FALLEN HEROES FUND: The change in the ship is wonderful for the kids in New York to come and see what this ship is all about. And the new renovations to the exhibit area are fantastic. They're going to love this. If they've been there before, they will love to come back.
PILGRIM: It is entirely different and better than ever.
Mr. Fisher, I would like to ask you about something that's very, very important and very touching. You're very involved to build the National Intrepid Center for Excellence and the Psychological and Health Traumatic Brain Injury for Returning Vets. Tell me why you were involved in that. You saw a need. Why did you get involved in that?
FISHER: Well, we've been involved -- first of all, let me go back to the ship itself. From the hull of this ship comes Fisher House, Fallen Heroes Fund, Intrepid Foundation. It all comes from the ship. And we got involved about four years ago with the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, Texas, and built a 65,000 foot rehabilitation center, the finest in the world. When that was complete, the board got together and said, well, we want to continue to work.
And I was fortunate, or unfortunate enough, to have been selected on the DOD committee to investigate the Walter Reed situation with the mold and everything. And going through the intensive care units of both Walter Reed and Bethesda, I noticed there were a lot of these service people that came home whose brains were shaken up.
PILGRIM: Let me give our viewers some statistics. Their signature wounds of this particular conflict, brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. You felt that there was a really big need for this. We're looking, trauma brain injury. 19 percent of returning Iraq and Afghan vets. Post traumatic stress disorder, 18.5 percent returning with this. This is very critical.
Bill, tell us a little about the center and what it attempts to do.
WHITE: The center that Mr. Fisher is now building with Rick Santully (ph), our chairman, our board trustees and all supporters is to combat this signature wound of the war. There's 300,000 troops. And while we're here celebrating thanks during this Thanksgiving season, we have over 1.5 million troops to Iraq and back, and they're suffering from this terrible, terrible concussive wave from IED explosives. And we must act today to help them. That's why we're raising this money. We've raised $$44 million out of $65 million and we've got to raise the rest of it.
PILGRIM: Let's give our viewers the -- how they can donate. It's fallenheroesfund.org. This is a private effort. This is not a government effort. It really is important that we emphasize that, that this is in addition to.
And it fills a gap, doesn't it, Mr. Fisher?
FISHER: This is a partnership. It is a partnership between government and private industry. The government gives us the land to begin with. We build it, equip it, get it ready. And as soon as we open the door, the government takes over again. It is a partnership.
The reason that a lot of people say, why doesn't the government do this completely? The government has a lot of work to do. This needs to be done now. This 300,000-plus, these young people coming back from theater with traumatic brain injury or post traumatic stress disorder.
PILGRIM: It's very important work and very heartwarming that someone would step up and fill this gap. And hopefully, the private donations will continue your work.
Bill, you actually wrote a handbook for returning wounded warriors. Tell us about that.
WHITE: Well, it is so important because there's so many rules and regulations, and things they have to figure out. And that's viewed on our web site at intrepidfallenheroesfund.org, fallenheroesfund.org. Anybody who's been wounded in the theater can go on our web site and download this handbook, which tells them how they can get these benefits and really understand the system, which is a pretty large system to get through.
And one other thing, Kitty, which I think is so important. we're in the middle of an economic downturn. This is so important today, but we have to, we must be there for our troops. We cannot look at a guy who has come back with traumatic brain injury and has a dent in his head, cannot remember the names of his children, and say the economy is tough. We have to go online today and support these troops. We are begging for support. And we know that America will give because they're great.
PILGRIM: Tell us one more time how we can donate.
And the economy is not so tough that you can't donate to this.
Go ahead. Tell us one more time, fallenheroesfund.org?
WHITE: That's right.
PILGRIM: All right. And that's the web site or you can call the number, 1-800-340-HERO, or we can go through our web site, loudobbs.com.
WHITE: That's right.
PILGRIM: Thanks very much for being with us and explaining this important work. Thank you for doing this on behalf of our troops. Happy Thanksgiving.
FISHER: Same to you, and thanks for having us.
WHITE: Thank you.
PILGRIM: Thank you.
Bill White and Arnold Fisher.
Coming up, the inspiring stories of two men who served this country with distinction and then decided to give back. An Army sergeant is becoming a recruiter after serving two tours in Iraq. And a decorated Marine turns his attention to teaching the next generation. We'll have those stories and much more ahead. Stay with us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN RIPKE, CLINTON, N.J.: My name is Susan Quinlan Ripke. My hero is my brother, Chief Warrant Officer John Andrew Quinlan. He was a well decorated special operations Chinook helicopter pilot with the Elite 160th Night Stalker. He was killed in action on February 18, 2007. And he was deployed in every major offensive since 1988. John is my hero, not only because of his service to our nation, but because of his love for his family and life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: Sergeant Redus Thomas served this country with two tours of duty in Iraq. Sergeant Thomas was wounded in a roadside bomb attack while in Iraq. Despite those wounds, he helped his fellow soldiers. This Veterans Day, Sergeant Thomas was honored for his bravery with his second Purple Heart during the halftime ceremony at a Chicago Bulls game.
Bill Tucker has his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANNOUNCER: Now ladies and gentlemen, Lieutenant Colonel Truss will present...
LT. COL. REGINALD TRUSS, U.S. ARMY: The first day we met him, I gave him a military teddy bear, as an 8-year-old. And now, tonight, in uniform, the next thing I'll be giving him is a Purple Heart. I think that is just awesome.
TUCKER: Lieutenant Colonel Truss met Redus Thomas in a Big Brother, Big Sister program over 20 years ago.
SGT. REDUS THOMAS, U.S. ARMY: I didn't have that father figure in my life. So by meeting him, it actually gave me the influence to actually do stuff the right way.
TUCKER: When it came time for Thomas to decide a career path, he wanted to be like his big brother, an Army Reservist. He trained as an engineer and was one of the first soldiers deployed to Iraq.
TRUSS: I felt guilty because he was going before me. I wanted to be there before him so I could come back and mentor him before he got called up.
TUCKER: Sergeant Thomas returned from his first tour of duty to learn that his big brother was off to fight war in Afghanistan. The mentee became the mentor.
THOAMS: He was always giving me tips and stuff as I was growing up. And then he's calling me, like, oh, man, I'm going to Afghanistan. What do I have to do? What do I have to bring with me? It was kind of a, you know, a role reversal.
TUCKER: With his mentor fighting in Afghanistan, Sgt. Thomas returned to Iraq. On October 19, 2005, his truck hit an improvised explosive device.
THOMAS: I was going through the door and my gunner was shot up in the air like a bottle rocket.
TUCKER: Despite his injuries...
THOMAS: I ran my gunner down the street to where another truck was pulling back up from. Put him in there and ran back to the truck. We got my platoon sergeant out. He was on fire. Then we went back and tried to get the last guy out. But the bomb had went off right under where he was sitting. So we couldn't get to him.
TUCKER: Sergeant Thomas is now back home, currently serving as an Army recruiter. His big brother couldn't be more proud.
TRUSS: My first initial thought is, I always thought that I had to, that I had the "S" on my chest and I was his role model. But that kid has been so -- through so much, I transferred that "S" off my chest. He now wears it. And I look up to him big time.
TUCKER: Bill Tucker, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Marine Captain Max Kutilek served two tours in Iraq and was honored with the Marine Corps Medal of Achievement and Commendation with Valor. Now Captain Kutilek is focused on the academic world and turning cadets at the Citadel into future leaders.
Casey Wyan has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WYAN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As a Marine platoon commander at the beginning of the Iraq war, he was among the first conventional forces inside Mosul to seize and secure a Baath Party headquarters. In 2004, he led numerous mobile assault platoons near Haditha and evacuated casualties from the heart of Fallujah. There he ran through insurgent fire to save the life of a wound Marine.
Today, far from the urban combat zones of Iraq, Citadel alum and junior Marine officer instructor, Captain Matt Kutilek, teaches evolution of warfare and his battlefield experience commands respect.
CAPT. MATT KUTILEK, JUNIOR MARINE OFFICER INSTRUCTOR: Here I was, 7,000 POWs...
It's a difficult transition time because if I had -- that focus away from a tense battlefield in Iraq, coming to here. Some of the cadets and Marines didn't have the same focus and drive that I possess. That was my goal, to convince them that this is serious business.
The more energy they can dedicate, the more focus they have now, the better it will pay off.
Being a lieutenant in the Marine Corps, it is not about yourself. It about leading the Marine and taking them underneath your wing and taking care of them. And making them endure hard ships so they can learn to become tougher and more disciplined. And hopefully, in the long run, they appreciate it even more when the Marine's life is saved.
JARED COOPER, JUNIOR, CITADEL MILITARY COLLEGE: We call him Captain America, a lot of time because of all the things he has done. He just brings a lot to the table. He is the one we always try to emulate.
WYAN: Yet, for the Captain Kutilek, it is far more than emulation. He also wants his students to live up to the values of the Citadel and the Marine Corps.
KUTILEK: If you go into a combat zone, you're not going to find out who you are in a time of trial. You are only going to act out who you really are. So in order to do that, you need to be a good person and go on the right path and learn -- and have a good guiding light in peace time, so when you get to a difficult situation in war time, you're merely acting out who you really are.
WYAN: Casey Wyan, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Coming up, one young woman's remarkable journey from soldiers to over Olympian. And the homecoming for the Indiana National Guard. We'll have a special report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: Now for the story of an incredible young woman. 28- year-old Melissa Stockwell always wanted to be a soldier. Her childhood bedroom was draped in red, white and blue. At the age of 24, she made to it Iraq and back. This past summer, Stockwell wore the U.S. uniform again, not as a military woman, but as a competitive swimmer in the Paralympics in Beijing.
Philippa Holland has her story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA STOCKWELL, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED: We had five people in our Humvee, no doors, no armor or anything. And we started out as usual. We were about ten minutes into our ride. Our Humvee went under an underpass. And we hit an IED. My leg was severed. Immediately, it was gone.
PHILIPPA HOLLAND, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Most military men and women leave their loved ones at home. But Army Lieutenant Melissa Stockwell's husband, a fellow U.S. soldier, was also station in the Baghdad.
STOCKWELL: He got there just in time for me to wake up from my surgery. Having him be the first person that I saw, it was -- honestly, it was a life saver.
HOLLAND: Stockwell underwent 15 surgeries to her left leg and a year of rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. But spirit and determination have been the strength behind her recovery.
STOCKWELL: People have said, didn't you ask yourself, what if your vehicle had doors or what if this? You know, there is not a point to asking yourself what if this, what if that. The point is you can't go back. My leg is not going to grow back. I'm not going to get my leg back. So it is what it is. I kind of decided to choose that path early on and just kind of move on with things and just see where life brought me.
WYAN: Life has brought her here, to the Olympic training facility in Colorado Springs, and a place on this year's Paralympics team.
STOCKWELL: At this point in my life, I couldn't be happier.
WYAN: After learning to walk again, slipping into the water came naturally. The competitive drive returned for this life lock athlete.
Nearly four years to the date of that life-changing day in Iraq, Stockwell qualified for the U.S.
STOCKWELL: That was a great day. It felt so good. And I got in the water, and I was ahead of everyone. and I heard my family cheering in the last 100 and -- I don't know, coming into the wall, I -- I mean the crowd went crazy and I looked up at the time clock and I didn't believe my eyes because it was -- I mean -- I don't know, much better than I expected. I was very emotional. It told me how far I had gone. And just being able to go and represent the U.S. was just a huge honor for me.
HOLLAND: Phillipa Holland, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: Melissa Stockwell was the only veteran from Iraq representing the U.S. Beijing Paralympics team. And we are absolutely thrilled to have with us here tonight Melissa to discuss her experience in Beijing. Melissa Stockwell who joins us from our Chicago bureau.
Melissa, what a great thrill it is to represent the U.S. in the Paralympics. And you also carried the flag in the closing ceremony. Tell us about it.
STOCKWELL: The whole experience was absolutely incredible, everything from the Olympic Village, the Water Cube, seeing my teammates and my family and friends. And being able to carry our American flag into the Bird's Nest for closing ceremonies was -- I couldn't ask for a better ending, just the honor I felt to carry our colors and just to walk in with my teammates and the crowd there. It was just incredible.
PILGRIM: What was your biggest challenge in training, Melissa?
STOCKWELL: My biggest challenge was I had a long way to go to get my times where they needed to be, not only to qualify for the team, which I did, but to get on the medal stand. I had high hopes for myself and unfortunately it wasn't quite the meet, like trials was. It wasn't my meet. I wasn't on that podium. But just be there and to experience and wear the USA uniform and swim in the Water Cube, it was just incredible.
PILGRIM: That makes you a hero in our book. What are you doing now? You had plans to return to your career with a prosthetic's company in Chicago. What about your swimming career? Bring us up to speed on your plans.
STOCKWELL: My original plan, a couple of months back, was to return to Chicago and to start a career with a Shep (ph) and Cyrus Prosthetic's Company in Chicago. Since then, I've been back now and I'm currently looking for a competitive swim team to stay competitive with swimming and do more triathlons and that type of thing. I have gotten into motivational speaking and doing events with nonprofit organizations, such as the Wounded Warrior Project Challenged Athlete's Foundation. So I'm just focusing on training right now and speaking and trying to figure out what I want to do next.
PILGRIM: What do you have that you can share with people? The motivation speaking, what's your target audience, what do you share and how can you help them?
STOCKWELL: Anybody can be a target audience, just kind of coming from -- I guess overcoming obstacles and coming from a place where you don't even know whether you're going to walk again, laying in your hospital bed and you're not sure. And then getting up and, you know, not looking back, I guess, just kind of moving on with life and enjoying every minute of it, having no regrets and just doing the most positive things with yourself you can with your life and just enjoying it, getting the most out of it.
PILGRIM: Melissa, when you speak in the Wounded Warrior Program, when you speak to other injured vets, you certainly must offer a beacon of hope to them. How do you tell them -- share your advice with them with us.
STOCKWELL: I think the biggest advice I have is to think that nothing is impossible. Like I said, you lay there, you're not sure if you're going to walk again. and the opportunities are there for you to get out of your hospital bed and to go work with these programs and to get back into athletics and you know, you -- they tell you about a ski trip that's coming up and you think to yourself, I'll never be able to ski on one leg. Then you go and you do it. And just being able to do it is giving you so much more confidence and self-worth. It not only helps you with athletics, but just with your whole life. So just to get out there and do things that you think you can't do because you'll surprise yourself.
PILGRIM: Well, please be sure we are cheering you on every time you compete.
Thanks very much for sharing your story with us, Melissa Stockwell.
STOCKWELL: Thanks for having me. Thank you.
PILGRIM: Still ahead, a well deserved hero's welcome for our troops that are returning from the front line. It's the moment all of our military families wait for. and we'll have a special look, so stay with us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER MADSEN: My name's Peter Madsen. And my personal hero is my wife, Juliet. She came back badly injured from Iraq. While overcoming her disability, she's put a charity together to not only raise money for the Veterans Wheelchair Games, but also making quilts for Quilts of Valor. When you're medivaced out of Iraq or Afghanistan, one of the first things they do is they put this quilt on you. So that's where she got the idea of doing something for Quilts of Valor. (END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PILGRIM: There is nothing that any soldier, sailor, airman or Marine or their families look forward to more than returning home from a deployment. Well, this month, more than 400 Indiana National Guard soldiers made that homecoming journey.
Our Indianapolis affiliate, WRTV's Tonya Spencer, has this very special report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TONYA SPENCER, WRTV REPORTER (voice-over): It was just before midnight that 130 brave men and women made a grand appearance as the hangar door opened. Wives, children, mothers and fathers got to see their soldier for the first time in more than nine months.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the best feeling in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: Overwhelmingly overjoyed when I came in. I can't even explain it. I just missed everybody so much.
SPENCER: For family members, overwhelming pride, and overwhelming relief to have them home safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of tears. Just glad to have him home.
SPENCER: Less than 12 hours later, the scene repeated. This time, 280 soldiers arrived home.
For Sergeant Stephen Russell, it was his first time seeing his daughter, Liberty Grace, just five days old.
SGT. STEPHEN RUSSELL, U.S. SOLDIER: It's greatest feeling in the world. Coming home to a brand new baby girl. I wouldn't ask for anything else.
SPENCER: Indiana's 76th Infantry Brigade played a critical role in supporting the war on terror. Combat operations targeted the al- Qaeda stronghold in Mosul. Other battalions protected roads, so supplies and soldiers could be moved safely.
UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: We did get a lot accomplished. I believe that we helped the kids there, passed out toys and do whatever we can to let them know what it's like to have freedom.
SPENCER: Now the mission, catching up on hugs, kisses and giggles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: And to all the men and women who bravely serve this country, both at home and overseas, we thank you for your commitment, your honor and your service. And thank you for being with us tonight. Please join us tomorrow. For all of us here, good night, from New York.
