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4th of July at Mt. Rushmore

Aired July 04, 2003 - 14:23   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: July Fourth celebrations are under way from sea to shining sea. But some commemorations are a little more high profile, shall we say, than others. Keith Oppenheim is out at Mt. Rushmore. Keith, oh, I was hoping you would be up on top of George Washington -- Keith.
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I had a seat up there, but eventually, I had to come down, Kyra. It could be said that if you have been here before, well, the thrill of seeing this monument returns each time you come back, and that's the case for me.

Take a look at what I am talking about. It's the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, the heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. That with the help of a lot of dynamite and determination were carved out of a mountain in South Dakota's Black Hills. We're going to give you a visual ride today with several live camera perspectives of the mountain. And also, we want to give you a feel for the Fourth at Rushmore, a celebration that was mostly held yesterday on July 3, where the iconic sculpture served as a perfect backdrop.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): One quartet sings while another is admired.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I look up there, I think that, you know, where we came from and who we are.

OPPENHEIM: If anything, the trek to Rushmore on the Fourth is a search for identity. As people don their red, white, and blue, it seems they come to make a connection with American ideas and ideals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you walk away from here, you have a very good, strong sense of patriotism.

OPPENHEIM: But when you enter here, you'll walk through rigorous security, and once inside, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) military aircraft entertain a growing crowd. There's competition for real estate, too, and the smart ones know where to plunk down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the best spot to have because you can see the fireworks right up over Mr. Rushmore.

OPPENHEIM: The fireworks are fired from the top of Mt. Rushmore. We got a chance to see how the crews set up to set off 1200 explosions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have one spot from the top of Lincoln River, where we are now sitting, one spot from just behind George Washington.

OPPENHEIM: And this is where America grandeur gets a little splashy, as the night sky over Rushmore becomes a reminder that even patriotic icons can use a little dressing up now and then.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: Back live and, Kyra, we transition from the excitement of last night to tourists making their way in the plaza, getting a good view of Mt. Rushmore. It is estimated there could be at least 25,000 people coming to see Mt. Rushmore today. And since they started doing fireworks here, just as far back as 1998, well, July 4th has really become a destination, or rather, Mt. Rushmore has become a destination here on July 4th, and it estimated this week alone, they will get nearly 200,000 visitors. So, it's a hot spot, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Wow. All right, Keith.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired July 4, 2003 - 14:23   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: July Fourth celebrations are under way from sea to shining sea. But some commemorations are a little more high profile, shall we say, than others. Keith Oppenheim is out at Mt. Rushmore. Keith, oh, I was hoping you would be up on top of George Washington -- Keith.
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I had a seat up there, but eventually, I had to come down, Kyra. It could be said that if you have been here before, well, the thrill of seeing this monument returns each time you come back, and that's the case for me.

Take a look at what I am talking about. It's the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, the heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. That with the help of a lot of dynamite and determination were carved out of a mountain in South Dakota's Black Hills. We're going to give you a visual ride today with several live camera perspectives of the mountain. And also, we want to give you a feel for the Fourth at Rushmore, a celebration that was mostly held yesterday on July 3, where the iconic sculpture served as a perfect backdrop.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): One quartet sings while another is admired.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I look up there, I think that, you know, where we came from and who we are.

OPPENHEIM: If anything, the trek to Rushmore on the Fourth is a search for identity. As people don their red, white, and blue, it seems they come to make a connection with American ideas and ideals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you walk away from here, you have a very good, strong sense of patriotism.

OPPENHEIM: But when you enter here, you'll walk through rigorous security, and once inside, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) military aircraft entertain a growing crowd. There's competition for real estate, too, and the smart ones know where to plunk down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the best spot to have because you can see the fireworks right up over Mr. Rushmore.

OPPENHEIM: The fireworks are fired from the top of Mt. Rushmore. We got a chance to see how the crews set up to set off 1200 explosions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have one spot from the top of Lincoln River, where we are now sitting, one spot from just behind George Washington.

OPPENHEIM: And this is where America grandeur gets a little splashy, as the night sky over Rushmore becomes a reminder that even patriotic icons can use a little dressing up now and then.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: Back live and, Kyra, we transition from the excitement of last night to tourists making their way in the plaza, getting a good view of Mt. Rushmore. It is estimated there could be at least 25,000 people coming to see Mt. Rushmore today. And since they started doing fireworks here, just as far back as 1998, well, July 4th has really become a destination, or rather, Mt. Rushmore has become a destination here on July 4th, and it estimated this week alone, they will get nearly 200,000 visitors. So, it's a hot spot, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Wow. All right, Keith.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com