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Memorial Day at the USS Intrepid; CBS Crew Hit in Baghdad; Kabul Riots

Aired May 29, 2006 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the USS Intrepid was one of the great fighting ships of the Navy. Now it's a living monument to history. And CNN's Allan Chernoff is there.
Hey, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Kyra. On this Memorial Day, let's think back to World War II, the Pacific Theater and the darkest day in history for this aircraft carrier, the USS Intrepid.

It was November 25th of 1944 two kamikaze pilots came flying, smashing straight through the flight deck here. Sixty-nine people on board were killed, dozens more injured. And the sailors that remained spent more than six hours trying to put out the flames.

They somehow did make it back to U.S. shore. The ship got patched up and headed right back out to the Pacific Theater.

The USS Intrepid has a very storied history. All in all, 270 people on board the ship and people who flew from the ship were killed from World War II, all the way to Vietnam. So what an appropriate place to hold a Memorial Day ceremony.

Earlier today, wreaths were dropped off the ship, four in fact. One of them for the first responders. And, of course, very appropriate, because we are not very far away from Ground Zero, and it was the police commissioner of New York City who dropped that wreath. Also, keep in mind this ship actually did serve as the temporary headquarters for the FBI right after 9/11.

And we also had a few fly-overs, jets flying over. And then World War II-era planes as well, flying over the ship.

The chairman of the USS Intrepid Museum then gave a very stirring speech, actually quite critical of Americans for forgetting. He said people forget the true meaning of Memorial Day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD FISHER, CHAIRMAN, INTREPID MUSEUM: Today we are a nation at war, and still the picnics come first. The needs of our armed forces engaged in battle, thousands of miles from this place at which we gather, must not become second to anything that our Congress or our government does until we achieve victory in this war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: One way certainly to honor the troops and honor the memory of those who have fallen is to come visit the USS Intrepid. If you live in New York, if you're coming to visit New York, it actually is a wonderful place to visit, and so many fascinating exhibits here -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Allan Chernoff, thanks so much. We'll check in live once again with you there on the Intrepid.

Now we want to take you live to Washington, D.C. A special ceremony going on this Memorial Day at the Vietnam Wall there.

This is Mark Rumley. He's the brother of Captain Robert Patrick Rumley. He's just one of four names that have been added to the wall just last week. We're going to hear about each one of them as Mark Rumly (ph) begins to speak.

MARK RUMLEY, BROTHER OF HONOREE: May those who have gone before us rest always in the peace of god. And may we always be faithful to their memory.

Now it is my distinct honor to officially announce the names that are added to the wall this year. They are Bobby Gene Barbre, George B. Givens, Jr., Hans J.R. Lorenz, Robert Patrick Rumley, Jr.

(APPLAUSE)

PHILLIPS: With a quivering voice, a lot of emotion there. The brother of Robert Patrick Rumley, Jr. That was Mark Rumley speaking there at the memorial as the four names were added to the wall.

It happened last week, but they were announced today. Once again, Army Specialist Bobby Gene Barbre, Marine Lance Corporal George Bryant Givens, Jr., Marine Private Hans Jorg Rudolph Lorenz, and Marine Captain Robert Patrick Rumley, Jr.

We remember them in addition to the more than 58,000 names that are on that wall this Memorial Day.

Well, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is two large panels of polished black granite. You've probably seen it if you've had a chance to visit D.C.

One panel points toward the Lincoln Memorial, the other toward the Washington Monument. It was designed by Maya Lynn. She was 20 years old at the time, an architecture student at Yale University.

Her design was one of more than 1,400 entries, and it came to life in 1982. At the time, and even years later, starkness of the structure was shocking. Some vets found it overly bleak, even unpatriotic.

To address those concerns, a more traditional sculpture was added in 1984, about 150 feet from the wall. You may have seen this as well. It depicts three servicemen bearing the tools of war. Though divisive at first, the wall was helped -- or helped the nation, rather, confront the pain of Vietnam. And today it's a special place of meaning for so many Vietnam vets. With the four names added today, the wall now salutes the sacrifices of 58,253 Americans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... who died on active duty is laying a wreath followed by sons and daughters in touch. These are the sons an daughters primarily of those who are on this memorial.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: In Iraq today, more casualties of covering the war. A bomb hit a U.S. military convoy in Baghdad, killing two members of a CBS News crew embedded with the troops. A U.S. soldier and an Iraqi translator also were killed.

Six soldiers and the CBS on-air correspondent are hurt. Reporter Kimberly Dozier is in critical condition after surgery.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote has the latest now from Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has been an exceptionally violent day here in Iraq. At least 43 Iraqis killed nationwide, at least 71 wounded.

Right here in the Iraqi capital alone there have been at least seven bombings, one of them targeting a U.S. military patrol. CBS News had a team embedded with that U.S. Army unit from the 4th Infantry Division.

CBS News reporting that two of the three members of that crew that were out there were killed in that attack. That is CBS cameraman Paul Douglas and sound technician James Brolan. A third individual, the correspondent for CBS News, Kimberly Dozier, was seriously injured in that attack. She is currently getting medical attention at a U.S. military hospital here in the Iraqi capital.

And a car bomb here in Baghdad also hit a bus full of Iraqi civilians. At least seven Iraqis were killed in that attack, another nine wounded.

Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, anger and chaos in Afghanistan's capital. The U.S. military caught in the middle.

Riots broke out after what the U.S. calls a tragic accident. A military truck lost its brakes and crashed into a crowd. Thousands of people took to the streets.

The U.S. military's headquarters in Kabul is locked down now. And that's where we find our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.

Barbara, we're hearing reports that a U.S. military vehicle fired in the direction of Afghans after that crash. What can you tell us about it?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, it all began early this morning, when a U.S. military convoy moving here through the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, apparently one of the vehicles had some sort of mechanical failure and went crashing into a number of other civilian vehicles, and possibly even into some civilians standing at the side of the road. And that's when things began to really go badly.

The U.S. tried to give medical assistance on site. A number of vehicles were involved. At least one person killed at the site, and several badly injured. And then when the U.S. vehicles, military vehicles attempted to leave, the video shows it pretty clearly, some U.S. Humvees got at least one gunner firing shots in the direction of the civilians, the Afghans, who at that point were throwing stones at the U.S. military convoy.

All of this now, Kyra, leading to a day of gunfire and violence across the city. Here at Camp Eggers, early this morning, the camp went into full lockdown. That is where we have been all day.

Earlier today, we were on the roof observing the gunfire around the city. But once nighttime fell and we had turn on lights to do our live shots, we came downstairs so we wouldn't be on the roofs shining lights across the city, because there is still sporadic gunfire. But the Afghan government here is trying to take hold of the situation, talking about imposing a curfew, getting Afghan police out on the street, trying to restore order -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So compared with the southern part of Afghanistan, Kabul has been pretty calm since the fall of the Taliban. Did the riot today take the military and Afghans by surprise?

STARR: Well, you know, I think did take them by surprise. We spoke to some Afghans, and they pointed out, as did some military people, this was the worst day of violence in Kabul since the day the Taliban fled.

As you say, most of the combat, if you will, most of the violence has been going on in the southern part of the country. There are some isolated areas down there where, in fact, the Taliban are resurging, if you will.

There have been a number of combat operations down there to try and get hold of that situation. The U.S. military now calls that an insurgency here in Afghanistan.

There have been a number of air strikes down there. But there have also been situations down there, again, where Afghan civilians had been inadvertently killed by military forces, and that is making a lot of Afghan people very angry, angry at the U.S. military, but also angry at their government and Afghan president Hamid Karzai, who they feel, some people, is not strong enough. President Karzai tonight appealing for calm in the country, saying today's violence was the work of agitators -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So you've got these attacks by the Taliban in the south on the upswing, now you see what's going on today. What's the deal with the U.S. mission there?

STARR: Well, you know, it's interesting. Over the next several months, the U.S. actually will continue to phase out of being in command here. NATO is taking over that situation. There will be a British NATO commander who eventually will lead the coalition mission in this country.

But what is perhaps most interesting that we have observed here is the U.S. military now defines its mission as counterinsurgency. You know it sounds an awful lot like Iraq, but here it is not widespread, it is isolated, but it is significant, it is something they are trying to deal with here, especially down in the southern region, and, of course, still out deep in eastern Afghanistan, along the Pakistan border.

The hunt for Taliban goes on, the hunt for al Qaeda goes on. And, in fact, the top U.S. military commander told us yesterday, General -- Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, that U.S. military force will remain on the hunt, along with the U.S. government, for Osama bin Laden until they capture or kill him -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr, live from Afghanistan.

Thanks, Barbara.

Still more fallout now from the FBI raid on Capitol Hill. First a confrontation with Congress, then the president steps in. Now the leading Senate Republican backpedals.

Our White House correspondent, Ed Henry, joins me now with the latest.

Ed, why does it appear Senator Frist has had a change of heart?

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, everyone is trying to figure that out. You know, he met on Friday with the attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, who was obviously very supportive of this raid of Congressman Jefferson's office. I talked to one very senior Republican strategist who speculated that maybe Senator Frist is looking ahead to the 2008 presidential race and all of a sudden realized it's not that popular to be defending a congressman who allegedly has been videotaped taking bribes, who allegedly had some $90,000 in cash in his freezer.

Of course, Congressman Jefferson has denied all that. But it's curious that Senator Frist last week was really in concert with a lot of his fellow Republicans on the Hill in raising balance of power issues. And now all of a sudden he's saying, look, you know, I've changed my mind a bit here. Now, his camp denies it has anything to do with 2008. What they say is that no congressman is above the law and that Senator Frist wants to get to the bottom of that case and doesn't want anything to stand in the way.

House Republicans, for their part, insist they're not trying to defend Congressman Jefferson here. They're trying to defend a principle that's at stake, balance of power between the executive and legislative branches -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So there's been some talk that some top Bush officials have threatened to resign over this. Do you think that could happen? And who could they be?

HENRY: Anything's possible. We have confirmed that there were three Bush officials, including the attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, the FBI director, Robert Mueller, as well as the deputy attorney general, Paul McNulty, who basically threatened to resign if the president buckled and gave these seized documents back to congressional Republican leaders.

The president has diffused that, at least in the short term, by ordering this 45-day cooling off period, if you will. Let everybody calm down a little bit while the solicitor general holds the documents, and then they sort through all the legal issues. So it's too early to tell if anyone will resign, but I think that 45-day cooling off period probably was the best for now in terms of getting everyone to calm down just a little bit -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So why are House Republicans digging so hard? Is it really about the Constitution or some political play here?

HENRY: There's no question that there are constitutional legal issues here at stake, but I think no one can deny there are political issues at stake as well. And House Republicans, as well as Democrats, like Nancy Pelosi, are looking at this case and saying, wait a second, if the Jefferson precedent holds and the executive branch can all of a sudden just raid a congressman's office, it might be Jefferson today, but it could be anyone in either party tomorrow.

Let's not forget that this not the only bribery investigation kicking around right now. You still have the Duke Cunningham case unfolding, Jack Abramoff case unfolding. I think there's a lot of nervousness on the Hill, leaders in both parties, that if this precedent holds, it could be open season on a whole bunch of members -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ed Henry, live from the White House.

Thanks, Ed.

HENRY: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Lives lost, families forever changed. On this Memorial Day, we're going to talk about Americans who have made the supreme sacrifice and what it all means to everyone. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, for many Americans, Memorial Day is a welcomed day off, but for those who lost a mom, a dad, a husband or wife, or a brother or sister to war, Memorial Day has meaning beyond words and a significance the rest of us should never take for granted.

Chelle Pokorney joins me from Phoenix. Her husband died three years ago in Iraq. Allen Hoe survived Vietnam but lost a son in Iraq. He joins me from Washington, along with his other son, Nakoa, who has also served in the U.S. military.

It's great to have all of you.

And Chelle, I want to start with you. I know you're thinking a lot about Frederick today. Tell us about him.

CHELLE POKORNEY, MILITARY WIDOW: Well, he was a gentle giant. And he's our hero. And three years later, the void is still there, just as it was the day we lost him.

He stood for great things. And as much as I miss him, I know that he would do this once again to defend this great country that we live in.

PHILLIPS: And he was killed actually right at the beginning of the war, right? The fourth day of the war? What happened?

POKORNEY: Yes, Kyra, he was going in An Nasariyah during the invasion to save Jessica Lynch. He happened to be at the tip of the spear, and just happened to be where he was defending and gave his life. And there were many women and men who lost that day, and he just happened to be one that fought. So he gave his live for our country.

PHILLIPS: He was on this mission to save Jessica Lynch?

POKORNEY: Yes, he was on his way in when they were on their way out. And that's the day that we lost him.

PHILLIPS: Did you get a phone call? Did someone come to the door, Chelle?

POKORNEY: He was lost on Sunday. And on Monday morning, at noon, we had the official call. We had two officers and a chaplin who arrived at the house to tell Taylor and I that Fred would not be coming home.

PHILLIPS: And we're going to talk about Taylor in just a second, but I want to talk to Allen and Nakoa for a minute.

Allen, you're a Vietnam vet. What do you remember today, as you think back on the Vietnam War? ALLEN HOE, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: Hello, Kyra. Today brings back a lot of mixed emotions for me. It really focused me on remembering the men I served with in Vietnam and honoring the memory of those men who were not able to return home or who were as lucky as I was in coming home from Vietnam.

PHILLIPS: Is there a certain individual that you remember, Allen, well, someone, maybe your partner or whoever you shared a bunk with? I mean, is there a face that you think of every time this Memorial Day comes around?

HOE: Absolutely. There are two gentlemen.

I served as the part of our recon team's command team. And it was the first lieutenant, Frederick Ransbottom (ph), RTO William Skip Skivington (ph), and myself. Skip (ph) was always tide to the RTO -- I'm sorry, tied to the lieutenant because he was the RTO. And I always stood on the left side because I was the medic.

PHILLIPS: Now both of your boys joined the military. It doesn't really surprise me. Your ancient ancestors were part of the samurai clan. Do you think that influenced the family?

HOE: You know, in reflection, I had to explain to my wife once that I'm very sorry that our sons apparently have some warrior genetics that have compelled them to step forward and serve their country. My boys are fourth generation U.S. Army infantry soldiers.

PHILLIPS: Nakoa, you're still serving in the military, but you lost your brother, Ninoa (ph). What do you miss the most about him?

NAKOA HOE, BROTHER KILLED IN IRAQ: Just his personality. We had a lot of similar interests. It was great hanging out together.

PHILLIPS: Did you -- did you two ever talk about joing the military as boys? I mean, you saw your dad, obviously. He was an incredible role model for you. Did you ever ask him permission, or is it just something you both knew you wanted to do?

N. HOE: It actually kind of started in the high school. The high school that we both attended, the ROTC was a requirement you had to take. And prior to that, we weren't really big on that, besides watching the movies and cartoons and stuff like that. But I think it's around high school is when we kind of got that desire to want to join.

PHILLIPS: We're actually looking at your brother's wedding pictures.

Allen, how is his widow doing?

A. HOE: She's doing well. To her credit, she's young, she's an incredibly young lady. And she has a very strong family support system. So she obviously, like the rest of us, suffered an enormous amount of grief, but she remembers Ninoa (ph), and she soldiers on like she knows Ninoa (ph) would want her to do. PHILLIPS: And we talk about just the families -- the members of the families that are left behind when we lose someone like this. And Chelle, you've been a tremendous strength for your daughter, Taylor. She's 6 now, right?

POKORNEY: Yes. She'll be 6 in June.

PHILLIPS: How do you talk to her about daddy?

POKORNEY: We include him in our everyday life. And just like last night, we watched Gary Sinise hosted the Memorial Day concert and she cried and she wept and she grieved for him. And she wants to go visit him at Arlington, which we will do. And we just -- we include him every day and thank him for the sacrifice for what we have and we can enjoy our freedoms today as Americans, as a woman in America.

PHILLIPS: And I've seen the pictures and I know we've got one -- we just showed it a minute ago -- of one of the days that she visited dad's grave. What's the rock that she's holding in her hand?

POKORNEY: She brought that all the way from grandma's house in Seattle, and she placed it on his grave so that she could take a place she considers home and share it with her daddy, who's so far away in Arlington.

PHILLIPS: Does she talk to him, Chelle?

POKORNEY: She does. She talks to him.

PHILLIPS: What does she say? What does she say to him?

POKORNEY: She just shares. She feels her feelings of -- you know, sometimes she gets frustrated and she's happy. And she tells him that mom is doing the best job and she's the best mom in the whole world. And that's what makes my day to get through every day.

PHILLIPS: You know, we've been playing so many pieces of families that have been affected by losing a loved one, and over and over again I hear, "Well, they visited me in my dreams, and that gave me a sense of peace."

It is pretty awesome when you lose somebody and they come back and they talk to you. Do you find that that happens, that you're able to, even though your husband is not here physically, you can still have those conversations?

POKORNEY: Yes, quite often. And I think the biggest blessing I have is when I look into Taylor's eyes and I see him, because she is his spit image. And she has his soul and legacy to carry on, and she keeps me taking the high road every day, as he would say.

PHILLIPS: Allen, how about you? I bet you see a lot of similarities between your boys.

A. HOE: Exactly. As Nakoa now gets a little older, he is almost the spitting image of his older brother, Ninoa (ph). PHILLIPS: Allen, you were a medic when you were in Vietnam. I can't imagine what you had to tend to. I know you saved and worked on so many of your fellow men over there.

It wasn't easy, was it? And what do you do when you know you're about to lose someone right there if your arms?

A. HOE: Well, the toughest thing is to put that aside. You are trained as a soldier, and equally so, you're trained as a medic to support the men who are entrusted to you. And I truly believe that, they are entrusted to your care. So up until the moment when there's nothing further you can do, you do everything you can to help and assist and save them.

PHILLIPS: Nakoa, I know your mom had a real hard time with both you boys being in the military. I know you want to go to Iraq. Do you find yourself conflicted? I know you want to be with your family, but at the same time you want to fight, don't you?

N. HOE: I do. It's not so much that I want to fight, but I have brothers in arms over there. My best friend actually, I had to watch him go off without me. And, I mean, that's real hard, too. So it is -- it is quite a situation.

PHILLIPS: What do you want folks to remember today, Nakoa? Maybe those that don't have anybody that's serving in the military or anyone that's lost anyone in any of the wars?

N. HOE: Well, they should remember that there's people out there serving their country that's just like them, ordinary people who sometimes do extraordinary things. They need to remember the sacrifices that are made for their sake.

PHILLIPS: Chelle, I'm sure you agree.

POKORNEY: I do agree. And I do hope that people take time to realize there are over 2,700 families that do not have a loved one today. And to take that time while they're barbecuing and at the mall to say thank you for their sacrifice.

PHILLIPS: Chelle, Allen and Nakoa, thank you all for your time. And we lift up, of course, Frederick and Ninoa (ph) and everyone else that we have lost in each one of the wars up to this day.

Thank you three so much for your time.

A. HOE: You're welcome. Aloha.

POKORNEY: Thanks, Kyra.

N. HOE: Thank you.

A. HOE: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

Remembering our fallen heroes. We continue to honor the men and women who died while fighting for our freedom.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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