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CNN Live Today

Mourning Across Much of Southeast Asia, With More Than 20,000 Killed in Yesterday's Tsunamis

Aired December 27, 2004 - 10:30   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are right at the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.
There is mourning across much of Southeast Asia today, almost 20,000 people killed in yesterday's tsunamis. The giant waves were caused by the most powerful earthquake on the planet in 40 years. Thousands of people are injured or missing, and hundreds of thousands are homeless.

Relief efforts are under way for the tsunami survivors. Australia announced an initial aid package totalling $7.6 million. Supplies such as bottled water are on the way, tarps as well. The European Union has pledged $4 million. The U.S. is offering to send troops from nearby Okinawa to help.

In Afghanistan today, President Hamid Karzai held the first meeting of his cabinet. He said the ministers should resign from their political parties so they'll be trusted by the people. Mr. Karzai listed his goals as improvements to the economy, education and security.

And a USAirways spokesman says the carrier has done all it can to alleviate what has turned out to be a travel nightmare. Hundreds of flights were canceled and thousands of bags were displaced. Airline officials say a record number of sick-outs caused that massive backup. No word on how many passengers are still waiting for their luggage.

I want to get back to our coverage of the tsunamis and put some things in perspective for you. First, a look at the enormity of the devastation, in terms of numbers, which have recently been updated. Just under 22,000 people are reported dead. The giant waves have also left hundreds of thousands of people homeless throughout the region. The quake itself was a magnitude 9.0. That is the world's strongest quake in 40 years, and the fourth strongest ever measured. Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka are among the hardest hit.

For more now on the Indian Ocean tsunamis which have killed nearly 22,000 people, experts say the death toll would not have been so enormous if the region had a warning system. There is a warning system for tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean, where they are more prevalent. Sensors predict where the waves will hit land, giving people time to evacuate the coast. The tsunamis were triggered by the strongest earthquake, as we mentioned, that have been measured in the last 40 years.

Here now to talk about the link between a quake and a tsunami, seismologist Walter Hays.

Good morning. Thank you for being here with us.

WALTER HAYS, SEISMOLOGIST: Good morning.

KAGAN: First of all, is this event over? Of course not in terms of the cleanup and the help that is needed, but in terms of perhaps aftershocks and further waves?

HAYS: There will be aftershocks following this earthquake for some time, maybe months. But the good news, if there is any such thing in this tragedy, is that the potential for devastating tsunamis is lessened.

KAGAN: Why is that?

HAYS: Because the magnitude of the aftershocks decreases with time. You need at least a magnitude 6.5 to generate a tsunami, and most of these aftershocks will be smaller than that.

KAGAN: So what happened? What is the link between the earthquake and the tsunamis, and how can something that happens about 1,000 miles away cause such force and devastation?

HAYS: Well, the link is that the earthquakes must occur under the water in order to generate a tsunami. When it occurs on land, or under the land, there is no tsunami, of course. But it's like a car's piston. When the ocean floor goes up, and you must have a vertical movement in the earthquake to cause the ocean floor to go up, in this case, something like 50 feet, then you have a huge effect of water being pulled away from the coastline, rushing to the epicenter, or the location where the earthquake occurred, and then rushing back to land. As it rushes back to land, it moves very fast, 500 to 600 miles per hour at the beginning, and then slowing down as it reaches the shore.

KAGAN: One of the things that is so devastating about this particular event is that it -- so many lives did not have to be lost. The lack of a warning system. Now I know you have worked for a number of years with the World Congress on disaster reduction. Why is there no warning system for the Indian Ocean?

HAYS: Well, it's always a question of economy, and sometimes our knowledge just gets in the way. We put one area -- you give one area higher priority than another area because of the frequency of these tsunamis. And the Pacific has many more tsunamis than the Indian Ocean area. So the cost of putting them in an area where the frequency is less dictated that the warning system would not be put in place in the Indian Ocean. Now that may change, because the very reason that we have one in the Pacific area is the 1948 destructive earthquake that showed that we need such a thing.

KAGAN: So sometimes you need a major event like this to show that the need is there. You know you have people up and down the coast, the East Coast to the U.S., the West Coast to Hawaii, wondering can this happen here? What would be the answer for them? HAYS: East Coast, the probability is very low, approaching zero. For many years they thought that the chances along the east coast was very, very low.

The West Coast, of course, is very high -- Alaska, California, Washington, Oregon, these -- and even in Hawaii. These are areas that can generate tsunamis. Hawaii gets hit by tsunamis generated in all the Pacific Rim country earthquakes.

KAGAN: So there's this warning system for the Pacific Ocean. I grew up in California. I never remember learning about this. We certainly have earthquake drills over and over again. How does the warning system work?

HAYS: Well, you have tidal gauges, and when the water leaves the harbor, rushing out to the location of the earthquake in the ocean, then the sensors say that -- tell you that, that dictates -- that initiates electronic signals that go out automatically by computers and prearranged systems, and these reach all the people that are important to get the message out. You have to have redundant messages and redundant receivers that are activated, and exercised enough to know what to do when it happens.

As Mayor Giuliani said, the first thing he knew to do because of what he had learned, so he knew to do it in the first 60 seconds. And that's the key, being prepared.

KAGAN: As a scientist, what fascinates you about this event?

HAYS: It's a tremendous force of nature at work. But it -- which means that we cannot control that part of it. We can only control the part where society interacts with, and finds a way to live successfully with these events, and there's enough knowledge now to do that.

KAGAN: Well, it is a very high price to pay, more than 20,000 people losing their lives, not to mention all those trying to get back where they came from, and get a new home.

But thank you for your scientific input. Walter Hays...

HAYS: Thank you.

KAGAN: ... appreciate it.

Well, those walls of water washed away all lines of communication in the hardest-hit areas. That leaves a lot of families here in the U.S., they are frantically awaiting news from loved ones in the ravaged areas.

Our Miguel Marquez has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ahangama Dhammarama is a Buddhist monk. He has meditated in Los Angeles for 26 years, but now the devastation that has swept across his home country of Sri Lanka has the 79-year old monk thinking about home.

AHANGAMA DHAMMARAMA, L.A. BUDDHIST TEMPLE: My brothers sometimes I have some bad feelings. What happened to my brother?

MARQUEZ: Dhammarama's brother and nephew live in Aghangama, a city of 50,000 people on Sri Lanka's southern coast. They live a short walk away from the ocean.

DHAMMARAMA: Tried to call them. Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything. I - 6:00 until 11:00, I tried, tried, tried. I couldn't do that.

MARQUEZ: Akapud (ph) Walter Jayawardhana is the L.A. correspondent for Sri Lanka's biggest daily newspaper.

WALTER JAYAWARDHANA, DAILY NEWSPAPER OF SRI LANKA: From eastern province to southern province to western coast, there is one story of disaster.

MARQUEZ: Jayawardhana says his country is effectively crippled.

JAYAWARDHANA: All their communication systems are gone, roads are gone, railways are gone, schools are gone, churches are gone, everything is gone.

DHAMMARAMA: Here is my father. This is my mother. This is my brother.

MARQUEZ: Dhammarama was in his hometown last February. His brother built a library for the local high school. The school is 40 feet from the beach.

Dhammarama looks at pictures of the opening celebrations and wonders is anything left?

DHAMMARAMA: People are very bright, very peaceful people. Nothing there. Unfortunately, this one is the first time. That's why I am so upset about that.

MARQUEZ (on camera): Here in L.A., the Sri Lankan, Indian and Indonesian communities are just beginning their efforts to find their families and assist their home countries.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: with all this devastation, loss of life, the U.S. is offering to help the countries who have been hit the hardest by the tsunamis.

Our White House correspondent Dana Bash is in Crawford, Texas, near President Bush's ranch.

Dana, good morning.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

And the president arrived here in Crawford yesterday, and shortly thereafter, a spokesman released a statement expressing condolences on behalf of the American people for the, quote, "terrible loss of life," and offered all appropriate assistance to victims of the earthquake and tsunamis. In the statement saying, quote, "We will work with the affected governments, the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and other concerned states and organizations to support the relief and response to this terrible tragedy."

Now an administration official tells us that $100,000 of initial U.S. relief funds have already been released for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and the State Department and USAID relief workers, specialists have been dispatched to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India and Indonesia.

Now the State Department, Daryn, is confirming three U.S. deaths in these areas. Two from Sri Lanka, one from Thailand, and there are also a number of U.S. injuries. But they're not confirming exactly who the identities are at this point. But there is going to be a State Department briefing in a couple of hours -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And we'll be carrying that live right here on CNN. Dana Bash from Crawford, Texas, thank you.

No eggnog, no tree, no presents, just lost bags, computer glitches, and some really bad weather. Still to come, boy, it was a bad combo for holiday travelers.

Also, quite a man. He was an NFL giant, both figuratively and literally. The sports world still in shock that Reggie White suddenly gone at the edge of 43. We are going to have an appreciation of a life too short, but definitely well lived.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: We're going to go ahead and take a look at other stories making news coast to coast. What a nightmare for a lot of travelers out there this holiday season. Thousands of air travelers having huge hassles. First let's check in on the stuck. Comair says it hopes to have all its scheduled flights back up by Wednesday. A computer crash grounded all the regional carrier's flights on Saturday. By late yesterday, Comair had only about 10 to 15 percent of its flights operating.

Then there's the story of the lost baggage. Seven USAirways planes with just luggage from flown to Philadelphia to the carrier's Charlotte hub. More employees are available there to sort through the bags. USAirways said a record number of its workers called in sick, causing a shortage of baggage handlers. No word on how many people still don't have their bags. That is very frustrating.

And we couldn't finish the holiday travel stories without talking about the snow. Traffic is picking up along I-95 in North Carolina today. Ice and snow forced hundreds of motorists to spend the night in hotel lobbies and a shelter. More than 600 accidents were reported.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Now to the sports world. In many way, he was larger than life, which makes his sudden and untimely death all the more shocking. We'll look back now on the life of a man known well beyond the football field.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: NFL great Reggie White inspired fear on the fields; he instilled faith off of it, sometimes controversy, as well. His talents are being remembered on this, the day after his death. Our Steve Overmyer has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE OVERMYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You'd be hard- pressed to find a competitor that put more fear in a quarterback than Reggie White. The 13-time pro bowler was perhaps the best defensive lineman ever. Left the game as the NFL's all-time sacks leader. Sunday White passed away of unknown causes at the youthful age of 43.

MIKE HOLMGREN, COACHED WHITE IN GREEN BAY: He was a very special football player. Everyone knows that, Hall of Fame, great player. But he was really a fine human being. I mean -- and laughing and fun all the time. Just a real pleasure. He was a wonderful man.

OVERMYER: The fact he won two defensive MVP awards and helped the Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl 31 left little doubt his intensity on the field. But his positive spirit and lighthearted nature left an indelible mark on those who knew the man outside the lines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it wasn't Elvis, he was impersonating somebody in the locker room. You know, it seemed like, you know, once a week he would walk into -- I'd walk into the defensive meeting and the meeting had already started and Reggie was running it.

OVERMYER: White was an ordained Christian minister, earning him the nickname the minister of defense. As much of his life revolved around church and football, maybe it's no coincidence he passed on a Sunday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was a great player, obviously, great man, great friend. We'll miss him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The holidays, a lot about a time for families. For the thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, though, it was a time for being away. Well, we decided that just was not going to do. So we helped bring together some of those families. We did it via the airwaves in reunions that you can see only right here on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MASTER SGT. JEFF SWEEZER, U.S. ARMY: I appreciate the support my wife gives me, as well as all the families and friends back there at Fort Lewis, And as far as the soldiers everywhere else, and all the people that help by sending presents, or cards and care packages for the soldiers. They greatly appreciate it. And, you know, like I said, I will do what I can, promise to be home next year for Christmas with my family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't seen you physically moving around and alive. I mean, we got all the letters and telling us that you're fine, but, I haven't been able to see it for myself. And this is just a big, wonderful Christmas. And I'm trying not to cry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really good to see him. Really good to see him. I feel much better now than I did yesterday or the day before. I miss you, son! Wait for you to come home. We love you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I miss you, too, mom. I love you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know you do. I know you do. I know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Tears tell the whole story. We're going to have more of those for you as the day goes on. We also have CNN reporters all over Southeast Asia, we are covering the tsunami disaster in a way you're only going to see here on CNN. We'll have a live report from Sumatra, that is the area nearest to the earthquake's epicenter, and an amazing survivor story from a reporter who was vacationing on the beach in Thailand with his family, as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

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 December 27, 2004 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are right at the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan. Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news.
There is mourning across much of Southeast Asia today, almost 20,000 people killed in yesterday's tsunamis. The giant waves were caused by the most powerful earthquake on the planet in 40 years. Thousands of people are injured or missing, and hundreds of thousands are homeless.

Relief efforts are under way for the tsunami survivors. Australia announced an initial aid package totalling $7.6 million. Supplies such as bottled water are on the way, tarps as well. The European Union has pledged $4 million. The U.S. is offering to send troops from nearby Okinawa to help.

In Afghanistan today, President Hamid Karzai held the first meeting of his cabinet. He said the ministers should resign from their political parties so they'll be trusted by the people. Mr. Karzai listed his goals as improvements to the economy, education and security.

And a USAirways spokesman says the carrier has done all it can to alleviate what has turned out to be a travel nightmare. Hundreds of flights were canceled and thousands of bags were displaced. Airline officials say a record number of sick-outs caused that massive backup. No word on how many passengers are still waiting for their luggage.

I want to get back to our coverage of the tsunamis and put some things in perspective for you. First, a look at the enormity of the devastation, in terms of numbers, which have recently been updated. Just under 22,000 people are reported dead. The giant waves have also left hundreds of thousands of people homeless throughout the region. The quake itself was a magnitude 9.0. That is the world's strongest quake in 40 years, and the fourth strongest ever measured. Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka are among the hardest hit.

For more now on the Indian Ocean tsunamis which have killed nearly 22,000 people, experts say the death toll would not have been so enormous if the region had a warning system. There is a warning system for tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean, where they are more prevalent. Sensors predict where the waves will hit land, giving people time to evacuate the coast. The tsunamis were triggered by the strongest earthquake, as we mentioned, that have been measured in the last 40 years.

Here now to talk about the link between a quake and a tsunami, seismologist Walter Hays.

Good morning. Thank you for being here with us.

WALTER HAYS, SEISMOLOGIST: Good morning.

KAGAN: First of all, is this event over? Of course not in terms of the cleanup and the help that is needed, but in terms of perhaps aftershocks and further waves?

HAYS: There will be aftershocks following this earthquake for some time, maybe months. But the good news, if there is any such thing in this tragedy, is that the potential for devastating tsunamis is lessened.

KAGAN: Why is that?

HAYS: Because the magnitude of the aftershocks decreases with time. You need at least a magnitude 6.5 to generate a tsunami, and most of these aftershocks will be smaller than that.

KAGAN: So what happened? What is the link between the earthquake and the tsunamis, and how can something that happens about 1,000 miles away cause such force and devastation?

HAYS: Well, the link is that the earthquakes must occur under the water in order to generate a tsunami. When it occurs on land, or under the land, there is no tsunami, of course. But it's like a car's piston. When the ocean floor goes up, and you must have a vertical movement in the earthquake to cause the ocean floor to go up, in this case, something like 50 feet, then you have a huge effect of water being pulled away from the coastline, rushing to the epicenter, or the location where the earthquake occurred, and then rushing back to land. As it rushes back to land, it moves very fast, 500 to 600 miles per hour at the beginning, and then slowing down as it reaches the shore.

KAGAN: One of the things that is so devastating about this particular event is that it -- so many lives did not have to be lost. The lack of a warning system. Now I know you have worked for a number of years with the World Congress on disaster reduction. Why is there no warning system for the Indian Ocean?

HAYS: Well, it's always a question of economy, and sometimes our knowledge just gets in the way. We put one area -- you give one area higher priority than another area because of the frequency of these tsunamis. And the Pacific has many more tsunamis than the Indian Ocean area. So the cost of putting them in an area where the frequency is less dictated that the warning system would not be put in place in the Indian Ocean. Now that may change, because the very reason that we have one in the Pacific area is the 1948 destructive earthquake that showed that we need such a thing.

KAGAN: So sometimes you need a major event like this to show that the need is there. You know you have people up and down the coast, the East Coast to the U.S., the West Coast to Hawaii, wondering can this happen here? What would be the answer for them? HAYS: East Coast, the probability is very low, approaching zero. For many years they thought that the chances along the east coast was very, very low.

The West Coast, of course, is very high -- Alaska, California, Washington, Oregon, these -- and even in Hawaii. These are areas that can generate tsunamis. Hawaii gets hit by tsunamis generated in all the Pacific Rim country earthquakes.

KAGAN: So there's this warning system for the Pacific Ocean. I grew up in California. I never remember learning about this. We certainly have earthquake drills over and over again. How does the warning system work?

HAYS: Well, you have tidal gauges, and when the water leaves the harbor, rushing out to the location of the earthquake in the ocean, then the sensors say that -- tell you that, that dictates -- that initiates electronic signals that go out automatically by computers and prearranged systems, and these reach all the people that are important to get the message out. You have to have redundant messages and redundant receivers that are activated, and exercised enough to know what to do when it happens.

As Mayor Giuliani said, the first thing he knew to do because of what he had learned, so he knew to do it in the first 60 seconds. And that's the key, being prepared.

KAGAN: As a scientist, what fascinates you about this event?

HAYS: It's a tremendous force of nature at work. But it -- which means that we cannot control that part of it. We can only control the part where society interacts with, and finds a way to live successfully with these events, and there's enough knowledge now to do that.

KAGAN: Well, it is a very high price to pay, more than 20,000 people losing their lives, not to mention all those trying to get back where they came from, and get a new home.

But thank you for your scientific input. Walter Hays...

HAYS: Thank you.

KAGAN: ... appreciate it.

Well, those walls of water washed away all lines of communication in the hardest-hit areas. That leaves a lot of families here in the U.S., they are frantically awaiting news from loved ones in the ravaged areas.

Our Miguel Marquez has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ahangama Dhammarama is a Buddhist monk. He has meditated in Los Angeles for 26 years, but now the devastation that has swept across his home country of Sri Lanka has the 79-year old monk thinking about home.

AHANGAMA DHAMMARAMA, L.A. BUDDHIST TEMPLE: My brothers sometimes I have some bad feelings. What happened to my brother?

MARQUEZ: Dhammarama's brother and nephew live in Aghangama, a city of 50,000 people on Sri Lanka's southern coast. They live a short walk away from the ocean.

DHAMMARAMA: Tried to call them. Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything. I - 6:00 until 11:00, I tried, tried, tried. I couldn't do that.

MARQUEZ: Akapud (ph) Walter Jayawardhana is the L.A. correspondent for Sri Lanka's biggest daily newspaper.

WALTER JAYAWARDHANA, DAILY NEWSPAPER OF SRI LANKA: From eastern province to southern province to western coast, there is one story of disaster.

MARQUEZ: Jayawardhana says his country is effectively crippled.

JAYAWARDHANA: All their communication systems are gone, roads are gone, railways are gone, schools are gone, churches are gone, everything is gone.

DHAMMARAMA: Here is my father. This is my mother. This is my brother.

MARQUEZ: Dhammarama was in his hometown last February. His brother built a library for the local high school. The school is 40 feet from the beach.

Dhammarama looks at pictures of the opening celebrations and wonders is anything left?

DHAMMARAMA: People are very bright, very peaceful people. Nothing there. Unfortunately, this one is the first time. That's why I am so upset about that.

MARQUEZ (on camera): Here in L.A., the Sri Lankan, Indian and Indonesian communities are just beginning their efforts to find their families and assist their home countries.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: with all this devastation, loss of life, the U.S. is offering to help the countries who have been hit the hardest by the tsunamis.

Our White House correspondent Dana Bash is in Crawford, Texas, near President Bush's ranch.

Dana, good morning.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

And the president arrived here in Crawford yesterday, and shortly thereafter, a spokesman released a statement expressing condolences on behalf of the American people for the, quote, "terrible loss of life," and offered all appropriate assistance to victims of the earthquake and tsunamis. In the statement saying, quote, "We will work with the affected governments, the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and other concerned states and organizations to support the relief and response to this terrible tragedy."

Now an administration official tells us that $100,000 of initial U.S. relief funds have already been released for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and the State Department and USAID relief workers, specialists have been dispatched to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India and Indonesia.

Now the State Department, Daryn, is confirming three U.S. deaths in these areas. Two from Sri Lanka, one from Thailand, and there are also a number of U.S. injuries. But they're not confirming exactly who the identities are at this point. But there is going to be a State Department briefing in a couple of hours -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And we'll be carrying that live right here on CNN. Dana Bash from Crawford, Texas, thank you.

No eggnog, no tree, no presents, just lost bags, computer glitches, and some really bad weather. Still to come, boy, it was a bad combo for holiday travelers.

Also, quite a man. He was an NFL giant, both figuratively and literally. The sports world still in shock that Reggie White suddenly gone at the edge of 43. We are going to have an appreciation of a life too short, but definitely well lived.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: We're going to go ahead and take a look at other stories making news coast to coast. What a nightmare for a lot of travelers out there this holiday season. Thousands of air travelers having huge hassles. First let's check in on the stuck. Comair says it hopes to have all its scheduled flights back up by Wednesday. A computer crash grounded all the regional carrier's flights on Saturday. By late yesterday, Comair had only about 10 to 15 percent of its flights operating.

Then there's the story of the lost baggage. Seven USAirways planes with just luggage from flown to Philadelphia to the carrier's Charlotte hub. More employees are available there to sort through the bags. USAirways said a record number of its workers called in sick, causing a shortage of baggage handlers. No word on how many people still don't have their bags. That is very frustrating.

And we couldn't finish the holiday travel stories without talking about the snow. Traffic is picking up along I-95 in North Carolina today. Ice and snow forced hundreds of motorists to spend the night in hotel lobbies and a shelter. More than 600 accidents were reported.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: Now to the sports world. In many way, he was larger than life, which makes his sudden and untimely death all the more shocking. We'll look back now on the life of a man known well beyond the football field.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: NFL great Reggie White inspired fear on the fields; he instilled faith off of it, sometimes controversy, as well. His talents are being remembered on this, the day after his death. Our Steve Overmyer has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE OVERMYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You'd be hard- pressed to find a competitor that put more fear in a quarterback than Reggie White. The 13-time pro bowler was perhaps the best defensive lineman ever. Left the game as the NFL's all-time sacks leader. Sunday White passed away of unknown causes at the youthful age of 43.

MIKE HOLMGREN, COACHED WHITE IN GREEN BAY: He was a very special football player. Everyone knows that, Hall of Fame, great player. But he was really a fine human being. I mean -- and laughing and fun all the time. Just a real pleasure. He was a wonderful man.

OVERMYER: The fact he won two defensive MVP awards and helped the Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl 31 left little doubt his intensity on the field. But his positive spirit and lighthearted nature left an indelible mark on those who knew the man outside the lines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it wasn't Elvis, he was impersonating somebody in the locker room. You know, it seemed like, you know, once a week he would walk into -- I'd walk into the defensive meeting and the meeting had already started and Reggie was running it.

OVERMYER: White was an ordained Christian minister, earning him the nickname the minister of defense. As much of his life revolved around church and football, maybe it's no coincidence he passed on a Sunday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was a great player, obviously, great man, great friend. We'll miss him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The holidays, a lot about a time for families. For the thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, though, it was a time for being away. Well, we decided that just was not going to do. So we helped bring together some of those families. We did it via the airwaves in reunions that you can see only right here on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MASTER SGT. JEFF SWEEZER, U.S. ARMY: I appreciate the support my wife gives me, as well as all the families and friends back there at Fort Lewis, And as far as the soldiers everywhere else, and all the people that help by sending presents, or cards and care packages for the soldiers. They greatly appreciate it. And, you know, like I said, I will do what I can, promise to be home next year for Christmas with my family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't seen you physically moving around and alive. I mean, we got all the letters and telling us that you're fine, but, I haven't been able to see it for myself. And this is just a big, wonderful Christmas. And I'm trying not to cry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really good to see him. Really good to see him. I feel much better now than I did yesterday or the day before. I miss you, son! Wait for you to come home. We love you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I miss you, too, mom. I love you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know you do. I know you do. I know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Tears tell the whole story. We're going to have more of those for you as the day goes on. We also have CNN reporters all over Southeast Asia, we are covering the tsunami disaster in a way you're only going to see here on CNN. We'll have a live report from Sumatra, that is the area nearest to the earthquake's epicenter, and an amazing survivor story from a reporter who was vacationing on the beach in Thailand with his family, as the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.

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