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American Morning
Today, Many Americans Paying Respects at Vietnam Memorial
Aired May 27, 2002 - 07:20 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: And again on this Memorial Day we honor veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. Today, many Americans are paying their respects at the Vietnam Memorial. Tony Cordero will be one of them today. When he was only four years old his father was killed in Vietnam.
Since 1990, 12 years ago, Tony's group, Sons & Daughters in Touch, has helped the children of servicemen who were killed in Vietnam, help keep their memories alive. And today, Tony Cordero joins us now from the Mall in Washington D.C.
Tony, good morning to you.
TONY CORDERO, FOUNDER, SONS & DAUGHTERS IN TOUCH: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Why do you think it is important to go out and find the sons and daughters whose fathers died in southeast Asia perhaps 35 years ago to reunite them with the past here?
CORDERO: Well it's because the experience is so unique and the experience in American history, the Vietnam War, was so different than any other war, that our loss really probably can only be explained by those who went through it.
HEMMER: Tony, you plan to take about 100 back to Vietnam in the spring of next year. What kind of reaction are you getting from those that you approach?
CORDERO: From the veterans community here in the United States, very, very supportive. They have been the most encouraging people in making these plans. From the sons and daughters themselves, they're really split 50-50. Some are very -- I won't say excited, but they are anxious to go. Others have absolutely no interest in going.
So we realize it's not right for everyone. But the climate is probably better now than it's ever been in the last 12 years for us to make this trip to Vietnam. Really, it's our Normandy. People now go to the beaches of Normandy and see where their fathers and grandfathers fought a half a century ago, and we're going to Vietnam.
HEMMER: Tony, for those who have the motivation to go, what do they tell you? CORDERO: They want to go to the site or get as close as they possible can to the location where their father was killed. So the planning and the logistics of that are just monumental. But that's the most significant thing.
We go under the theme of Vietnam 2003 in honor of peace and understanding. And we're going to honor our fathers and everyone else that fought there. And to try and achieve a bit of peace for ourselves and understand the country and the people for whom our dads fought. Getting to that point or that location where their fathers were killed is going to help bring that peace for a lot of our members.
HEMMER: It must be an amazing emotional trip. Tell us, Tony, 12 years ago, take us back. What was your motivation at the time? You were coming up on the age of 30 and you decided to pursue this because?
CORDERO: I was going to outlive my dad. He died a month before his 30th birthday, and I was closing in on 30 and realized I needed to check myself and figure out where I was going with my life. And if the questions that I had about my dad and his loss in the war in general were the same as the others who lost their fathers there.
HEMMER: What do you think those who end up going, perhaps in a year's time, what will they feel knowing that you have felt that and experienced it yourself already?
CORDERO: You know, I don't know. It's going to be one of the unique life experiences that this organization has provided its members. We're only taking 100. I wish we could take all 3,000 of our members, but it's just not possible.
They're going to come back from it changed in many, many ways. Most people have never left the country, and for them to make their first foreign journey to Vietnam is going to be emotional, historic, unprecedented, and something that certainly they'll never forget.
HEMMER: What does this day mean to you, Tony, Memorial Day?
CORDERO: You know, for those of us from any generation who lost their fathers in a war, patriotism has always been part of our lives. And now since September 11th, patriotism has really been kind of in vogue. And we're glad that the rest of the country is waving the flag again.
HEMMER: You've got a good message. Thanks for talking, Tony. Tony Cordero, there live in Washington D.C. at the Vietnam wall.
CORDERO: Thanks, Bill, I appreciate it.
HEMMER: Good luck, OK? We'll talk over the next year, I'm certain.
CORDERO: Thanks a lot.
HEMMER: OK.
CORDERO: OK, take care.
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