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CNN Sunday Morning

Tragic Connection; Kandahar Bridge Collapse; Revisiting San Francisco Oil Spill; Pakistan President Promises Elections; Vietnam Memorial Wall; Greensburg, Kansas Rebuilding; Predators Online; Vietnam Wall 25th Anniversary; Saint Charles Streetcar Running; Furry Convention; Ham Flavored Soda

Aired November 11, 2007 - 09:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN CO-ANCHOR: This is a YouTube video of target are practice. The question now this morning, did this video lead to the school shooting in Finland, a mass, mass school shooting. And was the government talking to another troubled teen here in the U.S.? We are covering the globe on this story, this morning.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Also, look at these children. Dancing, playing, not realizing they're a liability to their parents. That's right, Iraqis hiding from insurgents. The very different view of life in war torn Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Closure, the word is a cliche, but it's the ability to bring closure that is the most remarkable quality of this mending wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The Vietnam Wall, hallowed ground for many and on this Veterans Day, we're making the 25th anniversary of this memorial. We will mark that for you here along with other things we're talking about on this Veterans Day. It is November the 11th here at the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm T.J. Holmes. Hello to you all.

NGUYEN: Yes, Happy Veterans Day. Good morning everybody, I'm Betty Nguyen. Let's get you informed right now. First up, disturbing new details are emerging in that shocking school shooting last week in Finland. Violence is rare in Finland so the entire country is still struggling to figure out why an 18-year-old student would go on a killing spree.

HOLMES: And authorities now think there may be a link with an American teenager who was found to have this huge arsenal in his home. CNN's Tony Harris explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two troubled teens and two different continents united by admiration of Columbine gunmen, their out cast status and the Internet. That's a theory being considered by the investigators digging into the background of Pekka- Eric Auvinen. He's the 18-year-old Finnish student who shot and killed six classmates, his principal and the school nurse, Wednesday, before killing himself.

According to the "Times of London" and ABC News, Finnish police believe it's possible that Auvinen was in contact, via the Internet with Pennsylvania teen, Dillon Cossey. He's the 14-year-old arrested last month accused of planning a school massacre of his own near Philadelphia.

So where's the link? Finland's top investigator tells ABC news "We've received rumors and information that the two were in contact." He also said, "...it is probably, but we cannot confirm it."

The "Times of London" reports the common link could be two different MySpace groups, both dedicated to glorifying the columbine gunmen. Finnish investigators are looking into Pekka-Eric Auvinen's postings in chat rooms and other writings. His postings on YouTube included rants about revolution and this video of him taking target practice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, investigators Kandahar are taking a closer look at a bridge collapse this morning.

NGUYEN: Yeah, it happened in Ontario. At least five were injured, two of them hospitalized. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

HOLMES: First responders say it's amazing nobody was killed in the accident. The bridge was under construction at the time, it gave way while workers were pouring concrete in place.

NGUYEN: Fresh eyes looking at a major oil spill in San Francisco. The NTSB is now sending a team there to investigate a fuel tanker's collision with the Bay Bridge. Beaches and shorelines have been closed because of that spill. About 58,000 gallons of fuel spilled out of the damaged tanker and right now, the Coast Guard says the accident was caused by human error, but they're not saying who exactly is at fault.

Also new this morning, Pakistan's president is speaking out about the crisis gripping his country. President Pervez Musharraf is promising elections will take place by January 9, but he's not saying when he'll lift the state of emergency.

There have been protests and clashes, even arrests and detentions. President Musharraf has come under sharp criticism, but is defending the state of emergency.

In Islamabad, today, he held the first major news conference since imposing the state of emergency a week ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: If somebody asked me today with hindsight, should you have done it, maybe I say no, should not have been done. But if somebody asked me whether you did the right or wrong, I will say I did the right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: The crisis in Pakistan is one of the topics today on LATE EDITION with Wolf Blitzer. Guests include former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton.

Well, getting to the bottom of the bloodshed in Myanmar. A U.N. Human rights envoy enters the country today for the first time in four years. His mission? To find out how many people were kill and detained in the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators back in September.

Myanmar authorities say 10 people were killed when troops opened fire on those protesters. Others argue that death toll is much higher.

HOLMES: Well, when you hear the word "Iraq," maybe these images come to your mind, the seemingly endless car bombs, troops on patrol, taking a devastating toll, of course, and the Iraqi Red Crescent in struggling to help the country's poor, sick, and displaced. CNN's Morgan Neill reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three-year-old Saja (ph) is blind in eye and losing sight in the other. But in the waiting room at the Iraqi Red Crescent in Baghdad's Mansur district, she's a ray of light that brightens the otherwise gloomy surroundings.

Across the room, 12-year-old Baha (ph) waits to talk to a doctor. He remembers the exact date he lost his left eye. "January 16, 2004," he says, "It was a Friday at noon." He says he was with his father in the market and someone opened fire on nearby U.S. soldiers. The soldiers responded, he says, and shrapnel took his eye.

Saja and Baha are just two of the hundreds of thousands of people that come to the Iraqi Red Crescent desperate for help. With 95,000 volunteers and 5,000 employees, it's the last line of defense for the country's poor, sick, and displaced.

DR SAID HAKKI, IRAQI RED CRESCENT PRES: The Iraqi Red Crescent is seen as a neutral, unbiased, nonsectarian organization. So, we gain fame by default.

NEILL: But the challenges it faces can be overwhelming. Late last year, gunman wearing Iraqi commando uniforms broke in to a Red Crescent office in Baghdad and kidnapped 30 workers.

According to the group's latest report, Iraq has some 2.3 million internally displaced people at the end of September, that's five times what it was at the start of the year and a nearly 19 percent jump from August.

Much of that increase due to sectarian violence that has forced Sunni and Shia Muslims to abandon formerly mixed neighborhoods. That's what forced the Sunni Abu Nour (ph) and his family from their home in Baghdad's Shiite-dominated Sadr City. One day they received a note that said simply, get out of your house.

They left within three days, he says, and wound up in this abandoned building in Fallujah, now home to more than 30 families. Here, as in the rest of Iraq, a growing number of the displaced people are children. Now estimated by the Red Crescent at more than two- thirds of the total.

HAKKI: The trend now is mainly children are suffering, now, because children are becoming a liability for both the father and the mother. Well, it's, they have to be fed, they have to be cared for and they have to be -- when you become so desperate and you tend to just throw everything up and go.

NEILL: There are at times the most fragile, at times, like Saja, the most resilient and the hard lessons they're learning today will inevitably shape their country tomorrow.

Morgan Neill, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And if you want to help these refugees, you can. Just log on to cnn.com/impact and click on "Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq."

NGUYEN: Well, you just have to see this, 83 years old and still fit to jump. The man skydiving right there, the 41st president of the United States. Yeah, that's him.

HOLMES: Also, check this out, a lot of people stopped to stare at this. Wouldn't you? What in the world is going on? What happened? We'll tell you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 15 minutes past the hour now on this Sunday Morning "Quick Hits" for you.

A possible kidnap victim is back home this morning, she says she was abandoned in a field by her alleged abductor.

NGUYEN: Yeah, police say she was taken at gunpoint during a robbery at a Oklahoma City Italian restaurant. She is the night manager there, but police are still trying to investigate exactly what happened.

All right so, this next story, best summed up with one word -- "oops." Cincinnati man -- look at that -- backed his pick up out of this second level parking space. How does that happen? He didn't stop until he hit the ground.

HOLMES: That's a pretty big oops. Nobody was hurt here. This is how he described it, yeah the guy who did this was crazy enough to put his face on camera and give an interview. Listen to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM TEUTSCH, PICKUP DRIVER: Basically, I was just blacking out or backing out of my parking spot, ready to leave, and thing last thing I remember is the accelerator just going and the brakes, I had a floor mat that rolled behind the break, so they didn't do anything and just hit the wall and fell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Right.

NGUYEN: And why are you smiling?

HOLMES: Yes. We understand he failed the breathalyzer.

NGUYEN: No, that's not...

HOLMES: No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. He did not.

NGUYEN: It's the floor mat, what are you talking about? Happens to me all the time.

HOLMES: Well, it broke some gas lines, here, this accident, crews had to called in to turn off the gas.

NGUYEN: It is Veterans Day, a time to remember and honor those who have served.

HOLMES: A live look here for you at the Vietnam Wall Memorial in the National Mall, always a popular spot for people to visit anyway, but certainly on Veterans Day, tributes are certainly being held there today, public and private. CNN's Jamie McIntyre takes a look now at what the memorial really means.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For 25 years, this black granite edifice has been a testament as to how a memorial can be more than merely a monument. "The Wall," as it quickly became known, is the centerpiece of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and changed the way we think about honoring our dead.

Borne in controversy, the radically simple design was originally a school project by a Yale architecture student, 21-year-old Chinese- American Maya Lin. A professional who lost to Lin in the design competition turned her crude drawing into this vision. Still, the critics wailed, "An ugly gash on the National Mall," "a gravestone," "an attempt to bury the war."

But that's not how it turned out. The wall with it's highly polished surface became both a mirror and a window, a touchstone to the past. Reflections, a classic painting by artist Lee Teter, perfectly captures the emotion.

What no one anticipated was how so many visitors would leave a piece of themselves behind. Among the flowers and flags, a photograph, framed, a battle-worn hat, a baseball mitt, even a stuffed animal from a mother to her son.

One recent addition, the stars from a chairman of the joint chiefs left on the day of his retirement. "These are yours, not mine," scrawled Pete Pace to his long-lost platoon mate, 19-year-old Guido Farinaro.

"Closure," the word has become a cliche, but it's the ability to bring closure that is the most remarkable quality of this mending wall. A statue was added to assuage the critics, but the memorial's power comes from the names: 58,249 and room for more, all the dead and missing from an entire war. No memorial had ever attempted so complete a commemoration. Now it's the standard for ensuring the memory of no warrior is left on some distant battlefield.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And, this coming week marks the 25th anniversary of the memorial's dedication. You can see here, another live picture, as people continue to file in on this Veterans Day. Brianna Keilar will bring us more on a live report from there in about 20 minutes.

Well, we'll turn to the former president, former President Bush. He just cannot stop jumping out of plane for some reason.

NGUYEN: All the time. The first time it was to celebrate his 80th birthday, this time he's celebrating the reopening of his presidential museum. He made the jump strapped to a member of the U.S. Army Golden Knight's Parachute Team. That's the way I'd for sure, with someone who knows what they're doing. Safest way to jump out of a plane is to go with a professional. Pretty good for an 83- year-old who had hip replacement surgery less than a year ago.

HOLMES: Yeah, President Bush has already said he's going to do it again 2009 to celebrate his 85th.

NGUYEN: What is his deal, this man just cannot stay inside a perfectly good plane.

HOLMES: Barbara Bush, are we going to see her jumping out of a plane at any point?

NGUYEN: I don't think so.

HOLMES: I wonder if he's trying to get her to do that.

NGUYEN: Perhaps. Or, what's going on in his that he's having to jump out of planes?

HOLMES: Oh Betty. He's fine.

NGUYEN: I'm just asking.

HOLMES: All right, we will turn now to a story you've been covering here and know a lot about. It's a story about a devastation that's really hard for a lot of people to even imagine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really felt like we were going die that night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: A tornado nearly wiped Greensburg, Kansas off the map. And coming up, I'm going to show you how they're rebuilding a town in way that is setting the standard for the rest of the nation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, it's been five years since a series of deadly twisters whipped through northwest Ohio. The pictures here are beyond scary. Look at this stuff. Imagine what it was looking like for folks where were standing maybe close to that.

Well, when it's was all over, five people dead, hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed, millions of dollars later, many of those homes have been rebuilt, as you're seeing here, and many people like Theresa Spitler had to start over from scratch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THERESA SPITLER, TORNADO SURVIVOR: The house had been picked up and moved about 30 to 40 feet northeast off the foundation. The garage was gone, the family room was gone. The only thing left up stairs were the inside walls. We had to tear the whole thing down and rebuild.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Well, the only reason really Spitler and her family may have survived is they had gone to a relative's home to check on the relative and while they were gone, their home was destroyed.

Well, a small town obliterated by a tornado. We're talking about that there, but this other one in Greensburg, Kansas, this was one we couldn't believe it, just about everything gone. And it pretty much looked hopeless.

NGUYEN: Talking about Greensburg, Kansas, again, the city is rebuilding, though, to be the most environmentally friendly town in the nation. I visited there and got a firsthand look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA MUNTZ, TORNADO SURVIVOR: And you could hear it ripping the house away. You could hear the roof going, you could hear things hitting the house.

NGUYEN (voice-over): May 4, 2007, an F5 tornado nearly wiped Greensburg, Kansis off the map.

MUNTZ: I really felt like we were going to die that night.

NGUYEN: In fact, 11 people did die. The rest are left with this, painful reminders of what the town use to look like.

MUNTZ: She lost her job, the church was gone...

NGUYEN: Pamela Muntz has lived here 32 years, she says the only way to heal is to focus on the future and today, part of the future just arrived.

MUNTZ: And when it got here today, it became reality. It became reality. It's really here. It's going on the foundation, it's reality.

NGUYEN (on camera): And it's emotional for you?

MUNTZ: It is. It is emotional. It is. You don't realize how important your home is. To me, your home is your safe haven. And we've not had a safe haven for five months.

NGUYEN (voice-over): She now finds peace of mind in this customized modular home, it that comes already built and is designed to be energy-efficient.

MUNTZ: And it's one piece. It's one piece now, it's not two pieces.

NGUYEN: That's the beauty of starting over. The tornado wiped the slated clean and now the town is rebuilding with a conscious. The goal is to go green, create a place that is so environmentally friendly it sets the standard for communities across the nation.

NGUYEN (on camera): Where was your basement?

STEVE HEWITT, GREENSBURG CITY ADMIN: Right here. It kind of feels like...

(voice-over): Steve Hewitt (ph), who also lost his home in the tornado, is the city administrator, helping to lead the way.

HEWITT: By building efficient homes, you're seeing less energy wasted and by not wasting energy then you have an opportunity to be friendlier to your environment, which is important because we're not building a town, we're not making 10 year decisions, we're making 100 year decisions. We're building the town for our kids, not just for ourselves.

NGUYEN: Which is why students are taking part in the design. Just listen to the ideas on the table.

LIVI SMITH, GREENSBURG HIGH SCHOOL: ...the geothermal energy, they're talking about wind energy.

TAYLOR SCHMIDT, GREENSBURG HIGH SCHOOL: Use of a lot of natural lighting and going to have -- we're trying to get -- Kansas is giving schools the opportunity to be wind-powered and if that came, it would just be incredible that we had our own wind turbine and we were completely would be self-reliant, energy-wise.

NGUYEN: It's almost ironic how the same element that destroyed the town is being used to rebuild it. But according to city planners, Steven Hardy, it just makes sense.

STEPHEN HARDY, CITY PLANNER: They're really starting to understand that that means money. There is money blowing around in the air and it's a resource that they can harness.

NGUYEN: While still in its early phases, the plan is already creating a buzz that's attracted camera crews from the Discovery Channel. Producer Johnny Gould says Discovery plans a 13-part doimtary called "Ecotown."

JOHNNY GOULD, PRODUCER, PILGRIM FILMS: For a lot of these people, green was a color on the wall and now they're learning that building green can be a type of nail or a specific type of siding or a special window that you use that's more energy-efficient.

NGUYEN: And that can be more expensive. Part of the challenge is getting people to make the investment now so they'll save later. But when most of the town is still living out of FEMA trailers, there are those that just want their house built the fastest way possible, even if it's not green.

(on camera): How much of the town is going to be ecofriendly?

HARDY: Well, our goal is to make everything ecofriendly. I think that is -- and is that a goal that we can reach? I don't know. We're sure going to will try.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you see it moving?

NGUYEN (voice-over): And this grandmother of two is determined to do her part.

MUNTZ: Oh, I see this house and I'm so excite and I'm not even thinking about, you know, starting over. It is a new life and it's going to be good.

NGUYEN: For a family and a town that is raising the bar on how to rebuild responsibly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Doing a great job with that, making sure that they do it in a green way. And when we're talking about people rebuilding, getting their lives back together it's really important to note that two weeks still left in a hurricane season, Bonny.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Hey, you remember this guy from Hurricane Katrina, you know, that John Wayne Dude.

HOLMES: Lieutenant General Russel Honore is his real name even tough you can call him "John Wayne," still. He got the job done in New Orleans. He's in Atlanta for the Veterans Day parade and he talks to us about patriotism and taking care of our vets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Today is the birthday of a Minster who believes when you fall down you can get back up again. Erica Hill has more advice from Pastor Donnie McClurkin in this weeks' "Tips from the Top."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONNIE MCCLURKIN, PASTOR & VOCALIST: Success to me is making sure that you do exactly what God as given to you do, that you reach the people that he called you to reach and you understand every gift that you have is for a divine purpose.

ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the pulpit...

MCCLURKIN: If we're going to teach it, we've got to live it.

HILL: To the stage. Pastor Donnie McClurkin uses his gift of ministry to inspire others. But the Grammy winning gospel artist also had to overcome some challenging moments in his life. He an abusive childhood and was diagnosed with leukemia as an adult, but he says God has redeemed him from both.

MCCLURKIN: My brokenness caused me to want to see other people heal. I want them to see that everybody has some level of greatness in them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, CNN's "Election Express," the only bus that is bringing the issues to your hometown is in Grand Junction, Colorado, this morning. Our own Bill Schneider joins us next on how Democrats want and need to win in the West. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN, trusted by more Americans than any other news channel. Now, back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And welcome back, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. A quick look at some of the headlines. Elections by January 9? No, not here in the U.S. That's a promise today from Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, the promise in his first major news conference since imposing a state of emergency a week ago. He didn't say, though, when it would be lifted.

Let's take to you Reno, Nevada, a man is accused of using the Internet site, Craig's List to lure two teen boys to his home and then sexually assaulting one of them. Police say Jason Hunter posed online as a 20-year-old woman.

HOLMES: Well, they're both about gambling and put on a heck of a show. Things like presidential politics and Las Vegas, they are made for each other. Our senior analyst, Bill Schneider, is on his way to Vegas for Thursday's Democratic debate. But, this morning, the "Election Express" stopping in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Bill, looking fly as always. We love the hat, the stuff of legends. Looking good out there, sir. Why is Nevada? Why is that so important to the '08 race. Do explain. Explain why you made this stop where you are now.

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's beautiful here, T.J.. Look at that. Behind me is the Colorado National Monument, a lot of dinosaur remains found there. No political remains that we could find, however. The politicians are all on their way to Las Vegas, Nevada, which is where we're headed for the debate next week.

Why Nevada you ask. Well, because Nevada has a very fast-growing union movement, it's one of the fastest growing states in populations, a lot of the Latino voters have moved there. And they want some recognition. They're tired of the fact that the East Coast has gotten all the action in politics. So, it has something to do with the Democratic leader of the United States Senate, Harry Reid, from Nevada -- hint, hint -- using his influence to get the Democrats to have an early caucus in their state -- in his state.

HOLMES: A lot of eyes on Iowa, still. So, tell us, there was a big dinner there, last night, what happened?

SCHNEIDER: Well, there was a big Jefferson Jackson dinner. That is traditionally the start of the full-scale Iowa caucus campaign. You had six Democrats show up, speak to a group of 9,000 Iowa Democratic activists and in their speeches, they didn't exactly attack each other by name, but there was pretty pointed criticism.

Barack Obama said we need leadership by conviction, not calculation, which was a sly reference to his criticism of Senator Hillary Clinton. She said we need a leader who's tested, as in experienced, and ready to lead. A sly criticism of her opponent, Barack Obama.

John Edwards talked about the failure of healthcare reform under the Clintons in the 1990s saying there was lobbyists and special interests who killed it off. It was also a very colorful event and ruckus event. The Obama people wore red shirts and the Hillary Clinton people carried noise makers. So, it was a real kickoff at the Iowa caucuses January 3.

HOLMES: All right, I know you hate you missed the party. Tell us, as well, you're not the only one in Colorado who has been in Colorado. On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani making a stop there, as well. What was he up to?

SCHNEIDER: Well, he was up to raising some money and Colorado has a lot of influential Republicans as well as Democrats. He took on Hillary Clinton, he criticized her for shifting positions and waffling on Iraq and illegal immigration.

Now of course, Rudy Giuliani's issue is 9/11. And he said in contrast, he was someone who had been steadfast and focused in his leadership, but he had to face protesters who were critical of the way he handled 9/11 and interestingly in his remarks he said he had done not a perfect job, not a perfect job, but he said a good job in his handling of 9/11.

So, if there is a campaign in the end between Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, you can say we got a review right here in Colorado.

HOLMES: Well, certainly a lot of the people believe that will be the match up, but we will wait to see what the voters decide. Bill Schneider, always good to see you. And happy travels to Las Vegas.

SCHNEIDER: Thank you, sir.

HOLMES: All right, we'll see you.

And of course, what's happening in Vegas is going to be broadcast next week on national TV.

If what you did in Vegas, Betty, was broadcast on national TV.

NGUYEN: Oh, that would be a mess, wouldn't it.

HOLMES: Yes it would.

NGUYEN: Oh no, whatever. I'm perfectly fine. I can handle myself in Vegas. At least we don't have any pictures out there.

HOLMES: The presidential debate in Vegas. We'll if they behave as well as Betty claims she does. Well, Wolf Blitzer, John Robbins, Campbell Brian behaving and asking questions of the candidates during the first hour of the debate and then undecided voters will quiz the candidates, so you can tune in Thursday 8:00 Eastern, right here at CNN, the best political team on TV.

NGUYEN: And you know, you're one to talk, you can't even believe up here, T.J., let alone Vegas.

HOLMES: I have done well this morning, don't you agree.

NGUYEN: So far so good. Knock on wood.

We're going to move on to something very serious, though. The Vietnam war tore America apart and when it came to building a memorial, the bickering did not stop. There were debates about what it should look like and what it should symbolize. Well, 25 years later, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of Washington's most visited places. And our Brianna Keilar is there on this Veterans Day. She joins us live.

I know a lot of people are going to be coming out today, Brianna. BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes and this cold weather certainly isn't stopping them, Betty. This is a very special Veterans Day and a special year, here at "The Wall," because this is the 25th anniversary of this once controversial memorial.

Coming up, this afternoon at 1:00 Eastern, there's going to be a special ceremony, the keynote speaker, retired General Colin Powell and we're also going to be hearing from Nebraska Senator Chuck Hegel who served in Vietnam, was actually awarded two Purple Hearts for his service in Vietnam. But there's also going to be a special commemoration to the Vietnam Women's Memorial, because while you may realize that there are more than 58,000 names here on the wall behind me, eight of these names belong to women who were killed during the Vietnam War and more than a quarter million women volunteered, they chose to go to Vietnam and serve in support roles, so they're also being honored here on this Veterans Day -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Talk us a little bit, Brianna, about some of these veterans that you've been able to speak with. I know you have a special story coming up a little bit later today. Just give us a preview, if you would.

KEILAR: Yeah, we have a special story coming up later today. We're going to introduce you to Phil Akert. He's 76 years old, he's a veteran of the Korean War. And while people think of Veterans Day, they think of World War II, Vietnam, of course, the Iraq War, but they don't always think of the Korean War. So, we're going to introduce you to this guy who is 21 years old, back in 1952, when he was a very young sergeant during the Korean War, and he led the squad against Chinese forces in the infamous battle of Bunker Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL ACKERT, KOREAN WAR VET: ...and our gunners, machinegunners, to the right flank, and we came a draw, under fire, and the -- they had the worst amount of incoming that's ever been in Korea. It was comparable to some of the islands in the Pacific. And they dropped so many rounds in on us it was pathetic. And you couldn't set a stamp down without getting hit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Now, because the war, the Korean War, was sandwiched between World War II and Vietnam War, Ackert says a lot of Korean War veterans feel like they're kind of the forgotten veterans. There 33,000 Americans who died during this war from 1950 to 1953. So, we're going to make sure that we honor their service, coming up with this very special story that's going to be in the 4:00 hour -- Betty.

NGUYEN: I'm looking forward to that and the Korean War memorial is very poignant one there in Washington, as well. Thank you, Brianna.

KEILAR: It's a beautiful one.

NGUYEN: The president and Mrs. Bush will be in Waco, Texas this afternoon for the Fallen Soldier Memorial ceremony.

Well, he wanted to be there for the birth of his first child. Every dad wants to be there, right? He tried to be there, but when he went to do it he missed it by that much.

HOLMES: Still, it really was not his fault. All right, military police Sergeant Robert Helsley was in Kuwait, actually, when he heard his wife had gone into labor and by the time he had gotten to Erie, Pennsylvania, his son was already at home playing on the PlayStation.

NGUYEN: No.

HOLMES: No, he was just 11 hours old. Not so bad. But, that is close enough in mom's book.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHERINE HELSLEY, NEW MOTHER: It was the most amazing thing in the world to be in the same room with my husband and our son at the same time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: This brand-new family are soaking up the special moments they can because dad only has 18 days before he is headed back to the war zone. So, congratulations dad, you got home. You know, he may not have been there for the birth, but just in time, no less.

HOLMES: And got 18 days to enjoy it before he has to head back out.

Well next, we'll talk about another soldier who actually a soldier's soldier. But, most people recognize his face from aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. We're talking about Lieutenant General Russel Honore. He's next as America honors its veterans.

NGUYEN: And still on the road to recovery, New Orleans has reason to celebrate this morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: All right, about a quarter until 10:00 Eastern Time on a Sunday morning. A quick look at a couple of stories. The Saint Charles streetcar, back on track. This historic line reopening in New Orleans for the first time since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

NGUYEN: Yeah, only about half of the 13 mile line is up and running, but you know what, it's still a start.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love this place. Nothing can replace the feelings you get in this place, here.

(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: One last hurrah in Miami's famed Orange Bowl. The Miami Hurricanes with the honor of playing the last game there. But, it turned into a nightmare for the home team.

HOLMES: Yeah, what with an honor. How do they honor the place? The 'Canes got stomped by Virginia, 48 to nothing.

NGUYEN: Oh, a shutout.

HOLMES: Seventy years at the Orange Bowl, the worst defeat ever. You decide to do it on the last game you play at the stadium? Are you I kidding me?

NGUYEN: Well hey, at least it's not the start to how the play is at the stadium. It's a good thing they're done there.

HOLMES: All that history, we're go out 48 to nothing? Come on, 'Canes.

NGUYEN: Well you know, maybe that's why they're not going to be playing there anymore.

HOLMES: Well, the stadium has hosted five Super Bowls and it is now going to face the wrecking ball even though it was pretty much wrecked last night by the game.

HOLMES: You can tell I'm upset, right?

NGUYEN: I can tell.

HOLMES: OK, I'm going to let it go. I'm going to move on to this guy who made us feel pretty good this morning. You'll recognize the face from his time in New Orleans just after Hurricane Katrina. Lieutenant General Russel Honore, he's the grand marshal of Veterans Day parade, this morning, in Atlanta.

Well, last hour, he took the time to talk to us about patriotism and caring for the nation's veterans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT GEN RUSSEL HONORE, It appears, I guess, to be we are what we watch. And when you watch you sometimes see a little more attention to Hollywood starlets than to those who serve or those who have served. You know, we came out of World War II with 16 million veterans and they passing on at a rate of 1,000 a day. There are still quite a few of them are around. And it is an honor, I was with a couple of them yesterday to see, because they are the champions to keep Veterans Day alive.

And America with great gratitude to its veterans. But not all the time is that gratitude shown out in public. On Veterans Day, obviously, is a big day, we'll have parades, but that has to also be turned into deeds in terms of our adequate funding to our veterans hospital. We have a tremendous job in this nation to continue to take care of those who have served and who are in need. HOLMES: Who is failing them? You mention, kind of, more attention on starlets. Some of that falls on us, right here, in the media. Also, the federals government's responsibility, the citizens' responsibility. Who's responsibly does this fall on?

HONORE: Things happen when America when the American people wants it to happen. And we need a resurgence on our a patriotism that being a patriot in America shouldn't be something that's talked about in the back closet. It should be praise and those who serve this nation, who have kept America free and who've kept the world free -- remember we fought World War I for others, we fought World War II, Vietnam, Korea. And in each case, those countries continued to flourish as a result of the freedom that's been paid for in the sweat and blood of our veterans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: A pretty modest guy there with all the talk and the accolades and awards and recognition he's got, and he's certainly, this morning, wanting to talk about the troops and the soldiers...

NGUYEN: He tried.

HOLMES: He did not want to talk about himself. A great guy, there, certainly has a lot. More ahead in the work he wants to continue, possibly, word out there, it's in talk. Going to run for office.

NGUYEN: He didn't say he wouldn't. He just said he wasn't going that road just yet.

HOLMES: Said he was a poor man because he's a solider.

NGUYEN: He needs some funding.

HOLMES: Maybe he was soliciting here and we just didn't know. He was just sly about it.

NGUYEN: We were used.

HOLMES: Yeah. No. But good to visit with him this morning.

NGUYEN: Yes we are honoring our troops today, many of our tributes come from you. And Josh Levs joins us from the Dot-Com Desk with some of those.

Hey Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN.COM DESK: Yeah hey. You know what, we are getting some amazing stories that people have been sending into us really for several weeks now, and also throughout this weekend. Coming up, we're going to show you some of these stunning stories and photos. We're also going to tell you how you can send in your stories about loved ones fighting the war in Iraq. We've got that coming up right here on CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Americans honor the nations' war veterans today with parades and other ceremonies.

HOLMES: Josh Levs at the Dot-Com Desk is keeping an eye on the things going on this morning.

LEVS: Yeah, you get some water there and just a few minutes to go, T.J. You can make it.

Hey everybody. We have live shots for you all day. And I want to take you right now to the Vietnam War Memorial. We're going to be showing you some pictures of this throughout the day. There's a lot going on there. Obviously this Veterans Day weekend, a lot of people take the opportunity to pay their respects.

And we've also got live footage for you from Arlington National Cemetery. And you know, there's going to be ceremonies, both places, throughout the day, as there are in many cities throughout the country and we have the Tomb of the Unknown, as well. Keep checking in throughout the day here at CNN and obviously at cnn.com, as well. We'll show you what's going on all over. We also have been getting some really powerful stories and photos from people whose loved ones are in Iraq.

We've got this one, let's take a look, from Shannon Ervin who tell us that this was from her husband James kissing his 6-week-old daughter before leaving for a 15 month deployment to Iraq. So many troops in similar situations.

Let's look at this next one now, OK, sent to us from Melinda Chrans, talking about her loved ones, as well. This was different from what I thought we were going to show you, but that's fine. She's showing you her husband is with husband dog over there, who actually, she says, this is his best friend, he's a K-9 dog who searches for bombs.

This one now, Gregory Rathbun. This one I want you to see because this was a very brief moment in Fort Bragg, North Carolina in which he managed to see his family, including his young daughters when he was on R&R. He also had a 15 month deployment in Iraq he came home, had a brief period of time with them. His father-in-law sent us this and said he wanted us to see what it is that family gets to go through when they do get to reunite, how powerful and exciting it is.

And we have one more, if we could show you, this one, the -- there you go, this is from John Edwards. Now, listen to his story, guys. This story is amazing. This is his wife who is over there fighting figure for 15 months. She in the same location in Iraq where he was for 15 months just before she went over there and they have young children at home, the youngest being two-and-a-half years old.

So, what we're getting, what we're showing you, today, throughout cnn.com and right here on CNN is the photos of these people who are the war that we're always talking about. The soldiers laying their lives on the line every day, their families are thinking of then, America is thinking of them. And then when they come home, they do get the welcome when they are lucky enough to have the time again with their family.

As for how you can send in your photos. Really easy, go to cnn.com, click on i-Report, you'll see everything you need to do. We love getting your stories, we love getting your photos, videos, whatever you've got. Keep them coming, right here to CNN, guys -- Betty, T.J.

NGUYEN: You know, I'm really glad that we're doing this, putting a face behind the many numbers out there, the soldiers serving this country, especially on a day like today. Thank you, Josh.

LEVS: You got it. Thanks

NGUYEN: Now it's time to check in with Howard Kurtz in Washington to see what's ahead on CNN RELIABLE SOURCES.

Hello, Howard.

HOWARD KURTZ, RELIABLE SOURCES: Hello Betty. Coming up, some of your favorite TV shows have already been sidelined by the Hollywood writer's strike. Who's to blame and will some disgruntled viewers simply not come back?

Oprah Winfrey makes heartfelt apology amid serious charges at the South African girl's school she founded. How is she handling the crisis?

Plus, a rough week for Rudy Giuliani as the press thumbs its nose at an endorsement by Pat Robertson and he scrutinizes the indictment of his old pal Bernie Kerik.

That, and a look back at the life of Peter Jennings, ahead on RELIABLE SOURCES.

NGUYEN: That's a jam packed show. We'll be watching. Thank you, Howard.

HOLMES: Well, of course everybody needs to blow off a little steam sometimes.

NGUYEN: Oh, don't we.

HOLMES: Some people more than others. Some people do it by working out. I know you enjoy shopping, specifillay shoe shopping.

NGUYEN: But some people do get downright crazy. It's the pictures you must see to get your Sunday started off right. Don't miss this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: We were just talking about food. Ever thought of drinking your meal? Yeah, better yet, why don't you taste one of these. The Jones Soda Company, which is known for making really weird flavors has came out with a holiday sampler, shall we say.

HOLMES: And the that stands out and I'm particularly interested to try.

NGUYEN: Oh really?

HOLMES: Ham. A drink that tastes like ham.

NGUYEN: Ham flavored soda.

HOLMES: It's too much work for me, really. I don't like to cut my ham, really.

NGUYEN: So, is it baked ham, is it honey ham?

HOLMES: Not sure, but I'll take it all. It gets old trying to cut up your ham and eat it. I'd just rather drink my ham.

NGUYEN: Just drink it. I'm looking for some chicken fried steak soda with gravy on it, maybe.

HOLMES: But you can see these flavors, yeah.

NGUYEN: Who's buying this, that's what I want to know because somebody apparently is. They're doing pretty well, there. There's a Christmas pack.

HOLMES: I'll bring some in next weekend. You know, everybody on the show team is getting the ham drinks for Christmas. NGUYEN: You big ham. And now for something really different. This furry convention in Memphis. You might think these are team mascots. No, they're not.

HOLMES: We're not making this stuff up. These people who just want to dress up in these animal costumes and then hang out together and play and fight and -- so they call themselves "Furries." I haven't quite gotten into it yet.

NGUYEN: No. Yeah, and with that -- oh wow.

HOLMES: Oh, goodness gracious.

NGUYEN: Move on, shall we?

HOLMES: Oh, what were the "Furries" doing on the floor there? Oh, some furry loving in Memphis.

NGUYEN: Oh, Wow, yeah. Can we show that on TV? All right, so you've survived one week with late night reruns and now most of Broadway is dark, too. We're going to have the latest on the writers and stagehand strikes, that's next on RELIABLE SOURCES.

HOLMES: And with Pakistan's president speaking out today, there's plenty of talk about Senator Joe Biden and former U.N. ambassador John Bolton. They join Wolf for LATE EDITION, but first, the morning's top stories. NGUYEN: An apparent confession from Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf; meeting with reporters for the first time since declaring a state of emergency. Musharraf now says parliamentary elections should take place before January 9. Earlier he had only been promising elections before February 15.

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