Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Presidents Obama and Sarkozy Commemorate D-Day in France; New Information on Missing Air France Flight
Aired June 06, 2009 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody.
President Obama and President Sarkozy, as well as the first lady, just wrapping up lunch at that spot you're seeing there. This is right outside of a French municipal building where the two couples have been meeting for a short time this morning. The president there is going to be heading over to the American Cemetery and memorial as they mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day today.
From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, Georgia, it's 8:00 a.m. here, 2:00 p.m. there in France. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR, SATURDAY MORNING: Yes, good morning everybody and thanks for being with us today. I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to begin with a special tribute to the thousands of allied soldiers who swarmed the beaches of Normandy and the thousands who lost their lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the allied expeditionary force, you are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, FORMER PRESIDENT: Success may not come with rushing speed, but we showed (ph) it came again and again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Priority number one (INAUDIBLE) , a long time before D-Day, the eighth and ninth air forces have accomplished that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will accept nothing less than full victory.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT: Here in Normandy the rescue began.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: One U.S. company alone, 197 of 205 men were slaughtered in just 10 minutes.
REAGAN: These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: It was 65 years ago today, allied forces led the invasion that turned the tide of World War II. President Barack Obama is in France this hour as fallen heroes around the world are being remembered.
Our Dan Lothian is standing by in Normandy for us this morning. Hello to you, good morning here good afternoon there and tell us, what is the scene there so far this morning? A beautiful shot behind you.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It is a beautiful shot behind us here, the president pointing out earlier this morning that this is a symbol of the sacrifice by the allied soldiers and certainly American soldiers, more than 9,000 buried here.
You know T.J., there have been other big anniversaries but this stands one perhaps stands out because this is perhaps the last time that so many of the surviving veterans will be able to attend. They're 85 years old plus. I spoke to a World War II veteran earlier. He's 88 years old and frail. It's uncertain whether or not they could gather a large number of those veterans back for another big anniversary.
As you mentioned, they are being honored today by President Obama, Michelle Obama, the first lady also here as well as the prime ministers of Britain and Canada and of course French President Sarkozy and his wife. They will be making remarks later at the official ceremony here.
But earlier today the president met with Mrs. Sarkozy. They're having lunch and then they came out and made some remarks. It was supposed to be just taking a few questions, but it turned into an impromptu press conference. The president said they discussed a number of issues including Iran, Guantanamo Bay, Russia.
But also we heard from President Obama, perhaps the strongest language yet that he has used on North Korea since North Korea started those nuclear tests and launching those missiles, the president calling it, quote, extraordinarily provocative.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I don't think that there should be an assumption that we will simply continue down a path in which North Korea is constantly destabilizing the region and we just react in the same ways by after they've done these things for a while then we --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LOTHIAN: So the president again using strong language condemning essentially what North Korea has been doing in terms of nuclear tests, firing missiles there and saying that this kind of activity not only in North Korea but also what the U.S. and other allies believe might be taking place inside Iran with their nuclear ambitions is dangerous and not only for the regions around those countries but also for the entire world.
But of course the focus today not necessarily North Korea and Iran but here for the 65th anniversary of D-Day. One other guest who will be here today will be Mr. Obama's great Uncle Charles King (ph) who was one of the soldiers who helped to liberate one of the camps of Buchenwald. He was not there with the president when he visited Buchenwald in Germany yesterday but he will be there today T.J.
HOLMES: All right, a lot going on there, including a bit of a family affair. Dan Lothian for us. We'll check in with you again, thanks so much.
NGUYEN: Well, the official anniversary ceremonies do get underway in Normandy next hour with speeches from French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Then at 10:00 a.m. President Obama delivers his remarks from the American cemetery.
Shortly after that, the president's remarks of course, then we will have the ceremonial wreath laying and a moment of silence. A 21- gun salute and the playing of "Taps" follows. Then at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, President Obama is scheduled to head back to Paris.
We do want to invite you to stay with CNN for live coverage at the event at the American cemetery in Normandy. You're looking at the pictures earlier today as the two presidents met. The president's remarks will be taking place again. We want to invite you to stay right here on CNN.
In fact, these are live pictures. Both presidents have met. They had a lunch a little bit earlier. They talked about a lot of things from North Korea to Afghanistan, to Middle East peace and now we see them getting into these vehicles as they leave to head to the American cemetery for those ceremonies that are set to begin in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
HOLMES: Again, this is a scene we started watching this morning, Betty, right about two hours ago we saw him pull up in this very spot, a live picture and get out and have that meeting at that municipal building. People still gathered out there. That's the same crowd of folks probably who greeted him when he first got there. They're going to take this motorcade over to the cemetery, a short drive, I do believe it is.
All this is happening, I believe, if I have my geography about right, 170 miles or so west of Paris. I do believe, correct me if I am wrong, somebody, but I think that is right, just to give you some perspective.
This is Cannes, they're making their way now closer to the coast there in Normandy, of course (ph) where the beaches are where of course that 50-mile stretch where all the allied forces did come on this day 65 years ago. But we will continue to keep our eye on all these live pictures, the president's trip to France on this day of commemoration.
Meanwhile, some other big stories to tell you about. First out of China here where desperate rescue operation going on right now in the southwestern part of that country and the picture you're seeing here is why. A large landslide -- you can kind of make out in these pictures here, buried about 80 people in rumble. Rescuers admit there's little chance most of them survived the rock slide but a couple dozen miners, an underground mine in that area may still be alive.
Also in Mexico, 29 children killed when a fire ripped through a day care center in northwestern Mexico. All of the kids were under the age of five. Dozens more people were injured, some of the kids being taken to a hospital in Sacramento, California for treatment.
NGUYEN: There is new information this morning on the Air France flight that went missing earlier this week. We are now hearing there were a host of automated error messages come from the plane just before it disappeared.
CNN's Richard Quest joins us now live from London to talk about this. And Richard, there was a news conference in Paris by investigators there just a short time ago. Any more clues as to what exactly happened?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, they don't really know why the plane fell out of the sky. They don't know why the error messages were sent by this automatic system (INAUDIBLE) from the aircraft.
Betty, what we do know is that there were two dozen such messages. They basically outlined that systems like the auto throttle and the automatic pilot. We know for example that there was a discrepancy, an inconsistency in the speed monitoring devices. So we know that these equipments or these systems were failing, but of course as to the reason, that is still unknown.
No (INAUDIBLE) has been recovered. There is no sign of the black boxes. They haven't as far as yet received any pings that will last up to 30 days from the ocean floor. We do know now the weather in the area. Yes, there were storms, but they were storms of the sort that would be expected this time and there were not anything unusual. That's what the weather people are telling us from Paris.
NGUYEN: We also understand that one of the error messages mentioned that the aircraft's autopilot had been turned off and you also talked about the speed. Give us a little more information about the speed monitoring equipment that investigators have really started to focus on.
QUEST: They really are focusing on that and they're doing that because they have nothing else to work on at the moment, truth be told. They're focusing on two probes at the front of the aircraft and it is the pito (ph) tubes. They basically monitor how fast the plane is going through the air. There was a discrepancy between what the information that the computers on the left hand taking the information from the pito tubes were disagreeing with others on the right hand. Now what we do know is that Airbus had recommended that pito tubes be replaced. They had not been replaced on these aircraft. Air France the other night did send a telex saying that they would be now replaced.
But Betty, let me just be absolutely, completely clear. Is this a complete red herring? It could well be. There could be no connection between the speed monitoring, this pito tube stuff and what actually took place. All we are doing at the moment is getting individual pieces of the jigsaw. They're being put on the table. But I promise you this, at the moment the picture is by no means clear.
NGUYEN: There are a lot of unanswered questions and I lot of debris, a lot of wreckage that no one can seem to find at this moment. Richard Quest joining us live. Thank you for that.
HOLMES: Well, D-Day through the eyes of a "Life" magazine photo editor. His story and why he has hope for the future.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We got the events of the day as they unfolded right here. You'll be able to follow them step-by-step directly from the frontlines. We'll show you how.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Sixty five years ago today Guy Whidden was just 20 years old and jumping out of an airplane over Normandy, France.
HOLMES: His journey well documented by the 300 letters he sent his mom during the war all published in this book called "Between the Lines and Beyond" and this morning the 85-year-old World War II vet joins us now from Philadelphia, there he is, looking good this morning at 85.
Good to see you sir. Good to see you. You've been through 65 of these anniversaries now. Is each one different? What's today like for you?
GUY WHIDDEN, D-DAY VETERAN: Well, on the 50th, of course, we jumped again and the next couple I planned to jump but my wife decided I'd better not jump.
NGUYEN: She is one smart lady. Hey, I want you to take us back to that day. There were some 800 planes that had some 13,000 paratroopers that really made this amazing journey there onto the beaches of Normandy. Take us back to that moment and what you experienced.
WHIDDEN: Well, coming across the channel of course we flew at about just a couple hundred feet over the water to avoid German radar. Then when we hit the Jersey and Guernsey islands off Normandy, we elevated to about 1,500 feet. At that point, it was like a sliding board all the way down into (INAUDIBLE). Of course we were jumped all over the area. It was very hectic. I don't say that I personally was afraid but I was maybe apprehensive. It was quite an experience. We were one of the lead planes, one of the first three planes to be dropped and my plane was dropped reportedly at 300 feet, so I crash landed.
HOLMES: That didn't give you much time to think about what was going on below you when you jumped. You essentially didn't know what you might hit when you jumped out of that plane, did you?
WHIDDEN: Yeah, we didn't have too much time to think about it. Going out of the plane certainly the trip was so fast down that until we hit the ground, of course I was knocked out right away by an equipment bundle that was oscillating through the air and then when I woke up, there was reality, you know. Things were happening.
NGUYEN: As we look back some 65 years now, what does this day mean to you?
WHIDDEN: Well, it means a lot because I think in terms -- we think in terms of our comrades who died on that day and thereafter and also those who have died since and a few of us that remain today, we have to feel very fortunate and just so sorry that those early on had to die so young. It's heartbreaking in that respect.
HOLMES: And sir the name of your book "Between the Lines and Beyond," there's much more to that title. Essentially these letters that you were writing back home, you kind of required your family, your mother, to kind of read between the lines of what you were saying in some of those letters.
WHIDDEN: Well, the letters really make the stories that go with it have to be extremely accurate. I downplayed everything in the letters to make it easy for my mother. I talked about girlfriends and all that sort of thing to make her feel that, hey, that guy is having a good time. But in reality, yes, we had good times but the combat times were hard.
NGUYEN: No doubt. And as we think about this day, what do you think the lessons that is were learned that day and what's something that we can take into the future?
WHIDDEN: Well, I think if people only realize today what the sacrifice was then not only for those who went on D-Day but all the soldiers and all the military throughout the world who many of them lost their lives, I think we have to think in terms of the sacrifices that were made and that what they have today is really a gift and they should make the most of it.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Make the most of every moment that you have. It's not guaranteed.
HOLMES: Well sir, before we let you go, you just mentioned a moment ago that the 50th anniversary you jumped out of a plane. You kind of relived things. Do you have any plans -- you're 85. Do you have any plans to possibly jump out of another plane again? WHIDDEN: Well, I was scheduled possibly to a jump today.
HOLMES: Oh, wow.
WHIDDEN: But a group from Ohio had contacted me and I said that I would jump if I could jump with a round chute and apparently from what they tell me the French were not in agreement with that and they said that that wouldn't work. So obviously it won't work at least this time.
NGUYEN: Well, you're going to stay safe on solid ground then. All right, Mr. Whidden, we do appreciate your time today. And as I mentioned earlier, we do appreciate your service as well. Thank you so much.
HOLMES: It's a pleasure, sir. Thank you so much.
WHIDDEN: Thank you very much.
NGUYEN: It was the largest seaborne invasion in history and you can see some of the heroic work of all the allied forces online.
HOLMES: Josh Levs here to show it to us. Good morning, Josh.
LEVS: Guys, you were just hearing about that experience of being airborne. This Web site from the army actually takes you inside that experience. Take a look at this clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF ADOLPH "BUD" WARPECKE, AIRBORNE DIVISION: Just as soon as I bailed out, I knew that was the end of it. I was not coming back anymore because I had never seen so many tracers in my life. Tracers were all over the place and shooting at us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: This is one of the many things you can see here. It's from army (INAUDIBLE) I want to zoom in quickly just to give you a sense that we're seeing all these photos, lots of photos from different parts of what was going on that day. I've also noticed this really interesting image from an area I'm sure I'll pronounce it wrong, but I believe it's (INAUDIBLE) something like that.
You can see what the military has to do where they would throw these ropes up in order to scale their way up onto land. And to this day the land is physically different because of what allied forces and the fighting of that day.
Reynolds is actually here to show us that. Reynolds is going to show us these craters that are to this day right inside the land there because of the fighting that day.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's amazing. To this day, here we are, 65 years later and you can see them with Google earth. Take a look at it. (INAUDIBLE) was a really interesting place. It was a very strategic spot in Normandy and the reason why is because you had two big things happening, the 1st and 29th divisions were making their way right in (INAUDIBLE) sector of Omaha Beach and Omaha Beach in this area, Utah Beach on the other. This was the key objective to get this point.
Now to the day you can still see pockmarks there, there on the surface caused by the bombardment of B-29 bombers that came over, rather B-26 bombers that came over the night before, plus your battle ships out in the channel like the "USS Texas." They were firing shells in this area to give assistance to the soldiers that were pinned on the beach.
The thing that was amazing about this specific area, look how high the cliffs are up to 100 feet in some locations and the second battalion of the army rangers make their way onshore. They're only about, say, 500 of them in this specific area. They had to scale these (INAUDIBLE) go up there with grappling hooks and try to knock out these German fortifications.
When they first landed there had were 500. Within two days they were down to 90. So it gives you an idea of what these guys were dealing with. So it is amazing we do have all kinds of great pictures. We've got all kinds of great images. Just the idea of being able to go to this place on this planet and just see still the scarring on the earth.
LEVS: And Reynolds, those are the craters there. That was once upon a time, that was flat right, and now to this day, 65 years later to the day you have all these craters that are I guess permanent there in the land,, the sedimentation, the rain, nothing changes, the permanent scars there from the fighting of that day.
WOLF: One day they will be gone. There's no question about it. Things -- you're going to have the erosion but it's just amazing the pockmarks are still there. You had 500 bombs that landed and boom, that's the effect you have.
LEVS: It's amazing. Listen, our viewers are weighing in like crazy. Let's show the graphic really quickly because what we're hearing from you at the blog today, cnn.com/newsroom, I'm hearing from you at facebook.com/josh levscnn and twitter.com/joshlevscnn. We're going to keep each hour showing you more and more of the amazing images from D-Day.
Betty and T.J., you guys know this, our viewers weighing in a lot today, some of them with actual memories fighting during that time. Others just to say how much they admire the work that was done.
NGUYEN: And others with family members who served and want to share those stories as well. We'll be reading from that this morning too. Thank you so much for that. We appreciate it.
HOLMES: Reynolds Wolf, we're going to bring him back in now. Back to some of your I guess official duties with the weather here Reynolds. We were talking about South Beach earlier with rain, but other parts of Florida, others parts of the country seeing some rain. (WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: You're having a fun time with had a magic wall, aren't you?
WOLF: Absolutely. While we're doing the magic wall, there's something else I got to remember to tell you about.
HOLMES: Because you just forgot, didn't you Reynolds?
WOLF: I sure did, (INAUDIBLE) a little reminder. The thing I like to remind you, that it's always fun to travel on the weekend. There's no question about that. It's even better in today's economy that you can do it in a very inexpensive getaway. This week we're going to show you why Charlottesville may be just the ticket.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STIRLING KELSO, TRAVEL + LEISURE: Charlottesville is perfect for a weekend getaway because there's so much to do there.
WOLF: Just two hours from Washington, DC, you'll find this small Virginia town with big opportunities.
RYAN HUBBARD, THE DINSMORE HOUSE B&B: Everything in this area is very centrally located whether you come to go hiking or whether you want to go to the vineyards or go to the three presidential homes that are within 20 miles of Charlottesville.
WOLF: At the University of Virginia there are free tours at the heart of Thomas Jefferson's academic and architectural legacy.
KELSO: And you can't go to Charlottesville and not stroll around that beautiful campus.
WOLF: Celebrate your freedom of speech in the new 54-foot chalk board monument in front of city hall.
KELSO: Charlottesville sort of brings you back to the basics. It's a very refreshing place to go because you've got a great taste of the local vibe and culture.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: We want to tell but this, operation tiger. It was a training mission for D-Day.
HOLMES: It actually turned into a slaughter of U.S. troops. We'll accompany two World War II veterans as they relive the horror of that day.
NGUYEN: And we also continue to bring you live coverage of President Obama as he visits the American cemetery in Normandy. They are taking that road -- not really a road, they are going by helicopter, in fact, from Cannes, France, to the beaches there, Omaha Beach, I believe, where the American cemetery is. We'll be watching those ceremonies live as they happen. We're bringing them straight to you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: I want to take you to pictures right now of Marine One landing in Normandy, France, for the commemoration of D-Day, today marking the 65th anniversary. And at some point, we want to bring you back to live pictures and maybe we can see the president and first lady get off of that helicopter, Marine One, of course.
This is really a significant moment in history as 160,000 allied troops landed in France 65 years ago today, Normandy, France. This invasion was really the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany. And we've been talking all day about the sacrifices and heroism that was really shown on that day as we look now at Marine One there at the American cemetery in Normandy, France.
There's a lot on the list today, on the agenda, a lot of ceremony and commemorations taking place and, in fact, the president will be speaking at 10:00 Eastern this morning. When he does, we'll bring that to you live.
HOLMES: Also to be speaking today, the Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper (ph), the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, also the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, all four of these leaders really represent the four countries that played such a major part.
Several other countries did as well but on what happened on this day 65 years ago there in Normandy, the president here landing at the cemetery, the American cemetery, which is the final resting place of some 9,400 service members who died in that war. Now this is right off of Omaha Beach. Omaha Beach is one of those places where tens of thousands of American service members landed on that day, some 50-mile stretch of beach in Normandy there in France. But Omaha Beach was one specifically that the Americans did play such a role in.
And here we are getting, again, this is a live picture we are bringing to you from Normandy right now at the American cemetery where the president just landed. He made the short trip on Marine one from Cannes, a short time ago. Cannes was where he met with the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, also with the First Lady of France a short time ago. Accompanying the president on this trip, his family is with him. Also, Michelle Obama, we've seen the live pictures of her as well this morning.
NGUYEN: Yes, and this trip was really pretty a short one. It only took them what about 30 minutes to make it by helicopter. It's only about 50 miles away from Cannes to the American cemetery as we wait with these live pictures. There you see right now First Lady Michelle Obama coming off of Marine One followed by her husband, the president of the United States, Barack Obama. This is really a big day as we commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
And a lot of people as you look into the history will know that, in fact, D-Day was originally scheduled for June 5th but the weather did not cooperate. In fact on this day 65 years ago the invasion involved 5,000 ships, some 800 planes dropping over 13,000 men in parachutes. And over 100,000 allied troops in fact did make it to the shore on that day.
HOLMS: And on what they're coming into here, the president, it is going to be certainly an elaborate, extensive ceremony today. But the president there specifically to commemorate this anniversary, but also had some business to talk.
World issues, big issues never too far from the president's plate, discussing, talking about Iran and North Korea, also Middle East peace today with the French president as the president and First Lady make their way. Ceremony again expected to start a little over what is it -- I know he's speaking around 10:00, but still, the ceremony's expected to kick off here in just a short time.
Again, live pictures of President Obama and the First Lady today. All the leaders and their wives actually participating in the event today. They're going to make their way over to a visitors center, where there's going to be a ceremony. They're actually going to be awarding the legion of honor medal to a couple of service members. This is really one of the highest honors that could be bestowed upon someone in France at least. A couple of Americans are going to be getting these particular medals also with a couple of other -- from other countries as well.
The president with a smile on his face making his way what looks like a beautiful day over in France. This is in, again, this one -- I got my geography right now, Betty, is 170 miles away from west of Paris. The president was in Paris, made his way through Cannes, and then made his way from Cannes, France, to -- here to the beaches of Normandy, some 170 miles away.
NGUYEN: And as we watch this unfold today, a lot of people are weighing in. We've asked our viewers basically to give us an idea of some of the experiences either they or their family members have had had on this day 65 years ago. And a lot of people indeed are looking back today.
On my Facebook page Al Aldridge says I celebrate this event because of D-Day, the end of the war. I was just a year old when that happened. But because of this, my father, a member of the U.S. Navy, made it home safely. And he was able to see me make a career in the United States Air Force and another war, that being Vietnam.
Also Arlen Burton is saying let us hope that the world learns a lessons of World War II and what that taught us. I also hope that 165 years from now, we will still remember these heroes.
Well today, indeed, we are remembering the heroes of D-Day. A lot of people risking their lives. And a lot that went into planning, in fact, of that invasion. Such a pivotal moment in history there.
And as we watch as the president and First Lady arrive there at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, there's a lot on the schedule today as we've been talking about, especially a speech that we're going to be hearing from President Obama at 10:00 Eastern. But some awards as you mentioned, too, T.J., will be handed out today for the heroism that was shown on this day 65 years ago. HOLMES: And I believe I just saw the president being greeted, even though he didn't have his name on the schedule. I believe he was just greeted by former U.S. Senator from Georgia Max Cleland there, who we all know his story. I believe that's him. If I'm mistaken, somebody correct me. But I believe that's Max Cleland, the former senator there who has greeted the president.
But of course as we know his story as well, a war hero in his own right, who was injured, who is now using that wheelchair. But again, a U.S. -- a former U.S. senator from the state of Georgia who has always pushed and advocated for the veterans during his time.
Here is the president greeting current service members here. Now the president, again, his message today, we're expecting to hear at least 10:00 Eastern time. 10:02, expected make about a 50 minute address. The other leaders from Canada, from France and also from Great Britain will be making speeches as well, but expecting to focus at least on the speeches about this day, what it means, and how this day really changed things. Really this was the retaking of how it started, of Western Europe essentially, back from Nazi Germany.
But the president make -- has made quite a bit of a walk here since we've seen him get off Marine One. And we've had this live picture and covered it from every moment. Now kind of go ahead and listen in here as the president makes his way.
(MUSIC)
HOLMES: Just a little music there playing as the president makes his way into what we believe is the visitors center there at the American Cemetery, the resting place of some 9,400 service members who died.
Also at this particular cemetery, another word of note here. There's a wall of the missing that is there as well. We had some 1,500 names inscribed on it of people who have never been identified. And here's a wider shot now of people here gathering for the ceremony. You see there in the back, that well, the picture keeps changing. We're at the mercy here if you will of the pool feed and the pool camera. So sometime these pictures change without us having any control over it.
NGUYEN: But we do have a correspondent on the ground, that being our very own Jim Bittermann, who we've been checking in this morning.
As Jim, as we have just been watching, the president has arrived at the American Cemetery there in Normandy, France. Give us an idea of the agenda, what we're expecting to see today?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SR. EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the first couple things we probably won't see, in fact, the president's going to go into this visitors center where I think you're seeing him going now. And he is going to be in there for a while. Going to meet a couple of veterans that are in there and also sign the guestbook here at the American Cemetery. They make quite a big deal of the guest book, because there has been any number of dignitaries come through here, many presidents and others who have come here over the years. And they really like to keep that guestbook in front and center because it's such an honor to have these people come up and to see the -- it's kind of a schlep to get up here. It's not easy to get up to the Coleville (ph) Cemetery. And so, you know, when people of note come up, they like to make sure they leave a record behind of their visit.
And of course, this is President Obama's first trip here, but President Bush has been through here, President Reagan, President Clinton. Any number of people have come up to Normandy for these D- Day anniversaries. And so of course, they want to make sure he signs the guestbook.
Now I think you're probably seeing some of the images of people in the crowd out there. We were wandering around with our cameras a little earlier. There's about 9,000 people out there. And they include -- they're all invited. Nobody got in here just by standing out at the front gate.
And they have come in from all parts of France, a lot of French here, but there's a lot of Americans. The Democrats abroad, for instance, great supporters of President Obama are here in great numbers. I just was talking to the president, the Democrats about a minute or two ago. And there's school children from the French- American school. And several of the other bilingual schools around the Paris area, they've come up by bus today.
So quite a great number of people come up to see President Obama, but also to see President Sarkozy. He'll be here. Gordon Brown. Prince Charles is in the audience. We saw him arrive a little earlier. And Steven Hupper (ph) from Canada. So it's a real mixed crowd. Nationalities, young and old, and a lot of people curious about what's going to happen this afternoon.
NGUYEN: It's a mixed crowd, Jim, but we were looking at pictures especially of the veterans there today. This is a day that really resonates with them. And for a lot of them, they obviously are up in age. And many will not be able to make the trip several years from now, as we continue to look back on this day. What does today mean to them? Have you been able to speak with some of those veterans there?
BITTERMANN: We've spoken to a lot over the last few days and over the last over few years up here because every time there's an anniversary, there's a gathering up here. And it's very significant I think in a lot of ways, so many ways, the landing here at Normandy marked people's lives for many who were young at the time.
In fact, it was the first time they'd ever seen combat. They came off these boats to the chaos and gunfire and tragedy and death. And then, you know, to have been part of an operation that ended up being so successful, although in those early days there was absolutely no clue that it was going to be successful. It was a real daring exploit. And so the first day when they landed, 170,000 men on to the beaches and then established the beachhead little by little. It took a week before all the beaches along here, there's five major beaches, the Americans have two, Omaha and Utah, but then there's the British beach and the Canadian beach. And it took more than a week just to reunite the beaches to make it into one beachhead, to bring in all the equipment that they needed to invade Europe.
So it is something that really marked people I think. And some people went on to other lives and forgot about it, but I think especially as some of these veterans have gotten older, they are more and more inclined to talk about it, to think about it, and what it meant. And it certainly was a -- probably for some the proudest moment of their lives to have been part of this really complex operation that took place years ago.
NGUYEN: Yeah, not just their lives, but the generations to come after them as well. Jim Bittermann on the ground there in Normandy, France, at the American Cemetery as we watch as we did just moments ago. The president arriving there. He will be speaking at 10:00 Eastern. We'll bring that live to you as we continue to commemorate this day, the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And a picture here we just saw a moment ago, the French president putting his jacket on and getting ready for the cameras there. Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carly Bruni there, making their way. They just landed in their helicopter. A lot of dignitaries making their way and landing here at this spot. This is at the American Cemetery, the other picture you just saw.
Now we'll take you back to a live picture. This is happening right now, they're making their way in, taking the same walk that we just saw President Obama a short time ago, heading over to the visitor's center where all of the heads of state will meet and along with their wives and then come out for the ceremony that's expected to start that commemorates the 65th anniversary of D-Day, starting here at the top of the hour, 9:00 Eastern time. And then the president expected to speak, President Obama around 10:00 Eastern. And we certainly will bring that to you live when it happens.
Meanwhile, Operation Tiger, that was one of the greatest American tragedies of World War II. And for years, it was one of its biggest secrets.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. Now though, a German ship that took part in the deadly attack on troops practicing for the D-Day assault is being restored and all the emotions, well, they are being relived.
CNN's Atika Shubert has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't that something? It's amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My little 20 millimeter wouldn't have made it.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Frank Derby and Paul Gerolstein take a first look at the boat that might have ended their lives 65 years ago. They are survivors of Operation Tiger, a D- Day landing exercise off the British coast that came under German attack just weeks before the Normandy invasion.
This is one of the few pictures of one of the vessels damaged in the attack. More than 700 were killed, one of the biggest losses in a single day of the war. And it was all kept secret for fear that it would jeopardize D-Day attack plans.
FRANK DERBY, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: We were told they'd court- martial us if we breathed a word about the operation. And believe me, everybody was scared to death.
SHUBERT (on camera): Restoring this boat is a huge undertaking. It will take at least another four or five years. But the owner and veterans say it's important to set the record straight, a chapter of history that was hidden for far too long.
(voice-over): For these veterans, it is the first time to actually see the German S boat that struck them on that dark night. Frank Derby was on watch as gunners mate at the time of the attack.
DERBY: I think the significance is to finally realize what we were up against. I had no idea they were this big.
SHUBERT: Paul Gerolstein was a gunner on the one ship that turned around to pick up survivors.
PAUL GEROLSTEIN, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: We threw the cargo net on them. And I was down on the hold, the cargo and grab and just fire, pulling them back.
SHUBERT: But he has no regrets coming here.
GEROLSTEIN: Well, I get emotional, you know. And I hate that. I hate that because it brings back memories not of the actual rescue, what happened, seeing all these young men, you know, died for nothing really. And they say we had more casualties in Operation Tiger than they did at Normandy, but it was kept quiet.
SHUBERT: Casualty numbers were eventually released months later in August 1944 folded in with D-Day fatalities, but it took decades for family members to learn the full details of what happened that night. For many veterans, being able to finally see and touch what was once forbidden to talk about is a relief.
Nathan Resnick was a machinist on one of the few boats to escape.
NATHAN RESNICK, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: The families have really suffered because they never got the full experience of a military -- of what happened. And some of them to this day don't know what happened.
SHUBERT: But restoring this boat ensures that the sacrifices of Operation Tiger will not be forgotten.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Plymouth, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And of course our coverage of the D-Day ceremonies and its anniversary will continue. We're keeping an eye on all things happening in France right now with the president.
NGUYEN: Yeah, also keeping an eye on the weather as well. We're going to get that for you right after this break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: And again, we are keeping an eye on what's happening over on the beaches of Normandy today. Dignitaries including the president getting together for ceremonies to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day today. You can see a lot of them getting ready for a ceremony expected to start in minutes. The president speaking around 10:00 Eastern. When that happens, we will bring that to you live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, the numbers are out. We now know that unemployment is at a 26-year high. But that's not the only issue. Just how many people are out of work, our Gerri Willis joins us now. And Gerri, it's also an issue of how long...
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Right.
HOLMES: ...people have been out of work.
WILLIS: Hey, look, you know, T.J., taking people on average about 22 weeks to find new employment. That's more than five months. And that is the highest number on record. And that figure doesn't even count folks who have stopped looking for work altogether.
There are some safety nets out there. Unemployment benefits have been extended dramatically in most states. You can get from 72 to 79 weeks of unemployment benefits. And you may be eligible for a little extra $25 per week in your paycheck. Remember, the first $2,400 of benefits are exempt from income taxes. So it's bad news if you lose your job, but there is some good news, some silver lining there.
HOLMES: Some silver lining but still, how are people -- how can people cope if they're out of a job long term?
WILLIS: You know, I talked to some folks who were in the business of helping people find jobs. And they say you have to work, you have to find some kind of work even if it's volunteer work, part- time work, contract work. You don't want to show an employer that you're doing absolutely nothing. They're going to make the worst kind of conclusion that you're lazy, you know, your skills aren't sharp. So you want to get some kind of work going. And remember, you know, in this kind of market, the kind of economy we've seen for the last six or seven years, it's really a roller coaster out there in terms of what your career path is actually going to look like.
Secondly or thirdly, I guess, seek out those staffing firms. Staffing firms, they kind of focus their energies just like say attorneys do. They have specific kinds of jobs they look at. There are some that only do contract work, some that do executives, some are organized by industry.
And of course finally structure your daily schedule. You don't have a job to do that for you anymore. You're not in the work place. You have to get up in the morning and say, okay, I'm doing 9:00 to 10:00 doing research, 10:00 to 12:00 getting on social networking sites and getting some, you know, contacts out there. T.J.?
HOLMES: All right, and Gerri we always seem to talk about and focus on, and rightly so, the overall unemployment number. But when you break it down by category of people, there are some groups doing better or even worse, I guess, this time around?
WILLIS: Yeah. You know, it's interesting when you really break down those numbers. The unemployment rate for African-Americans was down a tenth of a percent. Hispanics and Latinos were up almost 1.5 percent, while teenagers were up 1.2 percent. No surprise there. That could be the result of the summer hiring effect, the seasonal hiring effect. Whites were up about 0.5 percent. So we see very big differences here, you know, month to month and what's going on once you divide up that workforce and really start looking at the trends -- T.J.?
HOLMES: All right. It's the weekend. So "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" is coming up. What do you have for us?
WILLIS: We're going to be talking all about a complete guide on surviving this job market. Look, whether you're unemployed, employed. Maybe you're just worried about losing your job. We've got the best advice for you, give you some hard core time tested strategies for really getting out there, making sure you're getting the best job possible or just hanging on to the one you have, T.J.
HOLMES: Yes, hang on to the one you've got. Nobody wants to lose a job right about now. Gerri Willis, always a pleasure. Thank you so much. We'll see you soon.
WILLIS: Thank you, sir.
HOLMES: Well, good morning to you all. A live picture coming to you from Normandy, France. You see a group of dignitaries there gathered, among them President Obama. Even though you can't make him out there. But there's an overlook, taking a look out over Omaha Beach. This is at the American cemetery where we are expecting the ceremonies. And there you see the first lady, Michelle Obama. This ceremony just getting under way. But the president making some remarks coming up here shortly. There is the president along with the Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper, also Gordon Brown of Great Britain, also Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France. These pictures are jumping around, thanks to our pool camera. We are at the mercy, this is why this is jumping around a bit. But still a lot of live pictures and we have them and we do want to bring them to you. Thank you for being with us. We will continue to follow this morning, the president making live remarks at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.
But meanwhile, hello to you all this morning. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
There's a lot going on today. As we mentioned, 65 years ago, in fact, 150,000 troops swarmed, waded and parachuted on to the Nazi occupied soil of France. Well, this hour world leaders are remembering a day that changed the world. Our very own Dan Lothian is live at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France. We've been watching these pictures. It looks like some of those ceremonies are already taking place.
LOTHIAN: That's right. Well, the official ceremony about ready to begin here. But what you saw earlier, you see Michelle Obama entering there. Earlier she was touring the visitor's center here at the American Cemetery along with Mr. Obama and in the group T.J. was just pointing out that you have the prime ministers of Canada and Britain along with the president of France Sarkozy and Mr. Obama. Also, Prince Charles is taking part in the tour overlooking Omaha Beach at the overlook here at the American Cemetery. This is an extraordinarily important day for the 65th anniversary.
And you know, behind me, the backdrop, what a scene, more than 9,000 white crosses. At each cross is an American flag and a French flag. And as I was walking around, what you see at some of these crosses, notes written by perhaps relatives or friends thanking the fallen soldiers for their service. So it really is sort of an emotional day here at the cemetery. All of the leaders who are here will be making remarks in a short while.
President Obama making remarks earlier. He met one-on-one, a private meeting with French President Sarkozy, talked on a number of issues including Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, also Guantanamo Bay but, of course, today, again, the focus is right here remembering more than 9,000 military personnel who are buried here and also paying honor to the veterans who landed on Omaha Beach and are still alive today.
You know, there have been other big anniversaries but this one especially important because these veterans are getting much older. 85 years old, much older than that. I talked to one veteran who is 88 years old, very frail and uncertain whether they could gather a large group of veterans for another big anniversary here. So certainly a critical celebration and honor taking place here today. Betty.
NGUYEN: Absolutely, Dan Lothian. Thanks so much. Of course, we'll be checking in with you throughout the day as those commemorations take place and we do bring you the president's speech live when it happens at 10:00 Eastern. Thanks, Dan.
Well, you know, no one remembers a day like, of course, the vets who were there and Guy Whidden published a collection of letters that he wrote during the war in a book that's called "Between the Lines and Beyond."
HOLMES: And he joins us now from Philadelphia once again this morning. We talked to him a little earlier. Guy, it went so well, we wanted to make sure we had you around and back to talk about it. I don't know if you've been able to see some of these pictures of what's happening on the air here. We'll continue to show these live.
Are you hearing me OK? Are you hearing me all right, Mr. Whidden? OK, it looks like Mr. Whidden is not hearing us all right. We will get him back up. But again, we were telling his story.
WHIDDEN: I think I'm hearing now.
NGUYEN: Wonderful.
HOLMES: You're hearing now? You got us now, Mr. Whidden? This is T.J. and Betty again. Are you hearing me all right?
WHIDDEN: I'll do my best.
HOLMES: We appreciate you doing this. Is there anything in particular you would like to hear from some of these world leaders today as they speak during the ceremony?
WHIDDEN: Well, I would like to think that they were speaking in a genuine fashion and I would assume that they would. It would really be thinking about what actually happened back then and it would have some -- what they would say would have some impact on the world and the world suffering might benefit by what they have to say. Hopefully.
NGUYEN: And as you look at these pictures, Mr. Whidden, do memories come in your mind as to what you experience on this day because you were a paratrooper, you parachuted on to the beach there in Normandy and it was quite a heroic effort and something that obviously, really is near and dear to your heart.
WHIDDEN: What were my emotions were at the time? Well, I was young and maybe still somewhat naive but we had all had a lot of training and I can't say that I was really frightened but I was maybe apprehensive and I was excited and many of us were. I was talking with my buddy, Red Salvi (ph) this morning, a veteran of Normandy, and I think he has essentially the same feelings that I had.
HOLMES: All right. Well, Guy Whidden, stand by. We know you're going to stick around with us and listen to what the president has to say and also the other leaders. So we'll be talking to you again here shortly. Thank you so much for sticking around and we'll talk to you here soon.
Again, we'll continue to keep an eye on these live pictures here. We saw the president, the ceremony is about to start. Really officially getting under way here at the top of the hour, 9:00. We're expecting to hear from President Obama at around 10:00 Eastern time.
Our Jim Bittermann is out here -- out there, I should say, for the ceremony. We are looking at these beautiful pictures here, Jim, but you are there. So you give us some perspective and set the scene for us, for what it's like to actually be there.
BITTERMAN: Well, T.J., I tell you, it's a splendid day here. It couldn't have better weather. It wasn't this way 65 years ago, as you remember from stories of D-Day. In fact, they had miserable weather when they landed, a lot of fog and what not. We've had a great, sunny day here.
You've seen the leaders walking around. They just came in from the overlook there, which is an area where they can see down Omaha Beach a little bit. They see down the cliffs and there's also a map there to help orient them but I don't think they took in much of that because they basically were talking to some of the veterans that was there.
What happened is that all along their route through the cemetery here today, they've been positioned to some of the veterans that are going to be recognized a little later on with a ceremony and so they had a chance to chat with some of the veterans. You know, in the last few days I've been chatting with a number of these folks and they just all have wonderful stories to tell, interesting and sometimes tragic and moving about their memories from the day and you can't help but wonder at the kind of things they saw and lived through right here.
Just the other day we were out filming, we saw some horses running down Omaha Beach. It was such a great sort of bucolic and peaceful scene and then you see the veterans and hear what it was like 65 years ago and realize it was entirely different. Now I think we're going to start here with the national anthem in just a few minutes from now.
HOLMES: All right, and we'll see if we can get on one more question in. You mentioned earlier and we saw the picture of Prince Charles, actually at the ceremony. However, there was a little controversy because the queen wasn't initially on the invitation list but it looks like they did send Prince Charles. Can you give us that update?
BITTERMAN: A little compromise there. It was definitely a diplomatic snafu. And here are the national anthem.
HOLMES: All right. We'll listen in here. Thanks, Jim.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOLMES: All right. We just wanted to tune in and listen to that music, expecting a few national anthems to be played. But now, you're seeing as we mentioned Prince Charles there along with President Obama. You see Steven Harper there in the back, the Canadian prime minister, also Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, and Nicolas Sarkozy who is essentially hosting all of these world leaders.
You see the president, a lot of veterans on hand. They are a bunch that is dwindling in numbers, those World War II veterans. Many of them are here at the ceremony. Many of them can't travel. They're not in good enough shape to make it.
NGUYEN: Many 85 years and older.
HOLMES: And we have been talking to one this morning, at that very age. He's in good shape. And a lot of his fellow comrades are not but this is a large gathering, these people are invited, you can't really, like Jim Bittermann said, line up and just hope to get into this ceremony.
NGUYEN: Yes and we're waiting to hear the president speak. That will be at 10:00 Eastern this morning. Before that we will obviously hear from the French President Nicolas Sarkozy and then obviously Prime Minister Gordon Brown will be speaking as well and then of course President Obama.
A lot to be heard today as we listen to what they say and how they harken back on what happened 65 years ago today and take that into the message as we look to some of the challenges that we faced in our current time. It's going to be interesting to see what all of them have to say.
But we're seeing the color guard there and watching the ceremony as it takes place live from the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, on the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: I want to take you back now live to the American Cemetery in Normandy, France as we're watching the ceremonies take place. We're going to be hearing from all of these dignitaries today. Just to give you an idea of the lineup, we are first going to be hearing from the president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. He is going to be speaking and following him British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and then after that we're going to hear from the Canadian Steven Harper.
And then at 10:00 Eastern time we will be hearing from President Obama. So that is the lineup. But there is a lot of pomp and circumstance that's going to take place before then. You're hearing the choir right there and of course we'll be following all of this as it occurs today as we mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
HOLMES: As we keep an eye on that, we're going to bring in Josh Levs now. Keeping an eye on the Web site for the military that takes you inside the D-Day experience. Good morning again, John.
LEVS: Good morning to you guys.
Yes. It's amazing. Obviously, looking back on D-Day, there's a lot to celebrate about what was achieved there. Also tremendous price, a lot of lives to be remembered. What this Web site does that's so fascinating is it brings you to the front lines. Let's start off with a clip from this video.
Well, OK, I'm told we don't have that right now. When I press here, at least you can see some of what it looks like. But basically what it does is -- they have it. OK. Take a look now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I expected a bullet to rip through me at any moment from the right. I reached the stonewall. I looked down and being washed around by the incoming water, I saw the bodies of the my buddies who had tried in vain to clear the beach.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And you can see there some of the video that was taken from soldiers, by soldiers, who actually were part of the efforts of the day. They also have still photos. They put them all on this Web site. And earlier I had a chance to talk with an official from the military who described what it took to go through and gather all these images and create this site. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. KEVIN ARATA, U.S. ARMY: The video was actually compiled about three or four years ago and we actually got the audio footage from the D-Day Museum down in New Orleans and the video footage from the Archives up here in D.C. And we had someone put this together into a comprehensive package. Part of what you just shown.
This is about an eight-minute clip that really, I think, gives you a synopsis. If there was ever a place to go on one spot in about 15 minutes, to learn about what D-Day is all about, I think this site is it and that video kind of encapsulates just exactly what these heroes did 65 years ago today.
LEVS: It's stunning. As the viewers saw there, you're hearing from veterans themselves. Let's zoom back in. Because I want to show everyone this photos that you have. These series of still shots and let's see how close we can get to these. Again this shows us the drama.
Talk to me about this, did each unit have an official photographer who was there taking these pictures? I mean, some of it -- what's amazing to me is that some of these people must have been in danger when they were taking these photos, who have been here for this. So how did these get collected?
ARATA: Absolutely. And these again came from archival footage that we collected from various places. But yes, each of the units did have a photographer assigned to them to document this as they went through the war. And so that's what we're told most of this from. And it's very powerful images that just show incredibly what these men went through as they landed on the beaches of Normandy.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEVS: So it's great to speak with him earlier in the day. We're back live now. Let me just tell you, you can see that army.mills/dday. But the reason that I don't need you to write it down. It is right here at the NEWSROOM blog. Let's zoom in for a second. CNN.com/NEWSROOM, you should always check when you're watching us. We actually have posted a link to that site and right here we're also hearing from people, posting their comments.
Marissa wrote us, "I just want to say thank you to all those who are still alive. Those who are no longer with us, you served us during World War II, landing on the beaches on D-Day. You are real heroes for what you did so bravely."
Let's show them the graphics where you can weigh in. You got CNN.com/NEWSROOM for the NEWSROOM blog. You also have my Facebook page, facebook.com/JoshLevsCNN, twitter.com/joshlevscnn. These are all interactive discussions. You respond to each other as the show goes on. Also, as you watch the speech throughout the morning, we'd love to hear what you think of those.
And guys, later on this morning we'll be back with some of the more amazing video and more amazing photos from the sites here.
NGUYEN: Yes. And we're also getting lots of comments on our Facebook pages and twitter sites as well talking about the memories looking back at D-Day and what a lot of people and their family members have experienced on this day.
LEVS: You got it.
NGUYEN: And speaking of experiences, look at this live picture that we're bringing to you from the American Cemetery there as first lady Michelle Obama getting seated. The ceremony's under way right now. We, again, will be hearing from President Obama at 10:00 Eastern. We'll be bringing that to you live. In the meantime we are watching the celebrations, the commemorations on this, the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Live pictures now of the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, as they are praying at this moment. And following this, we will be hearing from the president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. As you can see many people have come out for today's ceremony commemorating the 65th anniversary of D-Day. We will continue to follow the events there and bring them to you live.
HOLMES: Meanwhile, as we await the president's remarks at around 10:00 Eastern -- we see there the French president making his way to the podium there. But as we await President Obama's remarks at 10:00 Eastern time roughly, let's check in with Reynolds Wolf, while we have a moment, to see what's happening weather wise here in this country. Good morning, again, Reynolds.
WOLF: Good morning, guys. Let's give you a quick synopsis of what's happening in your forecast. Again, the heat is going to be back in Texas today big time. Dallas with 93 degrees back in Midland, to the Odessa area, it could get very close to 100 degrees, possibly. Houston with 90, 50 in Billings, San Francisco with 58 degrees. And back to Boston, New York, mainly into the 70s.
Now in terms of precipitation we have plenty of it yesterday in South Florida. Could it happen again today? Yes. Especially in places like Alligator Alley. Probably not quite as intense as we had yesterday afternoon between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00. But still, you know in saturated areas, you got to be careful. Certainly drive along parts of say 95 and 75, it could have some issues.
Back into parts of the Midwest, things get a little better. Upper Midwest a different story though. It could have some scattered showers and scattered snow showers. The highest elevations in the central and northern Rockies, Glacier National Park, to the Grand (INAUDIBLE) even Yellowstone, yes, snow certainly is going to be possible there today.
On to the west coast a mix of sunshine and clouds. Much better conditions for places like Washington state and back into, say, Portland. They had some really rough weather just a few days ago.
All right. That's the latest. Let's send it back to you.
NGUYEN: All right. Reynolds, we do appreciate it.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: All right. And stay with us here. Our coverage continues of the D-Day anniversary commemoration happening in France. Right now you're seeing the French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Lots of live pictures to show you, President Obama speaking around 10:00 Eastern time. We will bring that to you live. Stay with us.
NICOLAS SARKOZY, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator) What were those young soldiers thinking of, it was destiny ...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Taking you back to France now. We're watching the French President Nicolas Sarkozy speak on this day, the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Take a listen to this for a brief moment.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SARKOZY (through translator) : ... nearly 20 miles deep but the battle of Normandy would not be over before August 29th. By that day, two million allied soldiers had been landed. 38,500 killed. 158,000 wounded. 19,000 listed missing. The German losses were 60,000 killed, 140,000 wounded, 210,000 taken prisoner, almost 20,000 civilians lost their lives.
The Battle of Normandy decided the outcome of the war, but it was won on the beaches and along the narrow lanes and hedge roads of the Norman countryside by the sons of American workers and farmers whose own fathers had fought in the Meuse-Argon Offensive in 1918. This battle was won by British soldiers who embodied the fighting spirit of a great people that had stood firm in the most terrible hour of their history.
And that battle was won by Canadian troops who had volunteered to service in the earliest days of the conflict, not because their country was threatened but because they were convinced that this was a matter of honor. The Battle of Normandy was won by the soldiers of the Polish first armored division, who took part in the decisive engagement of the (inaudible) covering themselves with glory.
The Battle of Normandy was won by Czech or Slovak, Danish and Norwegian aircrews, by Dutch and Belgian paratroopers, by Leclaire's troops, Kiefers commandos, and the three French SAS who fought in British uniform. The Battle of Normandy was won by soldiers 20 years of age, who killed so as not to be killed. The Battle of Normandy was won by soldiers 20 years of age who were afraid to die ...
NGUYEN: And we've been listening to French President Nicolas Sarkozy speaking on the 65th anniversary of D-Day, an important moment on this day. The invasion of Normandy and it was very pivotal because it really marked the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany. 160,000 Allied troops taking part in that. And if you want to listen to this in its entirety, you can go to cnn.com for it. There's a lot still coming up. We will be bringing you the president's remarks as he speaks live at 10:00 Eastern.
But in the meantime "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" with Gerri Willis is coming up right now.
