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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Homecoming for Heroes on Memorial Day; Louisiana Police Identify Serial Killer Suspect

Aired May 26, 2003 - 17:00   ET

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

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: All Americans and every free nation on Earth can trace their liberty to the white markers of places like Arlington National Cemetery.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A homecoming for heroes back from Iraq. Some won't make it home. Americans are lost at sea and lost in a deadly ambush.

Still at large? If they're alive, Saddam's sons may have no future, as shocking details emerge about their cruel past from the pages of "TIME" magazine.

And is this the face of a serial killer? Louisiana police identify a suspect.

PAT ENGLADE, BATON ROUGE POLICE CHIEF: He is to be considered armed and dangerous.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: It is Memorial Day 2003. Hello from the Iwo Jima Marine Corps War Memorial, just outside of Washington. I'm Miles O'Brien reporting. Wolf Blitzer is off today. We're glad you're with us.

President Bush led the nation today, honoring Americans who have been killed in war. Mr. Bush placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery not far from where I sit. Under overcast skies, the president said -- and we quote him now -- "We remember all who died, all who are still missing, and all who mourn" -- end of quote.

Scores turned out for a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. The memorial's famous black granite wall contains the names of more than 58,000 Americans killed in the Vietnam War.

And at the Cambridge American Cemetery in Britain, American and British soldiers, past and present, remembered those killed in World War II.

For some (AUDIO GAP) gunmen ambushed an Army envoy, killing at least one U.S. soldier. And, in Baghdad, at least three U.S. soldiers were wounded when their vehicle either hit a land mine or came under attack. CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Plante joins with us the latest on all this activity -- hello, Chris.

CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.

That's right. The first ambush took place in the town of Hadithah, which is about 120 northwest of Baghdad. It was an eight- vehicle U.S. Army convoy headed up toward the Syrian border, when they were ambushed, apparently by Iraqis using rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and light weapons, and, as you said, one U.S. Army soldier killed this Memorial Day, another wounded, medevaced out of there.

The Army did send in attack helicopters and soldiers to try to hunt down those attackers. A second attack also occurred later in the day, this one very close to Baghdad, on the road between the Baghdad Airport and the city of Baghdad itself. This took place again in a convoy of three vehicles, three Humvees, heading away from the airport. And a man, according to reports from the scene, came up out of a ditch and threw what is described as a satchel charge underneath the lead vehicle in this three-vehicle convoy, wounding now four.

We have confirmed four wounded in that attack, one perhaps critically. Still waiting for additional word on that. Details are sketchy. Soldiers in the follow-on vehicles did come out of their vehicles and pull the wounded soldiers from their Humvee before the truck exploded, ammunition and gas tank exploded. So the situation clearly could have been significantly worse -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, thank you very much, CNN's Chris Plante at the Pentagon.

The Marines landed today, but on friendly shores, to say the least. More than 2,000 of them returned from the war in Iraq.

Let's go live now to CNN national correspondent Frank Buckley, who is at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina -- hello, Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're at Onslow Beach at Camp Lejeune.

This is where the 24th MEU, the Marine expeditionary unit, is coming ashore. They're coming from three ships, the USS Nassau, which is the ship that we were on for the past few days, also the USS Austin and the Tortuga. They're coming to Onslow Beach. And we can actually show you right now what is happening. You see one of the LCUs there, the landing craft.

And, Mark (ph), if you pan left a little bit, you can actually see another one of the LCUs that are turning around and going right back out to the USS Nassau. They will continue to ferry Marines and equipment back and forth, the USS Nassau just a few miles off shore. They will continue to go out to the ship, pick up Marines, pick up equipment, and come back with that here to Onslow Beach at Camp Lejeune. Once they are here, we can show you what it has been looking like throughout the day, with the reunions that have been taking place here at Camp Lejeune, wonderful moments for the families. These are families that have not seen their Marines for nine months. They were on a deployment that was supposed to take seven months. It ended up being extended. It was extended for a couple of months.

The last month at sea, the month before that last month, they were actually in country in Iraq, fortunately, no loss of life during the conflict for the Marines over there or the sailors. Unfortunately, just during the past few days, tragically, as the USS Nassau was getting closer and closer to shore here, on Friday, there was a death of a sailor, presumed death of a sailor, in Dwayne Williams. He is a 3rd class petty officer and was involved in what the captain of the ship called a freak accident.

He was on the deck of this amphibious assault ship. Someone threw him a football. He went to chase it and it went over the side and he went over the side as well. He was spotted going into the water. But after a nine-hour search by the USS Nassau, by the Coast Guard, by various helicopters, he could not be recovered. And he is presumed dead.

Now, yesterday, in a dramatic situation another sailor, this sailor, Shaun Dale, also was reported missing. Shaun Dale is a hospital corpsman. He did not report to a routine morning muster at 10:00 a.m. At that point, a search was conducted on the ship. After he couldn't be found after about an hour, the USS Nassau was actually turned around. The USS Nassau turned around, steamed back four or five hours, 80 miles to the last known point at which Dale was known to have been aboard. That was at 6:30 in the morning.

They went back to that location, launched helicopters, again, and, again, an 8 1/2 hour search that did not reveal Shaun Dale. So, at that point, he was classified as missing. There is still a search going on of the ship as these Marines are coming aboard. He has not been presumed dead at this point. The Navy officials are saying there is still a possibility that he is on the ship. So they're still searching for him -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Frank Buckley with those sad words there, thank you very much.

The U.S. Navy does take precautions to keep sailors safely aboard ship and makes every effort to recover those who do in fact fall into the sea.

We get more on this from CNN's Kyra Phillips.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): What happens when there is a man overboard? Over the ship's P.A. system, you'll hear the announcement, "Man overboard." Every sailer is supposed to muster within five minutes. Depending on where you work on the ship, you report to your ready room or work center for a head count. The ship starts to maneuver in a circular rotation around the area where the man overboard happened. If the sailor doesn't have a fleet coat, then an inflatable jacket is tossed to him or her, if possible. A helo is launched with rescue swimmers inside. It is also possible that a small boat may be sent out on a search also. Captain Terry O'Brien of the USS Nassau knows all too well how time of day affects the success of a rescue.

CAPT. TERRY O'BRIEN, U.S. NAVY: Darkness certainly will be a factor, our capability to see the man, also his survivability rates in the water, if he is in the water.

PHILLIPS: If the sailor is located, the swimmers go into the water and help hoist the man overboard up into the helo with a torso harness wrapped around the waist. If the sailor is badly injured, the rescue crew may use a basket.

Sailors believe in leaving no one behind. But if a man overboard is not found within 24 hours, the search is usually called off, because, at that point, there is no realistic chance for survival.

Kyra Phillips, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: As many of you probably recognize, we're coming to you from the Marine Corps War Memorial, more commonly referred to as the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

The statue depicts the famous flag-raising, a real icon of the 20th century, five marines on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima February of 1945, the last months of World War II. Almost 7,000 American Marines and sailors were killed in that battle alone.

Joining us now to talk more about Memorial Day in general is CNN military analyst, retired Army Brigadier General David Grange. General Grange is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War and spoke at the Vietnam Memorial a little earlier today.

General Grange, good to have you with us.

First of all, what did you try to say to the crowd there? How did you put in words what people are feeling on this Memorial Day?

RET. BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, that it is a sacred day. It is tied -- Memorial Day is tied to those who have given their lives in service to their nation, where Veterans Day is in honor of all serving armed forces veterans.

And it is a time to tie those that served in the past, those that are currently serving, and those maybe in the future together, as well as their families.

O'BRIEN: Do you have the sense that the tone of Memorial Day has changed over the years in the United States? It seems as if, not too many years ago, it was just an excuse to have a barbecue. I don't have that sense today.

GRANGE: No, I think you're right. It used to be a three-day weekend. It used to be, you go out boating and picnics. And that's still done. And that's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. But you have to take a moment in that three-day weekend to pay honor of some sort to those that have given their lives.

They're fellow citizens. Whether they wanted to go somewhere or not, they went. They were told to go. And they are our country men and women. So you have to do this.

O'BRIEN: Who do you think about on these days? Are there specific faces that come to mind?

GRANGE: There's faces from many different conflicts, to include peacekeeping operations where we had service members lost. And you kind of think back for a few moments to maybe an incident in Vietnam or Granada or the first Iraq war, or whatever the case may be, depending on your experiences.

And then you think about how -- what went right, what went wrong, and how you can make it better in the future. At least that's what I thought from Vietnam on. What can I do for those that gave their lives to make it better and save lives in the future?

O'BRIEN: So you're thinking somewhat of tactics. You're thinking like a military person, but there has got to be an emotional side as well.

GRANGE: Oh, it is. Exactly. But you want to harness that emotion and apply it to the future, so those that die did not die in vain.

O'BRIEN: I suppose we all would wish for a Memorial Day that would be a day from which there would be no wars hence. I guess that's a naive thought, isn't it?

GRANGE: Well, it is a thought that I can assure you many military people have, that there will be no more wars. But it is unrealistic.

O'BRIEN: Do they really think that way?

GRANGE: Sure.

I feel very proud about the fact that I've saved more lives in my military career than I've taken. And those are my soldiers and my units. And war is pretty horrible. And so you don't want to go back to war again. Though it is exciting, there's a rush, you want to accomplish your mission, it is a terrible thing. But it happens. And you have to be ready for it. And so that's what I'm saying. You want to take the lessons learned from those sacrifices and save more people in the future.

O'BRIEN: What is it like as a leader of men and women in combat to see the parents of people who have been lost under your command? GRANGE: That is the hardest aspect of being a leader, a commander, talking to the mother and father, son, daughter, sister, brother, and explaining why it happened, either in a letter or face to face, and talking about the experiences of their lost service member and what -- and why and what happened.

And you're trying to pull back these things and, the same time, relay the story and explain the reason why. It is the hardest thing to do.

O'BRIEN: It's a tough question, that why question, isn't it?

GRANGE: Very tough.

O'BRIEN: Brigadier General David Grange, retired United States Army, always a pleasure to talk with you.

GRANGE: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much for being with us on this Memorial Day.

GRANGE: My pleasure.

O'BRIEN: Now, here is your chance to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is: Do Americans take for granted the sacrifices of veterans? We'll have the results a little later in our broadcast.

We invite you to vote right now. CNN.com/Wolf is the place. While you're there, we would like to hear from you. Send us your comments. We might read some of them at the end of the program, time permitting. That's where, of course, you can read our daily online column. CNN.com/Wolf is the place to go.

A suspected serial killer on the loose in Louisiana -- do you know this man? Police ask the public for help.

Plus: cruelty exposed, new details about the twisted rivalry between Saddam's sons.

And faster, leaner, meaner: The U.S. military moves into the 21st century.

But first, in case you were out enjoying the holiday, here is our "Weekend Snapshot" for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): A mother in Pomona, California, was arrested after allegedly putting her 2-year-old daughter into a washing machine at a laundromat. Emergency crews had to rescue the girl, who is in stable condition.

School officials in Glenview, Illinois, voted to expel 31 seniors for their roles in that videotaped hazing incident. The students will get their diplomas, but won't be allowed to attend graduation.

At the Port of Miami, an explosion and fire on the cruise ship Norway killed four crew members. No passengers were hurt. Officials say it looks like an accident.

A small kitchen fire delayed the start of game four of the NBA Western Conference finals. The American Airlines Center in Dallas was briefly evacuated when the fire triggered the security system.

Brazilian drivers on top at the Indianapolis 500: Gil de Ferran edged out countryman and teammate Helio Castroneves for the third Penske team win in a row.

And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani got married over the weekend to longtime girlfriend Judith Nathan. Current Mayor Michael Bloomberg did the honors at the ceremony held at Giuliani's old home, Gracie Mansion.

And that's our "Weekend Snapshot."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Live pictures of the Vietnam Memorial, across the river from where I sit, just off the Mall, where six names were added today, six people who died ultimately linked to their service in Vietnam and where David Grange spoke to some of the assembled masses earlier, a solemn place, particularly on this Memorial Day 2003.

A murder warrant is out for a man police suspect in the serial murders of five women in Louisiana.

CNN Dallas bureau chief Ed Lavandera has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ENGLADE: A suspect has been identified.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On May 5, investigators took a DNA sample from Derrick Todd Lee. Law enforcement sources tell CNN Lee was questioned when he provided an oral swab and then he was allowed to leave. Lee's DNA was then compared to DNA evidence found at the crime scenes of five murdered women.

When the results came back almost three weeks later, Louisiana authorities were convinced this 34-year-old man is a serial killer on the loose.

ENGLADE: He is to be considered armed and dangerous. And authorities should be notified immediately. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact their local law enforcement.

LAVANDERA: The murders started in September of 2001. Gina Green was strangled in her Baton Rouge home near the Louisiana State University campus. Eight months later, May 2002, Charlotte Murray Pace is also killed in her home near the LSU campus. Two months later, Pam Kinamore was abducted from her home, her body found 30 miles west of Baton Rouge.

In November of last year, Trineisha Colomb's body was found in a wooded area near Lafayette. And the last victim was Carrie Yoder. This past March, the LSU graduate student was reported missing. One week later, Yoder's body was found close to where the third victim had been found.

When investigators released a personality profile of the killer last year, they said the man was able to win the trust of his victims.

MARY ANN GODAWA, BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT: He seems so harmless. The women he follows, watches or interacts with may not even be aware of him because he blends in with the community and his physical appearance is normal.

LAVANDERA: Investigators say that, in the first three murders, the killer approached the homes and asked to see a phone book. He would ask if anyone else was home. If the woman was alone, he would attack.

MIKE NEUSTROM, LAFAYETTE SHERIFF: Disarmingly charming, nice- looking fellow, smooth-talking fellow, nonthreatening fellow, gains the confidence of a female and then, again, attacks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: Of course, the families of the five victim have been closely watching this investigation. The mother of Pam Kinamore, the third victim of this serial killer, has been very critical of the investigation at this point. But she is hopeful that the news that has come out today will end this rash of murders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNNE MARINO, MOTHER OF PAM KINAMORE: I'm in a state of shock. I'm thrilled. I hope this is our guy. It won't bring Pam back, but he won't take any more lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Of course, now the focus is the manhunt for Derrick Todd Lee. He's described as 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighing about 210 pounds. But, at this point, authorities aren't able to give any kind of information as to what he might be wearing or what kind of car he might be driving as well. But this is a statewide manhunt in Louisiana and essentially a nationwide manhunt. The FBI has also put out bulletins and is assisting in this manhunt as well -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Ed Lavandera, thank you very much.

Is Iran in the crosshairs? Still ahead on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: Talks break down and rumors fly. Saddam's most dangerous biological weapons, his sons, from raping brides to torturing friends, what really went on in those palaces?

And later: Arrested shortly after 9/11 and believed to be terrorists, what happened to these men?

But first, today's "News Quiz": What was Memorial Day originally named: Civil War Day, Veterans Remembrance Day, Decoration Day, or Day of the Dead?

The answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Today, we honor the men and women who have worn the nation's uniform and were last seen on duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: President Bush today at Arlington National Cemetery honoring past and present veterans.

This just in to CNN: reports of an earthquake, a minor one, just south of San Francisco, centered around Daly City, California, about nine miles south of the city, 3.4 in magnitude, not considered a major earthquake. Nevertheless, some people in the bay area might have felt the earth move. We will in fact be checking in on that and give you more information on it as we get did it in.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated following new allegations Iran is harboring al Qaeda members. In fact, U.S. officials say the Bush administration is considering a move to destabilize the Iranian government.

CNN national security correspondent David Ensor joins me from our Washington bureau with more on all this -- hello, David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

Well, as you say, there are some officials in the Bush administration who are advocating a much tougher policy towards Tehran, unless it does take some actions against al Qaeda, and soon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR (voice-over): The message to Tehran from Washington, delivered again this weekend by a U.S. ally, is increasingly blunt: Senior al Qaeda personnel in Iran may have played a role in the recent Riyadh bombings. They should be turned over quickly or there may be consequences.

ALEXANDER DOWNER, AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: I made it perfectly clear to the president and other officials that it was unacceptable for al Qaeda to be able to operate in Iran.

KAMAL KHARRAZI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: There is no way that the Iranians would support al Qaeda, because we have been fighting with al Qaeda before even the Americans were engaged with them.

ENSOR: But U.S. intelligence officials say this man, Saif al- Adil, and other senior al Qaeda, are in Iran.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There is no question but that there are al Qaeda in Iran.

ENSOR: The U.S. is also deeply worried about Iran's nuclear program, for peaceful energy, says Tehran, most likely for nuclear weapons, says the U.S.

At a White House meeting scheduled for Tuesday, sources say officials will consider a tougher policy towards Iran. Some administration hard-liners advocate giving their tanks back to the troops of the Iranian opposition group the People's Mujahedeen and allowing it to resume attacks on Iran from U.S.-occupied Iraq. The Mujahedeen, which is on the State Department's list of terrorist groups, was recently forced to give up its heavy weapons by U.S. forces in Iraq.

ALI SAFAVI, NATIONAL RESISTANCE COUNCIL OF IRAN: If the Iranian people and the Iranian resistance, the Mujahedeen, are given the chance and the opportunity, I think they will succeed in bringing democracy and freedom to Iran and obviously peace and tranquility to the region.

ENSOR: As the U.S. builds pressure on Tehran, Senate Intelligence Committee members hint at progress behind the scenes.

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: There could be some better news on Iran that will be coming out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: And hints of progress in Tehran, too. Officials there say they have arrested several suspected members of al Qaeda, but do not yet know who they are. One Iranian official said, after interrogation, they could be turned over to Saudi Arabia -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: David, to what extent are U.S. officials considering any military actions, up to and including a strike on that nuclear facility?

ENSOR: You won't get a U.S. official to say that they are considering military actions against Iran.

There are some in the policy community in Washington on the sort of neoconservative side who are advocating that kind of a step in the coming couple of years, before it comes online, if nothing else happens between now and then. But, in the administration, they're talking about a somewhat tougher policy, but, at the same time, there is no talk of military action.

O'BRIEN: CNN's David Ensor in our Washington bureau, thank you very much.

Brothers of cruelty possibly alive and possibly on the run -- new details about Saddam's other weapons, his sons.

Plus: spreading virus. SARS rears its ugly head once again in Toronto.

And an American dream-turned-nightmare: Did these 9/11 suspects get a bad rap? We'll take a closer look.

But first, some other news making headlines all around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Earthquake rocks Japan: The powerful quake hit the East Coast of the main island of Honshu and triggered landslides, knocked out power, and disrupted road and rail traffic. There were no deaths, but dozens of people were injured. The magnitude-7 quake even swayed skyscrapers in Tokyo 240 miles away.

Peacekeepers killed in crash: A plane carrying Spanish peacekeepers back from duty in Afghanistan crashed in Turkey, killing all 75 people on board. The Ukrainian-chartered plane was attempting to land in fog when it crashed in flames.

Sharon endorses peace plans: Despite right-wing criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says he supports the U.S. road map for Middle East peace, but envisions a Palestinians state by 2005. This comes as the Bush administration is making plans for a possible three-way summit with President Bush, Mr. Ariel, and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.

Singing for drought victims, 50,000 people turned out for a benefit concert for 14 million Ethiopians threatened by starvation. The Live Aid show was put on by Ethiopia's top musicians in a bid to raise almost $2 million.

The top prize at Cannes. Director Gus van Sant's "Elephant," a film loosely based on the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, won top prize at this year's film festival.

That's our look around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back. I'm Miles O'Brien in for Wolf Blitzer. We're live at the Iwo Jima Marine Corps war memorial.

Coming up, Saddam's sons, are they alive, kicking, and planning a comeback? More on that in a moment.

But first, latest headlines for you. Eight more possible cases of SARS could be linked to the Canadian hospital you're seeing there. In fact, the World Health Organization put Toronto has now back on a list of areas where SARS can be transmitted. 26 other cases in Canada are also thought to be SARS.

Water, water everywhere. Heavy rain is to blame for the collapse of a dam in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Dozens of residents left scrambling for dry land have temporary shelter at a high school.

Can he do it? Roger Clemens takes the mound today for the New York Yankees hoping to become the 21st pitcher in major league history to win 300 games. If Clemens snags the record, it would mark first time it has occurred at Yankee Stadium since 1985. Appropriately enough, he's pitching against the Red Sox, his former team.

A brother-in-law of ousted Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, is now in U.S. custody. A U.S. Military spokesman says he was detained north of Baghdad in the town of Tikrit. He is not considered a major player in Iraqi politics, but U.S. Military leaders say they hope he can provide helpful information.

As we have been telling you on this Memorial Day, more reminders that the situation in Iraq is by no means stable. An ambash -- an ambush, I should say -- at Baghdad International Airport, four soldiers were shot, and we have word now that one of them has died.

CNN's Chris Plante joining us from the Pentagon with more -- Chris.

PLANTE: Hi, Miles. That's right. We just confirmed that one of the four soldiers involved in that incident has died of his injuries. It was, in fact, not gunshot wounds, but a man that came up out of a ditch threw what is described as a satchel charge underneath the lead vehicle in that convoy blowing up underneath the Humvee. First reports were that four were severely injured. We have now confirmation that one of those has died. Miles?

O'BRIEN: Chris, the situation in Iraq by no means is -- the stability is a long way from being on the radar screen. I guess this underscores the point. What are they saying at the Pentagon about that?

PLANTE: Well, the truth is that they're expecting to see more of this. I was discussing the situation today here with a senior Pentagon official, and he did say that we can, commenting on today's incidents, that he with can certainly expect to see more of this, one killed, one wounded up near (UNINTELLIGIBLE) today. Now one killed, three wounded down near Baghdad. Another soldier killed in an accident at an accident, an auto accident, in Baghdad today -- or in Iraq, rather. More expected -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: A poignant reminder of all that is at stake here on this Memorial Day, 2003. Chris Plante at the Pentagon, thank you very much.

Saddam Hussein and his sons, driven from power, possibly running for their lives, possibly dead. But as we learn more about their hold on power, it becomes clear they left behind a populous that won't soon forget their cruelty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice over): "Time" magazine says they may have been Saddam Hussein's nastiest biological weapons, his sons. This week's edition of the magazine has disturbing new details about the sociopathic behavior of Uday and Qusay Hussein and a rivalry between the brothers that, according to the magazine, became increasingly bitter. The friction, according to "Time", led them to split up as allied forces moved in.

MICHAEL WEISSKOPF, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Uday, the older of the sons, is operating on his own with aides, and Saddam has Qusay by his side in another location.

O'BRIEN: If they are, indeed, alive and if they have split up, it would be consistent with reports in recent years that Saddam Hussein had been favoring his younger son, Qusay, as the heir apparent. The reason according to "Time" and others, Uday Hussein's accelerated patterns of brutality. The sadistic details are almost beyond imagination, but "Time" interviewed dozens of people who had served the two brothers, butlers, maids, body guards, and other associates, who allegations are staggering.

Uday picking brides out of wedding parties and raping them, torturing servants for the smallest of infractions, locking people in coffins for days at a time. Qusay himself said to have summarily executed a number of enemies. Eventually says "Time", the two brothers grew suspicious and resentful of each other.

WEISSKOPF: Uday was so jealous of his brother that whenever he appeared in the media, he threw fits. He was so jealous of his brother's girlfriends he would bring them in and have sex with them himself and then use a branding iron to mark them with a horseshoe shaped U, of course, U being the first letter of his name.

O'BRIEN: Uday's behavior was so consistently bad, says "Time", that Saddam Hussein himself once wrote a letter to his eldest son warning him to scale back on his abuses.

Now as looters and enemy troops sift through the remains of their palaces, we may only be scratching the surface as the private lives of the brothers Hussein are exposed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: The war in Iraq was a victory for U.S. Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. His strategy for fighting with the smaller faster force was largely vindicated, and his vision for the future of the U.S. Military may have been validated as well. We get more on this story from CNN senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Pentagon believes its Blitzkrieg race across the desert kept Iraqi forces off balance and sealed an unexpectedly quick victory.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Consider a few of the lessons. One is speed, and it matters. Coalition forces pressed through southern Iraq in a matter of weeks. MCINTYRE: Enter the striker, an armored fighting vehicle on wheels that, unlike a tank, can cruise at highway speeds and will soon give certain Army brigades the ability to get to the fight even faster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This brigade is designed to have that speed and agility more so than the forces that were in the theater.

MCINTYRE: At Fort Poke, Louisiana, soldiers are road testing the new doctrine, which is based on more than just trading the protection of heavy armor for the agility of wheeled vehicles. It is also about the computer links that give commanders a virtual view of the entire battlefield.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just could not believe how much more information this brigade commander had compared to my rotation as a brigade commander at the National Training Center.

MCINTYRE: The Army's been under the gun to transform into a more nimble fighting force since the embarrassing debacle of Task Force Hawk in 1999. It took so long to move Apache helicopters and the force to protect them to Albania that by the time they were ready to fight in Yugoslavia, they were no longer needed.

The Army is now on course to build the future combat system, a whole new line of lighter tanks and vehicles that will go to service at the end of the decade, a pet project of outgoing Army chief of staff, General Eric Shinseki. But Shinseki, who retires next month, also irritated the Defense Secretary Rumsfeld by sticking by the Crusader heavy gun, which Rumsfeld eventually killed.

MCINTYRE: (on camera): During the planning for Iraq, some Pentagon civilians complained what they called "tread heads" in the Army were still pushing the old heavy force doctrine. Having fired the Army's secretary and with the Army chief retiring, Rumsfeld is now in position to fill the two top jobs with leaders that share his vision.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Arrested after 9/11 and held for over a year. Where are these men now? And what exactly did they do?

Then a day in the life from sun rise to sunset, the everyday business of being in the armed forces. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: The place known simply as "The Wall", the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on this Memorial Day, 2003.

In the days and months after September 11th, the terrorist attacks, more than a thousand people, most of them immigrants, were rounded up by U.S. officials. Some suspected of having ties to terrorists, but that rarely proved to be true.

CNN's Jamie Colby has the story of what happened to two Indians whose mug shots were splashed all around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They are just two among hundreds of men rounded up after 9/11, but word of their arrest was everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two men detained under INS violations in Texas and have been taken to New York city for questioning.

COLBY: Muhammad Azmath and Syed Shah were flying on September 11 from New Jersey to Texas. Their flight was grounded when the nation's air space was closed. They tried to finish the trip by train but were pulled off because their one-way ticketed paid with cash met the profile of drug runners. Police found Azmath and Shah carrying a total of more than $5,000 cash, numerous passport photos, hair dye, and box cutters like those used by the 9/11 hijackers.

The Indian immigrants in their mid 30s also had expired visas, but they quickly learned that wasn't the problem.

STEVEN LEBON, AZMATH DEFENSE ATTORNEY: They start posting about 9/11 even incident. So, not immigration or passport or visa inquiry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told them, we don't know nothing about the World Trade Center.

SHAH: And then crash. Do you know everything about that, do you have any prior knowledge?

COLBY: They told investigators they didn't but were turned over to the FBI and remained in custody more than a year.

Azmath and Shah are Muslims from Hyerabad in southern India, a city with many Muslims in a largely Hindu country. They came to America in the early 1990s looking for a better life. They lived and worked together in New Jersey, sending money home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Azmath worked at a newsstand in New Jersey for many years and, basically, he was -- he had lost his job, and he was moving to another job. And the box cutters were the tools of the trade. And because of what happened, they were singled out, they were profiled, the were pulled aside.

COLBY: Both were held in solitary confinement in this Brooklyn jail. James Comey, the U.S. attorney whose office prosecuted their case told CNN, "I don't think anyone would say the government acted unreasonably. It could be that they were victims of extraordinarily bad fortune, that they were flying in the air during the time of the 9/11 attacks, had one-way tickets, and were carrying their devices. There were a lot of circumstances that warranted the government taking a very, very close look at them." Azmath and Shah were cleared of any connection to terrorism, but they were not completely clean. Both pled guilty to credit card fraud, served their time, and were later deported. Both men say their feelings about America as a land of opportunity have changed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to go back again. I'm trying to heal myself what it did to me. Actually, I will never forget those days when I was in solitary confinement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically, it made me angry because they caught the wrong guy, and they give a hard time because of the religious background or the ethnic look.

COLBY (on camera): Like Azmath and Shah, hundreds of men were detained after the 9/11 attacks as the U.S. tried to regain its homeland security. Many of their cases raised questions of civil rights and due process that remain unanswered.

Jamie Colby, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: One hundred and twenty-five photographers, 24 hours, thousands of photographs. The images of military life when we return. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, for Roger Clemens, it is 299 and holding. The Rocket, the man who is a pitcher for the New York Yankees, didn't have a very good outing today at Yankee Stadium against the Boston Red Sox. He pitched five and two-thirds innings in what appears to be a losing cause. The Red Sox are now winning 8-4 in the eighth inning.

You're looking at file footage of Roger pitching. We can't show you the game until it is over by major league rules. So, he'll have to try on his next start for a number 300.

And yet another little space in the baseball history books, as if he doesn't have enough already with six Cy Youngs.

If you've ever wondered what it is like to be in the American military, now you can turn to a new book to find out. The book is, "A Day in the Life of the U.S. Armed Forces". One of the project creators is Lewis Korman. He recently sat down with Wolf Blitzer to talk about the project and its objectives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Lewis Korman, thanks so much for joining us. Congratulations on this excellent new book. Take us back last October. You sent 125 photographers out to spend 24 hours in the day in the life of the U.S. Military. Why did you do that?

LEWIS J. KORMAN, PRODUCER, CREATOR, "A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES": We did it because we wanted the American people to get a first-hand view behind the headlines, behind the scenes, to actually see what the lives of the men and women of the armed forces is all about.

BLITZER: You had a personal interest in this as well, didn't you?

KORMAN: Yes, I did.

BLITZER: Tell us about that.

KORMAN: Well, my son-in-law was killed in the attack on the World Trade Center. And part of the reason for doing this book was to have a remembrance for him and all the other people that were killed, and the other part of the reason for doing the book with was to honor the men and women who in our armed forces.

BLITZER: All right, let's go through some of these excellent photos. You have one from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Tell our viewers what we're seeing in this pretty amazing shot.

KORMAN: You're seeing a soldier rappelling down on a rope from a helicopter, and this shot always gets me dizzy, even if I'm on terra firma.

BLITZER: It is pretty amazing when you look at it. Look at this next one from PARIS ISLAND, South Carolina, These are women marines. They are in full battle gear. They are in the water.

KORMAN: Exactly. We call it in the swim. They're in a swimming pool, but they are in full battle gear, as you said, with helmets and rifles. And what they're learning to do is deal with the water when they're in a combat situation, and they are actually in the ocean.

BLITZER: Now this next one is at a Special Operations Facility in Key West, Florida. Look at these Special Operations Forces underwater. What are they doing?

KORMAN: Well, this was taken, by the way, by David Dubalay (ph), one of the world's most famous underwater photographers. And they're learning how to train underwater to do Special Operations. And David, the photographer, was lower than them, and you only see the bottom half of the troops, but they're all lined up as if they were on the ground.

BLITZER: You also bring the human side, the very human side, of what these men and women in the Military have to endure. Look at this next picture, a father and his young son. He's preparing to head off to battle.

KORMAN: Yes, what is sort of interesting, it is taken in Germany. It looks like it could be in the States. And he's getting ready for his day at work, except his day at work involves putting on camouflage uniform and lacing up his boots, and you can see his young son hugging his leg saying daddy, stay home with me.

BLITZER: What a personal sacrifice these families have to pay for this kind of military service. We have a final picture I want to show our viewers from Camp Virginia, what was called Camp Virginia, in northern Kuwait. I was up in Kuwait for part of this operation. Tell our viewers what they're seeing here.

KORMAN: Well, I want to remind everyone it is October 22nd, long before the war. We already had troops in the desert in Kuwait, and they're getting up early in the morning, and instead of having a comfortable bathroom to shave and do what you do in the morning, they're out in the desert, and it's near this little yellow structure, getting up and getting ready to train.

BLITZER: It's a wonderful photographic exhibit, "A Day in the Life of the Armed Forces", Lewis Korman put it all together, sent some brilliant photographers out to show what was going on the U.S. Military in this one day. Lewis, congratulations, thanks very much.

KORMAN: Thanks for having us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And let's take a look now at a Memorial Day in the life of the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUSH: Today we honor the men and women who have worn the nation's uniform and were last seen on duty from the battles of Iraq and Afghanistan, to the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, to the trials of world war, to the struggles that made us a nation.

DAVID WILLIAMS, FORMER POW: In my years of service, I've learned so many things, especially how much I love our country and love serving my country. My recent experiences in Iraq never suaded (ph) those feelings but, in fact, made them stronger.

RUMSFELD: Beyond this amphitheater, in a garden of graceful, white head stones lie the heroes of our heritage. We're surrounded by their monuments, but also by their dreams, their dreams for America, that it would remain a bastion of freedom and a beacon of hope.

GENERAL RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: So, today let's honor our fallen, and let's resolve to vigorously protect America's future and secure in their name our precious freedoms for tomorrow's generations. May God bless the men and women of our armed forces.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Earlier we asked, what was Memorial Day originally name? The answer, Decoration Day, a time to honor the Civil War dead by decorating their graves.

(END VIDEOTAPE) O'BRIEN: "Web Question of the Day" time. The question, as you will recall, do Americans take for granted the sacrifices of veterans? Seventy-seven percent of you said yes, 23 percent of you say no. You can find the exact vote tally by checking out our Web site, cnn.com/wolf. As always, nothing scientific about this poll.

I'm Miles O'Brien live from the Iwo Jima U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial at Arlington, Virginia. Thanks for being with us, on behalf of Wolf Blitzer.

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





Identify Serial Killer Suspect>


Aired May 26, 2003 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: All Americans and every free nation on Earth can trace their liberty to the white markers of places like Arlington National Cemetery.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A homecoming for heroes back from Iraq. Some won't make it home. Americans are lost at sea and lost in a deadly ambush.

Still at large? If they're alive, Saddam's sons may have no future, as shocking details emerge about their cruel past from the pages of "TIME" magazine.

And is this the face of a serial killer? Louisiana police identify a suspect.

PAT ENGLADE, BATON ROUGE POLICE CHIEF: He is to be considered armed and dangerous.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: It is Memorial Day 2003. Hello from the Iwo Jima Marine Corps War Memorial, just outside of Washington. I'm Miles O'Brien reporting. Wolf Blitzer is off today. We're glad you're with us.

President Bush led the nation today, honoring Americans who have been killed in war. Mr. Bush placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery not far from where I sit. Under overcast skies, the president said -- and we quote him now -- "We remember all who died, all who are still missing, and all who mourn" -- end of quote.

Scores turned out for a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. The memorial's famous black granite wall contains the names of more than 58,000 Americans killed in the Vietnam War.

And at the Cambridge American Cemetery in Britain, American and British soldiers, past and present, remembered those killed in World War II.

For some (AUDIO GAP) gunmen ambushed an Army envoy, killing at least one U.S. soldier. And, in Baghdad, at least three U.S. soldiers were wounded when their vehicle either hit a land mine or came under attack. CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Plante joins with us the latest on all this activity -- hello, Chris.

CHRIS PLANTE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.

That's right. The first ambush took place in the town of Hadithah, which is about 120 northwest of Baghdad. It was an eight- vehicle U.S. Army convoy headed up toward the Syrian border, when they were ambushed, apparently by Iraqis using rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and light weapons, and, as you said, one U.S. Army soldier killed this Memorial Day, another wounded, medevaced out of there.

The Army did send in attack helicopters and soldiers to try to hunt down those attackers. A second attack also occurred later in the day, this one very close to Baghdad, on the road between the Baghdad Airport and the city of Baghdad itself. This took place again in a convoy of three vehicles, three Humvees, heading away from the airport. And a man, according to reports from the scene, came up out of a ditch and threw what is described as a satchel charge underneath the lead vehicle in this three-vehicle convoy, wounding now four.

We have confirmed four wounded in that attack, one perhaps critically. Still waiting for additional word on that. Details are sketchy. Soldiers in the follow-on vehicles did come out of their vehicles and pull the wounded soldiers from their Humvee before the truck exploded, ammunition and gas tank exploded. So the situation clearly could have been significantly worse -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, thank you very much, CNN's Chris Plante at the Pentagon.

The Marines landed today, but on friendly shores, to say the least. More than 2,000 of them returned from the war in Iraq.

Let's go live now to CNN national correspondent Frank Buckley, who is at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina -- hello, Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're at Onslow Beach at Camp Lejeune.

This is where the 24th MEU, the Marine expeditionary unit, is coming ashore. They're coming from three ships, the USS Nassau, which is the ship that we were on for the past few days, also the USS Austin and the Tortuga. They're coming to Onslow Beach. And we can actually show you right now what is happening. You see one of the LCUs there, the landing craft.

And, Mark (ph), if you pan left a little bit, you can actually see another one of the LCUs that are turning around and going right back out to the USS Nassau. They will continue to ferry Marines and equipment back and forth, the USS Nassau just a few miles off shore. They will continue to go out to the ship, pick up Marines, pick up equipment, and come back with that here to Onslow Beach at Camp Lejeune. Once they are here, we can show you what it has been looking like throughout the day, with the reunions that have been taking place here at Camp Lejeune, wonderful moments for the families. These are families that have not seen their Marines for nine months. They were on a deployment that was supposed to take seven months. It ended up being extended. It was extended for a couple of months.

The last month at sea, the month before that last month, they were actually in country in Iraq, fortunately, no loss of life during the conflict for the Marines over there or the sailors. Unfortunately, just during the past few days, tragically, as the USS Nassau was getting closer and closer to shore here, on Friday, there was a death of a sailor, presumed death of a sailor, in Dwayne Williams. He is a 3rd class petty officer and was involved in what the captain of the ship called a freak accident.

He was on the deck of this amphibious assault ship. Someone threw him a football. He went to chase it and it went over the side and he went over the side as well. He was spotted going into the water. But after a nine-hour search by the USS Nassau, by the Coast Guard, by various helicopters, he could not be recovered. And he is presumed dead.

Now, yesterday, in a dramatic situation another sailor, this sailor, Shaun Dale, also was reported missing. Shaun Dale is a hospital corpsman. He did not report to a routine morning muster at 10:00 a.m. At that point, a search was conducted on the ship. After he couldn't be found after about an hour, the USS Nassau was actually turned around. The USS Nassau turned around, steamed back four or five hours, 80 miles to the last known point at which Dale was known to have been aboard. That was at 6:30 in the morning.

They went back to that location, launched helicopters, again, and, again, an 8 1/2 hour search that did not reveal Shaun Dale. So, at that point, he was classified as missing. There is still a search going on of the ship as these Marines are coming aboard. He has not been presumed dead at this point. The Navy officials are saying there is still a possibility that he is on the ship. So they're still searching for him -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Frank Buckley with those sad words there, thank you very much.

The U.S. Navy does take precautions to keep sailors safely aboard ship and makes every effort to recover those who do in fact fall into the sea.

We get more on this from CNN's Kyra Phillips.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): What happens when there is a man overboard? Over the ship's P.A. system, you'll hear the announcement, "Man overboard." Every sailer is supposed to muster within five minutes. Depending on where you work on the ship, you report to your ready room or work center for a head count. The ship starts to maneuver in a circular rotation around the area where the man overboard happened. If the sailor doesn't have a fleet coat, then an inflatable jacket is tossed to him or her, if possible. A helo is launched with rescue swimmers inside. It is also possible that a small boat may be sent out on a search also. Captain Terry O'Brien of the USS Nassau knows all too well how time of day affects the success of a rescue.

CAPT. TERRY O'BRIEN, U.S. NAVY: Darkness certainly will be a factor, our capability to see the man, also his survivability rates in the water, if he is in the water.

PHILLIPS: If the sailor is located, the swimmers go into the water and help hoist the man overboard up into the helo with a torso harness wrapped around the waist. If the sailor is badly injured, the rescue crew may use a basket.

Sailors believe in leaving no one behind. But if a man overboard is not found within 24 hours, the search is usually called off, because, at that point, there is no realistic chance for survival.

Kyra Phillips, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: As many of you probably recognize, we're coming to you from the Marine Corps War Memorial, more commonly referred to as the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

The statue depicts the famous flag-raising, a real icon of the 20th century, five marines on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima February of 1945, the last months of World War II. Almost 7,000 American Marines and sailors were killed in that battle alone.

Joining us now to talk more about Memorial Day in general is CNN military analyst, retired Army Brigadier General David Grange. General Grange is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War and spoke at the Vietnam Memorial a little earlier today.

General Grange, good to have you with us.

First of all, what did you try to say to the crowd there? How did you put in words what people are feeling on this Memorial Day?

RET. BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, that it is a sacred day. It is tied -- Memorial Day is tied to those who have given their lives in service to their nation, where Veterans Day is in honor of all serving armed forces veterans.

And it is a time to tie those that served in the past, those that are currently serving, and those maybe in the future together, as well as their families.

O'BRIEN: Do you have the sense that the tone of Memorial Day has changed over the years in the United States? It seems as if, not too many years ago, it was just an excuse to have a barbecue. I don't have that sense today.

GRANGE: No, I think you're right. It used to be a three-day weekend. It used to be, you go out boating and picnics. And that's still done. And that's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. But you have to take a moment in that three-day weekend to pay honor of some sort to those that have given their lives.

They're fellow citizens. Whether they wanted to go somewhere or not, they went. They were told to go. And they are our country men and women. So you have to do this.

O'BRIEN: Who do you think about on these days? Are there specific faces that come to mind?

GRANGE: There's faces from many different conflicts, to include peacekeeping operations where we had service members lost. And you kind of think back for a few moments to maybe an incident in Vietnam or Granada or the first Iraq war, or whatever the case may be, depending on your experiences.

And then you think about how -- what went right, what went wrong, and how you can make it better in the future. At least that's what I thought from Vietnam on. What can I do for those that gave their lives to make it better and save lives in the future?

O'BRIEN: So you're thinking somewhat of tactics. You're thinking like a military person, but there has got to be an emotional side as well.

GRANGE: Oh, it is. Exactly. But you want to harness that emotion and apply it to the future, so those that die did not die in vain.

O'BRIEN: I suppose we all would wish for a Memorial Day that would be a day from which there would be no wars hence. I guess that's a naive thought, isn't it?

GRANGE: Well, it is a thought that I can assure you many military people have, that there will be no more wars. But it is unrealistic.

O'BRIEN: Do they really think that way?

GRANGE: Sure.

I feel very proud about the fact that I've saved more lives in my military career than I've taken. And those are my soldiers and my units. And war is pretty horrible. And so you don't want to go back to war again. Though it is exciting, there's a rush, you want to accomplish your mission, it is a terrible thing. But it happens. And you have to be ready for it. And so that's what I'm saying. You want to take the lessons learned from those sacrifices and save more people in the future.

O'BRIEN: What is it like as a leader of men and women in combat to see the parents of people who have been lost under your command? GRANGE: That is the hardest aspect of being a leader, a commander, talking to the mother and father, son, daughter, sister, brother, and explaining why it happened, either in a letter or face to face, and talking about the experiences of their lost service member and what -- and why and what happened.

And you're trying to pull back these things and, the same time, relay the story and explain the reason why. It is the hardest thing to do.

O'BRIEN: It's a tough question, that why question, isn't it?

GRANGE: Very tough.

O'BRIEN: Brigadier General David Grange, retired United States Army, always a pleasure to talk with you.

GRANGE: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much for being with us on this Memorial Day.

GRANGE: My pleasure.

O'BRIEN: Now, here is your chance to weigh in on this story. Our "Web Question of the Day" is: Do Americans take for granted the sacrifices of veterans? We'll have the results a little later in our broadcast.

We invite you to vote right now. CNN.com/Wolf is the place. While you're there, we would like to hear from you. Send us your comments. We might read some of them at the end of the program, time permitting. That's where, of course, you can read our daily online column. CNN.com/Wolf is the place to go.

A suspected serial killer on the loose in Louisiana -- do you know this man? Police ask the public for help.

Plus: cruelty exposed, new details about the twisted rivalry between Saddam's sons.

And faster, leaner, meaner: The U.S. military moves into the 21st century.

But first, in case you were out enjoying the holiday, here is our "Weekend Snapshot" for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): A mother in Pomona, California, was arrested after allegedly putting her 2-year-old daughter into a washing machine at a laundromat. Emergency crews had to rescue the girl, who is in stable condition.

School officials in Glenview, Illinois, voted to expel 31 seniors for their roles in that videotaped hazing incident. The students will get their diplomas, but won't be allowed to attend graduation.

At the Port of Miami, an explosion and fire on the cruise ship Norway killed four crew members. No passengers were hurt. Officials say it looks like an accident.

A small kitchen fire delayed the start of game four of the NBA Western Conference finals. The American Airlines Center in Dallas was briefly evacuated when the fire triggered the security system.

Brazilian drivers on top at the Indianapolis 500: Gil de Ferran edged out countryman and teammate Helio Castroneves for the third Penske team win in a row.

And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani got married over the weekend to longtime girlfriend Judith Nathan. Current Mayor Michael Bloomberg did the honors at the ceremony held at Giuliani's old home, Gracie Mansion.

And that's our "Weekend Snapshot."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Live pictures of the Vietnam Memorial, across the river from where I sit, just off the Mall, where six names were added today, six people who died ultimately linked to their service in Vietnam and where David Grange spoke to some of the assembled masses earlier, a solemn place, particularly on this Memorial Day 2003.

A murder warrant is out for a man police suspect in the serial murders of five women in Louisiana.

CNN Dallas bureau chief Ed Lavandera has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ENGLADE: A suspect has been identified.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On May 5, investigators took a DNA sample from Derrick Todd Lee. Law enforcement sources tell CNN Lee was questioned when he provided an oral swab and then he was allowed to leave. Lee's DNA was then compared to DNA evidence found at the crime scenes of five murdered women.

When the results came back almost three weeks later, Louisiana authorities were convinced this 34-year-old man is a serial killer on the loose.

ENGLADE: He is to be considered armed and dangerous. And authorities should be notified immediately. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact their local law enforcement.

LAVANDERA: The murders started in September of 2001. Gina Green was strangled in her Baton Rouge home near the Louisiana State University campus. Eight months later, May 2002, Charlotte Murray Pace is also killed in her home near the LSU campus. Two months later, Pam Kinamore was abducted from her home, her body found 30 miles west of Baton Rouge.

In November of last year, Trineisha Colomb's body was found in a wooded area near Lafayette. And the last victim was Carrie Yoder. This past March, the LSU graduate student was reported missing. One week later, Yoder's body was found close to where the third victim had been found.

When investigators released a personality profile of the killer last year, they said the man was able to win the trust of his victims.

MARY ANN GODAWA, BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT: He seems so harmless. The women he follows, watches or interacts with may not even be aware of him because he blends in with the community and his physical appearance is normal.

LAVANDERA: Investigators say that, in the first three murders, the killer approached the homes and asked to see a phone book. He would ask if anyone else was home. If the woman was alone, he would attack.

MIKE NEUSTROM, LAFAYETTE SHERIFF: Disarmingly charming, nice- looking fellow, smooth-talking fellow, nonthreatening fellow, gains the confidence of a female and then, again, attacks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: Of course, the families of the five victim have been closely watching this investigation. The mother of Pam Kinamore, the third victim of this serial killer, has been very critical of the investigation at this point. But she is hopeful that the news that has come out today will end this rash of murders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNNE MARINO, MOTHER OF PAM KINAMORE: I'm in a state of shock. I'm thrilled. I hope this is our guy. It won't bring Pam back, but he won't take any more lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Of course, now the focus is the manhunt for Derrick Todd Lee. He's described as 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighing about 210 pounds. But, at this point, authorities aren't able to give any kind of information as to what he might be wearing or what kind of car he might be driving as well. But this is a statewide manhunt in Louisiana and essentially a nationwide manhunt. The FBI has also put out bulletins and is assisting in this manhunt as well -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Ed Lavandera, thank you very much.

Is Iran in the crosshairs? Still ahead on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: Talks break down and rumors fly. Saddam's most dangerous biological weapons, his sons, from raping brides to torturing friends, what really went on in those palaces?

And later: Arrested shortly after 9/11 and believed to be terrorists, what happened to these men?

But first, today's "News Quiz": What was Memorial Day originally named: Civil War Day, Veterans Remembrance Day, Decoration Day, or Day of the Dead?

The answer coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Today, we honor the men and women who have worn the nation's uniform and were last seen on duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: President Bush today at Arlington National Cemetery honoring past and present veterans.

This just in to CNN: reports of an earthquake, a minor one, just south of San Francisco, centered around Daly City, California, about nine miles south of the city, 3.4 in magnitude, not considered a major earthquake. Nevertheless, some people in the bay area might have felt the earth move. We will in fact be checking in on that and give you more information on it as we get did it in.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated following new allegations Iran is harboring al Qaeda members. In fact, U.S. officials say the Bush administration is considering a move to destabilize the Iranian government.

CNN national security correspondent David Ensor joins me from our Washington bureau with more on all this -- hello, David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles.

Well, as you say, there are some officials in the Bush administration who are advocating a much tougher policy towards Tehran, unless it does take some actions against al Qaeda, and soon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR (voice-over): The message to Tehran from Washington, delivered again this weekend by a U.S. ally, is increasingly blunt: Senior al Qaeda personnel in Iran may have played a role in the recent Riyadh bombings. They should be turned over quickly or there may be consequences.

ALEXANDER DOWNER, AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: I made it perfectly clear to the president and other officials that it was unacceptable for al Qaeda to be able to operate in Iran.

KAMAL KHARRAZI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: There is no way that the Iranians would support al Qaeda, because we have been fighting with al Qaeda before even the Americans were engaged with them.

ENSOR: But U.S. intelligence officials say this man, Saif al- Adil, and other senior al Qaeda, are in Iran.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There is no question but that there are al Qaeda in Iran.

ENSOR: The U.S. is also deeply worried about Iran's nuclear program, for peaceful energy, says Tehran, most likely for nuclear weapons, says the U.S.

At a White House meeting scheduled for Tuesday, sources say officials will consider a tougher policy towards Iran. Some administration hard-liners advocate giving their tanks back to the troops of the Iranian opposition group the People's Mujahedeen and allowing it to resume attacks on Iran from U.S.-occupied Iraq. The Mujahedeen, which is on the State Department's list of terrorist groups, was recently forced to give up its heavy weapons by U.S. forces in Iraq.

ALI SAFAVI, NATIONAL RESISTANCE COUNCIL OF IRAN: If the Iranian people and the Iranian resistance, the Mujahedeen, are given the chance and the opportunity, I think they will succeed in bringing democracy and freedom to Iran and obviously peace and tranquility to the region.

ENSOR: As the U.S. builds pressure on Tehran, Senate Intelligence Committee members hint at progress behind the scenes.

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), WEST VIRGINIA: There could be some better news on Iran that will be coming out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ENSOR: And hints of progress in Tehran, too. Officials there say they have arrested several suspected members of al Qaeda, but do not yet know who they are. One Iranian official said, after interrogation, they could be turned over to Saudi Arabia -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: David, to what extent are U.S. officials considering any military actions, up to and including a strike on that nuclear facility?

ENSOR: You won't get a U.S. official to say that they are considering military actions against Iran.

There are some in the policy community in Washington on the sort of neoconservative side who are advocating that kind of a step in the coming couple of years, before it comes online, if nothing else happens between now and then. But, in the administration, they're talking about a somewhat tougher policy, but, at the same time, there is no talk of military action.

O'BRIEN: CNN's David Ensor in our Washington bureau, thank you very much.

Brothers of cruelty possibly alive and possibly on the run -- new details about Saddam's other weapons, his sons.

Plus: spreading virus. SARS rears its ugly head once again in Toronto.

And an American dream-turned-nightmare: Did these 9/11 suspects get a bad rap? We'll take a closer look.

But first, some other news making headlines all around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Earthquake rocks Japan: The powerful quake hit the East Coast of the main island of Honshu and triggered landslides, knocked out power, and disrupted road and rail traffic. There were no deaths, but dozens of people were injured. The magnitude-7 quake even swayed skyscrapers in Tokyo 240 miles away.

Peacekeepers killed in crash: A plane carrying Spanish peacekeepers back from duty in Afghanistan crashed in Turkey, killing all 75 people on board. The Ukrainian-chartered plane was attempting to land in fog when it crashed in flames.

Sharon endorses peace plans: Despite right-wing criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says he supports the U.S. road map for Middle East peace, but envisions a Palestinians state by 2005. This comes as the Bush administration is making plans for a possible three-way summit with President Bush, Mr. Ariel, and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas.

Singing for drought victims, 50,000 people turned out for a benefit concert for 14 million Ethiopians threatened by starvation. The Live Aid show was put on by Ethiopia's top musicians in a bid to raise almost $2 million.

The top prize at Cannes. Director Gus van Sant's "Elephant," a film loosely based on the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School, won top prize at this year's film festival.

That's our look around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back. I'm Miles O'Brien in for Wolf Blitzer. We're live at the Iwo Jima Marine Corps war memorial.

Coming up, Saddam's sons, are they alive, kicking, and planning a comeback? More on that in a moment.

But first, latest headlines for you. Eight more possible cases of SARS could be linked to the Canadian hospital you're seeing there. In fact, the World Health Organization put Toronto has now back on a list of areas where SARS can be transmitted. 26 other cases in Canada are also thought to be SARS.

Water, water everywhere. Heavy rain is to blame for the collapse of a dam in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Dozens of residents left scrambling for dry land have temporary shelter at a high school.

Can he do it? Roger Clemens takes the mound today for the New York Yankees hoping to become the 21st pitcher in major league history to win 300 games. If Clemens snags the record, it would mark first time it has occurred at Yankee Stadium since 1985. Appropriately enough, he's pitching against the Red Sox, his former team.

A brother-in-law of ousted Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, is now in U.S. custody. A U.S. Military spokesman says he was detained north of Baghdad in the town of Tikrit. He is not considered a major player in Iraqi politics, but U.S. Military leaders say they hope he can provide helpful information.

As we have been telling you on this Memorial Day, more reminders that the situation in Iraq is by no means stable. An ambash -- an ambush, I should say -- at Baghdad International Airport, four soldiers were shot, and we have word now that one of them has died.

CNN's Chris Plante joining us from the Pentagon with more -- Chris.

PLANTE: Hi, Miles. That's right. We just confirmed that one of the four soldiers involved in that incident has died of his injuries. It was, in fact, not gunshot wounds, but a man that came up out of a ditch threw what is described as a satchel charge underneath the lead vehicle in that convoy blowing up underneath the Humvee. First reports were that four were severely injured. We have now confirmation that one of those has died. Miles?

O'BRIEN: Chris, the situation in Iraq by no means is -- the stability is a long way from being on the radar screen. I guess this underscores the point. What are they saying at the Pentagon about that?

PLANTE: Well, the truth is that they're expecting to see more of this. I was discussing the situation today here with a senior Pentagon official, and he did say that we can, commenting on today's incidents, that he with can certainly expect to see more of this, one killed, one wounded up near (UNINTELLIGIBLE) today. Now one killed, three wounded down near Baghdad. Another soldier killed in an accident at an accident, an auto accident, in Baghdad today -- or in Iraq, rather. More expected -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: A poignant reminder of all that is at stake here on this Memorial Day, 2003. Chris Plante at the Pentagon, thank you very much.

Saddam Hussein and his sons, driven from power, possibly running for their lives, possibly dead. But as we learn more about their hold on power, it becomes clear they left behind a populous that won't soon forget their cruelty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice over): "Time" magazine says they may have been Saddam Hussein's nastiest biological weapons, his sons. This week's edition of the magazine has disturbing new details about the sociopathic behavior of Uday and Qusay Hussein and a rivalry between the brothers that, according to the magazine, became increasingly bitter. The friction, according to "Time", led them to split up as allied forces moved in.

MICHAEL WEISSKOPF, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Uday, the older of the sons, is operating on his own with aides, and Saddam has Qusay by his side in another location.

O'BRIEN: If they are, indeed, alive and if they have split up, it would be consistent with reports in recent years that Saddam Hussein had been favoring his younger son, Qusay, as the heir apparent. The reason according to "Time" and others, Uday Hussein's accelerated patterns of brutality. The sadistic details are almost beyond imagination, but "Time" interviewed dozens of people who had served the two brothers, butlers, maids, body guards, and other associates, who allegations are staggering.

Uday picking brides out of wedding parties and raping them, torturing servants for the smallest of infractions, locking people in coffins for days at a time. Qusay himself said to have summarily executed a number of enemies. Eventually says "Time", the two brothers grew suspicious and resentful of each other.

WEISSKOPF: Uday was so jealous of his brother that whenever he appeared in the media, he threw fits. He was so jealous of his brother's girlfriends he would bring them in and have sex with them himself and then use a branding iron to mark them with a horseshoe shaped U, of course, U being the first letter of his name.

O'BRIEN: Uday's behavior was so consistently bad, says "Time", that Saddam Hussein himself once wrote a letter to his eldest son warning him to scale back on his abuses.

Now as looters and enemy troops sift through the remains of their palaces, we may only be scratching the surface as the private lives of the brothers Hussein are exposed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: The war in Iraq was a victory for U.S. Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. His strategy for fighting with the smaller faster force was largely vindicated, and his vision for the future of the U.S. Military may have been validated as well. We get more on this story from CNN senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Pentagon believes its Blitzkrieg race across the desert kept Iraqi forces off balance and sealed an unexpectedly quick victory.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Consider a few of the lessons. One is speed, and it matters. Coalition forces pressed through southern Iraq in a matter of weeks. MCINTYRE: Enter the striker, an armored fighting vehicle on wheels that, unlike a tank, can cruise at highway speeds and will soon give certain Army brigades the ability to get to the fight even faster.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This brigade is designed to have that speed and agility more so than the forces that were in the theater.

MCINTYRE: At Fort Poke, Louisiana, soldiers are road testing the new doctrine, which is based on more than just trading the protection of heavy armor for the agility of wheeled vehicles. It is also about the computer links that give commanders a virtual view of the entire battlefield.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just could not believe how much more information this brigade commander had compared to my rotation as a brigade commander at the National Training Center.

MCINTYRE: The Army's been under the gun to transform into a more nimble fighting force since the embarrassing debacle of Task Force Hawk in 1999. It took so long to move Apache helicopters and the force to protect them to Albania that by the time they were ready to fight in Yugoslavia, they were no longer needed.

The Army is now on course to build the future combat system, a whole new line of lighter tanks and vehicles that will go to service at the end of the decade, a pet project of outgoing Army chief of staff, General Eric Shinseki. But Shinseki, who retires next month, also irritated the Defense Secretary Rumsfeld by sticking by the Crusader heavy gun, which Rumsfeld eventually killed.

MCINTYRE: (on camera): During the planning for Iraq, some Pentagon civilians complained what they called "tread heads" in the Army were still pushing the old heavy force doctrine. Having fired the Army's secretary and with the Army chief retiring, Rumsfeld is now in position to fill the two top jobs with leaders that share his vision.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Arrested after 9/11 and held for over a year. Where are these men now? And what exactly did they do?

Then a day in the life from sun rise to sunset, the everyday business of being in the armed forces. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: The place known simply as "The Wall", the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on this Memorial Day, 2003.

In the days and months after September 11th, the terrorist attacks, more than a thousand people, most of them immigrants, were rounded up by U.S. officials. Some suspected of having ties to terrorists, but that rarely proved to be true.

CNN's Jamie Colby has the story of what happened to two Indians whose mug shots were splashed all around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They are just two among hundreds of men rounded up after 9/11, but word of their arrest was everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two men detained under INS violations in Texas and have been taken to New York city for questioning.

COLBY: Muhammad Azmath and Syed Shah were flying on September 11 from New Jersey to Texas. Their flight was grounded when the nation's air space was closed. They tried to finish the trip by train but were pulled off because their one-way ticketed paid with cash met the profile of drug runners. Police found Azmath and Shah carrying a total of more than $5,000 cash, numerous passport photos, hair dye, and box cutters like those used by the 9/11 hijackers.

The Indian immigrants in their mid 30s also had expired visas, but they quickly learned that wasn't the problem.

STEVEN LEBON, AZMATH DEFENSE ATTORNEY: They start posting about 9/11 even incident. So, not immigration or passport or visa inquiry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told them, we don't know nothing about the World Trade Center.

SHAH: And then crash. Do you know everything about that, do you have any prior knowledge?

COLBY: They told investigators they didn't but were turned over to the FBI and remained in custody more than a year.

Azmath and Shah are Muslims from Hyerabad in southern India, a city with many Muslims in a largely Hindu country. They came to America in the early 1990s looking for a better life. They lived and worked together in New Jersey, sending money home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Azmath worked at a newsstand in New Jersey for many years and, basically, he was -- he had lost his job, and he was moving to another job. And the box cutters were the tools of the trade. And because of what happened, they were singled out, they were profiled, the were pulled aside.

COLBY: Both were held in solitary confinement in this Brooklyn jail. James Comey, the U.S. attorney whose office prosecuted their case told CNN, "I don't think anyone would say the government acted unreasonably. It could be that they were victims of extraordinarily bad fortune, that they were flying in the air during the time of the 9/11 attacks, had one-way tickets, and were carrying their devices. There were a lot of circumstances that warranted the government taking a very, very close look at them." Azmath and Shah were cleared of any connection to terrorism, but they were not completely clean. Both pled guilty to credit card fraud, served their time, and were later deported. Both men say their feelings about America as a land of opportunity have changed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to go back again. I'm trying to heal myself what it did to me. Actually, I will never forget those days when I was in solitary confinement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically, it made me angry because they caught the wrong guy, and they give a hard time because of the religious background or the ethnic look.

COLBY (on camera): Like Azmath and Shah, hundreds of men were detained after the 9/11 attacks as the U.S. tried to regain its homeland security. Many of their cases raised questions of civil rights and due process that remain unanswered.

Jamie Colby, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: One hundred and twenty-five photographers, 24 hours, thousands of photographs. The images of military life when we return. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Well, for Roger Clemens, it is 299 and holding. The Rocket, the man who is a pitcher for the New York Yankees, didn't have a very good outing today at Yankee Stadium against the Boston Red Sox. He pitched five and two-thirds innings in what appears to be a losing cause. The Red Sox are now winning 8-4 in the eighth inning.

You're looking at file footage of Roger pitching. We can't show you the game until it is over by major league rules. So, he'll have to try on his next start for a number 300.

And yet another little space in the baseball history books, as if he doesn't have enough already with six Cy Youngs.

If you've ever wondered what it is like to be in the American military, now you can turn to a new book to find out. The book is, "A Day in the Life of the U.S. Armed Forces". One of the project creators is Lewis Korman. He recently sat down with Wolf Blitzer to talk about the project and its objectives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Lewis Korman, thanks so much for joining us. Congratulations on this excellent new book. Take us back last October. You sent 125 photographers out to spend 24 hours in the day in the life of the U.S. Military. Why did you do that?

LEWIS J. KORMAN, PRODUCER, CREATOR, "A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES": We did it because we wanted the American people to get a first-hand view behind the headlines, behind the scenes, to actually see what the lives of the men and women of the armed forces is all about.

BLITZER: You had a personal interest in this as well, didn't you?

KORMAN: Yes, I did.

BLITZER: Tell us about that.

KORMAN: Well, my son-in-law was killed in the attack on the World Trade Center. And part of the reason for doing this book was to have a remembrance for him and all the other people that were killed, and the other part of the reason for doing the book with was to honor the men and women who in our armed forces.

BLITZER: All right, let's go through some of these excellent photos. You have one from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Tell our viewers what we're seeing in this pretty amazing shot.

KORMAN: You're seeing a soldier rappelling down on a rope from a helicopter, and this shot always gets me dizzy, even if I'm on terra firma.

BLITZER: It is pretty amazing when you look at it. Look at this next one from PARIS ISLAND, South Carolina, These are women marines. They are in full battle gear. They are in the water.

KORMAN: Exactly. We call it in the swim. They're in a swimming pool, but they are in full battle gear, as you said, with helmets and rifles. And what they're learning to do is deal with the water when they're in a combat situation, and they are actually in the ocean.

BLITZER: Now this next one is at a Special Operations Facility in Key West, Florida. Look at these Special Operations Forces underwater. What are they doing?

KORMAN: Well, this was taken, by the way, by David Dubalay (ph), one of the world's most famous underwater photographers. And they're learning how to train underwater to do Special Operations. And David, the photographer, was lower than them, and you only see the bottom half of the troops, but they're all lined up as if they were on the ground.

BLITZER: You also bring the human side, the very human side, of what these men and women in the Military have to endure. Look at this next picture, a father and his young son. He's preparing to head off to battle.

KORMAN: Yes, what is sort of interesting, it is taken in Germany. It looks like it could be in the States. And he's getting ready for his day at work, except his day at work involves putting on camouflage uniform and lacing up his boots, and you can see his young son hugging his leg saying daddy, stay home with me.

BLITZER: What a personal sacrifice these families have to pay for this kind of military service. We have a final picture I want to show our viewers from Camp Virginia, what was called Camp Virginia, in northern Kuwait. I was up in Kuwait for part of this operation. Tell our viewers what they're seeing here.

KORMAN: Well, I want to remind everyone it is October 22nd, long before the war. We already had troops in the desert in Kuwait, and they're getting up early in the morning, and instead of having a comfortable bathroom to shave and do what you do in the morning, they're out in the desert, and it's near this little yellow structure, getting up and getting ready to train.

BLITZER: It's a wonderful photographic exhibit, "A Day in the Life of the Armed Forces", Lewis Korman put it all together, sent some brilliant photographers out to show what was going on the U.S. Military in this one day. Lewis, congratulations, thanks very much.

KORMAN: Thanks for having us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: And let's take a look now at a Memorial Day in the life of the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUSH: Today we honor the men and women who have worn the nation's uniform and were last seen on duty from the battles of Iraq and Afghanistan, to the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, to the trials of world war, to the struggles that made us a nation.

DAVID WILLIAMS, FORMER POW: In my years of service, I've learned so many things, especially how much I love our country and love serving my country. My recent experiences in Iraq never suaded (ph) those feelings but, in fact, made them stronger.

RUMSFELD: Beyond this amphitheater, in a garden of graceful, white head stones lie the heroes of our heritage. We're surrounded by their monuments, but also by their dreams, their dreams for America, that it would remain a bastion of freedom and a beacon of hope.

GENERAL RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: So, today let's honor our fallen, and let's resolve to vigorously protect America's future and secure in their name our precious freedoms for tomorrow's generations. May God bless the men and women of our armed forces.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN (voice-over): Earlier we asked, what was Memorial Day originally name? The answer, Decoration Day, a time to honor the Civil War dead by decorating their graves.

(END VIDEOTAPE) O'BRIEN: "Web Question of the Day" time. The question, as you will recall, do Americans take for granted the sacrifices of veterans? Seventy-seven percent of you said yes, 23 percent of you say no. You can find the exact vote tally by checking out our Web site, cnn.com/wolf. As always, nothing scientific about this poll.

I'm Miles O'Brien live from the Iwo Jima U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial at Arlington, Virginia. Thanks for being with us, on behalf of Wolf Blitzer.

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