clinging to what will never be shaken, the faithfulness of god, would you stand and join in the hymn, that great hymn, great is thy faithfulness. you will find the words printed on the inside of your program. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ great is our faithfulness

♪ great is our faithfulness ♪ great is thy faithfulness ♪ ♪ ♪ great is thy faithfulness ♪ ♪ great is thy faithfulness

♪ to mercies i see. all i have given, great is thy faithfulne faithfulness, oh, mercy me. peace that endures ♪ ♪ through cheer and through god, ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> father of love and life, we thank you for this time of prayer, inspiration, and renewal. allow us to continue to be open to your healing powers in our efforts to be a people who reach out to all and meet their needs. bless this community and all those who have come to us to be our strength. as we move forward we pledge our

love and support to one another in response to the words of your son, love one another as i have loved you. we say yes and ask you to continue to bless us and to dream new dreams as we move forward at this time. amen. let us go in peace and love. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> you're watching the final moments there of the joplin community memorial service. the president of the united states there offering words of comfort, offering additional hugs there. alongside him in missouri, governor jane nixon as well. the president also making a commitment to the people of joplin there. that while the cameras they leave, the spotlight may be shifted, he said america, this country will continue to be at the side of joplin, missouri every step of the way. 142 people are confirmed dead after that ef-5 tornado swept through joplin, missouri one

week ago today. 44 people still unaccounted for, and all those who were hurt or suffered losses, all of them receiving the xhfrcomforts of t president of the united states. he also promised the federal government will do all it can to help joplin rebuild. here in the newsroom, we are also watching other major news on this memorial day event. what's happening right now today in washington, the annual rolling thunder motorcycle ride and rally. we will have a live report from there momentarily. now back to joplin, missouri and a memorial service has just ended there. cnn white house correspondent there. now focusing on the domestic issues here and making a very stern promise to the people there of joplin that they will not be forgotten, that the federal government will be there every step of the way.

>> that's right. and you heard the president tie in that international trip to this event as well when he talked about how as he was traveling throughout europe, that various world leaders would pass along message to essentially the message essentially to thank the people of joplin and missouri for their courage. they have been watching the situation here on the ground. and as you pointed out, the president did have words of comfort for many of the people who attended this memorial service here today. the president pointing out some of the touching emotional stories of strangers helping strangers throughout this disaster, of people giving their lives in order to save their co-workers, but the main theme again from the president, what we heard earlier when he was on the ground touring some of the devastating areas and then here at the memorial service is that the federal government will not abandon the people of joplin. >> there's no doubt in my mind

that joplin will rebuild. and as president i can promise you your country will be there with you every single step of the way. we will be with you every step of the way. we're not going anywhere. >> the president also had a message for people outside of this area all across the country and around the world saying that they should help many of the organizations that are providing shelter, food, water, water and other supplies for those who have lost everything such as the red cross. the president says that this is a time for people to get engaged and help out. i should point out that what you are watching now is all of the people filing out of that memorial service. the capacity inside was over 2,000 people, but they had an overflow section of the building right in front of me here, so at some point they had to cut it off, and hundreds more went to the overflow section. so certainly a lot of people

wanting to take part in this memorial service today. and one other note, lining the pathway here from the hardest hit area were thousands of people who were really showing a strong force of hope, waving signs that said "god bless joplin," waving american flags. that's the spirit that you see here. yes, there is a lot of pain. there are some people who are still missing, but there's also a lot of hope. >> all right, dan lothian, thanks so much. appreciate that from joplin, missouri. we are also going to check back in joplin, missouri as the people are picking up the pieces there and still trying to recover more than 40 people that remain missing. meantime we are also going to tale take you to the nation's capitol. it's a annual right, memorial day weekend paying homage to our fallen heroes, to those missing in action and those missing transitions adapt to changing light

so you see your whole day comfortably and conveniently while protecting your eyes from the sun. ask your eyecare professional which transitions lenses are right for you. woman: discover the protection, comfort and convenience of transitions lenses for the entire family at transitions.com/samsclub or visit a sam's club optical today. with listerine® whitening plus restoring rinse. it's the only listerine® that gets teeth two shades whiter and makes tooth enamel two times stronger. get dual-action listerine® whitening rinse. building whiter, stronger teeth.

with two children and no way to support them. people told me i wasn't going to do anything. and i just decided i have more to offer than that. i put myself through nursing school, and then i decided to go get a doctorate degree. university of phoenix gave me the knowledge to make a difference in people's lives. my name is dr. kimberly horton. i manage a network of over a thousand nurses, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] find your program at phoenix.edu.

personal pricing now on brakes. tell us what you want to pay. we do our best to make that work. deal! my money. my choice. my meineke. and after an annual memorial day event in washington that raises awareness of pows and mias it's the roll be thunder motorcycle ride and rally. cnn center is live at the national mall where the rally is wrapping up right now. what was the turnout like, sandra? >> well, i can tell you that organizers say every year this event grows bigger and bigger. this is the 24th annual rolling

thunder ride for freedom. they are worried about next year how they can accommodate everyone for the 25th anniversary. this year thousands have bikers come out for this memorial day event and, of course, they are trying to put the spotlight and keep the spotlight on the effort to make sure the pows and those missing in action are paying attention and that their mission is not forgotten but new this year and special this year is that secretary gates, robert gates talked to the people here as well as joint chiefs chairman admiral mike mullen. secretary gates says that everyone has to be accounted for or else their efforts will not be put to rest. so they are certainly reaffirming the mission at hand. that's certainly something the people here wanted to hear this memorial day as they move forward. and interesting to note also the defense secretary says this is his last memorial day in his position, so certainly he paid a

big thank you to all of those people serving in the military and who have served in the past. fredericka. >> and, sandra, there were others there, too, not necessarily speaking there at the podium along with secretary gates, but one notable individual who may or may not be running for president. >> reporter: that's right, fredericka. you are talking about former alaska govern sarah palin. she rode in on the back of a motorcycle. as you mentioned, she did not speak to the crowd on stage, but we did catch up with her when she arrived here. >> oh, out here to support our vets. and making sure that americans don't forget. >> are you advertising this event at all? >> heck no, does it look like i

am? i'm an american. i have no title. i have no office. and to be an american citizen with the freedom to come out here and assemble and thank our veterans, i can't tell you how honored i am that i can participate. >> what about this last tour? >> the last tour is to get out there and remind americans about our foundation. and historical sites that should be a reminder every day to every american by how important it is to stand strong on our foundation and build upon it. so it made us the greatest country on earth. >> and rolling thunder says it's a nonpartisan, nonpolitical group. it would welcome any american regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum. fred? >> sandra, thanks so much on the national mall. crowds are packing public spaces in belgrade, serbia today. they are showing their support for a man accused of genocide.

[ male announcer ] a word of warning to piggy banks... pants pockets... and anyone, anywhere who would hide our precious coins. we're coming for what's ours. maybe you didn't hear. but dimes, nickels, even pennies have power now. because the volt charges for about a buck fifty a day. making most commutes gas-free for just a handful of change.

so we're taking it back. all of it. we have some driving to do. the 2011 chevrolet volt. it's more car than electric. itchy, irritated skin... not only does cortaid 12-hour advanced cream relieve itch fast, but a clinical study shows its unique itch shield technology lasts longer than the leading cream. for 12 hour protection. for long lasting protection try cortaid. these people are supporting mladic. many people in serbia still consider mladic a war hero.

staying overseas now let's talk about the uprising in yemen. >> we have just received some very disturbing pictures from the southern city of toois in yemen where security sources allegedly have been using live ammunition and you can actually see this. we don't have reporters on the ground so we are relying on eyewitnesss. take a look at this video. let's watch. dozens of people have been injured. that's according to witnesses from taiz when security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters. they say there were tens of thousands in the streets. we can't confirm that. they belong mostly to the youth

revolutionary movement. begin to march through the streets. security forces tried to prevent them by starting to shoot live ammunition at them. trying to disperse them. when they couldn't disperse them, protesters started throwing rocks. you see blood on this what appears to be a protester. >> so what is the response from any government officials or anyone in terms of what precipitated this, how people are doing on the ground? >> well, we know very little. there has been -- government is involved in another fight in the capital sana with a very powerful tribe which has turned against the president who is resisting a lot of pressure, tens of thousands, hundreds of people on the streets since february who want him to step out after 33 years in office. there are several mediation that have failed.

>> agreed in principle and then went nowhere. >> yes. and that's when this powerful tribe rose against him. there's been fighting in the capit capitol as well. the most troubling thing is another development, again in the south, in which the key city was the main streets and that key city were ceased by islamic militants. yemen is very important in the fight against al qaeda. it has the most active, the most dangerous cell of al qaeda there. >> we are talking about a very small country, very little room for this kind of strife, but it is permeating the country. >> yeah. and counter terrorism efforts have stopped because the president has pulled out his security forces from the south where the hot bed of al qaeda is to backing protests against his government. >> very worrisome in that region. thanks so much. appreciate that. >> you're welcome. all right, a woman facing a daunting task looking for her missing grandmother amid the rubble of an ef-5 tornado.

>> that's the bathroom, and that's -- they always say the safest place to be is in the bathroom. even if she would have been in there, she wouldn't have made it because it's collapsed on itself. >> our jacqui jeras was there in joplin as this search continued. what happened? next, that story in two minutes.

our jacqui jeras tried to help one woman try to find her

grandmother. >> i was told that there was no body found in the rubble and that they had seen an elderly woman digging through the rubble but they don't know where she went. i can't look at her anywhere. >> this woman has been trying for days to locate her 63-year-old grandmother. she lived here on pitcher street where the homes are so demolished, they have to be identified with spray paint on the sidewalk. >> that's the bathroom. they always say the safest place to be is in the bathroom. and, look, it's just -- even if she would have been in there, she wouldn't have made it because it's collapsed on itself. >> reporter: tabthat drove to joplin. >> i still have a lot of friends and family and everybody here in jopl joplin. i mean, i know a lot of people are missing loved ones. >> reporter: earlier i met neighbor aaron cole who says he knows almost everyone on the

block. >> yeah, she is alive. miss cook, she got stuck in her basement door, she's all right too. i did know that ms. freeman did make it too. she's in the hospital somewhere. >> okay. well, that will make it easier to find her. >> reporter: we called freeman hospital in joplin to see if she was there. she wasn't. in the confusion, the records show she was transferred to three different hospitals. we were ready to try them all. yes. i'm looking for a possible patient. ellen freeman. i do. thank you very much. she's in room 612 in arkansas. grandma ellen freeman was found okay and resting in an arkansas hospital. >> is aarellen freeman in this room? this is her granddaughter, and i just now figured out where she's at. okay.

no, that's fine. as long as i know where she's at now. >> reporter: tabtha says she plans getting to know her grandmother better well. >> it's sad to say it takes this. you never know how long. for all i knew, she could have been crushed or died or something. >> and for jacqui, what is the latest now? >> well, her family has had a couple of surgeries. she's still in the hospital in arkansas, but she's okay. too weak to be able to talk to her, so they haven't been able to communicate quite yet. >> and that's how difficult it is for a lot of people to connect. they don't know where to begin. you obviously will go to the place of residence, look through debris. we heard the president say earlier that people were using their pickup trucks to transfer people like ambulances. >> it really gives you the idea of the chaos that was going on in the minutes immediately following the tornado. she may have been sent to three

different hospitals. we don't know where she may have been planning on sending her to one and then that one was full and didn't work out and then sent her to another one and, you know, cell phones were out, so she had relatives in town but she couldn't get ahold of them to know how they were doing. it's been difficult for a loft people. so many of those people say that waiting has been the worst part and the not knowing. so it was nice to have a happy story out of this one because that has not been the case for unfortunately so many people. >> indeed. really this entire year has been devastating. one, already a record breaking one that there have been so many more deadly tornadoes in the year of 2011 already compared to 1953. >> it really is. it's amazing to think that anyone survived out of this tornado. fredericka, i have seen a lot of tornado damage, but i have never seen anything like this. you will hear about one house is fine, one house is not fine. this was like a lawn mower went through this town. every single house in the path of this tornado was damaged. every single tree was broken off. i mean, there was maybe part of a wall standing on some of these

homes, so it just devastated everything there. >> all right, jacqui, thanks so much. and thanks for bringing their story as well. this memorial day one country music duo wants to remind you to honor our military veterans. montgomery gentry has traveled to germany, kuwait and iraq to entertain soldiers. impact your world. >> hey, we are montgomery gentry, and we can make an impact for our troops. >> we love to entertain our heroes and let them know how much we do love them and miss them when they are overseas. this is the greatest country in the world. we can say and be and dream as big as we want to in this great country. we don't give enough for our american heroes. join the movement, impact your world. cnn.com/impact. >> and of course there are many ways to impact your world. and if you want to help people in the recent tornado outbreaks, just go to cnn.com/impact and

see the various organizations that will accept your donations. so if you are at home stewing about work when you should be out playing, perhaps, the key may be in our happiness. career tips in two minutes. >> my name is sergeant janet deforest. i am stationed in baghdad. i would like to wish all my family and friends back in buffalo, new york a happy memorial day. [ female announcer ] experience dual-action power,

with listerine® whitening plus restoring rinse. it's the only listerine® that gets teeth two shades whiter and makes tooth enamel two times stronger. get dual-action listerine® whitening rinse. building whiter, stronger teeth. [♪...] >> male announcer: book now, save up to 65%. call 1-800-sandals.

this is what i was called to do. what i know for sure from this experience with you is that we all are called. everybody has a calling. and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it. every time we have seen a person on this stage who is a success in their life, they spoke of the joy and they spoke of the juice that they received from doing what they knew they were meant to be doing. >> after 25 years of her own success, oprah winfrey leaves

her show encouraging others to follow their passion, their calling, which brings me to your reclaim career segment. how do you define success? valerie betteren is the author of "where will you go from here?" we have got her right now. talk about five new ways to look at success. because everyone does define it differently. >> yeah. we do all define it differently. i love that intro during her finale. it was amazing. but for most people, they go after success and often they find a bit of emptiness. and there's a big difference between being fulfilled and being successful. one of the ways you have to redefine it is to say what fulfills me, what brings me, what allows me to tap into my purpose. >> and beyond that you need to i guess aim for excellence.

some people define success as it's money, some by fulfillment. you say for one, aim for excellence. >> aim for excellence and not just success. we have all heard the cliche of it's not about the destination. it's about the journey. but that is so true. and in our really busy hectic lives, a lot of times we are just flying by the seat of our pants and we never really delve deep to be truly engage in what we are doing. to live in the moment and be the best you can be in this moment and that leads you to that next moment. >> you say measure by your standards, not society's put but isn't that so hard? isn't that one of the biggest battles? >> our culture defines what success is. it's very external. it's the titles you have, the money, where do you work, who do you work for? all of those things. you have to say how will i define it for me. and i say look at those key areas of your life, your career, your work, your relationships, your health, your spiritual life, and have one measure in each area that you can look at and say yeah, i'm on track. >> what's my impact?

that's the question you are asking yourself. we are talking about oprah at the very beginning and she talks about her calling being to serve, and you're saying what is my impact. >> how am i making a difference? we all want to make a contribution, and one of the best questions you can ask to understand your purpose is how is someone's life better when they cross my path? and whether it's in your job specifically or it's about who you encounter on the job, you want to make sure that you're making some kind of a contribution that's meaningful to you. >> and then is my success making a difference for me. >> yeah. so this is about saying, you know, what, am i better or am i bitter? when i go through the challenges of life, when i go through the difficulties, am i becoming the type of person that can accomplish the vision i want to accomplish. if we grow through things and not just go through them, we find ourselves expanding and being able to have greater levels of success in the future. >> very inspiring. valley burton. that's why you have the book,

author of "where will you go from here?" not just a book but several books. she's on fire all the time. >> thank you. >> thanks so much, valerie. joplin misery. locals say weather service estimates of how long that tornado was on the ground. our casey wian measures the destruction from beginning to end. [ female announcer ] the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise pain relieving cream. it blocks pain signals fast for relief precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol.

precise. ♪ ♪ membership rewards points from american express. they're a social currency with endless possibilities. it's pretty revolutionary. patented, actually. it takes a snapshot of your good driving habits, so you can save money. like a snapshot? that's what i'm talking about. in a sports car.

show it to me. yes! i want to believe it! ooh! fierce! argh! love it. i think we have it. the snapshot discount. new, huge, and only from progressive. a moving and uplifting

service for the people of joplin, missouri. hundreds packed the auditorium last hour where president obama paid tribute to the victims of last sunday's tornado. he praised the city for its spirit and praised that city for staying together through those fierce winds and all this devastation. and he said the disaster was a national tragedy that deserved a national response. his promise, that the country would be there every step of the way was greeted by cheers, standing ovation, and tears. there is a dispute today over just how long last week's deadly tornado stayed on the ground. the national weather services it cut a six-mile swath against joplin, but locals say it was on the ground much better than that. >> show us the initial damage from the tornado. >> initially there was little trees starting through there and the stuff over here.

that's the trailer, working trailer. >> so this is ground zero of the joplin, tornado, and we are going to drive its entire length from west to east to get a good picture of just how widespread the damage was. here's the first downed power lines. major electrical transmission lines. one reason much of joplin is without electrical power. so less than a mile into our journey, you see the first homes that have lost part of their roofs. you can see over on this house a sign warning looters will be shot. you can see some of the power company crews were working on repairing these downed electrical lines. that will be vital to this area's recovery. >> we are now about three miles into our journey, and you can see behind me that by the time the tornado got here, it destroyed almost everything in its path, including one of the iconic images of this disaster, st. john's hospital. now about four miles into the path of the tornado, this is

where we first came just hours after it hit and spoke with a family who was trying to salvage what they could, despite a driving rain and hail storm. >> it was just starting off with hail, i'm used to that. then it just went insane afterwards. >> here is the collapsed home depot where we first met 17-year-old andrea osborne who was desperately searching for her father. >> my dad and my uncle are in there and i'm hoping and praying to god they are okay. >> turned out they were buried in that rubble. so we are now about seven miles to the east of where the tornado first touched down. as you can see, there's still lots of damage here, so those original estimates of six miles on the ground are way too conservative. this is where jim and stacey richards lived. stacey survived the tornado by hanging on to two dog crates as her home collapsed around and on top of her. >> that was awful. laying there screaming and screaming and screaming. it was horrible. >> this week they got that

insurance settlement so they can rebuild. how far east did it go? >> i'm not sure. i know there's damage over on the next section. >> we are now almost exactly 12 miles due east of where we started this journey and where the tornado first touched down. this is the area where locals say the tornado actually lifted off the ground, meaning its path is about twice as long as first estimated. and just to clarify, there's no longer a dispute about how long this tornado's path was. all week long, the national weather service -- just today they updated their website to say that it was 13 miles, and they are basing that on aerial surveillance photos of treetop damage. our estimate was 12 miles based on driving on the ground. it's pretty close. >> very close indeed. casey, thanks so much. and, of course, if you want to help people recovering from the recent tornado outbreaks just go to cnn.com/impact to see the

organizations that will accept your donations and help. this weekend we honor a war widow. when taran davis couldn't find the support she needed after her husband's death, she founded a group now helping hundreds of families. >> my husband, michael davis was killed in iraq. even four years later, people still didn't really know how to react when you say hi, i am a widow. after the funeral, i felt ostraciz ostracized. everybody liked to write off my grief due to my young age. they would say oh, you are young. you will get remarried. i just want to talk about him. they aren't going to judge people. they aren't going to tell them grieving mom. i just wanted to create what i was searching for and just hope there were others out there that could come and help me too. i'm kartaran davis.

i founded a group of widows to share their love, sacrifice. they stepped outside of this comfort zone. >> his impact will continue to affect us all for the rest of our lives. >> there are moments where we can all reflect. they feel like they are living life to the fullest. >> my little sister wrote taran. she didn't know how to get me through the loss so she wanted me to find other sisters. from my first event i went from going completely alone to not anymore at all. >> you get up that high, you see the world a different way. i think as widows we see our life a different way when we land too. it's amazing. they teach me so much and show me how far i've gone. to know that one day another widow is going to come along and they are going to be the one changing that widow's life, and that's pretty amazing. >> extraordinary lives being honored there.

and there are lots of storms expected for the rest of this memorial day weekend potentially. we are going to check in with our jacqui jeras in two minutes. what do you got? restrained driver... sir, can you hear me? just hold the bag. we need a portable x-ray, please! [ nurse ] i'm a nurse. i believe in the power of science and medicine. but i'm also human. and i believe in stacking the deck.

as if there has not been enough, now more potential severe weather on the horizon. jacqui jeras and the weather center. >> we are watching things in the midwest right now. especially into the state of indiana as well as into michigan where a tornado watch is in effect here for the next several hours. we will show you the area we are most concerned about, a couple of warnings in place. these are doppler radar indicated tornado. you need to be taking it seriously and getting to the lowest level of your home, away from doors and windows. there's one warning just to the west of toledo. we also have warnings for barry, calhoun, as well as kalamazoo counties. those are the areas we are watching. lots of lightning and really heavy downpours. chicago got nasty thunderstorms a few hours ago. you still have a few rumbles of thunder and some rain on and off. 2:50. that's what the delays are to get into chicago o'hare. jfk looking at delays, around 45

minutes. departure delays for you. toronto ground delays around 20 minutes. tomorrow, memorial day, are you barbecuing, watch out for thunderstorms across the nation's midsection from minnesota down towards texas. the southeast is going to be one of the best locations of the nation. great for going to the beach because you are going to be really hot. look at the temperatures here. we are talking low to mid 90s. the heat is really going to be building across the southeast through the mid-atlantic in the next couple of days. so don't say i didn't warn you. >> people kind of welcome that kind of hot stuff on memorial day weekend because, you know, they want to be at the beach or at the pool. >> it's a good time to have it. >> that's right. jacqui, you probably saw this video a little bit earlier in the week. we just can't get enough. this is kind of our aw moment. is that not too sweet? so little kitty here having a little nightmare, and then mama cat just kind of hugs. is that not too sweet? isn't that sweet that it's just

so instinctive for little mama, no matter what breed, you just want to comfort your little one. >> so cute. maybe she's like, quit moving. i'm trying to sleep. >> yeah, it could have been that too. and, of course, you know this holiday weekend, big on car racing. there's the indy 500. nascar coca cola 600 taking place in charlotte, which bring mess to, i had a rather exciting week being in charlotte at the charlotte motor speedway. and there are two racers who were in the race today who i had a chance to spend some time with earlier this week. joey and jason lefler. jason got me in the car with him around the track. here's a little sneak peek of what that was like. okay. i'm cheesing. that's the one on the left where all you see is teeth because i'm cheesing the whole time.

i loved it. we went 170 miles per hour. loved it. anyway, i sat down with jason and joey face to face. we are going to bring that to you next month. just really what it is to be a race car driver. is there not a better profess n profession, to be a race car driver. they are going to talk about it. they started at a very early age. they are going to talk about the evolution of the sport. what it is to be an elite athlete. >> what did it feel like? >> it was invigorating. better than any roller coaster ride. better than any kind of jet flying. it's awesome. >> did you get to do one lap yourself? >> no. >> there's this other fascinating story out there. we are talking about fans of marilyn monroe. we are going to love to hear that there are other images of her as norma jean. never-before-seen pictures. these new photos were bought as negatives at a garage sale decades ago.

it just keeps happening. the owner and noted art dealer now trying it figure out exactly who took these pictures. but this was norma jean before she was huge as marilyn monroe. she was forever very photogenic. still unclear exactly how much these pictures would be worth as well. of course many would say just simply priceless. >> thanks, jacqui, appreciate that. all right, for a soldier going into a battle zone, it never hurts to ask for a little help from above. saints riding into the fight on the wrists of america's warriors. 7 transitions adapt to changing light so you see your whole day comfortably and conveniently while protecting your eyes from the sun. ask your eyecare professional which transitions lenses are right for you. ask your eyecare professional for your transitions certificate of authenticity for your chance to win instant monthly prizes

or our $20,000 grand prize!

naomi pryce: i am. i'm in the name your own price division. i find empty hotel rooms and help people save - >> - up to 60% off. i am familiar. your name? > naomi pryce. >> what other "negotiating" skills do you have? > i'm a fifth-degree black belt. >> as am i. > i'm fluent in 37 languages. >> (indistinct clicking) > and i'm a master of disguise >> as am i. > as am i. >> as am i. > as am i. >> well played naomi pryce. ♪ well, you know i love it too ♪ ♪ you love money ♪ well, you know i love it too ♪ ♪ i work so hard at my job ♪ and then i bring it home to you ♪

♪ i love money in my pocket hi, this is major killpatrick from baghdad. i'd like to wish a happy memorial day to my wife and children as well as my family back in lebanon, ohio. i love you and i hope you guys have a great day. >> the danger our troops face inspired a military mom to call on the help of a few saints. she's making bracelets that carry the images of battle saints. we to want point out that the woman is the wife of our weekend managing editor jim la may, and cnn's reynolds wolf report that the bracelets are showing up on the battlefield and beyond.

>> reporter: a solemn march, a loud ovation, and a last good-bye for these deploying troops. the atlanta airport is the final stop on their way to war, so that's where you will find military moms like cynthia la may. >> where are you guys headed? >> afghanistan. >> afghanistan? >> reporter: la may knows the pain of deployment all too well. >> our son is in afghanistan. my nephew just got back from his third tour in afghanistan, and we also have several other members that are in harm's way. >> reporter: while she can't be on the front lines protecting her son, she can ask for a little help from above. >> we put together these saints bracelets. my son has been wearing one since he's been over. he's been in a couple of fire fighters and attacks. >> reporter: this is the battle saint bracelet. it's made up of 12 to 15 different saints. >> these are bracelets that actually have different saints on them, including st. christopher to protect you when you travel.

they have very specific meaning to the military. and provide them specific protection. >> she started it as a way to feel connected and to show support for the troops overseas, and now the small memento has spread to hollywood and beyond. ♪ ♪ ♪ let it rain, salute the ones who die ♪ ♪ the ones who give their lives, so we don't have to sacrifice ♪ ♪ all the things we love and a little bit of chicken fried ♪ >> reporter: you will find them on the wrists of celebrities like zach rand and the cast of band of brothers. and now you can get them online too. a token of support for those at home and those on the front lines. >> i feel pretty proud to wear this. and it makes me feel like i'd be a little more protected over there, like i got somebody watching over me a little more. >> when you have a loved one in

harms way, not a moment goes by where you don't think of them. so we wear these every day, we think of our loved ones and all the other service men and women who make so many sacrifices every day. >> reporter: reynolds wolf, cnn, atlanta. >> parts of the proceeds from the bracelet sales go to the intre fallen hero fund. it's true. you never forget your first subaru.

(announcer) everything you need to stretch out on long trips. residence inn. just got more powerful. introducing precise pain relieving heat patch. it blocks pain signals for deep relief precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol.