4 good morning, everyone, i'm ashleigh banfield. on this memorial day, we begin with the day that celebrates memorial day, arlington cemetery. the president and first lady are there honoring all those in uniform who have geffenberg their lives serving this country. our dan lothian is with us live from the white house as the president is busy and so to speak on the road. dan, i wanted to ask you as we get ready to listen to the president and his address today on this memorial day at the

tomb, it's a busy time for him. he has a lot going on on his agenda. a number of different scandals that are being characterized. at the same time, he does take this time on this day to do this and it is a busy day for him as well, isn't it? >> it really is a busy day for the president. are you right. the president thinks that these are special moments to honor those who have given so much for this country. people the president, himself, pointed out. in his weekly address, we don't ask for attention, they're out of the spotlight. yet they sacrifice so much. many of them end up giving their lives. the president, the first lady will be honoring them. laying the wreath of the unknown soldier. the president will be dlivg summer remarks, no doubt, talking about how these heros have acted when called upon. even beyond today, memorial day and what this symbolizes, the president, as you pointed out

does have all these other things on his plate. as you know, he is trying to get away from the scandals we have seen over the past couple of weeks. a couple of things come to mind, immigration reform. this is something the president talked about during his 2008 campaign. he was not able to get comprehensive reform. he is pushing for. that we know it's headed to the senate floor after winning some approval in the committee and so it's unclear exactly where this will end up. it's something the president promised he wants to deliver in his second term. in addition to that, there is the guantanamo bay facility. another promise he made the 2008 and early in his 2009 presidency he wanted to close it, but there have been a lot of challenges in closing it down. the president believes the longer you keep it opened, it will create more enemies oversea, it will be more expense for a country trying to cut where it can.

these are some challenges the president is dealing with here as he moves beyond the scandals of the last couple of weeks. >> dan the president is being escorted in as we speak. you can see the defense secretary chuck hagel behind him and the first lady. i want to listen in to some of the ceremony as it proceeds live.

[ music playing ] ♪

>> present. >> present. [ drum roll ]

♪ [ playing taps ]

>> every may 30th since 1868,

this country has set aside a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers and every minute since 1948 the place the president is just leaving now, the tomb of the unknowns has been guarded every single minute by the sentinels of the 3rd u.s. infantry, better known as the old guard. as the president makes his way to the amphitheater, he will be followed by the first lady and defense secretary chuck hagel and the joint keefes of staff. they will be making their remarks. we will be back with more of our special memorial day coverage right after this. [ music playing ]

there are hundreds of thousands of graves in arlington national cemetery and many families today are visiting a place called section 60. section 60 is the service members who were killed in the wars in iraq and afghanistan buried. the headstone there is are

covered with mementos like this one where a child left sweet post-it notes saying i love you and god job. our barbara starr snapped tease photographs forro for us. you talk about a comrad with a nice cold frosty beer. i was wondering if we could get your observations this morning. >> reporter: good morning, ashleigh, nearly 800, a thousand service members who have fallen on the battlefields in iraq and afghanistan are buried here. this is the place where names like feluga, kandahar, islamabad are so meaningful. families come here every year, especially on memorial day, leaving those mementos, what becomes so gut wrenching, so touching is when you see the young troops coming back from the war who are here on their

day off to visit their fallen friends. we talked to a couple of those young soldiers just a short time ago. have a listen. >> we were supposed to play with him. i got back from our mission in afghanistan until we buried him here. i flew back over and finished the rest of the deployment. >> reporter: so you brought michael home? >> i couldn't imagine being anywhere else. serving and losing a brother in arms and getting to be here on memorial day, it's, i don't know, there is no way to describe it. it's the only place i'd want to be. >> reporter: we talked to both young soldiers from the 82nd just a few moments ago, found them sitting at the grave of their friend michael metcalf, trenton brought michael all the way home here to be buried in arlington about a year ago when he fell on the battle in afghanistan and that's what you

see here all day long and what you, in fact, see every day and, of course, arlington, not just iraq and aphganistan, but if you look back up into those hills, you will find those who served in vietnam, korea, world war ii, world war i, and, indeed, ashleigh back to the civil war. this is a place truly where the nation's history is written. >> barbara, you just noticed in that brief flash of michael's headstone, that was a birthdate of i think 1989. am i mistaken? it always strikes me how young so many of these fallen heros. there you are, 1989. that's when he was born, may 15th. are you seeing a lot of that. those very late birthdates. ? >> well, this is, this is those who serve on the front leans, some of the nation's youngest. we have seen it now for a decade plus and i think there is a lot of hope amongst many of these young people that they may be not having to do a lot of

additional tours in the war zone, of course, afghanistan, technically, winding down, but for the families who come here, of course, every day is memorial day, every day they remember their loved ones as we do here. >> so true. >> at cnn. >> please do give our thoughts to those families and friends you are uncoan countering there in section 60. barbara starr, reporting live for us on this memorial day. we got volunteers across the country who have been spending the last 27 days leading up to today, honoring the fallen men and women of our military by carrying the flag all the way from new york to texas. we're going to tell you their stories in just a moment. i've always had to keep my eye on her... but, i didn't always watch out for myself. with so much noise about health care... i tuned it all out. with unitedhealthcare, i get information that matters...

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as we look at the wreath the president just laid at the mfume tomb of the unknown in arlington

national in virginia, a few things you may not know about that actual tomb, there is actually a burial that happened there. it is literally the remains of an unknown soldier from world war i and that burial was approved back in 1921 and the person who's buried will is supposed to symbolize all of those who are missing, all of those who are unknown service member, gave up their lives, gave up their identities as well. many members of the cia who have not fallen and been acknowledged due to security risks. that tomb is to represent all of those. there are also a couple other crypts for the unknowns. there is one for world war ii, korea and vietnam and they lie west of this tomb and actually the remains that were buried in the vietnam tomb were actually exhumed and identified through dna. so now that is a tomb that

remains empty. i want to take you inside the amphitheater, because the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff is just getting ready now to address. this is general martin dempsey with his remarks. >> the second members of congress, distinguished veterans, fellow americans and most especially the families of our missing and fallen warriors. welcome. 150 years ago this november at the soldiers' national cemetery in gettysburg, pennsylvania, president abraham lincoln delivered one of the most monumental and enduring speeches in american history. in his gettysburg address delivered at a ceremony not unknown like this to an audience like you, len connell consequently memorialized those who gave their lives so future americans might live in freedom. he also reiterated the very principles of our democracy. but lincoln did something more

in his 372 word address. he challenged the audience the nation to honor the memory of the fallen by recommitting themselves to the virtues for which they fought and died. after humbling -- humbly miscalculating, lincoln urged and i quote for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining for us that from these honored dead, we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. how powerful, how poetic and how proper. we stand here today in this cemetery, arlington, created during the war of which lincoln spoke. now it's the home to our nation's fallen, from all of its force, we stand here, thankful swartd stewards that the blessings of these fallen have passed to us. but we do not stand aloans,

today across our great nation, in crowded cities, grateful citizens will bow their heads in honor of our fallen heros. that's devotion. whether gathered at a picnic or in a parade, a baseball game or a solemn cemetery like this one, americans will remember. they will remember that the peace and the liberty we enjoyed each and every day were made possible by the devotion and sacrifice of a long line of brave men and women in uniform. and that line, my friends, has continued to grow. today, america's uniforms sons and daughters are on patrol in afghanistan and on many other places on the fonteers of freedom throughout the world. our young men and women are serving as honorably and as bravely today as their forefathers did. when the nation called them to duty, they came. i'm inspired each and every day by their sense of purpose, their personal courage, their character and their confidence. thatry the best led, their best trained and the best equipped force on the face of the earth.

as a nation, we must insure they remain so. so today i join everyone here and across this great land in honoring those who have willingly sacrificed while donning the cloth of our nation. so, too, we honor their loved ones who nobly carry on. today i ask all of us to reflect on this great nation founded on service and forged in sacrifice. let us renew and rededicate ourselves to the best of america, its freedom, its responsibility and its promise. and make peace be our ultimate cause. may god bless our fallen, our missing, our veterans and their families. may we be forever grateful and may god bless america. thank you. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, listen now aztec nickal sergeant dandial anderson of the united states air force performs

"america the beautiful. ♪ oh beautiful for spacious kies for amber waves of grain. for purple mountain magestys ♪ above the fruited plain ♪ america, america

♪ god shed his grace on thee ♪ and crown thy good ♪ with brotherhood ♪ from sea to shining sea ♪ oh beautiful ♪ for put a dream ♪ that seas belong by these ♪ by alabaster seas agleam ♪ i give my liberty ♪ america, america

♪ god shed his grace on thee ♪ and crown thy good ♪ with brotherhood ♪ from sea to shining sea ♪ and crown thy good ♪ with brotherhood ♪ from sea to shining sea

[ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, secretary hagel. [ applause ] >> mr. president, mrs. obama, secretary shinsecki, chairman dempsey, distinguished guests. we are greatly honored to be with you all here today as we observe a memorial day. together, we gather to remember america's sons and daughters who sacrificed everything in the defense of our nation. for generations, americans have set aside this day to honor those who have fought and died

to keep our nation safe. a civil war veteran supreme court justice oliver wendell homs said, every year in the spring at the height of love and flowers and life, there comes a pause, through the silence, we hear the lonely pipe of death. every memorial day, america is remind of these selfless individuals, america's quiet heros. we also think of america's new generation of defenders, protecting the nation's interest in every corner of the globe, preserving our freedoms and our way of life. they work for a more peaceful and hopeful world. as general douglas macar chur said, a soldier of all prays for peace, for he must area deepest scars of war. america's heros laid to rest here at arlington and at american cemeterys around the

world are kept alive by families and communities across our great lan. this memorial day, we honor those families who are heros left behind. we honor them in appreciation for the sacrifices they have endured. we also honor the perseverance and the resilience of our military families today for they are dealing with all of the challenges of life. america thanks you. all of us in positions of trust and responsibility must always make decisions that are worthy of the sacrifices of those who serve our country. on this sacred day, as we recall the words of president lincoln, when he referred to the mystic bonds and words of memory, we honor america's fallen put as by striving to be worthy of their great sacrifices as we all work towards making a better future for all mankind. it is now my honor to introduce someone who has shown

unwaivering commitment to our service men an women and their families and who leads our nation today with great strength and wisdom. ladies and gentlemen, help me welcome our commander-in-chief, the president of the united states of america. [ applause ] >> thank you. thank you. ploez be seated. thank you very much. good morning, everybody. >> good morning. >> i want to thank secretary chuck hagel, not only for the introduction but, chuck, for your lifetime of service, from sergeant in the army to secretary of defense, but always a man who carries with you the memory of friends and fallen heros from vietnam. we are grateful to you. i want to thank general dempsey,

major general leanington, catherine condon who has served arlington with extraordinary dedication and grace and who will be leaving us, but we are so grateful for the work she has done. for chaplain brainard, secretary casecky, most of all to our members of our armed services and our veterans to the families and friends of the fallen who we honor today to americans from all acrass the country who come to pay your respects, i have to say, it is always a great honor to spend the memorial day with you at this sacred place where we honor our fallen heros, those who reremember fondly in our memories and those known only to

god. beyond these quiet hills across that special bridge is the city of monuments dedicated to visionary leaders and singular moments in the life of our republic. but it is here on this hallowed ground where we choose to build a monument to a constant this red in the -- thread in the american character, the truth that our nation endures because it has always been home to men and women who are willing to give their all and lay down their lives to preserve and protect this land that we love. that character, that selflessness beats in the hearts of the very first put a patriots who died for a degrees e democracy they would never know and would never see. they fought for the men and

women who fought to keep our union together and those who fought to defend it from abroad, from the jungles of asia. this year as we mark the 60th anniversary of the end of fighting in korea, we offer a special salute to all those who served and gave their lives in the korean war and over the last decade, we have seen the character of our country again in the nearly 7,000 americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice on battlefields and city streets half a world away. now, last memorial day, i stood here and spoke about how for the first time in nine years americans were no longer fighting and dying in iraq. today, a transition is unway in afghanistan and our troops are coming home. fewer americans are making the ultimate sacrifice in

afghanistan and that's progress for which we are profoundly grateful. and the time next year, we will mark the final memorial day of our war in afghanistan. and so, as i said last week, america stands at a crossroads, but even as we turn a page on a decade of conflict, even as we look forward, let us never forget as we gather here today that our nation is still at war. this should be self-evident and generations passed it was. and during world war ii millions of americans contributed to the war effort. soldiers lick my own grandfather, women like my grandmother who worked the assembly lines, during vehicle war, just about everybody knew somebody, a brother, a son, a friend, who served in harm's

way. today, it's different. perhaps it's a tribute to our remarkable all volunteer force made up of men and women who step forward to serve and do so with extraordinary skill and valor. programs it's a testament to our advanced technologies which allow smaller numbers of troops to wield greater and greater power. but regardless the reason, this truth cannot be ignored that today, most americans are not directly touched by war. as a consequence, not all americans may always see or fully grasp the depth of sacrifice, the profound costs that are made in our name, right now, as we speak, every day, our

troops and our militar families understand this and they mention to me their concern about whether the country fully appreciates what's happening. i think about a letter i received from a naval officer, a reserve whoift had just returned from a deployment to afghanistan. he wrote me, i'm concerned that our work in afghanistan is fading from memory. and he went on to ask that we do more to keep this conflict alive and focused in the hearts and mind of our own people. and he's right. as we gather here today at this very moment, more than 60,000 of our fellow americans still serve far from home in afghanistan. they're still going out on patrol, still living in spartan operating bases, still risking their lives to carry out their mission. and when they give their lives, they are still being laid to rest if cemeterys in the quiet

corners across our country, including here in arlington. captain sarah cullen had a smile that could light up the room and a love of country at that time led her to west point after graduation ceremony came, a blackhawk pilot and married a former blackhawk pilot. she was just 27-years-old when she and four other soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash during a training mission near kandahar. this past april, sarah was laid to rest here in section 60. today, sarah is remembered by her mother, lynn, who says she is proud of her daughter's life and proud of her faith and proud of her service to our country. [ applause ]

staff sergeant frankie philips came from a military family and was as tough as they come. a combat medic, frankie was on patrol in afghanistan three weeks ago when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. he was so humble that his parents never knew how many lives he had saved until soldiers started showing up at his funeral from thousands of miles away and last week, frankly was laid to rest a few rows over from sarah. staff sergeant eric christian was a born leader, a member of the marine corps special operating command. ereck had served five tours of duty, but kept going back because he felt responsible for his teammates and was determined to finish the mission. on may 4th, eric gave his life after escorting a high ranking u.s. official to meet with afghan leaders. later, his family got a letter from a marine who had served two

tours with eric. in it, the marine wrote, there were people who measured their success based on how many enemies they killed or how many missions they led to conquer a phone. eric based his success on how many of his friends he brought home and he brought home many, including me. eric was laid to rest here at arlington just six days ago. [ applause ] so today we remember their service, today just steps from where these brave americans lie in eternal peace, we declare as a proud and grateful nation that their sacrifice will never be forgotten. and just as we honor them, we hold their families close, because for the parents who lose

a child, for the husbands and wives who leez partner, for the children who lose a parent, every loss is devastating. for those of us who bear the solemn responsibility of sending these men and women into harm's way, we know the consequences all too well. i feel it every time i meet a wounded warrior, every time i visit walter reed and every time i reed grieve with a gold star family and that's why on this day, we remember our sacred obligation to those who laid down their lives so we could live ours to finish the job these men and women started by keeping our promise to those who wear america's uniform to give our troops the resources they need, to keep faith with our veterans and their families, now and always. to never stop searching for those who have gone, every

american can do something even simple as we go about our daily lives, we must remember that our countrymen are still serving, still fighting, still putting tear lives on the line -- their lives on the line for all of us. you know, last fall, i received a letter from candy avrin of charlotte, north carolina. both of her sons are manners, her oldest served two tours in iraq, her youngest was in afghanistan at the time. he was in her words 100% devoted to his deployment and wouldn't have had it any other way. reading candy's letter, it was clear she was extraordinarily proud of the life her boys had chosen, but she also had a request on behalf of all the mothers just like her, she said, please don't forget about my

child and every other marine and soldier over there who proudly choose to defend their country. a mother's plea, please don't forget. on this memorial day and every day, let us be true and meet that promise. let it be our task every single one of us to honor the strength and the resolve and the love these brave americans felt for each other and for our country. let us never forget to always remember and to be worthy of the sacrifice they make in our name. may god bless the fallen and all those who serve and may god continue to bless the united states of america. [ applause ]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for if playing of "taps" and the benediction. >> present arms. ♪ [ playing taps ]

>> present arms. >> let us now join together one last time in prayer on these hallowed grounds for our service. let us pray. almighty god, continue to endow our president and all our leaders with energy and insight and send us all on our way with strength for the journey that lay ahead. let each and every day remind us to pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters in arms who stand at the tip of the spear for our nation this day for our freedom. continue to bless this nation,

our friends and the flag we serve. now, may the spirit of god be near you to defend you when you to refresh you before you to go ahead behind you to justify you and above you to bless you forever more. go in peace, brothers and sisters. amen. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain in place until the president has departed and the others have retired. >> and as they dismiss the colors during this annual remembrance ceremony, it's such a message from the president, the least any of us can do is simply.

remember. it's important as we have picnics, bar be cues, et cetera, that we just take a moment to reflect and remember and think about the 60,000 troops serving overseas in afghanistan as the president pointed out. many of them so sadly week by week become those we have to remember as well. again, i want to leave you with a few images of the tomb of the unknowns in arlington where the wreath has been laid to signified all of those unknown service members who we've lost in duty.

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province when it exploded. happened in january of '09. and also kevin cardoza. the texan soldier one of five killed earlier this month when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in afghanistan's kand har province. log onto cnn.com and join us in honoring the memory of 100 soldiers in 100 hours. so many of those fallen troops who died in iraq and afghanistan are buried in what's known as section 60 at arlington national cemetery. you just heard president obama mention it in his remarks, section 60. a lot of families paying tribute to them this morning including a bag piper who was playing a beautiful rendition of amazing grace. ♪

just a stunning image and a beautiful sound. our barbara starr is live now in section 60 at arlington national cemetery. what is the connection of that bagpiper to the cemetery, barbara? >> well, ashleigh, what we see here so often on every memorial day and even throughout the years, people come and celebrate their family traditions. this bagpiper is a man who came to visit his father, a long-time veteran, and his mother as well both buried here at arlington. he comes every year to play his bagpipes for those laid to rest here. arlington, of course hallowed ground. 300,000 people buried here. have a listen to what this man had to say about his family. >> my father passed away in 1989. and shortly thereafter i started taking piping lessons because we had a piper play for my father here at arlington. and it took me about four years

to be able to come down here and play. and ever since then every memorial day i play here at 8:00 for my father. every time i pick up the pipes, my father's here. >> so, just one of those who we have met here today. and here at section 60 i'm going to ask our cameraman to just pan off, you will see the numbers of people here, the families, the young children who have come to remember their fallen mother or father. the crowds are really gathering here. so many momentos left behind, so many children. we do expect, i must tell you, that within the next few minutes president obama will arrive here at section 60 to pay his respects along with the first lady as they have in the past. this is a place where well-known international figures, the president of the united states comes, but this is also a place where young children remember

parents, where battle buddies we have seen all morning, young people, marines, soldiers, navy personnel, airmen, come and remember their friends who are buried here. ashleigh. >> that's so critical, barbara, to remember not only those fallen, but those who the fallen left behind who also made that sacrifice, those families, those children, those friends. barbara, thank you. and do let us know when the president arrives there. that's such a solemn moment. thank goodness the weather's good so that they can be there enjoying this day. we're going to return to arlington national cemetery in our special memorial day coverage right after this. are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule.

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my son was sergeant thomas robert bagosy, i called him tommy. united states marine corps. >> he was stationed in north carolina and he served in iraq and afghanistan. tom actually took his own life on camp may 10, 2010. i think that a lot of people think of memorial day as the start of summer. and we don't really remember what the actual meaning is. so i think that it's really great to get out there and just show everybody and be like, look, there are people out there dying for your freedom so you can celebrate and enjoy your summer and your barbecues. >> we all belong to a club nobody wants to belong to. it's nobody wants to lose anybody to become part of this. >> you kind of want memorial day to turn into memorial may. when you're seeing those families walk legs with us and you're watching their children and you're holding their hand on a five-mile leg and talking to them about their dad, that to me is tough. but in the same breath it also

lets me know that they're not forgotten. >> tom was a very good man. he was great. he went to war. and he went back again. and he knew what he was getting into. >> he was a great marine. he was a wonderful father. and a good husband to his wife. and i miss him. this is my way of saying, hey, tom, i'm still here. >> he carried it in his boot when he died. so it's close to my heart. >> as our legs get tired and our feet are sore, that pails in comparison to what people have done overseas. >> thanks for coming out, guys. this is awesome. do i want to carry one of the flags? yeah. i don't mind. now, when it gets heavy, just let me know, all right? >> okay. okay. >> some long days, some long nights. >> it's across america people have served. it's not just one specific part of the country. it's for all our cities, small

towns that have gone overseas or wherever they have been locations. it's all of america coming together. it's showing that as they go through these communities that, you know, it doesn't matter which leg that you're at but just that you can come out and show respect and really thank them for what they're doing. it doesn't matter exactly where you're from. i think it's just something to show your respect with. >> carrying this flag during this parade, i call it a parade, it's a small parade, but i just think that it's -- i don't know, it's just one of these things that i feel like i'm doing something for tom. >> west point, new york, to dallas, texas, carrytheload.org. thank you for watching everyone. "around the world" is next. welcome to "around the world." i'm suzanne malveaux. >> and i'm michael holmes. thanks for your company today. >> anger growing in britain after a soldier stabbed to death with knives and