we were on a mission to visit the village, which is right of sight of a major u.s.-based in loagar. despite being close to the base, is a borderline town. had some flooding problems that the bank on a coalition -- they blamed on college and construction. has some residents that are not too friendly to the u.s.-led alliance. the 10th mountain lions had the idea to go into the village and take a long afghan and jordanian troops and use the afghans and jordanians, because they are muslim, to drop in on the village mosque. they need new rugs or

loudspeakers, and the coalition can pay for those things as a gesture to the bill is to try to win them back to the coalition's side. on march 19, we drove into the town in a convoy. got out of the vehicles right outside of town and walked through the town, ending the jordanians and the afghans in each of several mosques as we passed by. there was some indication early on that things were not right in the village. the village has always been borderline, but that day, it was particularly irritated at the coalition presence. not uncommon for kids to throw rocks at coalition patrols. the rocks were a barrage. one american, sitting in his

vehicle, was struck and the face by iraq and was bleeding. -- by a rock and was bleeding. the patrol leader was furious. came racing back towards the vehicle, checked on the guy, and found the village elder and yelled at him and said, we are here to help. your people are hurting my people. you have got to cut it out. and the elder is like, what can i do? kids are being kids. so jimenez and the elder duked it our and made peace, and we continued with the patrol. we did not have any reason to fear that the problems would escalate beyond a few throwing rocks. the 10th mountain division has a route clarence patrols that all up and down the road on a regular basis and check for

i.e.d's. the road in and out had been checked recently, and there were no known i.e.d's. that afternoon, we left the village and probablyg got about 50 yards outside the village. we were passing by and abandon motorcycle when a bomb exploded underneath the vehicle i was in. there were seven people, including myself. of the seven, five were hurt enough to be evacuated by helicopter. myself and emetic were sitting in the back. and we were mostly unhurt. although concussions are always a possibility and hard to detect in the short term. >> rae you all right -- are you

all right? >> any helmets? >> [groaning] >> you ok? >> i'm good. >> my goodness. >> [groaning] >> any guys hurt up front? >> what's wrong? >> my leg. >> shit. >> any medic, this is -- over. >> we need to get the fuck out of here. do not open. >> help! >> what's wrong with you? >> oh, my ankle is killing me.

oh, my goodness. my ankle. i'm good. you good? good.'re >> my ankle. my kevlar is missing. damn, my kevlar is missing. >> don't orrworry about it. the aftermathin of the blast, the army evacuated five of the people and i stayed behind with the patrol as they cleaned up the damage, investigated the blast site, and alderden we we left the village -- ultimately, we left the

village as villagers watched us like some kind of spectator sport. the bomb that struck the truck i was in could have been any of a number of varieties of i.e.d's that extremist groups use in logar province. there are bombs made of all the explosive, old military grade military and mortar shells. there are bombs made of fertilizer. there are different kinds of trigger mechanism. there are radio controlled blasts. there are blessed triggered by pressure. -- a pressure plate. some are even triggered by an infrared beam across tyhhe road. this is probably a pressure plate, because those are easiest

to detect. you can use an old style metal detector to detect them. it was not detected, it could be a fertilizer pact by plastic or wood. i say that because the bomb struck the front of the first vehicle in the convoy. piecing together the details, it seems the bomb had been there for a while. when we entered the village, somebody tipped off the taliban or they were watching -- it could then another extremist group, but likely the taliban. while we were having rocks thrown at us, the taliban stole motorcycle or was willing to give up his own, raise up to where the bomb was, activated, left the bite behind and -- the bike behind and ran.

then only have to wait while we drove out of town and road rage over the track. the vehicle i was thei in savedr lives. a mine- resistant truck. the standard vehicle for any u.s. patrol in iraq and afghanistan. it is a tall, heavily armored do vehicle with an angled body. the army began buying tens of thousands of these things at about $1 million a piece after i.e.d. casualties spite in iraq. today, iraq is not so much the problem, but after so many years when afghanistan did not have

any i.e.d's, they are now the major killer of troops in afghanistan. around half of americans killed or injured are victims of i.e.d's/ he there are 1300 i.e.d's discovered every month. that does not count the ones no one sees. tens of thousands of every year. some are very hard to detect p. killing hundreds of american troops per year. there would be many more if we were not spending billions of dollars on these trucks. but as it stands, even the survivors suffer long-term consequences, besides the trauma injuries. and brain injuries are huge problem now. i read something like 25,000

american troops have been concussed and suffered brain injuries in afghanistan, and most of those are since the i.e.d. scourge picked up over the last three years. they are the major reason why the coalition cannot fully control even provinces close to kabul where they have the most troops. extreme difficulty causes the i.e.d threat to get between two points in afghanistan. to do with any safety at all, although there is no perfect guarantee, requires the route clearance patrols, which suffered their own casualties. who is clearing the route for them? an overhead surveillance before the patrol and sometimes during the patrol, including aircraft that cannot

thect i.e.d's or jam signals that detonate i.e.d's, using radio interference. whenever there is a blessed, you have to call in a disposal team or forensic team. when there are more explosives presence or when there are craters or bomb debris. have the effect of limiting where patrols can go, making movement that are possible extremely risky and everyng a high price for mile. and slowing everyone down, because every i.e.d. ends up be an hour's long process of recovering the casualties, dragging the vehicle of the crater and investigating the blast site to determine what happened and who was responsible. it goes on and on and on to the

point where the war in afghanistan is an i.e.d centr ic site. most of what soldiers do it is an attempted countermeasures. what is left after you clear out the i.e.d. site is just a few people with a few days and months to spend trying to change attitudes in afghanistan and reform the country. >> freelance video journalist david axe was embedded with the u.s. army in march and april. his fourth trip. he is a regular contributor to the washington times.

you can watch this program on our web site if you go to c- span.org and click on video library. site david axe in the search box. >> memorial day on "washington journal", major general jeff you can and gives an update on iraq since the withdrawal of u.s. troops and the progress being made by iraqi security forces. then major general james miller discusses u.s. efforts to train the afghan army and police. after that, center for american progress senior fellow brian katulis on current strategy in afghanistan. finally, we talk about the national highway trust fund and the role that federal and state gas tax is play. "washington journal", live monday at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> earlier today, president obama visited joplin, missouri,

one week after our tornado killed over 100 residents. he toured the area and met with local residents and emergency workers. we will hear brief remarks from the president as well as the missouri governor. this is close to 10 minutes. >> how you guys doing? how are you? >> fine, sir. missy. >> are you from the area? thank you so much for being here. >> this is tanner. >> how old are you? >> eight. >> he's a big help. >> thank you, tanner. >> [unintelligible] live right down here.

>> will he be ok? so glad he's ok. >> his house is gone. >> family and people are important. how're you, sir? good to see you. thank you. what part of texas are you from? >> garlen. >> this is so helpful to people. god bless you. >> a tremendous amount of people from other states are here. >> i know. come on, let's get a picture. kate, where you at? of course. god bless you. we appreciate it. prayingour uncle we're for him. >> i represent missouri.

>> we got a good shot. [camera shutters clicking] >> well, everybody. come on. this way. i think the -- you got it? obviously, the scene speaks for itself. when we were in tuscaloosa a few weeks ago, i talked about how i had not seen devastation like that in my lifetime. you come here to joplin, and it is just as heartbreaking and more devastating. i want to thank the outstanding work that governor nixon, the mayor, all the congressional delegation, as well as the first lady have done and the red cross in helping people to respond.

but obviously, it is going to take years to build back. and we mourn the loss of life. we will be going to a memorial service and try to help cover the families and let them know that we are praying for them and thinking about them -- to help comfort the family we have a chance to meet some of the folks who lived in this community. just harrowing stories but more reckless. i met and 85-year-old gentleman who has along -- a lawn service. he went into the closet and came out without a scratch. there are good stories to tell and happy, but obviously, there has been a lot of hardship as well. the main thing i want to communicate to the people of joplin, this is not just your

tragic. this is a national treasure. there will be a national response. craig has been on the ground since a day after this happened, and he is helping to coordinate with an outstanding team of state and local officials. we are going to do everything we can to continue whatever search and rescue remained. we are doing everything we can to make sure folks get shelter they need, the support they need. we're working with the governor to make sure that we cut through any red tape necessary with respect to rebuilding here. and then we're going to have a long slog, but what i have told every family i met here is we are going to be here long after the cameras leave. we are not going to stop until joplin is back on its feet.

all the volunteers helping up, one of the things has been incredible is to see how many people have driven from as far away as texas, nearby illinois, people coming here to volunteer -- firefighters, ordinary citizens. it is an example of what the american spirit is all about. that gives us a lot of encouragement at a time when obviously, people are going through a lot of hardship. so, thank you, again, governor. >> just that, i have been here every day. trying to work early to late, trying to back up local officials. try to coordinate the federal response make sure that we greenlight the necessities to move forward. today, is a day of remembrance. as we move to the memorial service, the loss of life and property is significant. it will take a higher power to keep the strength of this community.

we are confident that it will happen. we especially appreciate, mr. president, you're focusing the entire world attention right here to help us in ways that will make a lasting difference to this committee. god bless you. >> one last point. obviously, in the rebuilding process, their families that are thankful that are okay, but they have been displaced. it is not just their homes. many of them lost any means of transportation. the school has been destroyed. and so, for all americans to take a little bit of time out and make a contribution to the american red cross or other charitable organizations that are active here in joplin. even if it is $5, $10, what ever you have to spare. one of the things that is striking about this -- this can happen to anybody.

the difference between you being in the path of a twister and a few blocks away, you're being ok is a very slim margin. and so, we have all got to pull together. here but for the grace of god go i. thank you, ever ready. >> after touring tornado damage, the president attended a memorial service. you talked about the york actions of residence during the tragedy and pledged continued support and other community is rebuilt. this is 20 minutes. >> thank you. thank you. thank you so mcuh. uch. please be seated.

>> i love you! >> i love joplin. joplin. >> we love joplin. >> we love joplin. thank you, governor, for the powerful message, but more important, for being here with and for your people very step of the way. we are grateful to you, to reverend garris, father monahan, i am so glad you got in that tub. >> yeah! [laughter] >> to reverend brown, for that incredibly powerful message. [laughter] [applause] >> to send a clear mccaskill who

has been here, and congressman billy long. mayor wolfston, to craig fugate. he heads up fema, our emergency response. he has been going from tuscaloosa to joplin, tirelessly. gayle mcgovern. the president of the national red cross, which has contributed to rebuilding effortshere. here. most of all, to the family and friends of all those who have been lost all those affected. today, we gather to celebrate the lives of those we have lost in the storms in joplin and

across the midwest. to keep in our prayer is, those still missing. to mourn with their families, to stand together during this time of pain and trial. alluded to,brown the question that weighs on us at a time like this is why? why our town. why our tomes? homes? why my son or husband or wife or sister or friend? why? we do not have the capacity to answer. we can't know when a terrible storm will strike or where or the severity of the devastation that it may cause. we're't an't know why

tested with the loss of a loved one or the loss of a home where we have lived a lifetime. these things are beyond our power to control. but that does not mean we are powerless in the face of. adversity . when the stormnd strikes is up to us. how we live in the aftermath of tragedy and heart rate, that is within our control -- heartache, thst i at is withint our contro. ments, yourse moe actions, that we see a glimpse of what makes life worth living. in the last week, that's what

joplin has not just taught missouri or america, but has taught the world. i was overseas in the aftermath of the storm, and we had world leaders coming up to me, saying, let the people of joplin know we are with them. we're thinking about them. we love them. [applause] world saw how joplin responded. a university turned itself into a makeshift hospital. some of you use your pickup trucks as ambulances carrying the injured, on doors that served as stretchers.

restaurants rushed food to people. businesses filled trucks with donations. you waited in line to donate blood to people you know but also to people you have never met. in all this, you have lived the words of scripture. "we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. we are perplexed but not in despair. persecuted, but not for saken. cast down but not destroyed." you have shown the world what it means to love thy neighbor. you have banded together, come to each other aid, demonstrated

a simple truth. amid heartbreak and tragedy, no one is a stranger. everybody is a brother, everybody is a sister. we can all love one another. [applause] as you move forward in the days head, i know the rebuilding what you've lost will not be easy. i just walked through some of the neighborhoods that have been affected. you look out at the landscape and there have to be moments where you said, were to begin? how to start? there are going to be moments where after the shock has worn off, you feel alone.

but there is no doubt in my mind what the people of this community can do. there is no doubt in my mind that joplin will rebuild. as president, i can promise you your country will be there with you every step of the way. [applause] we will be with you every steop of the way. we're not going anywhere. the cameras may leave, the spotlight may shift, but we will be with you every step of the way. we are not doing anywhere. [applause] -- not going anywhere.

that is not just my promise, that is america's promise. it is a promise i made here in joplin or in tuscaloosa. or any of the communities that have been hit by these devastating storms over the last few weeks. there have been countless acts of selflessness in recent days. . . .

it was dean wells, a husband and father who loved to sing and whistle in his church choir. dean was working a shift at the home depot. managing the electrical department, when the siren rang out. he sprang into action moving people to safety. over and over again, he went back for others until a wall came down on top of him. in the end, most of the building was destroyed. but not where dean had directed his coworkers and his customers. there was a young man named

christopher lucas who was 26 years old. father of two daughters, third daughter on the way. just like any other night, christopher was doing his job as manager on duty at pizza hut. and then he heard the storm coming. it was then when this former sailor quickly ushered everybody into the walk-in freezer. the only problem was the freezer door wouldn't stay closed from the inside. so as the tornado bore down on this small storefront on range line road, christopher left the freezer to find a rope or a cord or anything to hold the door shut. he made it back just in time tying a piece of bungee cord to the handle outside wrapping the other end around his arm holding the door closed with all his might. and christopher held it as long

as he could until he was pulled away by the incredible force of the storm. he died saving more than a dozen people in that freezer. [applause] you see, there are heroes all around us all the time. they walk by us on the sidewalk, they sit next to us in class, they pass us in the aisle wearing an orange apron. they come to our table in a restaurant and ask us what we would like to order. just as we can't know why tragedy strikes in the first place, we may never fully

understand where these men and women find the courage and strength to do what they did. what we do know is that in a split second moment where there's little time for internal reflection or doe bait, the actions of these individuals were driven by love. love for a family member, love for a friend, or just love for a fellow human being. that's good to know. in a world that can be cruel and selfish, it's this knowledge, the knowledge that we are inclined to love one another. that we are inclined to do good. to be good.

that causes us to take heart. we see with fresh eyes what's precious. and so fragile and so important to us. we put aside our petty grievances and our minor disagreements. we see ours in the hopes and hardships of others. and in the stories of people like dean and people like christopher, we remember that each of us contains reserves of resolve and compassion. there are heroes all around us all the time. and so in the wake of this tragedy, let us live up to their example. to make each day count -- [applause] to live with a sense of mutual

regard, to live with that same compassion that they demonstrated in their final hours. we are called by them to do everything we can to be worthy of the chance that we've been given to carry on. i understand that at a memorial yesterday for dean his wife decided to play a recording of dean whistling a song he loved, amazing grace. the lir ricks are a fitting tribute to what joplin's been through. through many dangers, toils, and snares, i have already come. tizz grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me

home. [applause] 83 when this flesh and heart shall fail and mortal life shall cease, i shall possess within the veal vale a life of joy and peace. may those we have lost know peace, may grace guide the people of joplin home. god bless you and god bless the united states of america. thank you. >> [cheers and applause]

[applause] >> memorial day on c-span president obama names army chief of staff general martin dempsey as his new chairman. if confirmed he will replace admiral mullen. we will go live at 10:00 eastern. after his remarks he will go to arlington cemetery. after the ceremony he will deliver his annual memorial day address. you can see the president's comments live monday morning. also tomorrow more commencement

addresses. we begin with actor denzel washington. after that actor and diabetes research advocate speaks to students. and following that a speech from supreme court justice society mire as she attends the graduation ceremony. commencement addresses memorial day starting at 3:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> coming up next on c-span, commencement addresses from around the country. first marco rubio speaks to graduates. then new york city mayor michael bloomberg gist his address to students at george washington university here in d.c. and then we'll hear from award winning neuro surgeon.

he spoke about the importance of his religion and decision making process as a politician. this is 15 minutes. >> it's an honor to be here with you all today. thank you for the honorary degree. it's an honor to be with you. thank you as well and all of you. had i known i was getting an honorary degree i would have skipped law school 13 years ago and just saved lot of money. in any event, i'm grateful for it. thank you so much. i'm honored and privileged to

be here today on such an important day for all of you. this is my fourth commencement address. i always get to wear this robe. i brought my kids to one of them. they were wondering why no one in the choir was singing. so they're not here today. so i get invited to these i think because for a lot of different reasons i hope but one is to kind of share any insight or knowledge that i have about how to be successful or what the future should look like. and i think i bring an interesting perspective. i am about 13 or 14 years remude from sit wrg you are sitting right now as a graduate. and i'm about 13 or 14 years removed from sitting where your parents are today watching one of my kids graduating from a law school maybe this one. so i'm going to share with you what i wished someone would have told me.

so it's what i'm sharing with you for people who have learned a lot, you've probably done very well in high school, spent the last three years training to be lawyers, have learned not just the law but how to think like a lawyer which was a process in and of itself the first year where your mind is remade to argue both sides of any issue. so you're well prepared for your career. and one tip i can give you, the one i wish i had more fully embraced 14 or 15 years ago when i began embarking on my career not just a lawyer but interest in public service and life and it's pretty simple. you cannot do anything without god. it's a profound and elemental truth. not you can't do most things without god. you will not be able to do anything that you want truly and fulfillment without god. this fundamental truth and the departure of it is actually the very story of man's fall.

for once man was in that state where really didn't need anything. when man was first created man lived a perfect life. they didn't know sin, they didn't know pain, they didn't know death, they didn't know suffering. they had the answers to all the questions and man was perfect. but man was somehow deceived into believing that life could be even better if they did some more things on their own. that if somehow we could take it on ourselves things would be better. there's another lie in that somehow when you turn your life over to god, god keeps things from you, good things from you. in fact, when you turn things over to god, god takes it all away. well, it was all a lie. the story of mankind is the story of that lie. and as thousands of years in an attempt to rehabilitate us back and bring us closer to that reality. you ask me why am i saying to to you, what does this have to

do with my political career or your legal career? and the answer is everything, and here's why. because from this moment forward, you will move toward fulfillment, professional fulfillment, personal fulfillment. the desire for your life to be one of happiness. perhaps you think that will come from making the right choice in terms of going into the right area of law. maybe you think that will come from marrying the right person. or not marrying the wrong person. maybe you think that fulfillment will come from some extraordinary case you take on. or an office you run for. what i'm here to tell you that the happiness that you're searching for will never come from any of these things. no matter how good your job is, there will always be a job that you think is better. no matter how good your relationship may be with your spouse, there is always a way to make that better. no matter how much you

accomplish there will be thing that is you want to accomplish more so. ultimately you will find that life is not about what the world defines as happiness. in fact, what you are really striving for is peace, peace as we understand it. not peace in the global perspective. but peace in the ability to take anything that comes your way and see the good in it. peace is the ability to be happy in both good times and in bad when you have pain and when you have joy. the ability to be happy with great disappointment and great triumph. and that peace will never come from any person, any job, or anything you do. it's super natural and will require your complete reliance on god to achieve it. let me tell you why that's so important. because those of us -- those of you gathered here today as graduates, as christians you are ambassadors of your faith. and as graduates of this institution, you are ambassadors of this institution. many of you will go out and

work in the world and the only thing that people will ever know or the first thing that they will know about your law school is their compression of you. you will be the first and perhaps only impression that they will ever have of what it means to be of the school and from the school. so much more so because of the faith element of this institution. and so your job as all of our jobs but yours in particular and what you will truly find fulfillment in is being a light in the world, a light on behalf of your faith and this institution and the values that you have learned and reinforced here. a light in everything you do when you become husbands or wives a light in that relationship and an example to the world. when you become lawyers, a light to your profession and the world. and the achievements that you in another career you may go into. but you cannot be that light if you do not have that peace. and that peace will be challenged for you on a daily basis.

it's a peace that will be challenged by fear, the fear of losing things, losing your prestige, your job, your position. that will be challenged by a fear of suffering. no one delights in suffering. we all fear suffering. i remind you that any time you fear suffering remind yourself that god's wisdom is not our own and the story of jesus christ is an example of that. the long awaited messia, most didn't recognize him. because they were waiting for a political figure. they were looking for a king who would overthrow the roman empire, establish the kingdom in jerusalem and rule as a political figure. they couldn't understand god's wisdom that saw suffering as triumph. which one of us would choose a cross, flogging, the disappointments, the people turning their back on him, the ridicule? which one of us would choose

that as a human concept of success? so god uses suffering in the world. we have an obligation any time that we can to heal that suffering and to prevent evil from prevailing. but know that it will be a part of your life until the day you die. some of us will lose our peace by discovery of our faults. my wife discovers my faults every day. and i would just say to you that know that there's nothing you can do by yourself to cure your faults. only god can cure those faults for you by his grace. but also know that god is so powerful that he can use even your greatest faults to do good in the world. and finally, some of you as i have will lose your peace when it comes time to make decisions. you will have important decisions to make in your life and we'll all be looking for a burning bush to indicate the right choice versus the wrong choice. i went through that myself when

i ran for the united states senate. i was a 55 point underdog. the only people who thought i had a chance to win all lived in my house. and four of them were under the age of ten. it didn't make sense. and i have two choices. one choice was to drop out of the race for u.s. senate and run for attorney general. and the other choice was to stay in this almost impossible race for the united states senate and try to get elected or fail and be embarrassed in the process. and as i have shared on the campaign trail so i'm not making news today, it was a choice i struggled with for some time. but from it i learned a couple of lessons. number one it was never revealed to me in some vision or anything like that. contrary, i struggle with it for most of the campaign. it came down to your moatist. it came down to my wife who one day asked me a very simple question. she asked me, why are you in politics? are you in it to be somebody or are you in it to do something?

and what she really meant whether she realized it or not, if i was in politics to be somebody, then you run for attorney general. because it's an easier race to attain. if you're in politics because you want a title then run for attorney general. it's easier to win that title. it's more of a sure thing. but if you decided in this life to make a difference, then abandon yourself to faith and run for the u.s. senate. which is what we did. the point is understand that at the end of the day it doesn't matter the decision you make so much because god is so powerful and so all powerful and so great that he can turn any decision you make into the right decision. it doesn't matter what decision you make, it doesn't matter what law firm you pick or what field of law you choose. he can turn a wrong answer into a right answer if he wants to. it's not the decision that matters. it's why you made that decision. and if you seek him in that decision, he will honor it.

i promise you. he will honor it. i say these things to you because, now you may ask why do you achieve this peace and all this stuff you talk about? well, i'll let you know when i fully find out because we struggle with that even to this day. one is to simply accept that this is not a human thing. that achieving the peace that allows you to shine your light on the world is not something you are going to be able to accomplish. it's a grace. you pray for it. because it's given to you as was man's original mistake given to man. the other is to become more childlike. not immature, childlike. what i mean by that is i look at my own children. when they're very, very young, anything i ask them to do they'll do. i have a son who is five, almost six. he is becoming increasingly obsessed with being a football player. but he doesn't like to eat a lot. so i've convinced him that the more you eat the better you

will become. and he believes me. he believes me because he knows i love him. he believes me because he believes that i would never want anything bad for him. he trust what is i tell him because he knows of all the people on earth none love him more than me. well, i love my son, how much more does god love you? so i would say try to become more childlike. as my kids get older they believe me less and less. and sometimes i fear that the more educated we get, the dumber we get. that the more we embrace the wisdom of the world the further away from the simple truth we can get. let me close with, it's not my story, so this is being taped for television as well so i don't want the author of this to say i stole it from him. i don't remember who told me this but if you're out there i credit you because i think you have to be that way nowadays in politics.

it's a story that i hope will serve as an example of what i think you can become. the way it was described to me was picture for a moment a sunny day like today, at least now, where the sun is shining bright and there's not a cloud in the sky. and you are at a lake. and this lake is stormy and the waves are high in the lake. from time to time when the waves crest you will see some sparkle of light off of it. but when you're looking at this lake, what do you notice? you don't notice the light shining off of it. what you notice are the waves being created by the wind. you notice the stormy nature of the lake. and that's what catches your attention. but picture a different lake on the same day, one that is perfectly still, one that is perfectly at peace, one as smooth as glass that becomes almost a mirror completely radiating the light of the sun. that's what we endeavor to be. in peace.

in peace so that we can reflect the light of the sun. what i say to you today is pray and try to embrace that peace so that you can truly be a light to the world on behalf of your faith and of your institution. because the world today is as dark as it hasr been. it needs every bit of light it can get. i congratulate you and i wish you all the best. may god bless all of you. thank you. [applause] >> next, new york city michael bloomberg gives his commencement address to george

washington university here in washington, d.c. he talked about positive delments and the importance of youth service in volunteering. this is 15 minutes. i hear i was your second choice after charlie sheen. apparently he was already booked to speak at a warlock convention. seriously, i was very excited when i got a call from president nap inviting me. i was hoping he was inviting me to stay the night at his legendary sheep farm. not that i'm saying president knapp is full of sheep. i just want to be clear about that. although ultimately i decided not to stay overnight even though some student did offer

to rent me his single in hensly for $10,000. he said that was half of what he got for the inauguration weekend. now, i know this is a bitter sweet day for all of you who are graduating. it just won't be easy to leave a place where you can rub a hipo's nose, break dans with big george, sit in einsteins lap, pet a dog named ruffles or buy a hot dog from a guy named minush. i can see why you love it here. however, i can also see from up here that some of you look a little tired this morning. maybe you haven't recovered yet from last night at mcfaden's so i promise to be brief. i don't want to be the biggest hurdle between you and your degree. now, before i offer you some thoughts that you graduates

will undoubtedly remember word for word decades from now, let me first thank another important group. and i am talking about the group sitting out there this morning beaming proudly not even thinking about what it cost to get you this day or what happens if you can't find a job and have to move back home. why don't you give your parents and relatives a big hand. [applause] with this support, all of you are joining a distinguished list of alumns including jack lynn bufe yea kennedy and colin powell. so just take a look at the people sitting on either side. the guy sitting to your left could be a future secretary of state and the girl sitting to your right could be a future president of the united states. [applause]

also, take a moment to look around this national mall. we gather not only at the foot of the washington monument which is only appropriate but also in president abraham lincoln's long shadow. last month our nation marked the 150th anniversary of the start of the civil war. it was fought to preserve the union, to preserve america's bold experiment with democratic self-government. but lincoln's war for union grew into something even larger. a struggle for freedom. and while more than a century of struggle for equal rights and equal opportunity would follow his death, lincoln's leadership redeemed america's original sin. and allowed us to fulfill our destiny as a land of freedom and opportunity. ten years ago, while many of you were in the sixth or

seventh grade, the freedom that lincoln secured for all americans and that generations of americans have fought to protect came under attack by terrorists. the most deadly foreign attack in our nation's history. i'm sure some of you remember where you were or what you were doing that september day when you first heard the news. and i'm sure all of you will remember for the rest of your lives what you've been doing when you heard the news that osama bin laden had been killed. [cheers and applause] there are certain moments in the life of our country that stay with us forever. for my generation, it was the assassination of president kennedy, then bobby kennedy and dr. martin luther king jr. for my parents, it was pearl harbor. there have been other moments of national celebration and crisis. the landing on the moon, the explosion of the challenger space shuttle, the inauguration

of america's first african american president. and there will be many more. but before this most recent memory becomes a memory -- this recent moment becomes a memory and because all of you have had such a big part in it, let's take a moment to reflect on the legacy of 9/11 beyond the ongoing war on terror and what it means for the future of our democracy. i was elected mayor just two months after the attacks on 9/11 when smoke was still rising from the rubble at ground zero. back then the conventional wisdom was that it would take new york decades to recover, if it ever would. people thought businesses would flee and there would be a mass exodus to spoibs and that crime would return. none of that happened. and i will tell you why. our city, in fact our whole country did not give into fear. we came together as never before and did everything we

could to help the victims and their families. we offered our prayers, we donated our blood, we opened our wallets. firefighters and iron workers from around the country came to new york to pitch in. people from around this world gave us our support. and by making smart investments in our future we brought the city back faster and stronger than inn thought possible. today, osama bin laden is dead. and new york city has never been more alive. [cheers and applause] the unity that defined our nation in the wake of the attacks was critical to revitalizing our city. and it has also led to two other very positive developments for our country. first, it reminded us that we agree on far more than we disagree on especially here in washington. that can be easy to forget. now, i know many of you interned on the hill or in the white house proudly wearing your id badges at all times of

the day and night, and probably annoying your house mathes in the process. but you've seen first-hand how consuming and how counter productive partisanship can be. in new york we didn't bring our city back as democrats or as republicans, as liberals or as conservatives. we brought it back as new yorkers. and americans. and as we head into the next election cycle, our leaders would do well to remember that although our hard-won freedoms give us the right to disagree, they also give us the right to agree. the conventional wisdom that republicans and democrats hold diametrically opposing views and that one is right and one is wrong is just not true. you can be a democrat or a republican. as a matter of fact i've been both. or you can be anything else. but never make the mistake of thinking that any particular

party has a monopoly on good ideas or god is on its side. even though the unity that existed in the wake of 9/11 attacks has had no lasting impact on washington, it did have a lasting impact on americans, especially young people. your generation more than any other before it recognizes the truth of what john f. kennedy's wisdom was when he said, sometimes party loyalty asks too much. and i think that's a big reason why independents are the fastest growing block of voters in this country. as usual, the people are a step ahead of the politicians, especially young people. i believe that it takes a generation in this town to change, and i have no doubt that many of you will occupy some of its most powerful seats. you will begin moving the country away from this period

of hyper partisanship which is preventing us from accomplishing so many urgent needs. and towards a new era where more independent thinking allows for consensus-driven solutions. the second lasting positive development that grew out of the 9/11 attacks was just as encouraging. a growth in service and volunteering. americans of all backgrounds, especially your generation, wanted to do more to help our country so they signed up to volunteer at a school or a hospital or a homeless center. as a result, volunteering has become a bigger part of our culture. i know there are a lot of service opportunities here at g.w. and i'm told that your school not only met but exceeded the challenge that first lady michelle obama set for you last year to perform a combined 100,000 hours of service, and i think that most definitely deserve as round of applause. [applause] i would also like to add my

applause to those graduates who have volunteered for the most dangerous and selfless assignment. serving our nation in uniform. [cheers and applause] we can never take their service and sacrifice for granted and we should never make the mistake of thinking that the defense of freedom is solely a concern for the military. the freedom our founding fathers secured, the freedom that lincoln extended, the freedom our armed forces now protect, the freedom that billions of people are yearning every day to experience is a freedom that all of us must defend, even when it's not popular. especially when it's not popular. we have a responsibility to stand up for the rights of people to express themselves as they wish, to worship how and where they wish, and to love who they wish. [cheers and applause]

that's why two weeks ago i spoke out in support of an artist who was scheduled to open an exhibit in new york city but who has been detained indefinitely by the chinese authority. it is why ten months ago i strongly deacheded the rights of new york's muslim community to build a mosque in lower manhattan. and it's why on tuesday i'm going up to our state capitol in albany to support legislation that would grant marriage equality to all men and all women. [cheers and applause] the freer we are to express ourselves as individuals, the stronger we become as a nation. earlier, i met todd belock who was expelled from the rotc program because of his sexual orientation. but because he and so many others stood up for change, including one of today's graduates, congress recently

passed and president obama signed a repeal of don't ask, don't tell. [applause] now, let me give a perspective from somebody that's a lot older than you. it takes courage to stand up to power. to take an unpopular stand. to risk life and limb and a livelihood for your ideals. but that's the courage that led to lexington and concord, to fort summitter, to seckca falls, so sema, alabama, to the stonewall in and to this national mall where martin luther king shared his dream with america and forever changed the course of our history. today, thanks to all of those who had the courage to march and fight and speak out for freedom, there is no road that you can't travel. no future you can't create. no dream you can't realize.

you are bound only by the limits of your imagination. the question for all of you graduates is, how will you use that freedom? don't worry if you don't have all the answers right now. your life, your career path will not be a straight line. when i graduated college, no one would have believed, least of all my professors, that i would start a media information company and later become the mayor of new york city. even my mother can hardly believe it. but as you think about your career, whatever you do, don't worry about mapping it all out. just don't play it safe. don't be the person who quits a startup company or a band before giving it a chance to make it big. don't be afraid to start over or change direction. the more risks you take, the happier you will be even if they don't work out. and i can assure you, sometimes they won't. but i can also assure you this.

no matter what job you have, no matter who your employer is, the harder your work, the luckier you'll get. and whether you feel ready to begin a career or not, the education that you received here at george washington has prepared you for success, and i just don't mean the education you've gotten in the classroom. you've heard from some of the most important and influential leaders of our time. you've been given unprecedented access to the power center of government. and i bet you learned a few other things too, like the meals to avoid at j street. whatever you're going to do next, there will be new rules to master and new fron tiers to conquer. and my advice is relatively simple. continue learning, continue asking difficult questions, continue thinking independently, continue volunteering your time to help others. continue defending and enjoying the freedoms that make america

great. tonight, before you begin this new phase of your life, enjoy one last happy hour at mcfaden's, one last hot dog from minush, and one last hail to the buff and blue, because tomorrow the real work begins. congratulations to you all. best of luck. and god bless. [cheers and applause] >> next, we g to bengton vermont for the ceremony.

it is remarkable that barely 20 years ago, this accomplished surgeon, educator, and author, had just ordered -- and i just ordered his forth coming book, was laboring as a migrant farm worker in the fields of the san joaquin valley in california taking night classes at a community college. and in those early years he worked other odd jobs always dreaming of what one day could be. from this start he went on to harvard medical school, where he graduated with honors, and gave the commencement address. and just so we're clear, this is not his first commencement address then. but i am proud to say that we

are the first institution to confer upon him an honorary degree. [applause] upon completing his residency in neuro surgery at the university of california at san francisco, dr. hin jose pursued a post doctoral fellowship in developmental and stem cell biology which brought him to johns hopkins. he is now recognized worldwide as an expert in his field, as a professor of neuro surgery, neuro science, oncology, and cellular and molecular medicine, and as the director of the brain tumor stem cell laboratory at johns hopkins university school of medicine. he is someone who is deeply commited to finding a cure for

brain cancer in the not too distant future. he is known to spend considerable time with his patients and their families, explaining their disease, and their upcoming surgery, in short he cares. and we should all have such caring health care professionals watching over us. an award-winning neuro surgeon, he was named one of the u.s. brilliant ten scientists by popular science magazine. he has been awarded numerous prestigious grants and awards including a recent national institute of health grant for stem cell research and he was named one of the u.s.a. science and engineering festival's 15 misty speakers. how school is that. for all of his accomplishments,

awards, and prestige, however, dr. q as he is known by his patients and his staff, remains humble, never forgetting his roots, or his journey, and always remembering the importance of family and his wife and his three children are here with him today to share this event. nice to have you here. indeed, one of our trustees, ira wag anywhere listened to this doctor speak at the central scholarship bureau in maryland. and was so inspired by his message of turning obstacles into opportunities that he immediately called me up and says he has a remarkable story to tell that will inspire our students to persvir, see if you can get him here as a commencement speaker. well, after my start to do this, i raised every convincing

argument i would think of to get the doctor to come here. i shared the story with him and how i hoped his inspiring message and his dedication to helping others would make him a role model for our graduates as they embark on their journeys and he said yes. now, there's one other wee part of this. that conversation gave me an opportunity to speak in spanish , which is one of my favorite languages, and confirmed for me that dr. q and i both literally and figuratively speak the same language. >> chairman and trustee, would

you please join me at the podium. ladies and gentlemen, i am honored deeply honored to introduce to you our second honorary degree recipient who will after the awarding of the degree address the class of 2011 as the commencement speaker. please join me in welcoming to the podium dr. alfredo q hin jose. [applause] and now the magic words. by virtue of the authority vested in me by the board of trustees of southern vermont college, i here bi confer upon you the degree of doctor of

humane letters with all the rights privileges and obligations there unto apter taining. ladies and gentlemen, our commencement speaker dr. alfredo q hin jose. [cheers and applause] >> well, i am quite honored and humbled. i've got to tell you a quick story. when i told my family, my wife and my children and my daughter that i was getting an honorary degree she immediately asked me if we had to pay for this too because we're still paying for medical school. i said don't worry, we're good. i would like to thank you all, president, the board of

trustees, especially ira wag anywhere, parents, family members, students, and my family for allowing me to share these ten minutes. i'm between you and your degree right here, i'm going to keep it within ten minutes. to the graduates and your family, the termination, resilience, excitement, admiration, mentorship, and strength are the words that come to my mind to describe your journey. my grand father was born in 1907 and died in 1984 told me once, when the days are dark you just have to wait until the night comes. the light from the stars will then guide you. my family in these words got me through many nights of hard

work, many nights of studying to prepare for what i did today which is brain science and brain surgery. i will share with you a poem from a young writer, the title is sprawlings. and it goes as follows. a storm brews. and lightning strikes. the tree falls on the grassy spikes. the clouds roll away and night turns to day. then, the sun shines from the tree, the days go by, the tree decays, and all life withers away. but when all hope is lost, tiny leaves sprout out and soon sproutlings sprout. this young writer is my daughter about a year ago when she wrote this poem for me. and this poem i love for it

blends my past background as a migrant farm worker and my current role not only as a brain surgeon and scientists but most important as someone who tries to keep hope within my reach every day for my profession. how about determination and resilience. let me start with a patient's story. i was a second year resident at the university of california san francisco leading a team of trauma surgeons and brain surgeons when i was down in the emergency room when i heard the words, we've got officers down. and i thought they were filming a reality show. but no this was real life. a high speed chase resulted in the fatal death of one police officer and a second police officer rushing into the hospital clinging for his life. immediately with a team of surgeons, me leading as the mid

level residents we took the policeman to the operating that night. over the next 12 hours we operated three times. we left with just a small piece of bone in the middle and in his brain. two years later he went back to the police force and was savoring lives. from this experience i received two things. number one, it was a beautiful plaque that actually hangs in my office at home and it has a quote from vince lombardi for all those football affection addos. the quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. the second thing they got was a beautiful plaque and appreciation of the san francisco police department and the chief of police commendation. but most important i received a small little card, a business

card and in the back of that card it said the following. any courtesies you can extend to dr. q would be highly appreciated. my get out of jail card. i'm sure it's going to be handy one day. what would happen if we wouldn't have taken that young man, if we would have waited another minute or two? i ask myself that question often. it was thanks to the determination and resilience of not only this patient but also the team that i was leading at that time that we were able to save his life. and we came out triumph fant from that battle. to the graduating students, you will have many, many more battles. and i'm just recap pit lating by what was said by other commencement speeches already. i assure you the only advice i

can give you, touf find the still in your soul. that determination and resilience within you in no matter what happens you've just got to keep moving forward. my grand fathser used to tell me, don't go where the path may lead. go instead where there is no path and be a trail blazer. and i started believing in that at a very young age. once a very wise man, a migrant farm worker by caesar chaves said the following about fear. if you are not frightened that you might fail, you'll never do the job. if you are frightened, you will work like crazy. it is not fear that matters. but it's how we respond to that fear that matters the most. how about excitement and admiration. i deal with brain cancer every day. the most devastating disease, in my opinion, cancer attacks

the most beautiful organ, the brain. my patients have taught me very important lessons. some of them about dying. but they have taught me that it's not about dying but it is about living. to remain excited about life in the middle of a battle for your life is the most inspiring event i have personally witnessed every day in my line of work. talk about admiration. president gross and ira wag never shared some meaningful words of me and told me the following about you guys. one needs to judge our students not on the basis of their entering qualifications but on where they are when they leave us remarkable men and women ready to enter the workforce or further education, individuals who will contribute meaningfully to our world in ways people might not have

expected. two words come to mind when i think about this type of accomplishments. hard work. ra monica cowl, who was the noble prize in 1906 said the following about chance. chance and good luck does not come to those who want it. it comes to those who look for it. albert einstein said once, the world is a dangerous place not because of people who do evil but because of those who look and do absolutely nothing. we talk about determination, resilience, excitement, and admiration, i leave you with the last one about mentorship. i've been meantrd my whole life. my own children mentor me every day and i'm going to wind up with one experience. it was a beautiful fall day around 2006 and i wake up on a

beautiful sunday morning in baltimore and i walk with my son david. i turn to my son as we're walking, the leaves are falling, 7:00 in the morning, it's a little bit chilly and i said, david, you are the man. he looks up to me just in his little triescal, he goes, dad, i'm not the man. i was quiet for a few seconds. and i said, hey, i'm a brain surgeon i'm going to teach my son a lesson right now. and i said to him, david, i just want you to believe in yourself. his little triescal again he looks up and he says to me. dad i do believe in myself. i just know i'm not the man. at age five. [applause] at age five a lesson about humilityty and self-awareness.

regarding my wife and three children, my parents and siblings and mentors, how can i thank them? i'm sure you feel the same way about your family. i am reminded of what albert einstein once said. many things in life you count that do not really count. and many of the thing that is you cannot count are the thing that is truly do count. therefore, i leave you with a few tips for your life. these are lessons that i have learned from my own mistakes. all right? there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance. i crossed that line the moment i accepted the invitation to get an honorary degree and certainly the moment i stepped foot here to talk in front of you to think that i can tell you something that is meaningful. we need to teach our future generations some of the key elements that will make you successful. for me it's very simple four

as. availability, afability, accountability. success, winston churchill said once is going from failure to failure with that the last of enthusiasm, that passion for life has to stay with you forever. treat others the way you would like your loved ones to be treated. caesar chaves once said, there's no substitute for hard work. 23 or 4 hours a day -- 24 hours a day. and there's no substitute for patience and acceptance. my grandfather used to tell me, a fool with a good tool is still a fool. it's not the tool that matters and not the education that you have gotten by what you do with your education. we are today what we did yesterday. we will be tomorrow what we do today. sometimes you just have to wait

until the night comes. then you can let the light from the stars guide you. you yourselves are stars already. congratulations for all the wonderful work that you have done, for all your accomplishments. i am certainly humble to be here in your presence and to receive this undeserved honorary degree. thank you very much. [cheers and applause] >> that completes our sunday coverage of commencement addresses. on memorial day we will show you more. after that, actor and diabetes