charles koch? less scary? let me know what you thought. i'm me begin kelly. this is "the kelly file." e e e a great holiday and goodnight. welcome to a special hour, "an american journey." >> we're at the southern tip of manhattan on governor's island, once an outpost to protect new york city from attack. we're in the shadow of the statue of liberty and just a stone's throw from ellis island, the gateway to the american dream. this hour we're taking you on a journey that highlights america's proud past through the lens of some modern stories we reported on this year. >> our journey begins just up the hudson river at george

washington's creation, west point. the oldest continuously operated military post in the united states. it is there you can now experience the major battles that shape our nation. on a golf course. the course at west point allows you to tee up while you take a history lesson beginning with the american revolution and ending with afghanistan. i played the course while honoring the men and women who have gone to war to keep the rest of us free. you'll find it 50 miles north of new york city and 250 years back in the history of this nation. >> george washington found this to be what he called the key to the continent and thought if he could control west point and control therefore the hudson river against the largest navy and largest army, the british navy, we could secure the united states. it was an eight-year war -- the revolution.

>> west point. george washington's brain child. the nation's oldest military academy. known for its distinctive stone architecture and iconic cadet chapel, it has trained some of the best who have led american soldiers in war time. grand and lee, pershing and patton, macarthur, eisenhower, petraeus and odierno. now it is a place where america's wars and those who fought in them are memorialized in one of america's favorite games. ♪ >> carved into the granite hills of west point's 16,000 acres is its golf course. historic in its own right, it is the product of the legendary course designer, robert trent

jones sr. and built during the world war ii years using an unusual labor source. german prisoners of war transported from the battlefields of europe to this american army post. i recently played around at west point with brigadier general malcolm frost. now he's served all over the world including combat deployments to bosnia, iraq and afghanistan. these days he's the army's chief public affairs and in that position, one of his concerns is how american civilians and military personnel relate to one another. >> we do have a growing military and civilian divide within society. less than 1% of the population has served in the military and so as we're cresting off the end of these last 14 years of warfare, although there is a lot of concern, a lot of danger in the world and a lot of forces that are deployed around the

world, we do want to ensure that the civilian society and the military society, that they come together and this is a great place to do that at united states military academy at west point. >> reporter: one of his west point classmates and fellow soccer team member is dan rice. >> i would bet he would be a general but i wouldn't bet that i'd be in this position now. >> reporter: after west point, rice fulfilled his army commitment, then entered the business world, then re-enlisted as an infantry officer during the iraq war. back in the states and back in business, rice and some fellow graduates saw one opportunity ride inside the west point gates -- the historic thayer hotel, a property owned by the u.s. government but at the time managed about as well as, oh, the federal budget. >> it was struggling after 9/11 and a group of graduates took over management of the hotel and have really i think just revived the hotel. we have corporate strategy meetings here. we have over 100 weddings a

year. it is just a great place. it is part of america's history and it is really owned by the american public. >> which brings us back to the golf course. it, too, was in need of some spit-shining. so the thayer donated, and wepot dedicated, markers for each of the 18 holes on the course commemorating each of the major wars in history. first, the american revolution. a man won by the man who gave birth to this place. as golfers battle the course, they are reminded of the military battles that shaped our nation. war of 1812 and the civil war, our nation's bloodiest in which west point educated generals led the armies on both sides. >> there's a lot of soul searching whether to stay loyal to the union or secede to the south.

>> the bonding here and how close you know each other here is incredible to see. though you have the north and south and confederacy and union, they are close personal friends and understand their strengths and weaknesses. it is pretty significant. >> through world wars i and ii, korea, vietnam and the gulf war, vietnam, still america's most controversial war causing the lives of 58,200 americans. among them, 273 graduates of west point. after the paris peace accords ended the war in april 1973, american forces would see more than a decade of quiet. until communist cuban troops overthrew the government of a tiny caribbean nation and, in response, president ronald reagan ordered the invasion of grenada. >> grenada we were told was a friendly island paradise for tourism. well, it wasn't. it was a soviet-cuban colony being readied as a major

military bastion. we got there just in time. >> for both of these west point graduates, the 16th hole has particular meaning. >> it is in honor of "operation desert storm." u.s. forced under general norman schwarzkopf. liberated kuwait at the direction of president george herbert walker bush. >> turning a blind eye to saddam's aggression would not have avoided war. would only have delayed the world's day of reckoning. >> the one west point graduate who was killed in action was lieutenant donny tiller who was our classmate. he was shot down the last day of the war. >> so it brings it home to you guys. the sacrifice of so many of the men and women who have gone do this institution. >> quite frankly, that's what helped motivate me to continue to stay in united states army and continue to serve through bosnia, into the last couple of wars which we have seen those on

17 and 18, the great monuments for "operation iraqi freedom" and "operation enduring freedom." >> reporter: the west point course is unusual in that the final two holes are both par 5s -- long in golf speak. it so happens that they also commemorate our nation's two longest wars, iraq and afghanistan. >> in those wars combined, 95 pest point graduates have been killed in action. 93 men and two women. over 5,000 soldiers. so those two markers are really two of the first monuments to those wars. it resonates with us, whether it is soldiers that served with us, whether it was our classmates, whether it was those that we knew and served with on the soccer team, but the sacrifice, 4,477 who have died in iraq and 2,351 in afghanistan. >> reporter: reading the markers and remembering the fallen adds some time to a round of golf.

but here that's expected and perfectly acceptable. >> no course marshal is going to be hustling people along if they're pausing the read to markers. >> those markers are there for a reason. you get a lot of different aspects. you get a great outing with buddies or maybe with your company or just with friends or family but you also get a tour of history and you do it at a national landmark here at the united states military academy here at west point. >> it might surprise you to know that this course, which in history and historical markers, and on west point property, is open to the public. >> the fact that west point has been a place that's chosen to honor the current wars that we've just most recently served in as well is pretty significant. in the history from hole 1 to hole 18, and this beautiful venue, the golf course itself here on historic west point, united states military academy, it is open to the public and we hope to see a lot of the public here.

>> those men and women who gave their lives for our freedom did so to protect all of us and to honor the stars and stripes. each patriotic holiday, a very special flag is flown over the george washington bridge. it is the largest free-flying american flag in the world. how do they fly it? very special access -- next. >> i'm glad i didn't wear any high heels for this. i didn't need that kind of equipment.

the george washington bridge spans the hudson river. >> today it is the busiest bridge in the entire world and it also houses the largest free-flying american flag. we were able to witness how a super sized old glory is proudly flown. this is the world's busiest bridge and it is more than 600 feet to the top. and we're going all the way up there. ♪ >> reporter: do you ever get a little bit afraid up here? >> you have to have a little bit fear. if you're fearless, you're dangerous so you have to have a little fear. >> reporter: pretty high. i'm not going to lie to you.

for a flag to appear majestic, it has to be massive. due to the size of the bridge. >> i want to get an idea of how big the flag is. you're about 6'2". >> yeah. >> you're about two stars. >> you're about a star and a half. a star is about three foot. >> i'll take half a star. why not? >> stars are almost three foot across. just shy of three foot across. the flag is 60x90. it will cover a full size basketball court. 60x90. it weighs just under 500 pounds. >> wow. >> it's something we take a lot of pride in. this is the tube that the flag is stored in. this fiberglass tube runs all the way from the bottom of the arch all the way up top. >> the flag is actually living in this tube all year long.

>> yes. the flag is always up in the tower. then we actually lower it and deploy it. it comes out of this tube. >> the tube helps shield the flag from the elements and from thousands of drivers who pass under it and likely don't even know it is there. >> that goes straight down to the roadway so we're very conscious of that to make sure that nothing can fall in there. >> that's wild. you have to see this. >> reporter: though most of the flag-flying operations are high-tech, i found out repairs can rely on good old-fashioned handy work. >> patches have to be sewn on it if it gets ripped by the steel or in the wind. >> do you do the sewing yourself? >> i have done sewing. >> i bet you didn't think of that as part of your job description when you started. >> i have three daughters and i actually do the sewing at home. my mother taught me.

yeah. rsh b >> reporter: but to understand the height and marvel of this flag i needed a new perspective. luckily i was given some amazing access. we have to do a little climbing. have are you seen these? nice. >> looking nervous. >> it is a little nerve-racking. do you see what i'm going to do? >> you all right, jenna? >> i'm okay. i don't really know how far i need to go to experience it? >> you're going all the way. >> i don't think so. my legs are shaking a little bit.

right now i'm standing right above where they fly the world's largest flee-frying american flag. >> how was it? >> awesome. >> now that we've seen the flag from all angles, it is time to get to work and actually unfurl old glory. >> now the hit the buttons for operating it. i'll be lowering the whole flag. >> reporter: after the work of three strategically placed teams and a dozen men, it is all worth it. >> good job. >> good team work. >> reporter: after having to

could this task in the early morning hours on holidays when most of america has a day off and collect it late in the day year after year, i had to ask this question. >> reporter: do the guys like it or is it a hassle? >> it is not a hassle. it is a great thing. tremendous. every time you get a chill every time when you see it fly. something that enormous, we take a lot of pride in it. as you've seen, flying this flag is no small feat and those who do it feel especially honored. up next, we'll talk to some of those responsible for putting this very special symbol of america on very public display. >> people walk by, they see the flag up and they look at us and they say, wow, this is terrific. this is america. this is a good thing. you know? it is a very positive result that we get, positive attitude from the people walking on the bridge. they're happy to see it. truckers beep the horn. it gives you a sense of

accomplishment like you're doing something good. >> you swell with pride when that flag comes out. it is just incredible.

the world's largest

free-flying american flag is hard to miss when it's flown on special holidays. >> but what's hidden from public sight is the heart and soul of the men who make it happen. here's their story. >> the fleet passes hawaiian shores bound for the united states. >> reporter: the tradition of hanging a giant american flag on the george washington bridge states back nearly 70 years to veterans day 1947 as a sign of victory and honor for those who served in world war ii. the flag hanging today is the largest free-flying american flag in the world and remains a sign of american pride on major national holidays. >> we do it like every holiday. memorial day, labor day, veterans day. we should do it more than they let us but that's not up to us. >> reporter: for this people of men, it is more than just another day at the office. >> i take this, i believe it is one of the few countries proud

of their own flag. for me from another country to be adopted to this country, it is very emotional. >> reporter: the height, the danger, all just a way of life. you're up there when you're climbing the cables, you got food on you and everything. how did you get to do that. >> we prepare for everything. never now how long. we got water, we got food. we got coffee. >> reporter: do you ever get afraid. >> no. i can drive a bike up there. >> reporter: really? >> enjoy my job. >> we put our trust in each other when we're out there. i depend on them and they depend on me. so it is a great family at sphere to have. >> reporter: on those days the flag is unhurled, the response makes it all the more worth while. >> people look up and say, wow, this is terrific. this is america. this is a good thing. you know? it is a swre positive result that we get. positive attitude from the

people walking on the bridge. they're happy to see it. truckers beep their horn. it gives you a sense of accomplishment like you're doing something good, especially in tough times with afghanistan and isis and everything going overseas. we're proud of america, proud to fly the flag and the people appreciate it. >> reporter: only once in the 67-year history of the hanging of the flag did it fly for more than just one day. >> we flew for 30 days after 9/11 to let everybody know all the volunteers and workers going down to ground zero. we brought a flag down, repaired it, hung it on a school right outside of ground zero just to let everybody know we're here around this country is strong. >> reporter: from high above the bridge connecting new york and new jersey, other the hudson river where the first americans bravely fought the british, the resolve of these men remains.

>> when 9/11 happened, we wanted to put the flag out right away and there was a concern that there might be other targets and us being one of them. and we wanted to get it out there. we wanted to let everybody know that we may have gotten a kick but we're not down. >> reporter: from world war ii, to 9/11, to today. on national holidays. a special flag is lowered to be raised. a simple act that pro advocates deep reflection on what our country was, is, and will be. >> you swell with pride when that flag comes out. it's just incredible. and it's just a great honor to be able to do that for the people, for the port authority, for the veterans. it's just a great honor. that symbol of our nation's pride and freedom has flown over battlefields all across the world. >> in world war ii, the powerful

call of patriotism led some of the biggest sports heroes of the day to trade in their flannels for fatigues so they could fight under that flag. >> there were 500 major league players who served. >> yes. almost everybody of consequence did serve. either they were stars before feel a cold coming on? new zicam cold remedy nasal swabs shorten colds with a snap, and reduce symptom severity by 45%. shorten your cold with a snap, with zicam.

a threat to national security. i'm molly line. now back to "happening now -- an american journey."

imagine the biggest stars of america's favorite past time leaving the diamond and donning new uniforms leaving the baseball field for the the bale field. >> from dimaggio to baerra, the gave up big league careers, their families and sometimes their lives in order to fight in world war ii. ♪ imagine the biggest stars of america's past time leaving the field and putting on very different uniforms. heroes headed to a battlefield in the armed forces of the united states. it happened in the early 1940s. >> joe dimaggio at bat. the yankee clipper swings for a home run. >> it was the game that every boy played. and every town had its own team and the minor leagues were thriving. >> reporter: john thorn is major league baseball's official historian. >> baseball was it.

>> it's a home run. >> reporter: the game was going strong. but war was brewing across two oceans about to change everything in america, even our leisure. but there were 500 major league players who served. >> yes. almost everybody of consequence did serve. either they were stars before the war or they were stars after the war. >> reporter: and yet you read some of the names of those who served. ted williams. joe dimaggio. hang greenberg. peewee reese. yogi berra. bill dickey. biggest names of their day. >> the biggest names of their day in some cases were drafted rather than enlists. that's not true of greenberg. >> reporter: detroit slugger hank greenberg left first base for the army, served his time, and then went back in. >> greenberg who had been drafted in 1940 and when his

draft year had been given and pearl harbor was bombed, he enlisted the very next day. >> reporter: baseball legend ted williams is every bit as legendary in the marine corps where he served as a fighter pilot during war. the skills he displayed in the batter's box proved even more valuable in the cockpit. during training, he set records that still stand in the marine corps to this day. >> people like ted williams went over, served, came back, and seemed to pick up right where they left off. >> most players were able to do this. williams and feller and greenberg returned to major league action after years away and picked it up. but there were those who didn't. people who lost their skills or lost their appetite for the game because of what they had seen in the war. >> reporter: it's also true that a lot of these guys weren't out there necessarily in front-line combat roles but there is a reason for that. >> dimaggio doubles to left center field. >> reporter: you couldn't put

joe dimaggio in a situation where he would be wounded, killed, or, from a propaganda standpoint, worst of all, captured. so the -- most of the major league baseball players who joined the military spent their time playing ball on air force and navy teams. >> reporter: for the fighting men, it was a rare gift, a chance to watch nine innings of normalcy, rlk sweet memories of home and freedoms of the country they were struggling to protect. >> was there something different about players of the world war ii era if. >> i don't know that they're that different but certainly times were different. the war was different. pt perceived threat to our liberties. there was no point in having a national past time if the nation was going to be challenged in its basic tenets. the idea of baseball being a daily war which was a metaphor seemed silly when you were

confronted with the horrors of actual war. >> reporter: so players turned warriors. serving their nation with honor, distinction, and good old american pride. america had given birth to baseball. now baseball returned the favor, a country scarred by war but stitched together, in part, by a love for the game. >> you might disagree with your neighbor about religion or politics. but it seemed that everybody of agreed that baseball was a blessing in america. right behind where we stand is the place so many immigrants passed through on their way to pursuing the american dream. most made it through ellis island, but some weren't so lucky. from their path was less certain but started down a very specific hallway hidden away from the public for decades until now. we'll take you there -- next. >> he determines you are free to go but you, you have to stay. >> well, so there were a couple

things that had to happen to be admitted into the hospitals. you had to have something that could be cured growing up, we were german. we danced in a german dance group. i wore lederhosen. when i first got on ancestry i was really surprised that i wasn't finding all of these germans in my tree. i decided to have my dna tested through ancestry dna. the big surprise was we're not german at all. 52% of my dna comes from scotland and ireland. so, i traded in my lederhosen for a kilt. ancestry has many paths to discovering your story. get started for free at ancestry.com.

nearly half of all americans today have at least one relative who entered our country through ellis island, a passage that wasn't easy. >> in fact, some never made it through and their stories were long forgotten until now.

here's a rare look at the hidden hallways of ellis island. scenes like this remind us of our past and one of the most iconic places in america -- ellis island. nearly one-half of all americans today have at least one relative to entered the country through the gateway to the american dream. while we can easily tour the great hall where most immigrants spent a few hours before heading to their next destination, an untold story exists just a short walk away where the less fortunate ended up. a unique path only few have walked since the doors closed in 1954. the hidden halls like ellis island. >> you failed your medical inspection, you'd be detained in the hospital complex. >> would your whole family have to stay with you? >> it depended on who you were. if you were a child, then a

family member stayed on island with you until they determined whether or not you're going to be admitted in the hospital or deported back to your home country. if you were a husband or a father, and you were detained, then the entire family would be detained, too. >> reporter: this hallway is the very same path walked by immigrants who just learned the heartsinking news they'd be admitted to the hospital. so just like people who came here, they had to have the right gear to be let in the country. we need the right gear to check out where we are going? >> you will need to wear a hardhat. >> i do love my hardhat. makes me feel very legitimate. ready? let's go. >> contagious diseases. what would screeners look for? >> eye diseases. measles. diphtheria. whooping cough.

scarlet fever. >> you guys cleaned up since then. right? just checking. >> reporter: the skeleton of the contagious disease ward still stands much as it did in the early 1900s. poison ivy now wraps itself around old windows framing the hallways in what was once the largest hospital in the country. >> not everybody just got treated at entries in the united states. you were going to be detained first. they were going to decide whether or not you had something that could be treateded and cured. >> really. >> and then find somebody who could o pay for it. >> reporter: of the 12 million people who filed through ellis eisland at its peak, 1 out of every 5 people were detained. however, less than 1% of those detained were admitted to the hospital. serious health detention, though infrequent, happened for many reasons. for example, approximately 350 babies call ellis island their birthplace, though they didn't

get automatic citizenship. more often health detention happened for more common ailments. who determines you are free to go but you, you have to stay? >> well, so there were a couple things that had to happen to be admitted into the hospitals. you had to have something that could be cured and that somebody had to pay for your treatment. treatment here wasn't free. >> reporter: in fact, until an immigrant could determine who would pay for their health care the department of labor who managed ellis island at the time sent the bill to whatever steam ship company delivered that immigrant. how long could you stay on ellis island? say you were found to have a contagious disease. people stayed here days? weeks? months in years? >> yes. >> even years? >> yes. and you could have been treated here for years. then the person who was paying for your treatment runs out of money, then you could still be deported. >> if you had a contagious disease you would obviously be really sick and you could also, unfortunately, not make it. right? >> about 3,500 people do die on

ellis island. so this was an autopsy amphitheater. >> an amphitheater? oh, my -- this is incredible! you guys have to see this. an amphitheater. this looks like something out of -- i don't know, medical school or something like that? >> exactly. this was a teaching hospital. people were doing the residencies here. >> really? >> ythey were learning from the doctors here on ellis island. remember, this was the best hospital in the world at the time. >> reporter: medical students would stand up here and observe what was happening. >> absolutely. >> i'm presuming the body would be put where that cart is? >> yeah. that's probably not the autopsy table. i'm going to say that was probably a table for instruments but the gentleman who cleans up these wards for us said he found that table there in 1972 and he has left it there since. >> reporter: built to hold 750 beds, the hospital treated

patients in nearly identical rooms constructed with an eye towards a cure. >> this is an open ward. an open ward meaning if you were suffering from something that a lot of people had, you'd be in a room together. we affectionately call most of these wards measles wards. there would have been a bed in between each window. windows would have been opened year round for air flow. the corners are actually a little bit rounded so that air flow and circulation. >> recently after 60 years the save ellis island foundation opened these wards for limited tours but we received some incredible access. >> now we're going to go upstairs which is where most people don't get to go. >> this is someplace special for us that no one else gets to see? >> it's true. >> that's exciting. what are we going to see up here? do you see this chair? >> this is my favorite ward. this is actually my favorite ward. when i see these chairs, i want to know who was sitting here

last and why. >> have you ever sat in that chair? >> i don't sit in any of the chairs. >> it looks completely different than the other wards that we go into. it is actually the next story that i'm going to try to explore with our public programming. it is the story of world war ii on ellis island. while immigration slowed through ellis island in the 1930s and '40s, the hospital remained open providing treatment to returning servicemen for shell shock during world war ii. >> what's interesting is that this whole place doesn't have that eerie feeling that i was expecting. knowing that there is a morgue or -- and that people stayed here for years. i kind of expected to have that haunted house feelings a little bit but it doesn't feel that way in here. >> no. to me it is almost like this whole level of care that people were given and dignity and respect and how they were treated here. i feel like i don't necessarily think that there are ghosts or

creepy feelings. it is more of energy and emotion. that said, i'm not sure i'd like to be here in the dead of night on halloween, for example. do you ever get freaked out being in here? >> i don't want to come back on halloween. >> reporter: our travels take us to one final spectacular room where immigrants from different countries speaking different languages waited to learn their fate. most made it through to mainland america. some didn't. the american dream remained just that -- an image rather than a reality. >> you have to see this. this is so beautiful. you could be in one of the beds here being treated and you would be able to look out your window and you'd be able to see the statue of liberty. i can't imagine what it would be like to be here. you're so close to being able to be free. whatever that would mean for you. but you were detained and this is what you were able to look at. our final stop in this

"journey across america" is where it all began. >> jamestown, virginia where our country's first colonists landed on the shores of the new world. their struggles immense, but so was their strength and resolve and thanks to the perseverance of those pioneers, our nation is here today. >> the sacrifices of the early colonists here at jamestown, jamestown were to have collapsed, the world would have been a completely, completely different place.

>> it is really first america, and people don't quite remember that, and i think that we should. >> when we think of the first people who came to america though, we also think of the pilgrims. when did these settlers arrive in relation to when the pilgrims arrived? >> well with, these are 13 years earlier. >> so they were the very first? >> the very first. this is the first permanent english settlement, and plymouth is 1620. >> and without a strong intuition from archaeologist dr.

william kelso, we may not know much about the first settlers, because many thought they were underwater, but dr. kelso had a hunch, and luckily for us, he followed it. >> well, i came to the spot on a tour with a park ranger, and i saw an exposed bank with where you could see the soil layers and one of them was a dark l layerrier. there were artifacts sticking out. and i was not an arkle yol gist at the time, and i said, that is pretty cool. so i asked the ranger where where is the fort? he said, it is washed into the river. and i said what about the ark? he could not answer me. >> without you you toing that, would it be found? >> no, there was a feeling of don't disturb the past. >> but you had a different feeling? >> yes, i thought it was time to catch the brass ring. >> and that decision to deep dig

deeper is to link into the past. and now dr. kelso is part of the jamestown proskwekt y. he is in a project to find out what happened here with those men who landed here four centuries ago. his goal is to bring it back to the early 1600s. >> bring us back to the early people who arrived here in 1607, and who were they and why did they come? >> well, there were 104 who made it to jamestown to live here. they thought it was the land of gold and silver, and they really believed it. >> but they would soon learn that the very existence in the new world faced many threats. instead of the land of gold and silver, it was the land of cold and starvation and death. >> and many of them were dying of hunger, because it took them five months to get here instead of five weeks as they had

planned so they had used up all of their provisions. >> and in addition to food, the colonists were drinking water from the jamestown river. which in the early daes it was fine, but then the salt strengthened, and so many of them died due to hydration. and so what was the main cause they didn't survive? >> it is the food. >> and because they weren't good hunters and they didn't know what to do? >> some of them were but they were kept in the fort, and they could not venture beyond the island to find fresh water and food. >> and the fishing? >> well, the nets rotted an the boats -- >> they were really out of luck, everything they tried. >> yes, everything. it is like the worst, you know, storm of bad luck. >> very first winter for these settlers, and what was that l e

like? >> the first winter was very brutal, but a a far more difficult winter was coming up in two years the 1609-1610 winter was the worst. >> and that became known as the starving time. what did that mean for the early settlers. >> te relations were sour pretty fast in 1609 as the colllonnists were more demanding to get more food. >> desperate times called for desperate measures. the food for settlers had no use. >> and so we are in the center where we found an early kitchen. >> can we go down there? >> yes, follow me and we will go. ♪ >> so this is a bread oven?

>> yes, in is the facade for the oven, and the hol e low of the cavity that would go back further. and imagine a igloo-shaped kitchen. >> and so by 1609-1610, it is not a kitchen anymore. >> over 200 colllonnists die here in that winter alone, and only about 60 survive. >> settlers made incredible sacrifices to stay alive forced to eat their dogs and horses and worse. >> so it is your belief that now we foe that it was such a desperate time that they had to resort to cannibalism to survive. >> right, it is not a ritual, but it is survival cannibalism, because we know without a shadow of a doubt that cannibalism took place at this time in jamestown that winter. >> how do you know? because we found at the soil at about this level, we found a

mandible, a jawbone, and fragmented jaw or cranium, and the tibia which is the shin bone, and these belonged to a young english woman about 14 years of age when she died. and we saw the same markings on her bone that we saw on the dog and the horse that were evidence of processing basically, and so she was without a doubt, eaten. >> so the struggles of jamestown was very real, there were glimmers of hope in this newly formed society. obviously, the first several years in the settlement were tremendously difficult and there was a lot of death, but what about the new life? what about children? there were women and men here. they started families, didn't they? >> will there were children here pretty early on, and some of this them made it to adulthood, and you know, it is the colony that survived. >> the men who fought, and the stories are of the families that formed are now owners by piecing

together the soil, and the fabric of our existence today discovered by overturning one stone the at a time. to make that discovery and to really have an idea of what these folks went through, what kind of thoughts happy to you? >> well, we get a connection with these guys, and we see everything they ate and their ceramics and the glass and everything they left behind and what is coming together is a more complete picture of what life was really like here at the fort. >> do you is a feeling that without them america would not be what it is today in. >> yes, without the sacrifices of the early colonists here at jamestown, jamestown were to have a collapse, the world would have been a completely, completely different play, and you and i would not be standing here today. >> the earliest steps of our ancestors are a far cry from where the nation is today, but still many americans work very hard today to make this, the

land of the free.

from the birth of jamestown through more than a dozen major wars this country owes the very existence and survival to the dedication and the pay ttriotisf

our forefathers. i'm jon scott. >> i'm jenna lee, and thank you >> this hour, when he talks, washington listens. charles krauthammer -- his uniquely american story. his journey from md to the pulitzer prize, how he overcame a devastating accident with the determination to lead a life that matters. hello. i'm bret baier, and i hope you'll enjoy watching this "fox news reporting" special as much as we enjoyed making it. fox viewers know where charles krauthammer sits on the panel, and they probably know his position on most issues. but we bet there's a lot you don't know about the all-star panelist, syndicated columnist, harvard trained psychiatrist, and even occasional baseball analyst. we think you should, even if the doctor has a different opini.