heather: americans paying tribute to our fallen heroes this memorial day. welcome to "happening now", i'm heather childers in for jenna lee. jon: you are looking to now at arlington virginia, the national cemetery there. i'm leland vizard in for john scott. let's listen in. [national anthem playing ]

>> right shoulder. >> arms. >> present. arms.

[drum roll] [pass playing]

>>. >> ladies and gentlemen, the reed family is complete. the memorial day service will begin shortly. please move to your seats.

>> as we were watching the president at arlington national cemetery, you heard the voice saying the service is complete, the wreath laying service and we are waiting for the president, asked carter among others to speak here in 10 or 15 minutes. for more on the tone and what we expect to hear, let's bring in kevin court at the north lawn at the white house . reporter: happy memorial day to you and your family and our thoughts obviously to the families of the fallen. this is an important opportunity for president obama because even though this is his final memorial day in office, this also represents an important opportunity for him to again shape the idea that this is a president who has now been in office longer than any other president during a single war. this is his chance to once again put forward the idea that we are doing all we can to support our troops, and will continue to support those who are out there running for this country and

those who are lost have not been lost in vain. you and i have talked on the number of occasions at the white house, leland, about the idea that this is a president who despite his intentions coming into office has had to still manage wars in iraq and in syria, even though we are talking about advise and assist which is a little bit of an interesting euphemism for war if you will ask anybody over at the pentagon or i should say direct line war as an in battle which frankly a great many of our men and women are overseas so for the president it will be a chance to shape that message, to a knowledge that the wars overseas continue and regardless of what happens both on his watch leland or that of the person who assumes the office in january, this country will remain vigilant and will obviously do all it can to support the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen and that will be part of his message we imagine here today

. leland: we do have that message from the president on memorial day, i'm with the troops, i'm here to support the troops and their families and those kind of things. give us a sense of of the messaging the white house is going through as they are trying to walk this fine line where we say president obama and the two wars, in the meantime there are americans fighting and for that matter dying not only in afghanistan but iraq as well and americans as we learned now on the front lines in syria. reporter: i'm glad you mentioned that because that was the narrative originally. this will be the president who will end the war. we haven't in combat operations in iraq. that may be thecase and the numbers are down by comparison to 2009 but the facts remain , there are still thousands of americans fighting overseas and even in and advise and assist role as you well know, that could mean being within a couple of miles of the front lines and they are obviously very well-equipped because they do often engage in battle and as you pointed out leland, americans continue to be lost

in the battle against isis and other foes overseas so this will be a delicate balance for this white house as they continue to shape the notion, this narrative of this legacy if you will , that this is a president who did what he could do to end the wars in iraq and afghanistan and to a lesser extent manage what has obviously become a growing problem in syria and yet understanding clearly as americans do, leland, that the battle continues and that is something that continues to happen on this presidents want. leland: we keep hearing from the white house this talking point about the issue of whether american troops are in combat were not in combat, or the on the front lines, are they close to the front lines? in the last couple of days the special operations command general said i think all of our folks, meaning those in iraq and syria, appreciate that they are in combat. that was said on the record in a speech and i'm wondering, are you sensing at the white house a little more attention between the defense establishment we are going to hear from with asked carter

among others at arlington and the president and his advisers about continuing to walk this fine line and these linguistic gymnastics about what exactly are troops are doing to a political and rather than to a military end? reporter: that's a terrific question. i can tell you what analysts and experts have been telling me for some time, both at the pentagon and throughout the intelligence and defense establishment. they have consistently said leland as you pointed out that americans are fighting. they are on the front front lines for all intents and purposes and yet the white house have to be terribly careful because they do not have the authorization here. they have to go through congress if you are going to declare an act of war. they would make the argument that they need ums so there are a number of different parts of the arguments they have made, that congressional leaders have made and arguments that are being made every day at the pentagon. what exactly is the role of the american fighting force in iraq, afghanistan and now in syria?

and as it continues to all, is it combat? is it frontline combat? does it matter whether you call it combat were not if people are taking fire at any given point in time so it's an interesting way to look at it. we will be watching as they continue to address this during this presidents time in office. leland: three americanswho have died in iraq in the past couple of months , so many people to remember certainly on this memorial day as we continue to watch on the left-hand side of your screen the ceremony, this very august ceremony at the tomb of the unknown in arlington. 10: 11 am in washington. president obama expected to speak at 11:20. we will unpack a little bit about what that means not only for the military families watching what also for the military families who still have loved ones in harm's way overseas area headers got more onpolitics . heather: switching gears for

just a moment but we will go back there life for you at 11:20. they became bitter arrivals on the campaign trail but now former gop candidate marco rubio says he is all in for donald trump and fully supports his white house bid. the florida senator also says he apologized to trump for some very you could say personal attacks, remember that during the primaries? joining us now as shane april, president of elections magazine. thank you for joining us, shane. were you surprised by rubio's about-face? >> i was. i was surprised by how quickly it came, simply because of the ugliness of the primaries. just consider during this primary campaign, particularly in the late stages, marco rubio called donald trump a dangerous conman, he couldn't be trusted with the nation's nuclear codes, other insults in there that are more fitting or a neighborhood playground argument between kids than presidential candidates so given all that history, i was quite

surprised. and donald trump, it goes both ways here because donald trump is somebody who belittled marco rubio, said he couldn't get elected dogcatcher and now he's encouraging him to run for a senate seat in florida so the speed at which this happened was a bit surprising the seven so the question on everyone's mind, why? why did he decide to do this and why did he do it so quickly? >> for margarito given what he said, he regret quite a bit, the attack that he took in the late stages of this primary where he launched a personal attack on donald trump, publicly said that he really wishes he had stopped a policy rather than been pushed forward to the kind of day-to-day personal attacks on trump that clearly didn't work so for marco rubio, i think a bit of it is an image concern. this is somebody who has a future in politics and certainly is looking toward a potential future presidential

politics. when it comes, who knows what marco rubio doesn't want to be remembered certainly in the near term for being the guy who went out with a devastating loss in his home state primary early personal insults at his rivals. heather: he doesn't want to be remembered as little marco. what about his attempts to run again, is it a good idea? >> i don't get this. on paper, you could make the argument that marco rubio could be the best candidate for republicans in that senate seat, he certainly has the name recognition. the reason i don't understand this is because marco rubio has pledged again and again that he was not going to run for senate. he said this on the campaign trail and now he's taking another potential about-face on this. the problem for marco rubio if for some reason or in some ways the republican party leadership gets them back

into the race, the issue is wide open to this attack of being the career politician that he's railed against because he said he wasn't going to do it and now his presidential bid fails and he's back to the senate race so i don't think it's a good look for marco rubio. heather: we make jokes, wesay it politics but people were following it, it doesn't make a lot of sense and it lends to the garden that politicians maybe aren't necessarily the most sincere. shane, thank you very much for joining us . >> thank you heather. leland: live pictures right now, the two of the unknown at arlington national cemetery, we expect the president in about six minutes for what will be his final memorial day address in office. a number of families of the fallen there waiting to hear what the president has to say. as he is speaking, there was a major offense going on in iraq, a battle for the key city of fallujah. isis has it right now. the iraqis backed by the us military, soldiers in harms way. that fight going on right now, we bring you the latest on that plus a wild shootout lease to share these wounded

in texas. the latest on the investigation and what the motive for this might have been. >> the officers did their training, did as they were trained and were able to stop this active shooter as soon as possible. unfortunately we had lives lost from innocent people but it could've been worse had these officers not responded and taken out the threat. >> oriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas

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even if you've never had heart failure before. don't dilute or mix toujeo® with other insulins or solutions as it may not work as intended and you may lose blood sugar control, which could be serious. ask your doctor about toujeo®. heather: back life for you to arlington national cemetery where chairman of the joint chiefs of staff took the podium, let's listen. >> ... the story of the 40 million who have served is the story of our nation. along the way, more than 1 million americans have given the last full measure. over 100,000 in world war i. over 400,000 in world war ii. almost 40,000 in korea, over 58,000 in vietnam. and over 5000 have been killed in action since 9/11.

these statistics are compelling but they don't begin to capture the enormity of the sacrifice. for the loss of individual brings untold anguish and grief. those statisticsrepresent sons and daughters , brothers and sisters, good friends. those statistics represent children who grew up without their mothers and fathers. those statistics represent lives shattered, hopes and dreams never realized. today is a reminder of the real cost of freedom, the real cost of security and that's the human cost. but i don't believe our focus today should be on how these men and women died. it's how they lived that's important. it's how they live that makes us remember them. and like these individuals chose to be something bigger than themselves. they chose to accept hardship and great personal risk. they were people who truly embodied the most personal values and traditions of our nation.

if we truly want to honor the fallen from all our conflicts, if we truly want to give meaning to this sacrifice, do something in addition to marking their grades with flags and flowers. each of us will leave here today with the result to strengthen our commitment to our nation and values for which it stands. if we walk away from today's ceremony reminded that the cause of freedom requires vice, if we walk away with a renewed sense of commitment to our values, we walk away reminded how important it is to defend those values and i would offer that those who were taken from us prematurely will be able to look down and know that we truly remembered them. more importantly, those who were taken from us will be able to look down and no that their lives have meaning. on behalf of the joint chiefs of staff and the soldiers, sailors, airmen and coast guard that we are privileged to lead, thank you for bringing meaning to the sacrifice of the fallen. thank you for remembering.

[applause] ladies and gentlemen, was now as master sergeant michael ford performs the last full measure of devotion. [band playing] in the long ♪ ♪ and honored history of ♪ america, there are names ♪ that shine light begins in ♪ the night. ♪ patriarchs whose vigil ♪ gave us meaning.

♪ who kept the lamp of ♪ freedom burning bright. ♪ in the long and honored ♪ history of america, there ♪ ♪ are those who paid the ♪ last vital price.♪ ♪ who were called upon by ♪ truth to put them in a ♪ circumstance to make the ♪ ultimatesacrifice .♪ ♪ a great nation bows its ♪ head in sorrow. ♪ in the guarantee of ♪ tomorrow.the last full ♪ measure ofdevotion , ♪ ♪ that's what they gave to

♪ the cause the last full ♪ measure of devotion and ♪ though they cannot be here ♪ all along, we honor them ♪ forever and keep alive ♪ their story,pay tribute to ♪ ♪ their lives and give them ♪ all the glory .the last ♪ full measure of devotion.♪ ♪ beyond the call of duty♪ ♪ were their deeds . ♪ the last full measure of ♪ devotion.♪ ♪ they gave themselves to ♪ serve the greater need. ♪ and for those who did ♪ survive and came back home ♪ alive,they join in praise ♪ ♪ of comrades who were slain ♪ .

♪ and highly resolved, most ♪ highly resolved that these ♪ dead shall not have died ♪ in vain.♪ ♪ the last full measure of ♪ devotion beyond the call ♪ of duty weretheir deeds .♪ ♪ the last full measure of ♪ devotion, they gave ♪ ♪ themselves toserve the ♪ ♪ greater need . ♪ and for those who did ♪ survive and came back home ♪ alive,they join in praise ♪ ♪ of comrades who were slain ♪ . ♪ and highly resolved, most ♪

♪ highly resolved that these ♪ dead shall not have died ♪ in vain. [applause] [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, secretary carter. [applause] mister president,

general dunford, warriors, veterans, ladies and gentlemen. thank you for joining us this solemn remembrance today. in each of the more than 400,000 markers here at arlington, we find a dignified memorial to a life dedicated to the noblest of callings, to protect our people, or cold humankind's highest values and make a better world for our children. they say that security is like oxygen. if you have it, you don't think about it. but if you don't have it, it's all you think about. the patriots remembered today across the country provided that security. and so today do the millions of servicemembers, soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines,

coast guard men, active-duty guard reserve provide that security. they are part of a long heritage of patriots who fought in places like lexington and concorde, gettysburg and midway. chosen and caisson and more recently, fallujah and helmand . on memorial day we especially remember those who gave their lives in this noblest of callings and to our goldstar families, you honor us with your presence. we know we lack the words to do justice to what you feel on this day. we can never fully know. but we do know what you're sacrifice means to us, to this nation and to a world that still depends so much on american men and women in uniform for its purity. for all, memorial day in america is a line across the

times, a line that connects yesterday with today and tomorrow. that we are here today and that remembrances like this are underway across this shining land isn't lost on the kids to serve today. i hear this all the time. they know what it means. it means that they too are doing the noblest of things, providing security so that americans can get up in the morning, rest their kids, kiss them off to school, go to work, dream of their dreams, live lives that are full. they know it means that for all its variety, america is one in its support for them. and they know that not one of them, not on ever will be left behind. that every effort will be made to bring them home, no matter how long it takes. they can see that to, today on memorial day.

the line comes to them. now, those who serve today do so in a world that has its challenges and foes for america which are strength will counter and defeat. of that we can be certain. but it's also a world of bright opportunities that we will grab hold of for them and their children. we can be certain of our strength, all of our success and of our hope because our troops today make up the finest fighting force the world has ever known. a force of this caliber demands great leaders. and there's no doubt that they have one in the commander of chief. i see firsthand how clearly he understands the challenges we face and the obligations we must meet to keep our nation safe and make a better world.

above all i witness the unending concern he has for our men and women in uniform and their families , their safety , their dignity, their welfare. and the boundless care with which he makes decisions that put them in harm's way. for this, and for much more, i am tremendously proud to serve as his secretary of defense. these welcome the 44th resident of the united states, barack obama. [applause] >> thank you. good morning. secretary carter, general dunford, mister hellman, major general becker.

members of our armed forces, veterans and most of all, our goldstar families. i am honored to be with you once again as we pay our respects as americans to those who gave their lives for us all. here at arlington, the deafening sounds of combat have given way to the silence of these sacred hills. the chaos and confusion of battle has yielded to perfect , precise rows of peace. the americans who rest here and their families, the best of us and those from whom we asked everything. ask almost today only one thing in return . that we remember them.

if you look closely at the white markers that drape these hills, one thing you will notice as that so many of the years, the dates of birth and dates of death are so close together. they belong to youngamericans . those who never lived to be honored as veterans for their service. men who battled their own brothers in civil war, those who fought as a band of brothers and ocean away. men and women who redefine heroism for a new generation. they are generals buried besides privates they lead. americans known as dad or mom. some only known to god. mister hellman, a marine who then watched over these

grounds has said, everyone here is someone here. those who rest beneath this silence not only here at arlington but at veterans cemeteries across our country and around the world and all who still remain missing, they didn't speak the loudest about their patriotism area they let their actions do that. whether they stood up in times of war, signed up in times of peace or were called up by a draft board, they embodied the best of americans. as commander in chief, i have no greater responsibility than leading our men and women in uniform area i have no more solemn obligation than sending them into harm's way. i think about this every time i approve an operation as president. every time as a husband and father that i assign a

condolence letter. every time michelle and i sit at the bedside of a wounded warrior or grieve and hug members of goldstar families. less than one percent of our nation wears the uniform . and so few americans see this patriotism with their own eyes or know someone who exemplifies it but every day there are american families who pray for the sound of a familiar voice when the phone rings. for the sound of a loved one's letter or email arriving. more than 1 million times in our history, it didn't come. and instead, a car pulled up to the house. there was a knock on the front door. and the sound of taps floated through a cemeteries trees.

for us, the living, those of us who still have a voice, it is ourresponsibility , our obligation to fill that silence with our love and our support and our gratitude and not just with words but with our actions. truly remembering and honoring these fallen americans beings being there for their parents and spouses and children like the boys and girls here today wearing red shirts and bearing photos of the fallen.your moms and dads would be so proud of you and we are also. truly remembering means that after our fallen heroes gave everything to get their battle buddies home, they had to make sure our veterans get everything from good healthcare to a good job and we have to do better. our work is never done. we have to be there not only when we need them but when

they need us. 30 days before he would be laid to rest a short walk from here, president kennedy told us a nation reveals itself not only but by the people it produces but by those it remembers. not everyone will serve. not everyone will visitthis national second sanctuary but we remember our best in every corner of our country from which they came . we remember them by teaching our children at schools with fallen heroes names. like dori miller elementary in san antonio. or being good neighbors in communities named after great generals like pierce in kansas or when we walked down first sergeant bobby mendez weigh in brooklyn or drive across the hoover dam on a bridgethat bears pat tillman's name . we reveal ourselves in our words and deeds but also by the simple active listening.

my fellow americans, day and every day listen to the stories of these goldstar families and veterans have to tell. ask about who he or she was. why they volunteered. hear from those who love them . about what their smile looked like and the laugh sounded like and the dreams they had for their lives . since we gathered here one year ago, more than 20 brave americans have given their lives for the security of our people in afghanistan. we pray for them all and for their families. in iraq, in our fight against isis, three americans have given their lives in combat on our behalf. today i ask you to remember their stories as well. charles keating the fourth,

charlie, chuck or c4 was born into a family of veterans, all-american athletes and olympians, even a gold medalist. naturally, charlie and the elevated their anniversary on the fourth of july. she called him a huge goofball everybody wanted to be friends with, the adventurer who served and planned to sail around the world. when the towers fell he was in high school and he decided that day to enlist, joined the seals because he told his friends it was the hardest thing to do. he deployed to afghanistan and three times to iraq, earning a bronze star for valor. earlier this month while assisting local forces in iraq would come under attack, he gave his life . a few days later, one of his platoon mates sent charlie's parents a letter from iraq.

please tell everyone chuck saved a lot of lives today, it said . he left us with that big signature smile on his hands and face as always. chuck was a lovable half but was also a ferocious warrior. but today we honor keep special warfare officer charles keating before . lois cardin was the sixth of seven children, a californian with an infectious wit will also have a joke at the ready to help someone get through a tough time. when his siblings ran around the house as kids, his mom pat would yell out to them watch that baby's safety margin. today, she realizes that what she was really doing was raising a marine . as a teenager, he probably signed up, graduated high school three days later on a monday morning and the marines came to pick him up. that was 10 years ago. one morning this march, a marine knocked on his

mother's door again. on his fifth tour at a firebase in iraq, louis gave his life while protecting the marines under his command. putting others before himself was what louis did best. he chose to live in the barracks with his buddieseven when he could've taken a house off-base. he volunteered to babysit for friends who needed a date night . he just earned a promotion to mentor his fellow marines . when they brought louis home, hundreds of strangers line freeway overpass is in the streets of southern california to salute him and today we salute him , staff sergeant louis cardin. [applause] joshua wheeler's

sister said he was exactly what was right about this world. he came from nothing and he really made something of himself. as a kid, josh was the one who made sure his brother and for half sisters were dressed in fed and off to school . when i wasn't food in the cupboard, he grabbed his hunting rifle and came back with a deer for dinner area when his country needed him, he enlisted in the army at age 19 . he deployed to arrack and afghanistan 14 times. earned 11 bronze stars, four for valor . last october, as isil terrorists prepared to execute 70 hostages, josh and his fellow special ops went in and rescued them. every single one walkedfree .

we were already dead, one of the hostages said, then god sent us a force from the sky. that force was the u.s. army including josh wheeler . josh was the doting dad who wrote notes, whose kids in the stacks of books he read. flying home last summer to be with his wife ashley was about to give birth, he scribbled on note in the novel he was reading just to tell his unborn son he was on his way. ashley wheeler is with us here today holding their 10-month-old say son david. [applause] [applause] ashley

says josh's memory makes her think about how could she be a better citizen and she hopes it's what other people think about also. today, this husband and father rest here in arlington in section 60 area and as americans, we resolve to be better. better people, bettercitizens because of master sergeant joshua wheeler . our nation reveals itself not only by the people it produces but by those it remembers. we do so not just by foisting a flag but by lifting up our neighbors , not just by pausing in silence but by practicing in our own lives the ideals of opportunity and liberty and equality they fought for.

we can serve others and contribute to the causesthey believed in . above all, keep their stories alive so that one day when he grows up and things of his dad, an american like david wheeler can tell them as well the stories of the lives that others date for all of us. we are so proud of them. we are so grateful for their sacrifice. we are so thankful to those families of the fallen. may god bless our fallen and their families, may he bless all of you and may he forever bless the united states of america. [applause] ladies and

gentlemen, please remain standing for the playing of taps and the benediction. >>. [band playing taps ]

>> eternal rest grant untoour beloved dead, oh lord and let perpetual light shine upon them . may they rest inpeace . bless us all, lord, bless us all across this land we call america with strength, wisdom and courage. and made the sacrifice of so many who have died in service of our country and our world inspire us who remain to a renewed commitment to our nation and to all our patriotic duty. amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain in place until the president has departed. >>

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heather: we have an inside look at a historic military installation that dates all the way back to the revolutionary war. jon scott has the story. >> the jersey shore. 130 miles of fun in the sun. best known for its boardwalks , arcades, and amusement parks. but it's also home to one of the most important and effective military installations in us history.

fort hancock in sandy hook, new jersey. >> thefascinating thing about this place is it seemed virtually every armed conflict going back to the revolutionary war through the cold war. >> that's correct. the sandy hook lighthouse that sits behind us was built in 1764. it's the oldest operating white house in the united states . >> the lighthouseat sandy hook lit almost continuously for 652 years. it's flame extinguished only during world wars one and two to camouflage the port on which it stands . throughout its long and unique history, this beacon stood fast against the ravages of time and enemy combatants. >> the white house itselfat an interesting story during the revolutionary war.it was actually defended by the british . the patriots were looking to take away the way, took fire on it a few times and had numerous death. >> 1776, colonial forces fired two cannons on the white house. the officer who led the charge and report back to his commander, a young general named george washington that the wallswere too firm to destroy. the cannonballs we bounced

off . >> this is battery park. >> the fort is also home to barry potter, the site of the nation's first disappearing gun. artillery pieces hidden underground then lifted by steam power into firing position. >> you can see my breath in here, it's like a wine cellar. >> wild. >> when they brought in the shells, they actually brought in on cart and on rails and this is actually a turntable for those rails so they had a choice where they could go straight ahead here. and if you look, you can see where the placement are,

that's where the chambers, the steam chambers the gun went up on. >> the cage like vault howls and approved the weapons use to get a young nation safe and growing. >> and what were the guns for? >> in new york harbor, you can see one of the whole part right here, the old park in order to carry those shells. there are over 900 pounds. >> and a good law those things seven miles to. >> despite their intricate design, the guns saw little to no combat. >> they had these impressive guns that log shells way out there in new york harbor and what happened? >> they became obsolete to a degree when the u-boat became the fashion during world war i. at that point, they changed strategy a little bit. they did continue to use guns but in this particular battery but they also did minefields and that wentup until world war ii . >> fort hancock was integral to the protection of this

nation but not in the traditionalsense area . >> we know about gettysburg, we know about valley forge. >> does this place fit into that same category? >> its significance is a little bit different in regards to, if not a battlefield. it's really a tribute to the country ability to defend itself. the defenses here at sandy hook were built up in order to defend new yorkcity. >> and because of this port's strategic location, large-scale enemy attacks on new york city never materialized . >> from before the founding of the nation and the revolutionary war, new york city was vitally important to young america. and the job of defending it fell on the men and military installations here at sandy hook. >> this is battery johnson. two six-inch tubes, actually we have the remaining guns here, this is the one place on sandy hook where we

actually do have the gun tubes, this is a six inch tube. >> this date back to what? >> this dates back actually to the early 1900s. they changed them out and this particular model was 40 and they were used during world war ii. these were use to supplement the minefields out in the beginning of the harbor. >> tell me what this gun did. >> this gun shot six-inch shells, a couple hundred pounds and you would open the breach onthe bottom here . they would put a bag in of gunpowder and then they would ignite it and it would shoot out. >> so throughout the history of the nation really, any enemy vessel, a threat to new york harbor could, under fire from this piece right here. >> yes indeed. >> but were strategies evil as do the weapons that fight them there it in the post-world war ii years, a

new type of war to cold, so in fear in the hearts of americans. >> first you don't and then you cover. >> by the middle of the 1950s, the cold war was raging. the fear, soviet bombers would cross the atlantic and drop their weaponry on new york city so the army positioned these at sandy hook, hercules missiles capableof flying to 60,000 feet and in some cases armed with nuclear warheads . >> the unique thing is that you don't think about it, we are 10 miles from new york city. think about it and 10 miles from the heart of new york city they are actually puttingnuclear warheads around the missiles . it's kind of an intimidating thing if you think about it. it's really of that time. >> from the american revolutionary war, the civil war and world wari . to world war ii, the cold war

and beyond, fort hancock at sandy hooknew jersey is one of america's most important military sites . it's protective beacon still standing watch over the land of the free. >> no question that this place here has kept america safe, keptamerica growing . >> correct. heather: one of the stories i was able to do here that still impact me and probably always will would be our honor flight world war ii veterans to see the memorial there in washington dc and if any of those new friends are watching today, thank you for your service. leland: you really remember those times that you spend with veterans whether it be from iraq or afghanistan and on this memorial day that's where so many of our thoughts were speaking of the world war ii memorial where you were, that's where we find dot away with one of the many ceremonies that have just wrapped up there in the nation's capital to mark

memorial day. high does b6 minus leyland. there are fewer and fewer world war ii veterans who show up for ceremonies like this. you can demonstrably see the dwindling number. there's something like 16 million americans who served in world war ii, only 800,000 alive today and four of them die every day so you really appreciate the opportunity to them. i have an opportunity later today, i spoke with a guy by the name of nathaniel thomas served on a destroyer, repair shifts to the philippines in 1944, 1945. also all of his friends are gone these days. he's kind of a lonely guy as anybody is when you get to that age still to come here to the world war two memorial is really a memorable thing and it's the energizing thing for him . >> it means a lot. it means i'm not alone in this old world. i get to meet new friends for one thing, new friends, new people. i love that. reporter: and with the

ceremony now, all you see about me here at the world war ii memorial arcturus milling about, enjoying their freedom and they know who to thank for it. blue and. leland: we hear that freedom is not free. give us a sense when you're down there, has a mood shifted yet to one of remembrance to one of celebration yet? they raised the flag at a certain hour there to symbolize that. >> i think so. we have the parade still to come on constitution avenue, 2:00 i believe it gets underway. there's a week laying ceremony at to the west of where i am standing, we are headed that direction but that will be a solemn event but certainly around here, a celebratory environment and i would say as i just said that thesepeople are experiencing freedom . they often do forget who's responsible for that.

♪ ♪ >> hello on this memorial day. this is "outnumbered." i'm harris faulkner the here today, sandra smith, co-host of "after the bell," on fox business, melissa francis. democratic strategist julie roginsky, and today's #oneluckyguy, the host of war -- war stories, lieutenant colonel off develop north you are outnumbered. i say that. >> this is great. >> it is memorial day. i'm competing against myself right now. fox business network we have what they call it