good morning. shark good morning. shark attack. >> for just a second, i thought this was it. i was really scared. >> a swimmer attacked by a great white off a popular california beach opens up about his brush with death and how he survived. flooding fears, midwest residents pressing for the worst as swollen rivers threaten the levees around them. dylan will let us know just how long this could last. firing back, a popular radio host let go dpor a hate-filled twitter rant. now, slamming his former employer as fans take up his cause. will it get him back on the air? if at first you don't succeed, lester ready to redeem himself taking on our climbing

wall again. it beat him once but with the help of jenna's training, can he get over it this time. the pressure is on today, sunday, july 6th, 2014. from nbc news, this is "today" with lester holt, and erica hill live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaz. >> welcome to today. i'm erica kill. >> i'm lester holt alongside jenna wolfe and dylan dreyer. >> nice to have you back. >> i had a nice random day off and now i'm back and raring to go. >> i saw that video of lester. i had to come back. somebody had to come back. >> is this taller than it was. >> from that angle, that looks nearly impossible. >> i thought it was a technique issue. jenna said, no, your form was wrong. >> a little bit.

>> you needed some training. >> so i went to camp jenna. >> lester worked really, really hard. this guy is really strong. he put his mind to it. the video, it just kills me every time i see it. now, we'll do it in slow motion. >> later on this morning, i'm going to go out there and try it again. if i don't suck said this time. >> you will, you you will. >> if i don't succeed this time, they will put something up there. >> we will shoot it from a different angle so we can't tell we are pushing you up. ahead, a really great story about how bruno mars music helped a young girl after a terrible car accident. doctors feared she wouldn't recover. she had an incredible turnaround. we'll tell you how the popular singer helped her get better. we do begin with this morning's top story. a great white shark attack off a popular california beach. a terrifying scene there on saturday. this morning, that swimmer who was attack is telling his story

of survival. kristen dahlgren has more. good morning. good morning, erica. this story might make anyone heading to the beach think twice. shark attacks along the california coast are quite rare. this happened on saturday morning. the victim is now speaking out about the moment he was caught in the shark's jaws. you could feel the whole body shaking with the shark. >> reporter: the video captures the moment it happened. a swimmer with no idea a 7-foot great white is nearby. >> the shark attacks, thrashing, fighting to escape a fisherman's line. the victim is now out of the hospital and telling his story. >> it surfaced up to the very top. i saw it eye to eye. it made a very sharp left turn and just lunged right at my

chest. >> some witnesses say the bloody scene could have been avoided. >> a fisherman hooked the shark. he was fighting it for about 40, 45 minutes. >> they were trying to get away. the fisherman is trying to pull him in. >> fishing for great white is is prohibited and fishermen are required to cut the shark loose as soon as it is identified. >> whether he was trying to unhook him and snap the line or not, i'm not sure. >> reporter: one of the fishermen told knbc they were not fishing for great whites and they alerted switemmers to get t of the water z hey, get out of the water. shark, shark! >> reporter: officials kept people out of the water until they were able to spot the shark in deeper water. >> whenever an animal is injured, you don't know how they are going to behave. we are not taking any chances. >> reporter: as for the 40-year-old who is recovering this morning -- >> i don't know what to think right now. i really don't.

i'm still in shock. i nearly died today. >> police have banned fishing off the pier for the next several days. as for just how common a shark attack is off the coast of california, there have been 39 shark attacks there in the past. only five of them fatal but still some really scary stuff. >> that will make you think twice. >> can you imagine someone yelling, shark, get out of the water and you're in the water? >> no, i really can't. let's talk about the flooding fears in the midwest. rivers starting to crest. the rain just keeps on coming. dylan is tracking this one for us. good morning. >> good morning, guys. that's the problem. the rain is relentless. we did have some flooding in clarksville, missouri. take a look at some of these streets and the roadways with everybody getting together and sandbagging to sort of try to help where the floodwaters are going. with the mississippi flowing and several rivers and reservoirs flooding. in illinois, they are handling the same situation. you can see how high the water levels are along the banks of

the rivers. here is what is setting up as we go through the next couple of days. it is not going to be a deluge of downpours but it is going to be relentless rain. we have the threat of showers. in minneapolis, more showers passing through. we've lost the severe storms we had overnight and down through missouri where plor flooding rains are expected. we have this cold front draped across parts of the midwest. since june 1st, 13.9 inches of rain. that's well above average for this time of year and in davenport, iowa, we have picked up already nearly 9 inches of rain. any additional rainfall is going to add to those flooding concerns. watch as we go through the next couple of days. through the day today, another half an inch or so. as we go into monday, another half an inch. by the time we get to tuesday, an additional 2 inches of rain. that's the concern for everybody who is already dealing with that flooding. erica? >> turning to the border crisis i-hundreds of migrants coming

into the united states on a daily basis. many of them are women and children looking to start a new life and to escape the violence they are leaving behind back home. miguel almaguer has more. >> the flow of immigrants shows no signs of slowing. with texas facilities filled to the max, another border patrol flight lands in san diego. mothers and children bust off for processing. in tucson, 23-year-old norida martinez one journey behind her plans another to find her sister. she left two children behind in hopes of getting medical care her youngest son desperately needs. this blanket and the clothes they wear are all they have. the smugglers made sure of that. we brought more clothes, she says but when we crossed, they said everything had to stay. many immigrants choose the treacherous journey to escape

unrest in their native countries. stephanie gosk is covering the story this weekend in honduras. >> reporter: i am here talking to steven and kimberly. they are both teenagers younger than 18. they don't want to show their faces, because they live in one of the most violent neighborhoods in honduras. every single one of their friends talks about leaving this place and going to the united states and the principle reason they want to leave is because of violence. but some find strife in the u.s. as well. here in mary et ta, it has been a quiet holiday weekend after buses of immigrants were turned away by protesters last week. meantime, back in arizona, one more bus ride for norita and henry martinez, to georgia, to find family and maybe a new home. for today, miguel almaguer, nbc news, california. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." he joins us with more. good morning.

>> good morning, erica. >> we know immigration is a hot issue in washington. your guest is jay johnson, homeland security chief. he visited some of the border patrol facilities and said he was determined to do something. here it is in july. why is it so difficult to see any movement or get anything done when it comes to immigration reform? >> well, immigration reform is a separate issue, which is about dealing with the millions of illegal immigrants now in the country and what do you do with them going forward? this is a flow, a migration flow that has exploded. twice as many this year than last and maybe up to 90,000 before the end of the year of specially children coming across the border who have to be detained, put through proceedings to ultimately deport them. many of them may ultimately stay. that is its own separate debate. what the president wants, what secretary johnson wants is the ability to turn these children away at the border. there is a distinction. if you come from mexico, you can be turned away right away. if you come from another country

in central america, guatemala and the example, you have to be processed and go through a proceeding before being deported. >> that brings up an important issue that a lot of people are struggle as they watch it from the outside. it is the humanitarian, civil rights issue versus the more legal, political aspects. is that one of the main issues when it comes to one of the issues along the border? do we look at it from a legal standpoint or the story of some of the families? >> i think both. i think our government looks at it as both. if you look at some of the reporting by the government, it may be that 80% of these children end up staying in america. that's a humanitarian approach. there is another side of it too. for families, who live in california, may live in texas, who look at the resources that are spent to apprehend these young people, to process them. maybe to house them, school them, educate them, all of these things are a real drain of our resources. some communities. it creates a lot of resentment.

>> we will check in with you to see what else you have coming up on "meet the press." lester? a new development in the scandal that's engulfed the veterans administration. ed to, the arizona newspaper that broke the news is offering some strong and controversial advice about how to fix the va. kristen welker following that story for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. in its editorial request the "arizona republic" calls for the v.a. to gets back to its roots and focus on its historic mission, treating veterans who have service-related injuries. one veterans group says the paper doesn't understand the needs of vets. in arizona, the epicenter of the v.a. scandal, a rare front page editorial published by the arizona republic's editorial board. the paper calls on bob mcdonald, the president's pick to lead the

v.a. to down size. by returning to the va's roots, you will enhance care for all vet advance. they argue that veterans with non-service related issues should seek private sector care. in an interview, the opinions page editor says noncombat issues apply to older vets who are usually prioritized last. >> get them off the bottom of the list. put them some place where they can get proper treatment on a timely basis. that is more like a private sector. >> most of the stuff in this article is quite frankly ridiculous. >> tom tarantino says older vets could still be suffering from war-related injure as and worries they will fall through the cracks. >> the answer isn't screwing over more veterans, frankly. the answer to fixing v.a. health care is actually to fix the health care system. >> the paper also recommends the v.a. enhance what it does best, like treating post traumatic stress disorder, concussions and

those that have lost limbs. it calls for a zero-tolerance policy for lying and says the new v.a. chief should act quickly. >> he only has about a year or less to really start turning this around or else veterans are going to completely lose faith in the system that is supposed to care for them. >> reporter: obviously, some strong views and language expressed in a heated debate. white house officials declined to comment. congress is considering legislation that would allow some service members to seek private care but the bill does differ in a lot of ways from what the arizona republic is recommending. lester? >> kristen welker, thank you jenna is here with a look at some of the morning's top stories hi, everyone. we have new details about the disturbing video we showed you yesterday. relatives have identified the woman seen here at marlene penna. they say she suffered severe injuries when she was beaten tuesday by a california highway patrol officer. police had said she was not

hurt. she had been walking on a freeway near downtown los angeles when the incident occurred. she was booked for a mentally valuation but the family did not say whether she suffered from mental illness. the officer remains on paid administrative leave while the case is being investigated. >> we go to the middle east where tensions remain high following the brutal death of a palestinian teenager. we are learning a 15-year-old u.s. citizen who was arrested and beaten has been released. amin mo hama dean joins is. >> reporter: it was an emotional scene not too long ago where 15-year-old palestinian american from tampa, florida, found out there was relief to his family. his family was very angry by the decision of the court, because they were forced to pay a $900 bail fee as well as the restrictions that have been imposed on this young teenager. he is not allowed to return to the family home. the most disturbing call is that

he was released without any charges. they are very angry as to why his case required that kind of severe punishment. at the same time, his case has drawn international condemnation after the video went viral. that video showed the boy being severely beaten while he was in israeli/u.s. custody. they are profoundly troubled by the accusations that he was physically assaulted. meanwhile, overnight, the israeli government carried out air strikes inside the gaza strip. at least ten different suspected sites were targeted. at the same time, in the past 24 hours, there have been at least a dozen rockets fired from gaza by various palestinian militant factions into southern israel. today, the israeli prime minister, netanyahu says his government will react calmly to the threat that is coming out of the gaza strip. >> thank you for that. iraq's military spokesman says officials are working to determining the authenticity of this video.

it is said to be the leader of isis leading friday prayers. if it is determined to be real, it would be one of the first known appearances of the militant leader to be captured on video. changing gears here. a big day at wimbledon, two of the best, novak djokovic and roger federer matching up on center cord. federer eyeing his 18th grand slam title. 17 more than most of us have. in the women wes final, the czech republic beat canada in 55 minutes. that is shorter than your average work-out. congratulations to her for doing that. the world cup semifinals are set. the netherlands and argentina will play wednesday for a shot. they beat costa rica 4-3 on saturday. argentina is advancing to the semifinals following their 1-0 win over belgium, who, if you recall, ended the u.s.'s run. all eyes are on brazil and

germany. they will play on tuesday. in the land of happily ever after, jessica simpson is front and center after four years and two xhirn together, simpson is officially married to former nfl player, erik johnson. this is the second marriage. she was previously married to singer, nick lachey. that was chronicled on the reality show "newlyweds." >> one of the songs that was played at their wedding was "god only knows." everyone at some point should have that song. a little tidbit. you were like, what was playing? >> i wonder why you were asking? >> i wanted to make sure i got the singers right. dylan is back with a quick look at the rest of the country's forecast. flooding concerns in the midwest. we are going to see more rain today. you can see in red that slight risk area including wisconsin, illinois and parts of eastern iowa. that's where we

in san jose, a sunny start. temperatures in the upper 50s. san francisco, driz sbl mist. 53 degrees. very gloomy view. dense advisory at the coast this morning. temperatures closer to san francisco will be in the mid to upper 60s. 87 in san jose. morgan hill climbing up to 97 for the afternoon and & tri-valley seeing mid to upper 90s as well. 90 in santa rosa and mid 80s around fremont for the afternoon. >> that's your latest forecast. lester? >> dylan, thanks. up next, how a pop star helped a little girl overcome the biggest up next, how a pop star helped a little girl overcome the biggest challenge of her life. carmax is the best place to start your car search.e, great for frank, who's quite particular... russian jazz funk? next to swedish hip hop. when he knows what he wants... - thank you. do you have himalayan toad lilies? spotted, or speckled? speckled. yes. he has to have it. a cubist still life of rye bread...

sold. it's perfect. which is why we'll ship a canary yellow jeep with leather seats from dallas to burbank if it's the one frank wants. carmax. start here. it has been said several times music has the power to heal. this next story just might prove it again. after a horrible car accident, an 11-year-old girl was left with injuries so serious, her doctors feared she may not

survive. but no one could have imagined it would be a pop star who could inspire her on her road to recovery. here is kate snow. ♪ when you smile >> reporter: bruno mars has been nominated for 18 grammys. for 130 million singles. but for 11-year-old zumyah thorpe, he's more than just a pop star. >> you said there is an accident there? >> a big one. >> reporter: last year in cleveland, a drunk driver ran a red light, killing zumyah's pregnant mother and two of her three sisters. she suffered a traumatic brain injury. doctors told her grandparents she may never speak or walk again. ♪ i should have bought you flowers ♪ >> reporter: as she lay in a bed unresponsive, they played her favorite song. by last fall, she could walk.

but her speech was still limited. so when her pediatric neurologist played some bruno mars on her iphone, she couldn't believe what happened. >> i pulled out my iphone, found the song that states you're amazing just the way you are, put it on and she started singing and knew every single word. >> reporter: and zumyah is still singing. ♪ the whole world stops and stands for a while ♪ >> reporter: her story made it all the way to bruno mars himself. ♪ just the way you are >> reporter: and last weekend, at his show in cleveland, zumyah was there. ♪ when i see your face >> reporter: he didn't just play zumyah's favorite song, he serenaded her. face to face. zumyah singing right along with him. ♪ just the way you are >> he gives me so much hope in

my heart that i can do anything. >> reporter: bruno mars posted selfies of the two of them on instagram, saying, tonight you gave my band and i something we never felt before, you're an inspiration to the world. her grandfather says life has been terribly hard for both surviving granddaughters, but music has brought back a little bit of light. ♪ when you smile >> reporter: and when she smiled, the whole crowd smiled with her. ♪ because you're amazing >> reporter: for "today," kate snow, nbc news, new york. >> such a great story. still ahead, west point cadets taking on a new mission in the kitchen. when a pro at any 2014 pga tour event sinks a hole-in-one, quicken loans will pay your mortgage for an entire year.

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good morning. that's a live look at san jose from our sky camera network. looking to be a hot one. no cloudy haze this morning. i'm vickyn nguyen. san francisco stay nth 60s but inland, the temperatures really climbing on up. you can see the fog across the bay, over toward oakland and low visibilities especially toward santa cruz for this morning. we will see sunshine there in the south coast and later on

today. you'll see high temperatures close to san jose in the upper 70s as we go through the afternoon today and those numbers staying fairly mild at times. high pressure keeping us dry and areas of high clouds coming into the afternoon and evening. this is an area we have to watch with thundershowers in the forecast today. some of those high cloud also start spilling back in the area. we'll let you know what that means for the forecast ahead. increase in fire danger and dry lightning, too. >> we'll watch for that, rob. thank you. continuing coverage on the brush fire in the north bay. firefighters still having a tough time getting the upper hand on this blaze. the fire started on friday and has now burned about 7,000 acres. it's 30% contained. cal fires says the fires are burning in a rugged and steep area that's very difficult to get to. still under a mandatory evacuation. burning near 30 structures in

that area, closure of highway 128 and the evacuation of two campgrounds. aseana crash landed one year ago. 187 passengers were hurt and others died. the crew mishandled the descent of that 777. once they deactivated the system designed to regulate the plane's air speed. broke into pieces and caught on fire. the crash was the first time a boeing 777 was involved in a fatal crash. people around the bay area may be getting the message about drinking and driving. drunk driving arrests were down in many parts of the bay area this fourth of july holiday. in santa clara, 14 people were arrested for driving under the influence. in san mateo county, even better numbers. eight arrests compared to 17

during the same 48 hours last year. and in oakland, police arrested and cited 118 people for a variety of charges, the majority being illegal fireworks. coming up at 7:00 on today in the bay,t got a little cheaper to visit the city on sundays. why visitors and resident as like can save a few bucks while taking in the sights. now back to the "today" show.

♪ ♪ i feel good ♪ i knew that i would ♪ i feel good ♪ i knew that i would ♪ good morning, "today"! >> it's our 29th anniversary sod. >> we've got 40 years. ♪ i feel nice >> hey, lester, we came all the way from chicago to see you z hi, whmom and pop. we're back on this sunday morning, july 6th, 2014. i think for the most part we are all feeling pretty good a great crowd coming up on our plaza on a beautiful summer morning. we are happy to have them with us. if you are in the neighborhood.

come on by. first, a quick look at this morning's top headlines. a twimer is recovering after being bitten by a great white shark. he suffered a bite on his torso and hand. major flooding fears in the midwest where the rain keeps on coming. residents are spending the weekend placing sandbags in some of the most vulnerable areas. and then there were four, the world cup here is where we stand. brazil and germany on tuesday and netherlands and argentina on wednesday still to come, an exclusive look at the latest planet of the april movie. just what goes into making those chimps look real. >> wait. they are not real? >> so many takes, dylan, so many takes. sorry we didn't give you the spoiler alert. >> also ahead, an interesting exchange program. military cadets, cadets from west point and the students at the culinary institute of america swapping roles learning

about each other's roles. it turns out these are two groups of students that have far more in common than anyone may have imagined also ahead, remember this. we certainly haven't let lester forget about the time he couldn't make it over the climbing wall. this was a real wall. let's just watch it. it is only because we love you. now, you have been able to do it. he has trained. his tenacity has paid off. wait until you see what lester can do coming up in a little bit. >> i'm ready. did you see this? >> we did but now america will. >> i can't get that. i am ready, man. i am ready to go. >> do you have your shorts under your shoes? >> your sneakers under your shoes. >> it is warm in here. >> that's fantastic. >> shall we continue? >> i think we could. why not? we are looking forward to it. >> i am looking forward to being done with it.

>> you keep your clothes on for the moment, lester. we begin this half hour with the radio shock jock who is now fighting back. he was fired late last week for some controversial tweets that were posted. here is joe pryor with the story. >> reporter: shock jock anthony camia's twitter page that cost him his job is deleted. he was co-host of the opie and anthony show on sirius xm. he says he was taking photos in times square when he was repeatedly punched by an african-american woman who did not want her picture taken. a twitter rant followed with cumia calling her an animal, savage and other names tine proep yut to broadcast. among his many comments, there is a deep-seeded problem with violence in the black community. try to address it and you will be exiled to racistville. one woman writing that was the most disgusting racist tirade i have seen.

on thursday, cumia was fired. he was unapologetic, fired for expletives that weren't on the air and weren't illegal. his supporters have launched a petition calling for his reinstatement reminding of duck dynasty's phil robinson. >> if the fan backlash is as significant as it was, sirius xm is going to be in a very difficult position. they are going to have an open backlash from the fans but they have to uphold the values of the company. >> the opie and anthony show has made headlines fined by the fcc for urging people to have sex in public places like st. patrick cathedral. kumia's co-host is still on the job but the future of the show they started nearly 20 years ago is uncertain. for "today," joe pryor, nbc news

a final check of weather from dylan who has made her way outside the plaza. good morning, guys. we are celebrating 40 years of marriage. what is your secret? >> i listen to her. >> that works? >> sounds good. >> fantastic advice. we are going to see some gorgeous weather in most -- across most of the country. temperatures are starting to warm up down across the southeast. it is going to be in the 100s in parts of the western plains. 90s down through texas. a little hot. we have to keep an eye out for stronger storms in wisconsin and illinois and iowa where flooding concerns remain in effect. we are going to see a couple of scattered showers and storms across the gulf coast state. that slight risk spreads from nebraska all the way over into west virginia tomorrow. it is not going to be an outbreak but we could see stronger storms. it remains sizzling out west,

san francisco now with misty size and fog across the golden gate bridge. san jose, clear skies. not much in the way of any clouds yet. high clouds coming in a little later on this afternoon. 87 in the forecast for san jose. mid to upper 90s. san francisco in the 60s with patchy low clouds. north bay, highs near 92 in napa, 98 in livermore. hot temperatures around pleasanton the next few days. cooler approaching tuesday. forecast. lester? >> all right, dylan, thanks. this morning, we have an exclusive look at the high-tech making of what could be one of the summer's biggest blockbusters, dawn of the planet of the apes. it hits theaters on friday. ben fogle recently set out to meet one of the men behind the digital program. >> the growing nation of

genetically evolved apes, now about 2000 living in a forest outside san francisco. andy serkis puts on his digital suit again for his role as caesar, the leader of the apes. >> he has created this u taupe yan society which is going into the second generation. he es a father. he has a council where they have rules and tennants of belief. they are discovering they can use elements of human language. suddenly, the surviving humans come into the territory. caesar, who has gro up with humans, is trying to find his inner ape. >> caesar loves humans more than apes. >> i met andy serkis, chief ape at his high-tech performance capture studio in london. >> he is a middle-aged chip pan ze and carrying a lot of

responsibility and worry. he is quite furrowed brow. it is quite subtle. unlike the original where they were covered in latex and thick makeup. >> reporter: andy can go ape on command. >> gorilla vocal zation will be -- chimpanzees, you have more like a -- he has promised to show me some moves. >> you have to tuck your pelvis in and slightly go bow legged. if you rock your hips from side to side, okay. >> you have to stick are backside out. >> that one and that leg here. >> there you go. then, you can start to quadriped

like this. >> okay. so i am still struggling to walk the walk. >> this is a head-mounted camera. you have markers all over your face. >> i think i can talk the talk. >> that's brilliant. we will have to get you in the third film. >> there is hope for a career in the jungle. for today, ben fogle, nbc news, london. >> fascinating, isn't it? up next, lessons learned when military cadets and culinary students trade places. right after it these messages. it's important to know the difference. like when i found out i had a blood clot in my leg. my doctor said that it could travel to my lungs and become an even bigger problem. and that i had to take action. so he talked to me about xarelto®. [ male announcer ] xarelto® is the first oral prescription blood thinner

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>> we are back with a new kind of mission for some west point military cadets. >> west point is just across the hudson river from the culinary institute of america, north of new york city. the two prestigious schools have never really mixed, until professors from both universities had a chance meeting and realized their students have a lot more in common than anyone imagined. >> from basic kitchen skills. >> i'm trying to be patient so that i can be efficient but honestly, i'm just kind of making a mess. >> to basic training. >> the lessons are designed to break down barriers. >> you did it. an excellent work-out. >> and stereotypes. >> the first thing you learn is you have to be able to share. >> for these students who on the surface don't appear to have much in common. john lenden feld is a junior with plans to study medicine. >> i always sort of thought the civilian sector didn't understand the military side of things but here i am clearly not

understanding that. you need to remind me how to hold this. >> his partner is chef in training, jake cohen. >> there you go. perfect. it is very relatable when you see someone else who has that equul amount of pressure and responsibility. >> the idea to bring them together came from professors after a chance meeting with staff. >> this has allowed them to hold up a myrrh roar and have a better understanding of themselves when they compare themselves to something they think would be so different. >> move. they get to see they are not alone in the world. there are other programs just as difficult. >> step up to my line, not on my line. >> i didn't request the student chef would request to be yelled at. >> both sides wanted realistic in experience as possible. >> there are people that have never picked up a knife and they look completely lost.

>> that's what we do. >> i'm actually very shocked at how similar this is to west point. >> it is a very hard an rigorous industry. >> each school boasts a strong sense of community and teamwork. >> there is this saying called, cooperate and graduate. definitely, if we didn't work together, we wouldn't make it. >> reporter: despite their shared values and drive, there is one glaring difference. mealtime. at west point, more than 4,000 cadettes and staff eat in just 20 minutes. do they have time to enjoy what they eat? >> no. if we don't like something, we just smother sauce on it. >> a far cry from the culinary institute where meals are meant to savored an important reminder of the difference both sides have come to appreciate. there are plans for another exchange next year. what a lot of the students who participated said they would like to see is an overnight, so they could really get a sense for what it is like to have to get up, have perfectly shined

shoes and have 15 minutes to get ready at west point and at the culinary institute, some of the baking classes start at midnight. they wanted even more of a day in a life. >> it speaks more of the future of mess halls. maybe the food will get better. >> the head chef at west point is a culinary institute graduate. they have a number of programs where they bring in veterans. >> great story. great sharing. let's send it over to dylan. good morning, lester and eric. we have york here for gurney, illinois. you got so much more. still to come, it is lester versus the wall. he has been training hard for this. so let's hope the second time will be a charm. we'll find out right after these messages. we'll find out right aft

you want me on that wall. you yo nu want me on that wall. you need me on that wall. oh, yes, we do. jack nicklaus from the classic movie, one of lester's favorites, "a few good men." this time we needlessster on that wall.

his first attempt was not tote little successful. this is no the a man that stands down to a challenge. he is drid to try it again zichlt many ready. first, i needed a little extra help or the best i could get. so jenna and i hit the gym to improve my strength and form. take a look. >> i think it was humbling because i do work out a lot. when i couldn't do it, it was a little embarrassing. it was a lot embarrassing. the good thing is, jenna didn't rub it in my face at all. >> lester, in order for us to really dissect and break down what went wrong with your obstacle course endeavor, i brought out this telestrato are. . >> the first up was okay.

your leg was up here. i want your legs out in front of me. i keep going with my legs out in front of me and i'm leaning back. >> what you are doing is not leaning back. your arms are all extended. where is your butt? where is your butt, lester? >> i don't really have one but. >> if you did have one, you see where it is. look how much more work you have to do. you happen to be very, very strong as it is. a couple of things we can work on. anything where you have to pull yourself up, pull-ups, rows, anything will help you with your upper body, be able to hoist you when you need to get yourself over it that wall. the ultimate pulling exercise is the pullups, ease wy pullups. body nice and straight, jump, turn. good. co on, come on. >> as soon as the camera is off, i can collapse. >> don't collapse yet. still rowing, still rowing, and

collapse. >> oh, geez. >> so here we go. here is the wall. moment of truth. don't pause in the middle. i want you to just make it one fluid motion and get to the top. >> okay. here we go. >> go, go, go. yes. nice. yes. that's it. perfect. >> he did it. all my training. i'm very proud off. you put the work in. obviously, it paid off. i'm ready to watch you do it live on tvz here with he go, live. >> why do it live. that was fun. that was fun. >> you did a great job. >> let's go. we have been waiting. we thought you went through with us. what was lacking with the technique? what do you feel? was it everything jenna pointed out? >> my angle was wrong and also, this is very slick. i think it was the shoes and the temperature and the humidity

level at the time. >> it was march. >> i am sure you could do it more if you got creative. >> may i show you how it is done? >> i got this, i got this. >> remember, it's a reflection on all of us. >> yeah! yeah! >> very nice, very nice. >> all right. >> very proud of you. >> thank you for the training. >> great. >> you were actually an amazing trainer. >> thank you. you really are. she has gotten us all kind of -- >> your work-out with jenna is one of the most amazing and motivating you will ever do. >> i am going to give you a couple of tips. obviously, you really want to work on your upper body and the ultimate is the pullups. you just need your bar and your body. it doesn't matter what grip you use. what you want is a regular nice, easy pullup. if you are loading, you can't do it by yourself.

dylan, come on up. what i am going to have you do with a partner is bend your knees. if you need a little extra help. hold the shins right here and go all the way down. perfect. i'm going to let go. beautiful. you want your lower body to be engaged as well thichlts. this is a fun little work-out. you are going to hold on to a bench. if you can't do the bench, do the ground. you are going to kick your legs up and over, up and over. if you can't go that high, that's fine. if you can, come on over. try it. >> there you go. >> perfect. >> upper body. you got your back, your body and your forearms and the lower body, you get that little symmetrical push. >> maybe after the break, you two. >> we'll be right back after these messages. is how delicious it can be.

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sweet getting over the top of the hill. erica, dylan, who's up? >> okay. >> all right, erica, you know what you're doing. >> yes, yes! >> go, go, go, go. >> yes! >> dylan! >> all right.

>> come on, dylan! >> beautiful. >> awesome! >> awesome. >> how come i couldn't get it done right the first time. >> because you like the drama. >> david gregory, tell us what's coming up on "meet the press" this morning. >> all right, lester, thank you so much. chaos and despair on the border with mexico. i'll ask the secretary of homeland security jeh johnson about the plan to fix what the president is calling a humanitarian crisis. and the terror alert, security tightened around the world. are changes in store for u.s. airports as well? that's all coming up on "meet the press." >> thanks. we'll look for that then. that's going to do it for us on this sunday morning. thank you for being with us. >> i'll see you back here tonight for "nbc nightly news." have a great day, everybody. thanks for watching. we did it!

>> yes! >> we did it!

good morning. i'm vicky nguyen. this morning, his family speaks out with a warning. a man is attacked at a california beach and lives to tell about it. how he escaped the jaws of a great white. how his fiery first day on the job saved two lives. this is "today in the bay." we're giving you a live picture right now from bassona lake. maybe take the train ride and enjoy the