this is the 2014 jeep grand cherokee. it is the best of what we're made of. well-qualified lessees can lease the 2014 grand cherokee laredo 4x4 for 359 a month. hi i'm patrick murphy, and welcome to "taking the hill." 11 years ago today, u.s. forces battled through the southern iraqi desert under a push toward baghdad. 17 days later, the capital fell. while the invasion was swift, the war was long. over the next nine years, nearly 4,500 americans and more than 100,000 iraqis were killed. hundreds of thousands of our troops were wounded. both physically and mentally. and then there was the cost.

$3 trillion and the bills just keep coming in. those of us who served in iraq will live with it until our dying days and we're the lucky ones. 22 veterans commit suicide every day, and the rate keeps going up. and while iraq wasn't america's longest war or even its deadliest, its impact is undeniable. u.s. foreign policy is now often seen through the prism of that war. america's cost approach in recent years to libya, syria, and now russia and ukraine is arguably, at least in part, a by-product of iraq. today on "taking the hill," we'll take a look at the lessons learned. joining me now, congresswoman and army captain tulsi gabbard, an iraq war veteran and one of the first female combat veterans to serve in congress. a "washington post" senior correspondent who served as baghdad bureau chief for two

years and is the author of "life in the emerald city." and larry corb who was a vietnam war naval flight officer. congresswoman, 11 years after the iraq invasion was the iraq war worth it? >> first of all, i want to say aloha, patrick. it's good to talk with you, even from afar. this is a momentous time for us to reflect on the lessons learned from that period. and looking back and saying the policy decisions were wrong. the precepts for going into this conflict were wrong. we didn't have a clear definition of what the mission was. the objectives we were trying to achieve continued to change. and the exit strategy wasn't there. saying that though as you know very well it's so important for us as a country as well as leaders to continue to honor our brothers and sisters who didn't

come home. to honor the sacrifices that have been made by them as well as their families no matter what the policy conversations are that went on around that as well as future decision. >> let me add on to that. those policy decisions. when we look at now syria and the ukraine how has the iraq war afiktfected the policymakers down in washington right now? >> there's a huge presence of the lessons that have been learned through the iraq war, through our presence in afghanistan. and rightly so there is a lot of care and attention being put into the decisions that we make into any future conflicts. the decisions that we as lawmakers have in a huge way to be responsible for sending our troops into harm's way again. there are few critical elements that have to be considered as we look at potential u.s. involvement. is what are the objectives we are trying to achieve, and are

those objectives in the best interest of the american people the united states and our interests. so whether it was syria or whether we looked towards what's happening in eastern europe these are the questions that have to be answered. >> this week, there was another wave of attacks in iraq. when you look at it much of the anwar province has fallen to radical islamists. is the country of iraq better off today than it was before the invags invasion 11 years ago? >> it depends where you sit. there are a lot of iraqis who would say no. their lives are much worse today. many others are probably doing better today than they were under saddam hussein. the shiite arab population, which does constitute a plurality of the american public. when you look at iraq in terms of its stability, its security, let's look at the question a

little differently, patrick. not so much was it better under saddam, but did we achieve what we set out to achieve, with the promises that the bush administration made about transforming iraq into a stable more democratic government. was everything that was supposedly accomplished during the troop surge of 2007 and 2008, did it set iraq on a fundamentally more secure footing? and while violence has come down from those terrible levels that existed some years ago patrick, when you look at what's happening in anbar province, with large swaths of the western part of the country. when you look at baghdad and you see there has been no compromise among the main blocks in that country. you know it's hard to look at it and say that we accomplish what we tried to do through the surge. >> yeah clearly the power

vacuum -- and i was in south baghdad where the tensions of both of them we lived with every day. let me go to larry. thanks for your service in vietnam. do you agree with the premise that our foreign policy is now viewed through the prism of the iraq war and how does that affect our decision making now moving forward? >> i think in a way it's good because as the congresswoman pointed out, before we undertake military action we have to ask ourselves whether whatever benefits we'll get are worst the cost that we might pay. what are our objectives? are we willing to do everything that's necessary to achieve those objectives. and how does this particular conflict, whether it's libya, syria, or ukraine fit into our overall national security budgets. and then finally, can we handle this with non-military tools in our policy basket. can we use diplomacy, can we use economic tools.

i think in a certain sense it has had a beneficial effect. >> i agree with you, larry, on that. let me go back to the congresswoman real quick. the tools that larry just talked about, what are the factors that you look at as a policymaker for the country before you embark on another war or at least military action? >> well again, i think that understanding the heavy cost of war in a firsthand perspective. in my first deployment i served in a medical unit and saw every single day the incredible human cost that these types of wars have on our service members and understanding the long-term impact that that has on the families and the communities that these service members leave behind when they don't come home, and the challenges they face when they do. so looking at that and balancing that with the national security needs, the necessity of maintaining a strong national defense, and understanding that for us as the united states we can maintain peace through

strength, and make sure that we're balancing those needs and all decisions that we're making. making sure that we're exhausting diplomatic means before we turn to actually sending boots on the ground. but there are a variety of different tools that we have in our tool kit that can be used to effectively prevent these conflicts from happening and to prevent boots on the ground. >> as president kennedy once said, being the reluctant warrior of our country. let me turn now, rajeev. you served as baghdad bureau chief. your book was a terrific one. what is the lasting legacy of iraq when it comes to public trust of our government? >> i think it's etched a deep degree of skepticism in claims made by our intelligence community, our military leaders, and our political leaders about events overseas and risks and threats to the united states. we saw that certainly play out over the past couple years with

the situation in syria. and much larger across the middle east in part of the reaction to the arab spring in this country. i think it's reinforced a much healthier dose of skepticism among journalists like myself who cover these issues. given us a real desire to want to dig much deeper behind, you know claims and pronouncements about what other countries are threatening to do to the united states and what sorts of weapons they possess that are claimed by our elected leaders. and just to build upon what larry and congresswoman gabbard were saying a second ago, patrick. i think another really positive legacy here in washington is that there are members of both parties who are veterans from iraq and afghanistan serving in congress. i think that makes the debate over foreign policy and national security issues that take place all that much more grounded in reality. i mean no disrespect to those from vietnam and the greatest

generation who participated in some of the early iraq war debates. but having service members and veterans from the last two wars engaged in our foreign policy discussions in this city i think has made it -- those discussions immeasurably more real and focused on the real world consequences of what happens when you send american men and women overseas. >> and congresswoman gabbard is only one of 16 of them that actually served in iraq or afghanistan. larry, very quickly. you served under president ronald reagan, assistant secretary of defense. and the last presidential election, we heard a lot from the gop side about the strength that u.s. projected strength during the reagan era. how does it compare during the reagan years to now? >> well, ronald reagan was a very cautious president. for example, we got in over our heads in lebanon. rather than doubling down, he

got out. and even when we went to grenada, he asked the military how many troops he needed and then doubled it. rumsfeld cut in half what the military people wanted to do and reagan was not afraid to begin negotiating with the soviet union. i mean, even before gorbochov. a lot of republicans accused him of being neville chamberlain. reagan was a lot different than people portray him. i think if he came back today, he certainly wouldn't have been what the so-called hardliners in the gop. >> congresswoman, vladimir putin said because of iraq the u.s. does not have the moral authority to judge him or russia on crimea. do you think he has a point? >> first of all, i think they're two very different situations and really can't be compared as an apples to apples comparison. i think it's important as we look towards what putin is doing and what russia is looking at as

they invade into ukraine. we've got to understand the long-term implications here that this is not something that is just about the country of ukraine or that is just about this region of crimea. i've been there. i've spent some time after my second deployment in crimea in parts of eastern europe in ukraine, and was able to see firsthand a lot of the things that were starting to see play out here and the attitudes that we have to take seriously, with our role as united states strengthening and bolstering our support for our support for our nato allies. looking to see how we can provide military aid and other types of aid for baltic states and the countries that are bordering russia, because if we don't take proactive action now that russia and putin will actually take seriously, then we could find ourselves in a far worse situation in the future. >> and like you said, those economic powers that we have can help control.

listen thank you very much. congresswoman gabbard, please stay with us. coming up from the field of battle, to the halls of congress, we will talk about how veterans are stepping up and serving their country by heading to washington, d.c. we'll hear representative gabbard's unique story next. make sure you join the conversation using the the #takingthehill. [ sniffles ] i better take something. [ male announcer ] dayquil cold and flu doesn't treat all that. it doesn't? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms plus has a fast-acting antihistamine. oh, what a relief it is! i'm randy and i quit smoking with chantix. as a police officer, i've helped many people in the last 23 years but i needed help in quitting smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix reduced the urge for me to smoke. it actually caught me by surprise. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking, or mood, hostility, agitation

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yep, everybody knows that. well, did you know the ancient pyramids were actually a mistake? uh-oh. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. welcome back to "taking the hill," i'm patrick murphy. when i was elected back in 2006 i became the first iraq war veteran to join congress. now there are 16 members who served in iraq and afghanistan.

but the number of veterans in office has fallen dramatically over the years, and it's now just down to 20%. our nation's veterans are an important civic asset with skills and experience far beyond their years. so what are they doing to keep serving their country? joining me again, congresswoman and army captain tulsi gabbard, who served two tours in operation iraqi freedom and was just named one of elle magazine's ten most powerful women in d.c. congratulations. and john sultz, another two-tour iraq war veteran and co-founder and chairman of vote vets. congresswoman, you know, you're a bit of a prodigy in public office. you were elected to the hawaii legislature at age 21. u.s. congress at age 31. how did your military experience play a role in that? >> i've got to tell you, i'm getting a lot of flak from many of my soldier friends who saw that "elle" magazine article. they remember me in a very

different kind of uniform. you know i feel really privileged to be one of those few veterans who are serving in congress today as we are making important decisions about foreign policy, about the state of our defense today. as well as how we are serving and making sure that we're honoring our veterans who have made it home. >> yeah. >> you know we have republicans and democrats who have served in other iraq or afghanistan, and there are so many different issues and conversations that we can work together on that we do work together on. sometimes we come to different outcomes. we have different opinions on things. but what's important i think for us to recognize as a whole as we encourage more veterans to run for office is that this is a community of people as you said patrick, who understand at the core of their being what it means to serve. what it means to put the mission first. and to do what's best for your country. >> yeah. exactly. that country first, that's

stamped if a veteran's heart. john you're the chairman of vote vets. what is its mission and why did you start this great organization? >> patrick, obviously in 2006 when people like you and myself returned from iraq we were looking to help veterans run for public office obviously to oppose president bush. there were a lot of veterans that were obviously upset. so we're trying to support people who have a disadvantage. a lot of veterans obviously right now don't have a lot of donors and people that can help them raise the amount of money they need to run for office. so we've been very successful the last few cycles helping you helping representative gabbard run for office and win at a time veterans are decreasing in congress because we're just not a large percent of the population. >> congresswoman, we don't want people to vote for veterans just because they're veterans. they have a special skill set and a attributes. what are those attributes you see? >> this is something i love

talking to anyone that will listen. veterans coming home sometimes are misunderstood. people think well, we need to help them and there's a little bit of a pity attitude that sometimes takes shape when the opposite is actually true. that whether it be in politics, whether it be in business, or within our communities in many capacities. veterans are bringing to the table attributes and capabilities that you can't be taught in a classroom. these are the ability to make decisions under extreme pressure. the experience of actually leading teams of various size under the most difficult circumstances, and again, what i think is the most important quality is these are servant leaders. these are people who understand that their lives have been about service to others and making a positive impact to others. so finding ways for these veterans once they've laid down the uniform, or like john and i we continue to serve in the national guard, to continue that mission of service in a way that

will benefit the community, our society and our country as a whole. >> yeah. that servant's heart that we often talk about. john i'm going to put you on the spot here, buddy. >> all right. >> the first iraq or afghanistan war veteran, what year will they make it to the white house? >> oh i think you're looking at the ten to 20-year timeframe. when representative dingell retired from congress several weeks back we can't replace leaders like that. it takes years to grow. when you look at districts like tulsi gabbard's district compared to the one that you were in, we've got to elect veterans into safer seats that they can then build a long-term relationship with their constituents in congress in d.c. where they can really build the type of infrastructure and capabilities to run for national office. we do have some anthony brown should win and become the first iraq veteran to become a governor of a state. but i think we're still ten or so years away. it's going to come from people

that we can make a long-term investment in, such as tulsi's situation, where she's obviously the most popular politician in hawaii right now, but in a place where she's going to continue to win and be successful. >> listen i thought i was teeing this up for you. i was ready for you to say gabbard 2024. is that about right? >> i'm going to tell you, i'm gabbard 2014 right now. obviously i continue to support tulsi in her house races. but i think it takes a long-term commitment. if members of congress are in tough house races every cycle, it's hard for them to build up the type of national infrastructure that's required. our veterans specifically a lot of them are only in their first and second terms if congress. so it's going to take a few years for us to build up this type of capacity. >> i will say for the record the first iraq war veteran just got elected in the u.s. senate in john wall, out of montana. thank you both so much for joining us here on "taking the hill." >> thank you, patrick.

up next it's called "storm the hill" and it's a movement coming to nation's capital starting now. what is it and who's involved? coming up next. [ female announcer ] what's a powerful way to cut through everyday greasy messes? [ male announcer ] sponges take your mark. ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] one drop of ultra dawn has twice the everyday grease cleaning ingredients of one drop of the leading non-concentrated brand... ♪ ♪ [ crowd cheering ] ...to clean 2x more greasy dishes. dawn does more. so it's not a chore.

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gimme one, gimme one gimme one! the power of the "name your price" tool. only from progressive. welcome back to "taking the hill." you may be unaware that an estimated 22 u.s. veterans commit suicide every day. that adds up to more than all the military personnel killed in iraq and afghanistan wars combined. but one group making this issue a top priority. the iraq afghanistan of america they are getting together to storm the hill. each year, veterans and civilians alike head to capitol hill to raise awareness on a specific issue. this year it's the alarming suicide rate among veterans. however, combat vets are only eligible for mental health care for five years after discharge. one of the main goals of this

year's storm the hill is to increase that number to at least 15 years of coverage. there is a significant drop in suicide rates for veterans within the v.a. health system, from the estimated 22 deaths per day to only 5. there should be no reason why veterans who want help can't get it. now, to a story of survival from iraq and a man with one of the most most critical jobs in war, the unique danger he had to confront every day. [ male announcer ] bob's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

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but also ptsd. here's his story. >> this war has been different from any other war that this country has ever been in. and this young generation they have different needs right now. and they tell us what they want. i wish we all knew the answers. okay, this will cure everybody. no. it just starts by sitting down listening to him, figuring out what their needs are. and everything we do has come right from them. >> all right, fellows. this is our place, guys. this is our house. >> everybody, situational awareness. think ahead. it's not hard. just have to play our parts.

>> the message is perfectly clear. you've got to have a warrior attitude. you never quit. never leave fallen comrade behind. never, never, never tell somebody that they can't do it. god only knows, man, i don't know why i'm still here but there's my answer right outside the door right now. we're here to empower wounded warriors. we're here to let people know that they can have brotherhood again. we're not going to let them fall. let's just get out there and tear this [ bleep ] up man. plain and simple guys. >> show time. >> right there's fine. >> oh wow. big difference already. i can feel it. >> this is the home of our band warrior spirit. blood, sweat and tears went into

this building. we just built the whole place up from the ground up, to tell you the truth. i said what are we going to naming it now? rock for recovery came to mind. we're rocking out so we can recover from the wounds of war. the music helps us speak about the things that happened in a place we had to go. i can say this without question that i wouldn't be here today if it weren't for music. it's sad to say it but i probably would have put a bullet in my head a long time ago. people look at us like we're crazy when we tell them this but the way we found the ieds was to walk up to the ied. you see a pile of dirt in the road, you walk up to it with foot or hand nothing there, you get back in your vehicle and move on. you're so scared that you can't be scared. but you all come to the conclusion that if you're going to die you're not going to feel it anyway. it's just going to go poof and lights out. everybody has to have that in their mind.

that they're not going to come back or they're not going to come back the same person. i don't think anybody has come back the same person to tell you the truth. i got in '95. first bosnia, then kosovo then liberia, the congo. blew a knee out. medical boarded me out. 9/11 happened two months later and i came back in. we were cast out for counteried operations. we had to look for ied this is the road and clear them out. so you're walking in the middle of town not only are you looking for ied in the ground, you're looking to see if anybody's on the roof trying to shoot you. we're four hours off eight hours in. kept on doing it over and over and over. you've got no time to fear anything anymore. you have to be able to lock it all in and just become a totally different person. and it's not easy to turn it off. i was driving, and we had this kid threw a grenade at us. it went right over our vehicle. my gunner just looked around at

this kid. it was 12 years old. that's the hardest thing you ever deal with. we're in their country trying to do things that we think are good for them but this is their values and what they believe in. they're fighting for that. so i couldn't knock him for it. but they shoot at me i'm going to shoot back. politics and everything else is out the way. it's just you. you and your weapon and your brothers next to you. we had a patrol we went on. it happened so quick. the ied had nuts and bolts, stuff like that, shrapnel. the closest thing i could say to it, about going 90 miles an hour down the highway and flipping your vehicle. you imagine tossing a five-ton vehicle 20, 30 feet in the air and hitting the ground seeing if everybody feels good. probably not. two spots on the left side of my brain, teeny tiny spots that are never going to get repaired. i got retired june 1st 2009. all the neurological tests, i pretty much failed it. in the army you're taught how to come up with solutions to

problems. can't come up with a solution to that one, you're out. it's that simple. >> traumatic brain injury also ptsd. it's hard to tell where ptsd ends and mild traumatic brain injury begins because there's so many overlapping symptoms. we've got over 300,000 warriors coming back with ptsd over 300,000 dealing with traumatic brain injuries. the numbers are staggering. and the two of those things are more disabling than most any other physical injury. and that's not to minimize the physical injury in any way. but i would gladly trade my leg for my not having a brain injury and not having serious combat stress or ptsd. those unseen wounds can impact families marriages, ability to work and hold relationships more than any physical wound.

at least it's what i've seen. >> it's hard to accept that you're disabled now. it's hard to accept that you no longer can do the things you used to do. it's hard to accept the fact that i'm no longer in the military now because i didn't want to be there. all because of my medical condition. i tell you what the feeling is. it's like you're an artist and you draw and all of a sudden you lose your hands and you can't draw no more. that's kind of how that feels. taking something away from you. the army came naturally to me period. i could be thrown into anywhere with a weapon and i'm good. coming over here and having to do normal day-to-day mundane crap that's harder for me. there's nothing i can do about it. it just happens. you know, what do you do when you forget things so often that it gets to the point where it's like what is wrong with me? but you already know. you have to adjust to it. that's the only thing you can do. my girlfriend helps me with

that. >> paul and i have beening to ing totogether for about three years now. i see so much life in him and he keeps me going. when i met him, i wanted him to have everything. he's done so much. >> help me out here diane? >> with paul i had to learn patience because i didn't know what traumatic brain injury and ptsd was. we'd have a conversation. ten minutes later, he would ask me almost the same question and he would get really frustrated. it was very very difficult because i've never seen in anyone else the anger he would have sometimes. most people want to know why are you so mad? i kept pushing and pushing him. i realize that wasn't a safe place for him. i mean, he just kind of shut me out, and it hurt. >> warriors don't want to come home and talk about what they went through. the military mindset is don't admit weakness, and there's a

fear of maybe being judged for what you had to do on the battlefield. but isolating, keeping everything inside is not healthy. just being somebody that they know will not judge them and just listening is the best thing we can do. >> you've got to convince yourself every day that you're no longer in combat. you have to convince you there's no one after you no more. there's no ied this is the road. your buddy's not going to die tomorrow. she'll center me right back in and that helps a lot. without her, i'd be lost a little bit. >> i think opening up his life is very personal to paul. so i took it upon myself to read about ptsd read about tbi, and i became a certified care giver after a year being together. he was just all for it. he just never really thought that somebody would take that much effort into caring for somebody like him. >> your back hurt? >> everything hurts. i'm old. >> your elbow? >> everything hurts. >> falling apart. you'll be okay.

>> alive. >> having a care giver, that's hard to accept that i need one. but when i put it in perspective, i do need somebody. i've got migraines, neck injury elbows, loose feeling up to my hands. right leg going numb. fractured my foot three times. ptsd, and mild traumatic brain injury. without her around, who else do i got to lean on to? >> we'll have to work on this arm right before you go onstage. before, i felt bad for him and that was wrong because he is who he is and he's just such an amazing person. he can achieve anything. that's why he's worth it. i think it's almost like a battle that we're going through together. >> i think i'm okay for the most part. i have my coping skills. but i've got my days. you know days where i just don't feel like doing a damn thing. fits of rage. there's always going to be

sometimes where you feel like you lost all the support you needed and that's not there. but not having your buddies around anymore to like watch your back. that's the hardest thing. put it all into my music, man. i had to learn how to play drums over when i got back. a lot of my memory was shot to hell, so i couldn't play drums anymore. when you come home you know that's when everything kind of comes back and bites you in the butt. the time that you're in combat you don't think about the things that happen in combat but you bring those home with you. that's the hardest part about having to deploy. do things you're told to do because of your job. but when you come home you wonder why you did it. it changes you in a way that you think about humanity. some lady blew herself up with her toddler. some guy bled out, they cut him open put a bomb inside him and

left him in the road. makes you think, why are we here to do this? i drove most of the time. so when stuff happened to our vehicle, the guys that are with you have to live with the scars from that i vent every day of your life. you wonder whether or not it's your fault. i lost a lot of friends, man. they were great guys. >> when veterans came back, they came back an entire generation that had been at war. they would share war stories. there was a shared experience. in this generation, less than a percent of americans have been involved in this. in any given neighborhood, you may have one person who served in the global war of terror and they're alone. we make sure they're not alone

anymore. >> the rest of paul's story after the break. does your mouth often feel dry? a dry mouth can be a side effect of many medications but it can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath. that's why there's biotene. available as an oral rinse, toothpaste, spray or gel biotene can provide soothing relief, and it helps keep your mouth healthy, too. remember, while your medication is doing you good, a dry mouth isn't. biotene -- for people who suffer from dry mouth. in the nation, we reward safe driving. add vanishing deductible from nationwide insurance and get $100 off for every year of safe driving. we put members first. join the nation. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪

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in part two of "wounded: the battle back home," paul is joined up with fellow veterans to form warrior spirit, the rock band that he says saved his life. >> shortly after i got out of the military wounded warrior project sent me to a huge alumni event. it was really cool because i got a chance to hang out with a bunch of wounded warriors like myself. they do a talent show that night. michael green lost his arm in iraq played "the star-spangled banner" and used his prosthesis and shaped it for a pick. blew me away. that was kind of an inspiration at that point. couple months later, i came up with the name of the band and put out the word that i'm looking for wounded warriors.

myself, i play drums. i got king burton 101st airborne division. spent time in vietnam. on lead guitar vietnam veteran. levi, great singer. he's our front guy. since i started the band i would figure we've probably been to 30-plus military bases. played hundreds ofley leaving on tour in july. we'll have to do our first full live concert and rock for recovery. full sound, full lights the whole nine yards. finally introducing what rock for recovery is instead of being on the road all the time. we're going to rock out, man. show people exactly what warrior spirit is all about. it's all our hard work accumulating into one night. >> the music that we play is just the bus that we ride to work on every day, okay? through the music, we can reach a person who is not willing to seek help on their own.

>> music is another language. and it's universal. and we all sense it. >> we're just trying to make a good show. because that show is going to get us the in on talking to a wounded warrior. >> paul is the energizer bunny on speed. he's very motivated. and i think everybody -- you have to find what that passion is again once you come home. and for him, it was the drums. taking care of other warriors. that's his therapy. and he's out there making a difference. >> tomorrow is going to be an important day. we need to play like we never played before. we're not playing no other venue. this is our place. this is our home. we've got to show everybody that what we do in our house, our mission is very very real. it's all got to be left on that stage. >> well we couldn't invent a better job. >> that's true. >> i know deep in my heart i belong here. and it's gonna be good.

>> we're helping other people now. it's not about us. although nothing in the last several years has helped me as much as doing this. >> i was a train wreck. >> oh yeah. >> just ups and downs all the time. not sure if do i really want to wake up the next day? sometimes it was no. you know i took my trips to the hospital. i took my trips to sixth floor, fourth floor, whatever you want to call it. wherever the nut house was. i've improved on attitude faith. >> oh yeah. >> just my well-being altogether. >> would you be alive today if it wasn't for -- >> no. no. >> i started the band it was just me just trying to figure out the idea. >> the band -- >> i'm a one-man band dude. guitar in one hand. i was doing the thing. when i started the concept, i

didn't think it was going to be this way with you guys. i got the best team i could ever ask for. i got the best friends i could ever ask for. i couldn't ask for anything better. that's family. ♪ >> when i see him get on stage, it's unbelievable the life he's lived and when he's up there and so talented. it's something i can't explain. it's something you have to see for yourself. >> my name is retired army staff sergeant paul delaserta. i lost a lot of friends.

afghanistan and iraq, both. this is my way of letting them know i didn't forget. ♪ >> come on. get your hands together. ♪ do you see what i see man, i feel it in my bones ♪ ♪ bombs are flying tanks are rolling down a broken road ♪ ♪ we could die at any time ♪ ♪ but i don't give a damn ♪ ♪ because i fight this war until my last breath to protect and save my last ♪ ♪ ♪ if i die today i don't care ♪

♪ don't be scared ♪ ♪ i'mone way or another i'm going home ♪ >> only and recovery has become a location for wounded warriors to come and have a safe environment to enjoy the comradery of their fellow veterans. they come in and grab a guitar and start playing and what do you want to write about? i don't know. they start talking about iraq or afghanistan. and then next thing you know they're opening up about stuff and they don't realize they're doing it. sometimes for ten minutes could save someone's life and that's exactly what we're here for. >> that will be the lasting legacy of what we do is that we have bridged the gap between so many warriors. >> when you see all these guys get together it is amazing. a lot of them have never even met but it's like a big brotherhood. they tell stories, like they

have known each other forever and they're all phenomenal men. >> we're just broken guys who have gone through some of the same debris fields that these guys are stepping in but there's always hope on the other side. >> when i see a warrior who's really struggled that have been through the process and they're at a point in their recovery they reach back and start carrying a warrior behind them it's just an honor to be a part of that. it's an honor of my life. >> it comes to the point you realize you're doing it not just for yourself. you're leaving something behind. music is it. ♪ ♪ one way or the other i'm going home ♪ >> thank you! >> check out paul's band at warriorspirit.com. you're watching "taking the

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that wraps up this hour of "taking the hill." next show, arts and the armed forces. join me sunday april 27th. i'm patrick murphy. up next "meet the press." salesperson #2: actually getting a great car with 42 highway miles per gallon makes it like two deals in one. salesperson #1: point is there's never been a better time to buy a jetta tdi clean diesel. avo: during the first ever volkswagen tdi clean diesel event get a great deal on a jetta tdi. it gets 42 highway miles per gallon. and get a $1,000 fuel reward card. it's like two deals in one. volkswagen has the most tdi clean diesel models of any brand. hurry in and get a $1,000 fuel reward card and 0.9% apr for 60 months on tdi models. did you get my e-mail? [ man ] i did. so, what'd you think of the house? did you see the school rating? oh, you're right. hey, babe, i got to go. bye, daddy. have a good day at school, okay? ♪ ♪ [ man ] but what about when my parents visit? okay. just love this one. it's next to a park. [ man ] i love it. i

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♪♪ ♪♪ good sunday morning. we are tracking two fast-moving stories. it's been more than two weeks since malaysia flight 370 vanished. the search has expanded. are there new clues pointing towards the plane's whereabouts this morning? are we any closer to figuring out what happened and why? i've got a conversation with experts about in this morning and about the security questions that linger. also, the crisis in ukraine. i'll speak to house intelligence committee chairman mike rogers and ask why he's so worried about what vladimir putin might do next. as millions are captivated by march madness, there's a big debate this morning about whether student athletes should be paid to play. the president of the ncaa will be here exclusively along wi