on the broadcast tonight, nbc news exclusive. inside the situation look at the white house. the death of osama bin laden as the first anniversary approac s approaches. tonight, a first look at the untold story. what hanned in the west wing that night. sdpl the rising at ground zero and what we witnessed. the epidemic. the diabetes crisis may be wirs than we thought for young americans. and its here, the first big wave of tsunami debris from japan arriving now on this side of the pacific, including an incredible collection. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. one year ago tonight, while we didn't yet know it, u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s were already in motion, as was the machinery of an ultra secret u.s. military strike that killed osama bin laden. on the night of the raid, the very top government and military leadership gathered in the white house situation room, and since then, this single still photo has stood as the symbol of the attack. and now, we have more to add to the public record. just today, the president talked about the attack and the risk it represented, but we want to begin tonight with a first. the first time news cameras have in ever been allowed inside the white house situation room. we wanted to hear from the people in the photograph, what they told us for an hour-long broadcast later on this week is a riveting new account of the transformational day in the modern era of history and they

talked about the tension, begining with the crash of one of the helicopters and beginning with the friends. >> it's not a slam dunk yet. >> it's not a slam dunk. at this point, all of us understand we're a long way to go before, before the night is done. and you know, i said this was the longest 40 minutes of my life. >> to coin a phrase, all you know is you have a blackhawk down. it's in the courtyard. it turns out to be suburbly pileanted who knee and knows it to go into the dirt and cushion everyone onboard. >> when i saw that pilot, i gave him a pretty good hug. >> i was taken back by the seniority of this grub, by the experience of this group. including the helicopter pileants who themselves, both

individually quite frankly, made decisions which kept this mission on track. so i got to look each of them in the eye. they showed me in their execution of rehearsal and also in that steely eyed glare that they give you that they were ready to go. >> being together at that moment, having gone to so men a meetings, having wrestled this to the ground, the president was, you know, incredibly calm and collected. but obviously, he, too, was on the edge of his chair. it wasn't so much a high five mome want as a kind of looking around and just feeling together as almost one body that, okay, it's over. >> that's a portion of the interviews we conducted. our entire hour-long special edition of "rock center" inside the situation room with president owabama and thenentia security team airs this thursday night at 9:00, 8:00 central.

the obama administration has lanched its own effort to mark the history of the death of osama bin laden. and some of that is collecting political blow back. >> in anticipation of the one-year anniversary marking the death of osama bin laden, the obama campaign released two web videos marking the feat in political terms, including this one narrated by president clinton. >> he took the harder and the more honorable path. and the one that produced, in my opinion, the best result. >> the video called into question whether mitt romney would have made the same decision. the romney campaign took offense. >> he took something that was a unifying event for all americans and turned it into a political attack. >> and romney today tried to minimize the president's roll. >> you would have given the o

order? >> of course. >> the president took issue with the criticism that his campaign had been overusing the bin laden anniversary for his campaign and the fact that romney questioned the president's decision about going it alone in pakistan. >> i recommend that everyone take a look at people's previous statements on whether they thought it was appropriate to go into pakistan and take out bin laden. i assume that people meant what they said when they said it. >> the president was rougheferr to romney's comment from 2007, reacting to the first time then candidate obama advocated the go it alone idea. he called it ill times and ill considered. been a bin laden was taken out by a man's military operation, but john brennan went public for the first time about unmanned predator drones and their use in the war on terror.

he said he went out publicly on this at the instruction of the president. he said the prdz wanted to be more open with the american people about these efforts, brian. >> chuck todd at the white house. thanks. >> the prospect, the possibility of politics getting mixed up in this one-year anniversary of the raid is a question we raised in our interview with retired admiral mike mullen, one of those in the picture weheard from earlier who back then was chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. >> well, i worried about it just because it's a political season. and from my perspective, the president's support, the decision he made, and obviously, the result stand alone in terms of the kind of call presidents have to make, and he made it. i do worry a great deal that this time of year that somehow this gets spun into election

politics. i can assure you that those individuals who risked their lives, the last thing in the world they want is to be spun into that. so i'm hoping that that doesn't happen. >> the former chairman of the joint chiefs went on to say the special operations foerszs that night were not thinking about polit politics. they were thinking about just the mission. now to another milestone where it started, the new world trade building. the tower has taken a decade to rise from ground level to ground zero. today, it officially became the tallest building in new york. our report from harry smith. >> with the placing of a single beam this afternoon, history was made. the construction has now surpassed the height of the top floor of the empire state building. a vide we long thought impossible to fill has a presence now. we see tomorrow. the day when the horror and

shock of 9/11 begins to be less present. some of the men who were in the smoldering pit in the days after the attack are at the top of one world trade center now. we went up to meet them. the trip is not for the faint of heart. ire worker kevin murphy was our guide. how high are we now? >> standing on 89. >> 89? >> last floor of concrete. after that, ladders and towers. >> the stairs hang off the building more than 1,000 feet over the street. the views will take your breath away. don't look down, right? >> don't look down. >> as we climb, we see iron workers toiling away, raising the structure beam by beam, and rirn on the beams for rem rnlss, people who died on 9/11. by no means is this just another tall building. >> a special trip. police, firemen, most important ones are the ones that lost

somebody, you know, or are coming from the armed forces. really special when they come up here. >> a lot of emotion in this building. >> yes, way more emotion than we're used to. and we're iron workers, we don't feel our emotions well. around you, you can't help it. you see the families come. you look down at the memorial. you see everybody looking at the memorial. this is very emotional for us. >> the finished one world trade center will be 1,776 feet. that's right, 1776, and we'll look up even higher. harry smith, nbc news, new york. secretary of state hillary clinton leaves tonight for china. a previously scheduled trip that now has an important new goal. protecting the fate of one man, a chinese dissident who made a remarkable escape from house arrest a week ago and is now

thought to be under u.s. protection in beijing. nbc's ian williams has our report from there tonight. >> the fate of this man has become the biggest test for u.s./china rilgzs in years. a challenge delivered white littery to the use doorstep. friends of chen said they then drove him the 300 miles from his village to beijing and he's now in what they describe as the only safe place in china. the u.s. embassy here. no sign of extra security at the embassy today, but the issue is so delicate that there's been no comment from officials here, chinese or american, including the state department's pointman for asia. >> can you tell us what you're here in beijing for? >> this men's crime in the eyes of the chinese government was to expose forced abortions and sterilization under the country's one child policy. the 40-year-old self trained

lawyer, blind since childhood, was jailed in 2006 and then put under house arrest. he says he and his wife were beaten. his young daughter harassed. his every movement was monitored, visitors prevented from meeting him, yet he was able secretly to plot his escape. after a tunnel was discovered, he stayed at home for weeks, pretending to be sick, hoping jailers would drop their guard, and they did. and he snuck over the border. secretary clinton due here witness for previously scheduled talks has been critical of the house arrest. >> i can certainly guarantee that we will be discussing every matter, including human rights, that is pending between us. >> one big sticking point may be chen's stated preference to stay in china and fight for justice instead of accepting a one-way ticket to exile. another is the fate of his

family, now under virtual hosarrest themselves and supporters, some of whom have been detained since his escape. >> ian williams, thanks. when we continue on this monday night, look what's washing up on our shores now from a disaster half a world and over a year away. and this is just the beginning. and later, a love story that has lasted more than 60 years, and the man who is making a difference for the generation that helped save the world. this is $100,000. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense.

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we are back now with something weexpected to see american shores but not this early. the first wave of 5 million tons give or take from the japanese tsunami over a year ago. while most of the waste sank underse underseas, a lot of it did not, and it's catching fast currents to our coast. >> along the coast of prince william sound, clear signs of trouble in the water. >> god, what a sad situation. >> a debris field is wash aashore on kayak island. chris palester has come for a closer look. >> i don't think people realize this is environmental tragedy that dwafrs exon valdez in my opinion. >> fragments of live from some 3,500 miles away. never before have locals seen

their coastline so littered. scientists have begun to see more and more debris on the shores from japan. but nobody knows if it's from the tsunami. >> for 13 months, scientists have been tracking an estimating 1.5 million tons of debris, a floating mass traffdriftding in pacific, heading to the west coast. they will use c-130s for survey and train the volunteers on the ground on what to look for. the debris will arrive in waves, but the front edge may already be here. >> any of the items that are high up in the water, that are catching a current, could be showing up. >> and now, this arrested motorcycle, a harley, is believed to be the first piece of tsunami debris in can taw. the plates are from japajapan's hardest hit area. they shows the buoys, cans. and bottles regularly coming

ashore. >> there's a story behind each and every one. you wubder wr eer who was the l touch it. >> scientists say more is on the horizon. >> it's a mess that will be here for generations. >> wave after wave washing ashore in a region renowned for its beauty. miguel almaguer, nbc news, sitka, alaska. up next here tonight, tough news about fighting diabetes. and the showdown much of the world stopped everything to watch today. right now, there are more than twenty brands of cars being sold in america. so let's say you were starting with all new cars. what would you have to do to stand out? you would have to go further. with plug-ins that are projected to take you over 100 mpge.

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cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbaa.lt dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help.

go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. there's a new stud ay out o the toll type two diabetes is taking on young people in the country. it turns out it progresses more rapidly and is more difficult to control in young patients than in older ones. we get our report tonight from our chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman. >> health experts have been aware for some time that type

two diabetes is on the rise for young people, but today's study also claims that children respond much less effective lly than adults to all kinds of treatments. >> the take-home message is it's better to prevent diabetes in children and adolescents because it's very difficult to treat. >> of the nearly 700 people between the ages of 10 and 15 tracked in the study, patients taking a single diabetes drug failed to control their diabetes more than half of the time. the same drug plus changed in diet failed as often. even two medications failed for 4 in 10 childrens. whilium legare is a 12-year-old who is trying to control his type two diabetes since he was just 14 years old. >> i know that my health comes first, so i'm actually watching everything i eat. >> what's up. >> the key is a healthier lifestyle before one is

overweight, before one has type two diabetes. >> today's study is frankly depressing, and although it helps some doctors figure out better approaches to helping children with type two diabetes, the bottom line is that it is easier to prevent this than to treat it and all of the problems that come with it, brian, heart disease, stroke, cancer, you name it, this is a sobering report. >> so many other societal issues wrapped up in there. a lot of travelers to london via heathrow airport are reporting a big problem. lines of up to two and three hours just to get through passport control. at first, this past weekend, british security personnel defended it, saying job one is to keep people safe, and they're sorry for the inconvenience, but then london's mayor, thinking ahead to a possible pr nightmare with the olympics approaching, slammed the delays for giving travelers a terrible impression of great britain, as he put it.

the mayor is also up for re-election later this week. how is it possible without a lot of americans knowing about it, at one point late today, an estimated 650 million people in over 200 territories around the world stopped working, stopped their homework, put their pen l pencipenci pencils down, put their lives on hold all to do this same thing. what they were doing was watching this soccer, epic game between man u and man chesting city. the premier league showdown could alter the landscape of the sport. think of it as yanks versing sox s times n. final score, manchester city over united. >> a loving couple and the wish of a lifetime. copd makes it hard to breathe, so i wasn't playing much of a role in my own life, but with advair, i'm breathing better so now i can take the lead on a science adventure. advair is clinically proven

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sealing the deal... when, hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. it can relieve pain all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lois... who chose two aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. finally, our making a difference report sounds like something out affa movie script. a couple meets in world war ii, they return to the place where it all happened one last time thanks to one man's extraordinary effort at making a difference for them. our story tonight from nbc's kristen dahlgren.

>> it's been 68 years since russell taylor first set foot on utah beach. >> such a mess out there when we came across and landed. >> on the third morning after d day, underneath that uniform, just a kid from new jersey. >> nobody talked about being scared, but we all were. >> now, 94, taylor never forgot that fear. or the friend who didn't make it. while taylor lost a lot on the beaches of normandy, he also found something here in france that changed his life more than any war. >> it is difficult not to rub in. >> as the war was rubbing in, taylor met odele. they fell in love, got married, and he brought her home to america. >> the best thing i have ever done. >> almost seven decades later, taylor wished to renew those vows in the place that brought them together.

a trip they could never afford. until brook dale senior living and jeremy bloom stepped in. an olympic skier who also plays in the nfl. the man with an incredible talent for living out his own dreams is now in the business of granting others. >> just because you're in your 80s, 90s, or 100s does not mean you have to stop dreaming. >> he started wish of a lifetime to honor his own grandmother who inspired him growing up. >> i don't legal like a hero. i feel like he's more of my hero. >> blum is now hero to hundreds. his wish of a lifetime made 400 dreams come threw from basic needs to bucket lists. >> to create awareness and a movement that says these people are national treasures. >> giving thanks to a generation that has seen incredible loss. >> it's nice to be able to say good-bye.

>> and to live with inspiring love. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, normandy. >> and that is our broadcast on this monday night as we start a new week. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. woe hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.