brennan jr. was a rather obscure new jersey state judge and former corporate labor lawyer when president eisenhower nominated him for the united states supreme court in 1956. over the course of the next 34 terms, brennan emerged as one of the most influential justices of the entire 20th century, and i can assure you that's not just wikipedia speaking. [laughter] and he was also the court's most forceful liberal voice. justice break man had his hand in every issue of the day from school prayer and school desegregation to abortion and affirmative action to death penalty and the rights of criminal defendants. and for much of his tenure, no one outside of the court knew just how influential a role he played in building coalitions under chief justice earl warren and his two more conservative successors, warren burger and william rend qis. in 1986, the year justice brennan turned 80 and marked his 30th anniversary on the court, he tapped steve as his biographer. as we like to joke, i was in fifth grade

this is brennan with giunta just a few days before the ambush. there was no one on the squad he was closer to, and it was giunta who would save him from dying in enemy hands. in the midst of the ambush, he ran head on into the taliban guns, through their fighting positions, and into a clearing, where taliban fighters were carrying joshua brennan away. >> giunta: i saw three guys, and i saw two of them carrying one guy. and one guy had his arms and one guy had his legs, and they were... they were dragging him. >> logan: did you see their faces? >> giunta: i saw their hats and their beards, and they had... i saw their guns... i saw their guns were slung on their back, because their hands were full. >> logan: what did you see when you ran up towards brennan and giunta was there? what did you actually see? >> gallardo: giunta firing, giunta hitting. i saw the one body falling. i saw brennan's body being dropped. and i saw the other shadow running. and giunta was still shooting. >> giunta: i shot one guy, and he falls, and the other guy was already ru

the redskins waived brennan in august. he signed with the raiders, but they released him less than a month later. >>> a warning for georgetown students tonight plus the one area of the beltway to avoid this weekend. shawn yancy has your fox 5 top five. >> we're starting off tonight with a laptop warning. no. 5, keep an eye on your laptops. the georgetown voice blog is reporting thieves stole eight computers last week, one taken from a dorm room while the owner was sleeping. students can use the police department's property registration program to trace stolen items. no. 4 the prescription painkiller darvon and darvocet are being yanked off the shelve over claims of causing dangerous heart -- shelves over claims of causing dangerous heart rhythms. no. 3, changes to metro's smart benefit program will cost you. right now companies can give employees up to $230 a month for transit expenses, but starting january 1st the new irs mandate only allows $120 a month. not only will riders have to make up the difference, it will force

those same media reports say brennan suffered possible head and back injuries in that crash.the driver of the other vehicle was also taken to the hospital after her car overturned in the accident. brennan was released by the redskins before the start of training camp this past summer. >>> well, no verdict, but we did get a question today from the d.c. jury that's been trying to decide if ingmar guandique murdered former intern chandra levy. the jurors had a question about their instructions and focused on the charge of felony murder and kidnapping. to find guandique guilty on that count, they have to find he assaulted chandra levy and the jurors wanted a definition of assault. the judge told them even offensive touching could be considered assault and then he realized he'd left something out of that count. and so he told the jurors if guandique had taken something of value from levy's person, that could also lead him to the felony murder, kidnapping count. >>> trial lawyer jeffrey decovo witch joins us for insight into this. >> good evening. >> who's excited or sad by the fac

sergeant josh brennan of mcf mcfarland, wisconsin. he talked to his dad, mike, a few days before. >> he volunteered for that mission that day. >> reporter: he was down sh severely wounded. sal raced ahead into the face of taliban fire. >> he got to the front. he killed one of the guys that was dragging my team leader away, brennan. wounded another one. recovered sergeant brennan, brought him back to an area where we could secure him, started the aid on him. i mean, for all intents and purposes, the amount of fire going on, the conflict at the time, shouldn't be alive right now. >> this is where it gets rough for me. you know, every time i -- i can try -- i can try to explain it and i can try to put it into terms so peek can understand it and the more i do that, talking about it doesn't help me. and it weighing heavy on me to this day. >> reporter: sal saved his friend, josh brennan, from being taken away be the taliban. >> due to the severity of josh's injuries, he did everything that he could to try to render aid to josh along with s

as time went on, he became a bit more reclusive, but justice brennan would constantly -- whenever invited -- give talks to honor the legacy of justice marshall because he believed so strongly in that. so i think he was very reluctant to talk about it, and it was a matter of great sensitivity, and i hope we handle it with the sensitivity that it deserves. .. was point be damned with the test was. if the issue was that women need protection under the equal protection clause because they are being discriminated against in our society the important point is and whether it's the most rigorous test or only slightly rigorous test. the point is can you do something to bring women under the equal protection clause and recognize the harm of gender discrimination. and so that was the basis of much of his negotiations was i will give away the fourth prong and settle for a three-pronged test if that means we can advance the interest of civil liberties and civil rights and constitutional law, and why would you be obsessed with the test rather than the civil liberties gold you're trying to achieve. >> w

brennan later died from his injuries. in the days leading up to the ceremony honoring him at the white house, staff sergeant junta told his loved ones that some of them would have to stay home. >> he asked our family members to please understand that he really wants his men there. there's only so many that can fit into the room, and he says i want my guys there. >> two were missing. sergeant joshua brennan and the unit's medics, mendoza, both killed in the ambush. >> although this is so positive, i would give this back in a second to have my friends with me right now. >> reporter: now hailed as a hero for his actions, staff sergeant returns to duty at a u.s. army base. joel brown, cbs news, the white house. >> he will also be inducted into the hall of heros at the pentagon tomorrow morning. >>> don't be startled if you hear a lot of gunfire at forttomorrow. they will be doing a little gun salute rehearsal the next couple of days from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. >>> the royal wedding's in the works for next spring or summer. pr

still taking cover he pulled brennan to cover. brennan later died in surgery at a nearby base. for his own part he still wears the label hero uneasily. it's just one of the many things the young iowan is still getting used to. he talked with him this morning before the ceremony. >> i know heroes. i've met heroes. i've met some of the bravest people in the entire world and i've had the privilege to serve with him. i've had the privilege to serve with them. when someone comes and says, you know, hey, you know, you're the man. congratulations. yore an american hero. i just take it in sprid... stride. i think about all my heroes and all the people i look up to and all the people who have given so much and taught me so much. >> suarez: since you know those people and you've admired those people, maybe part of your job now is to be that person to somebody else. no? >> i guess if that's the role that i'm cast in. i will play that role to best of my ability. >> suarez: but guinta returns again and again to his lost brothers in arms. >> it's strange when someone comes and congratulates

.  >> former redskins quarterback colt brennan remains in serious condition tonight after a car accident in hawaii yesterday. the father told a local tv station that brennan had three or four broken ribs, a broken left collar bone and some head injuries. he was a passenger in an suv being driven by a woman crossing the center line and hit another head on. brennan, the woman driving the suv and other driver were taken to the hospital and he then signed with the raiders and they released him less than a month later. >>> body scanners, personal pat downs, what everyone is talking about these days. the new screening routine has a lot of you on edge and in time for the busy travel season and most are being screened the old- fashioned way, though and some are being directed and to the full body scanners and travelers are subject to full body pat downs. >> i don't like it at all. i think it's invasive. >> and the alternative is probably a higher likelihood that there is a terrorist attack and i don't think that anyone wants to take that chance. >> and some are upset with th

reports say brennan suffered possible head and back injuries in the crash.he driver of the other vehicle was also taken to the hospital after her car overturned in the accident. brennan was released by the redskins before the start of training camp this summer. so we'll keep you updated on that. here's some good news concerning the redskins. clinton porter's m.i.a. with a torn groin will be back on sunday, mike shanahan saying today porter looks good enough to play against the titans. not sure what his work mode will be yet. ryan is not expected to play, still suffer frg a strained hamstring. that's the offense. as for the defense, stray on monday night, greg on the unit trying to find itself. >> reporter: in recent yers, the redskins have had a perennial top 10 defense, but this unit ranks dead last in the nfl. >> i take it very personal. i'm embarrassed by the way we've played defensively. >> reporter: defensive coordinator jim haslett was hired for his expertise in the 3-4. but haslett admits making this change hasn't been easy. >> when you make a switch

comforting him. >> reporter: brennan did not make it. giunta says he shares in the nation's highest honor. >> a well-deserved honor. >>> now, for this morning's weather from around the nation. rain in the pacific northwest. windy with up to two feet of snow in the cass dads. and up to a foot in the colorado rockies. much lighter snow in montana and wyoming. some scattered showers in wichita, st. louis and memphis. and morning showers in the ohio valley and the northeast. >> 60s from dallas and new orleans, up to boston. 54 in detroit. 38 in the twin cities. phoenix climbs to 76. sacramento will hit 68. 34 in billings. and mostly 50s from boise to albuquerque. >>> and when we come back on this wednesday, another boost for an american carmaker. motor trend announces its car of the year. >>> plus, dick cheney's dramatic weight loss. the former vice president appears in public, sporting a very new look. we'll show it to you. >>> and the announcement everyone expected but few were ready for. britain's future king and queen, on preparing for w

brennan and chapman were the six-year-old's grandparents.pear to have written by chaplain in which he admitted he alone took the lives of brennan and the child. >> two men accused of running a money land doctoring center on the west side. the two were arrested tuesday in the 4900 block of north pulaski road. they say the brothers were taken into custody after they bought household items that were identified as stolen. they say they were affiliated with an albany park discounts goods warehouse called advanced distributors. they have been charged with felony theft in excess of $100 thousand and money laundering. >> 10 years after he lawn offed historic bungalow are initiative -- >> i grew up in a bungalow so i know what it is all about. three brothers and three sisters and my mother and father and my grandparents. i go back there now and wonder how we existed. >> most of chicago's iconic bungalows were built between 1910 and 1940 and that was to meetle city's rapidly growing population. the homes featured sturdy brick construction, a roof line

. >> you never know what he's going say and finally, well- wishes to colt brennan who is in stable condition in a hawaii hospital after being involved in a two-car accident and he is good to us here and we here at fox 5 wish him a speedy recovery. i'll see you morrow morning. good night for now.

and there's so many others other than sergeant brennan and specialist mendoza who are the unsung heroes of this war who will never come back to return a hand shake or will never hug their families again and we have to take time to remember them because that is the quality of the soldiers we have that will go to war, fight until the battle is done. thanks for coming again, take care. >> staff sergeant giunta, did you just hear what he said? this really struck me, he said he would give the medal of honor back in a second if he could have his friends back. he says without their service, i have nothing. of course, our own pentagon correspondent barbara starr, she has had several interviews with him, we're going to get more context into what heroic effort he made back in that valley on october 25, 2007. >>> meantime i want to get back to the search of that mother and the brother of the 13-year-old girl who was found just this past weekend bound and gagged in the basement of an arsonist. we have learned in the last couple of minutes, bond has just been set at $1 million for the suspect whose

i saw their guns were slung on their backs because their hands were full. >> reporter: joshua brennant in surgery, but sal giunta's actions saved him there dying in enemy hands, defeated the enemy ambush and deprived the taliban of a significant propaganda victory. what kind of soldier are you? >> i'm average. i'm mediocre. >> reporter: you're immediate yolker? >> yes. this is only one moment. i mean, i don't think that i did anything that anyone else that i was with wouldn't have done. >> reporter: this is the single greatest honor that the military can bestow and it comes right from the president of the united states himself. that's pretty good for a mediocre soldier. >> think how good the great soldiers are. >> reporter: tomorrow at the white house, this mediocre soldier will take his place among the nation's greatest military heroes. lara logan, cbs news, new york. >> couric: and that is the "cbs evening news" for tonight. i'm katie couric. i'll see you tomorrow. good night.

he then provided first aid to brennan, though he could not save him. guinta was shot twice in the attack, and today, he had this to say. >> this is an incredible time but it is also kind of a bittersweet time. times like this, because of this day, i lost two dear friends of mine, hugo mendoza and joshua brennan. and although this is so positive, i would give this back in a second to have my friends with me right now. and there are so many others, other than sergeant brennan and specialist mendoza that are the unsung heroes of this war and will never come back or give a hug or see their family again and we have to remember them because that is the quality of american soldiers we have, willing to go to war, fight and do whatever is necessary until the battle is done. >> and we salute him. that's our report for tonight. for all of us at abc news, good night, america. >> jimmy: hi, i'm jimmy kimmel here with guillermo, uncle frank and yehya at tgi friday's. the place for good food and good fun. >> i want fun! >> your flat iron black angus steak, sir. >> th

indianapolis giunta rescued brennan who later died and rescued another. >> every single tomorrow they will ever have they gave for their country. >> reporter: without giunta, more may have perished. in a ceremony at the white house -- >> i'm going to go off script and say i really like this guy. >> reporter: the young sergeant became the first living medal of honor recipient since the vietnam war. an honor bestowed on few yo, shd with many. >> i'd give this back in a second to have my friends with me now. >> reporter: those with sergeant giunta never far from his heart, right where the medal now rests. kristen dahlgren, washington. >>> a hero. in california, a suspected drunk driver hardly kept it together when he was pulled over by police. the driver got out of his car but apparently left it in reverse, so the car slammed into the front of the patrol car. if got worse. when the droofr got back in the car sped -- driver got back in the car sped off and crashed. the man was arrested on suspicion of dui. >>> a wisconsin robbery suspect is dead after leading police on a high speed chase

. >> josh brennan was down, severely wounded.al guinta raced ahead into the taliban fire. >> he got one of the team leaders that was dragging my team leader away. recovered sergeant brennan, brought him back to an area where we could secure him and continue the fight. started the ate on him. according >> six hours later, josh brennan died, also killed that night was the medic, hugo mendoza of el paso, texas. it's that act of bravery that was above and beyond with sal guinta running into enemy fire and getting to josh to help save him. >> i think about it and it hurts. but to say it out loud makes it that much more real. and i feel like i have said it enough and i know it's real, but sometimes i can trick myself and just not think about it for a while. it's very bittersweet, i mean it's such a huge honor, it's a great thing, but it is a great thing that has come out of personal loss to myself and so many other families. >> reporter: and that is what you want people to know. >> absolutely. >> reporter: extraordinary and staff serge

i saw their guns slung on their backs because their hands were full. >> reporter: joshua brennan diedthat night in surgery. but sal gunta's actions had saved him from dying in enemy hands. defeated the enemy ambush and deprived the taliban of a significant propaganda victory. what kind of soldier are you? >> i'm average. i'm mediocre. >> reporter: you're mediocre? >> yes. this is only one moment. i mean, i don't think that i did anything that anyone else that i was with wouldn't have done. >> reporter: this is the single greatest honor that the military can bestow on its own. and it comes right from the president of the united states himself. that's pretty good for a mediocre soldier. >> think how good the great soldiers are. >> reporter: for the white house, this mediocre soldier will take his place among the nation's greatest military heroes. lara logan, cbs news, new york. >> coming up a little bit later on the "early" show, we will hear from john tyner, who caused a firestorm over the privacy of airline passengers when he refused a full body scan at the airport. also a warning abo

recovered sergeant brennan.re we could secure him and continue to fight. started the aid on him. for all intents and purposes, the amount of fire was still going on in the conflict at the time, he shouldn't be alive right now. >> reporter: sal giunta keeps insisting he doesn't deserve the nation's highest military award for heroism. >> when i first heard that they were putting me in for the medal of honor. i felt lost. i felt kind of angry. it came at such a price. it's very bittersweet. it's such a huge honor. it's a great thing, but it is a great thing that has come at a personal loss to myself and so many other families. >> reporter: and that is what you want people to know? >> absolutely. >> reporter: we went to italy to talk to sal giunta, and he told me that he wants to accept his award on behalf of all of the men that he served with in this place in afghanistan is so vicious, so violent, it became known as "the valley of death." we talked to sal in italy. and then went on to afghanistan to talk to the oth

sal giunta running into a hail of gun fire to try and save his friend sergeant joshua brennan who wasgged away by the taliban. every man in that unit, on that mountain that night got hit. it was dreadful business out there. sal giunta now being recognized for his heroism, his valor, character and courage. this was a young man when he met him a few weeks ago told us he didn't feel he deserved. at that. >> it's very bittersweet. it's such a huge honor. it's a great thing, but it is a great thing that has come at a personal loss to myself and so many other families. >> reporter: that is what you want people to know? >> absolute his. >> reporter: sergeant giunta and all of the men from battle company want americans to remember sergeant joshua brennan and specialist hugo mendoza, two men who fought that night and didn't make it home. he says the medal of honor is on behalf of all of them. >> there seems to be a sense of history being made even at the highest levels in the military? >> reporter: absolutely. you know general david petraeus. he's a man who chooses his words very carefully. i

brennan and the platoon medic, specialist hugo b.mendoza. >> although i'm the one standing here wearingit be known that this represents all service members of all branches that have been in afghanistan since 2001, iraq since 2003 who were there yesterday, there today and will go again tomorrow. this is an incredible time, but it's also kind of a bittersweet time. times like this, because of this day, i lost two dear friends of mine, specialist hugo mendoza and sergeant joshua brennan. and although this is so positive, i would give this back in a second to have my friends with me right now. and there's so many others other than sergeant brennan and specialist mendoza that are the unsung heroes of this war and will never come back and return

and you chased down the taliban fighters that were carrying sergeant brennan away and you killed one job. i am a professional soldier, as we all are, and i was only able to do that because everyone else was doing everything they could do, this was just one other brush stroke that completed this painting of this moment in time. and there was no thought, it was just reaction by everyone. >> you brought sergeant brennan back to the group where he passed away, unfortunately, as did another soldier that day. you lost two close friends. and i'm struck, jenny, by the fact that he continuously says it was us, it wasn't me, it was the group. others did their job. that's really what in my opinion true heroes always say. what do you think about hiss actions? >> i think that he is a true hero and i think that he's right, that's what they were trained to do and i believe if he wouldn't have done it, that any of the other guys that were with him would have done it. they were all there to help each other out and they depend on each other. >> i like the fact that while you say you're proud of him, i

brennan and the platoon medic, sergeant hugo mendoza.i know there are no words that even three years later that can ease the ache in your hearts or repay the debt that america owes to you, but on behalf of a grateful nation, let me express profound thanks to your sons' service and their sacrifice. and could the parents of joshua and hugo please stand briefly. [ applause ] now i already mentioneds i like this guy, sal, and as i found out myself when i first spoke with him on the phone and when we met him in the oval office today, he is a low key guy. a humble guy and he doesn't seek the limelight. and he'll tell you that he didn't do anything special. that he was just doing his job. that any of his brothers in the unit would do the same thing. in fact, he just lived up to what his team leader instructed him to do year withes before. you do everything you can. staff sergeant giunta repeatedly and without hesitation, you charged forward through extreme enemy fire, emboding the war ethose that said i will never leave a fallen soldier. your c

. >> charlie: tell me before john brennan in this movie? >> he's an english teacher or english professor if you want to call him that at a community college in pittsburgh. he comes from a work class family. dad was probably a steel worker of some sort before pittsburgh changed its nature. has a very deep and unshakeable belief in his family particularly in his wife and that brings about a situation where he steps outside of himself and the great question that paul haggis asked me at the beginning of this what he put in front of me which made it intriguing to do which said here's a guy that loves his wife but in order to save his wife has to turn into someone that his wife can no longer probably love and i just sort -- >> charlie: that's intriguing to you right there. >> i sat with that a couple days and thought that's really cool. >> charlie: so his wife has been put in prison for murder. >> it's a normal family with a little son and one morning there's a knock on the door and it's the pittsburgh police and his wife gets arrested for murder

reporter: hit eight times was the man in front, walking point as the military says, sergeant josh brennanhad volunteered for that mission that day. >> reporter: on that ridgeline josh brennan was downed severely wounded. sal giunta raced ahead into the face of taliban fire. >> he got to the front, and he killed one of the guys that was dragging my team leader away, sergeant brennan. and wounded another one, recovered sergeant brennan and brought him back to an area where we could secure him and continue the fight, and started the aid on him. for all intents and purposes the amount of fire that was still going on in the conflict at the time, he should not be alive right now. >> reporter: sal giunta says he does not deserve the nation's highest award for military heroism. >> when i first heard that they were putting me in for the medal of honor, i felt lost. i felt kind of angry, because it came at such a price. it is very bittersweet. it is such a huge honor. it is a great thing, but it is a great thing that has come at a personal loss to myself and other families. >> reporter: that is wha

. >> reporter: hit was the man in front, walking the frank, as the military says, sergeant josh brennane, to only a few days before. >> actually, he had volunteered for that mission that day. >> reporter: on the ridge line, josh brennan was down, severely wounded. sal giunta raced ahead into the face of taliban fire. >> he got to the front, he killed one of the guys that was dragging my team leader away, sergeant brennan, wounded another one with, recovered sergeant brennan, brought him back to an area where we could secure him and continue the fight, started the aid on him. for all intent he is and purposes, the amount of fire that was still going on in the conflict at the time, he shouldn't be alive right now. >> reporter: sal giunta keeps insisting he doesn't deserve the nation's highest military award for heroism. >> when i first heard that they are putting me in for the medal of honor, i was -- i felt lost, i felt kind of angry. it came at such a price. it is very bittersweet. i mean, it is such a huge honor. it's a great thing, but it is a great thing that has come at a personal l

within seconds, staff sergeant josh brennan was hit and went down. to carry sergeant brennan's body away. that's when staff sergeant salvatore giunta who, by the way, saw his best friend being taken went into action. running through a flurry of bullets, he was hit twice while continuing to fire on the enemy. he retreated to his buddy's body and returned to camp. because of his bravery then and before that in the same fire fight, sergeant giunta was awarded the medal of honor by president obama on tuesday. he is the first living member in over 40 years to receive that honor. and guess what? joining us now in studio, staff sergeant salvatore giunta and his lovely wife jennifer. welcome to both of you. >> thank you for having us. >> what an honor it is to have you in studio. it's a 15 month deployment. when did you realize that it wouldn't be like any other deployment? >> the first day in the valley, we knew it wasn't going to be like any other deployment. just the terrain and how much kinetic activity that was actually going on in the valley was someth