troops were killed, including 22 elite navy s.e.a.l.s. military sources say those forces were on their way to help army rangers in a fire fight with the taliban. their target was a taliban commander responsible for attacks on u.s. forces. the taliban claims militants shot the chinook helicopter down with a rocket propelled grenade. fiancee of a guardsman who was killed talked to cnn about her last koerds respondens with him. >> he sent me an e-mail the day before and he told me, he said, please don't worry about me. he said you and the girls are always in my heart. don't worry. this place isn't going to change me. i'm going to change this place. that's just how i am. he said, i will uv you, ma. just take care of my girls. and know that i am here thinking about you all the time. i'll be home before you know it. love you, ma. >> wow. 22 elite navy s.e.a.l.s. were killed in that crash of the helicopter. the incident is the single largest loss of life for u.s. troops since the war began nearly ten years ago. >>> we're hoping to get more answe

service members died, including 22 elite navy s.e.a.l.s. the chopper crashed in an insurgent strong hold. they were on their way to reinforce other troops in a chinook helicopter like this one. the pentagon calls it a big loss. we are joined live from kabul, and david, is there any suggestion that this interrupts the mission or what was supposed to happen once that team landed? >> reporter: it is impossible to emphasize enough the impact this has on special forces. we looked at a sizeable group of individuals that required some of the most extensive training and resources and brings the longest amount of experience to fighting some of the taliban insurgency along some of the provinces. nato troops are beginning to drawdown. ambassador crocker came into the country a few weeks ago made an indication that the u.s. military presence in the region will most likely extend well beyond 2014, and those special forces will have to take the lead on that from the individuals we talked to, and not only in terms of training the forces who are taking con

navy s.e.a.l.s. >> go! >> reporter: they are the best of the best. special operations teams so elite, 80% of those who begin training doethts make the cut. >> we like when it cuts. >> reporter: the navy pushes the s.e.a.l.s beyond the limit. mental toughness, physical fitness and extreme courage, not just requirements for the job but a way of life. >> you can always counted on the navy s.e.a.l.s and special forces to do the hard jobs. >> reporter: the s.e.a.l.s endure more than 30 months of brutal and specialized training, taught to react quickly in dark environments. plunge from a plane, even for combat under water. they are prepared for anything able to deploy anywhere. >> they work in the shadows and the sooner they can step back in the shadows the happier they are. >> reporter: retired colonel was a navy s.e.a.l. and served nearly three decades with the military. >> these young men are national treasures. they're irreplaceable. you don't find them everywhere. so this is -- this was a tragedy for the entire country. >> reporter: the s.e.a.l.s are known as silent warriors but their

she meeting privately with the families of the fallen, many of whom were elite navy seals. steven partnoy has the latest. >> reporter: the remains of the fallen heroes returned to dover air force base on two c-17 planes. it's a process the military calls a dignified transfer and it's time for families to share the grief. kimberly vaughn will be there. her husband aaron was among those killed. in the greatest single loss of american life in afghanistan since the war there began. >> i am afraid i'll forget what he smells like, what he feels like. i miss him. no other way to put it. >> 30 americans died saturday when taliban insurgent fired rocket-propelled grenade at the chinook helicopters. top military commanderers say it's not a sign of taliban gaining strength, just unfortunate lucky shot. >> the taliban were able to set up an ambush and fire on the helicopter as it came in the landing zone. in a time when the helicopter is most vulnerable, slow, predictable. and greatly increases the chances of taliban knocking the helicopter down. >> most of those who died were member o

father says the 25 year old loved his country, the service and especially being a member of the elite navy s.e.a.l.s. >> he's intense, he's funny, he had that dry humor. >> this was his third tour in afghanistan. nebraska army national guard's man patrick had only been there two weeks. they were among 30 u.s. troops killed when their helicopter was shot down saturday in eastern afghanistan. u.s. military sources say this s.e.a.l.s were called in to help a team on the ground. the taliban claimed responsibility. aaron's ground mother called him a proud father and good soldier. >> he was a good boy and he loved his country enough to put his life on the line. >> reporter: and friends of john brown remember him as a hero. >> i'm very proud of him. i'm proud to say that i'm a friend of his and i'm going to miss him. >> reporter: the soldier's bodies will be flown to delaware later this week where they will be met by their families, military and possibly the president. >>> hopefully the release of the two uc berkeley graduates behind bars has been dashed tonight. this after iran's embarrass door

in the military he was chief petty officer kevin houston, a member of the elite navy seals. but family and friends here in san jose he was known as kevin, a funny and kind father of three. this weekend loved ones gathered in san jose to remember kevin, one of the 30 americans killed when their helicopter was shot out of the sky in afghanistan. houston was buried at arlington national cemetery but his family held a memorial here for those who could not travel to the east coast to remember him. >> a great father, you know, just tough, you know. he was -- he was -- nothing he wouldn't try to do. motorcycle, jet skis, all the thrill-seeker you would think of in a guy is kevin houston. nothing scared him. nothing. >> houston was a member of the navy s.e.a.l.s elite team 6, that is the same unit involved in the raid that killed osama bin laden. >> this morning marks the first leg of a special journey to the flight 93 memorial in pennsylvania. a group of motorcyclists includingment is family members of passengers who died in the crash will leave san francisco just after 7:00 this m

taliban leaders are claiming responsibility and among the dead 20 members of the elite navy s.e.a.l.s. the parents of one of those s.e.a.l.s lives in san jose. they called nbc bay area wanting to share more about their son. kim terry is here with more. >> reporter: diane, kevin houston's family got word of his death early yesterday morni ng and are, as you can imagine, still trying to come to terms with it. they say they knew his job as a navy s.e.a.l. was dangerous but he always assured them that everything was okay. they are saying they found some solace knowing he was doing something he loved. it was his childhood dream and his family said he thrived on helping people and doing what he was dog. he enlisted right after high school and has been on multiple tours in afghanistan. he was raised on the east coast but was very close to his father's side of the family in san jose. >> i just -- he's my son, and if i could trade places with him i would trade, you know. i'd have went there and let him stay here. >> reporter: houston's family is making arrangements to get to the east coast so

she meeting privately with the families of the fallen, many of whom were elite navy seals. steven partnoy has the latest. >> reporter: the remains of the fallen heroes returned to dover air force base on two c-17 planes. it's a process the military calls a dignified transfer and it's time for families to share the grief. kimberly vaughn will be there. her husband aaron was among those killed. in the greatest single loss of american life in afghanistan since the war there began. >> i am afraid i'll forget what he smells like, what he feels like. i miss him. no other way to put it. >> 30 americans died saturday when taliban insurgent fired rocket-propelled grenade at the chinook helicopters. top military commanderers say it's not a sign of taliban gaining strength, just unfortunate lucky shot. >> the taliban were able to set up an ambush and fire on the helicopter as it came in the landing zone. in a time when the helicopter is most vulnerable, slow, predictable. and greatly increases the chances of taliban knocking the helicopter down. >> most of those who died were member o

many of those killed were part of the elite navy seal team six.ppened in eastern afghanistan after insurgentses shot down a helicopter. we're in the news room with the very latest. >> the military is mourning the loss of 30 americans lost in battle last night. 22 members of the seals make up the majority of those killed. military officials say the team was on a mission to help down a unity -- unit pinned down by taliban units. >> the cashties clue 30 americans, navy seals, afghanistan commandos and a -- an interpreter and a dog. this afghan eye witness says he saw this helicopter flying very low. it was hit bay rocket and it was on fire. it started coming down and crashed just yards from our hose close to the river. bay area retired admiral has worked with navy seals, reached in florida by phone, he says we have lost some very special troops. >> they are different. they're different from the run of the mill soldiers there, marines, because of the type of mission they are trained for and ultimately involved in. >> 22 members of seal team six killed

among the dead, 20 members of the elite navy s.e.a.l.s and one of those s.e.a.l.s has strong family ties to the bay area. his family called wanting to share more about their son. kimberly tere is here with more. >> reporter: kevin houston's family said he decided in the fifth grade he wanted to be a to s.e.a.l. and he stuckcc1: that. they tell a story about him being a kid and going swimming and when he came to the surface knife between his teeth. when they asked what he was doing, he said he was training to be a s.e.a.l. his father describes his as full of energy and said the military served him well. family er's side of thecc1: lives in san jose. they received word yesterday morning that houston was in a helicopter that was shot down in eastern afghanistan. he is among the u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s who were killed. >> i was thinking what was he whencc1: he was hit and down.c1: that's just not the way you want to know somebody leaving this world. one now, we all got to gocc1: way but you want to go thatcc1: and knowing kevin, he probably had that smile and said this is what i had to do.cc1: i

we're now learning that the 30 americans who died in that chopper crash, most of them elite navy s.e.a.l.sow troops. >> unusual for navy s.e.a.l.s, actually. their missions are usually carried out in secret. one navy s.e.a.l. widow wants her country to know her husband was a hero. >> i want to tell the world that he was an amazing man, that he was a wonderful husband and a fabulous father to two wonderful children. he was a warrior for christ and he was a warrior for our country and he wouldn't want to leave this earth any other way than how he did. >> oh, man. brian todd is at the home of the s.e.a.l. team in virginia beach. first let's go to barbara starr live at the pentagon. what more do we know about how this chopper was brought down, barbara? >> carol, by all accounts, it was brought down by a rocket-propelled grenade, several military officials telling us that is the working assumption, shot down by the taliban. 22 navy s.e.a.l.s, a total of 25 special operations forces, a couple from other services. they were going in to reinforce an army ranger unit that was already on the ground

this month's death toll soared when 30 americans most of them elite navy seals were killed in a helicopter crash august 6. about 10,000 u.s. troops are scheduled to leave afghanistan by the end of this year. >>> u.s. troops armed with smart phones are doing something that's never been done before. they are putting together an accurate record of every gravesite at arlington national cemetery. danielle nottingham shows us the effort to correct a shameful mix-up at the military's most hallowed ground. >>> reporter: these soldiers are moving aisle by aisle through arlington national cemetery taking photos of gravestones. they are helping cemetery officials try to correct the burial record mix-up uncovered last year. thousands of soldiers and their families laid to rest at arlington may be in unmarked or mismarked graves. >> every, single one of them is going to be touched by a human being. we have 54 people working out there right now and that's what they do all day. >> reporter: lieutenant-colonel jaime romas works on the task force that's comparing the digital photos with cemetery records ma

coverage of that arrival today because so far the remains are unidentifiable. 22-year-old -- 22 elite navy s.e.a.l.s killed when their helicopter was shot down in afghanistan, among them 29-year-old derek benson from the napa county town of anquin. that's him 18 photo featured by the newspaper website. after graduating from his training with the s.e.a.l.s. benson grew up, served in the navy 12 years. he leaves his wife cara and their 3-year-old son. as we told you earlier, another s.e.a.l. killed kevin houston had strong ties to the bay area. his dad and other relatives in san jose.cc1: there is his dad on the left. his family says that houston knew he wanted to be a s.e.a.l. since he was in the fifth grade. he is survived by his wife and three children. >> overnight oakland police stepped up patrols fearing more violence after a toddler was bycc1: a a stray bulletcc1: drive by shooter in broad daylight. christie smith is live near 65th avenue and international boulevard. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, scott. i wanted to say on our way here we saw sheriff's patrol cars, oakland p

service members including 22 elite navy s.e.a.l.s. the chopper was answering a call for help from forces on the ground when it was hit by rocket propelled grenades. among those killed in the incident was 29-year-old derek benson from napa county. he served in the navy for the past 12 years and is survived by is wire kara and theircc1: 3-year-old son. nother navy s.e.a.l. killedcc1: kevin houston had strong family ties to the bay area. his father and relatives live in san jose. his family says houston knew he wanted to be a s.e.a.l. since he was in the fifth grade. he is survived by his wife and three children. >>> republican presidential candidate michele bachmann is heating up iowa politics by attending a church which preaches that homosexuality is immoral and unnatural. bachmann and her husband attended the church near des moines sunday. she and other republicans are ahead of saturday's republican straw poll. the minnesota congresswoman has a long record of battling same sex marriage. her campaign announced the endorsement of more t

most of the dead were elite u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s and navy seaman craig vickers worked with a bomb disposal unit. >> craig talked about joining the military and serve his country and for him it was god first, his country and his family. >> for all that were on that helicopter, you know, every life is important not only this incident, but all the ones before them. >> the taliban attack also killed seven afghan commandos and their interpreter. >>> the syrian military rolled into another town today to crush anti-government protests. [ shots fired ] >> the brutality fired similar attacks to two other cities this weekend. both saudi arabia and kuwait have recalled their ambassadors to damascus. the saudi king taking an unusually harsh tone calling on syria to halt its, quotes, killing machine. >>> livering conditions are quickly deteriorating in tripoli. many neighborhoods have been without electricity or rung water for days now. libyan state television blames the outages on nato air strike, but nato tells cnn that there is no e

most of the dead were elite navy s.e.a.l.s, the single deadliest loss for u.s. forces in the decade-long war. jay dow is in washington with the latest. jay, good morning to you. >> good morning to you, terrell. most of the s.e.a.l.s who died were from the same elite unit who killed osama bin laden although none took part in that mission. this weekend's crash proved what the s.e.a.l.s know too well. their missions may lead to success but not without huge risk. americans across the country are mourning the loss of 30 fallen heroes. >> i'm proud of him. they died doing what they wanted to do, protecting us and keeping us safe. >> reporter: the troops died in afghanistan saturday morning after taliban fighters apparently shot down their chinoook helicopter like this one with a rocket propelled grenade. most of the soldiers were u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s, rushing to help a u.s. army ranger unit under attack. >> he loved his family, sister. just became an uncle. >> reporter: charles strange's son, michael, was one of those killed. the 25-year-old knew in high school he want

controversy in washington this after reports surfaced that the administration greenlighted access to the elite navy seals who took out related access by the. agreement what well ok so peter king now wants an investigation and republicans are up in arms and they're so angry and it's not fake totally oh oh gotcha there is going on what do you alleghenies about first of all there's not even any real proof right was one thing that perhaps the screenwriter was at one event that is me and they greenlighted access to classified documents and classified information as peter king is trying to argue but the bigger point is that i'm sorry the pentagon it works with hollywood all the time there's a whole massive propaganda machine that's going on there republicans are only fake outrage now because it's the obama administration that's doing it and the holy ghost what is really going to come out in november right before obama's reelection everyone's going to remember that he's the one that took out osama bin laden and that's why they're pissed ok well that's that's reasonable right there but they got one of the

went down killing thirty eight people and all thirty of them were american forces and most of them elite navy seals on their way they held fellow troops witnesses taliban fighters shot down the aircraft carrying thirty american troops seven afghans and one translator we've actually heard this story before from that's how libya very the ones who told us that this is the occurrence that happened in large acceptor a night. so nineteen navy seals three support troops lost their lives as well as three air force controllers seven afghan commandos and afghan interpreter and one military working dog as a horrible reminder to americans that live far away from this violence that there is still a war going on and this time we saw the mainstream media respond with heartbreaking interviews of wives and family members describing what it was like to get that knock on the door telling them that their loved ones passed we saw the mainstream media go to their foreign affairs and pentagon reporters to describe the investigations that have been launched to find out what exactly brought this copter down and if th

alisyn: there are about 200 members of the navy seal elite team. so obviously, losing this many is such a blow. bill: now we're getting stories that perhaps they were lured into some sort of trap in this valley southwest of kabul. jennifer griffin is reporting on that a bit later this morning. >> okay, cheerio, people, billions of dollars turning up in the health care overhaul, a new study is out and an oversight study says the budget overhaul could cost another $50 billion every year. john, good morning. >> pleasure. bill: you think? i think we're about to find out whether it's a pleasure or not! what does the study conclude, john? >> remember speaker of the house nancy pelosi said you have to read the bin laden care will to find out what's in it. now we're finding out what's in it. it turns out the bill expands federal sub des for a lot of people in the middle class to get health insurance. it sounds like a good thing. the problem is, the subsidies are going to be so large it's going to be an incentive for employers to drop health care coverage.

that was expressed by two who knew the victims in afghanistan, 30 were killed, including 22 of the elite navynato now says special forces on the chinook were on the way to wardak province. what happened on this mission? and how will american forces respond? here how, captain chuck nash, retired u.s. navy captain and military analyst. what do we know exactly about this mission? i know what the seems do is shrouded in secrecy. what do we know about what took place here? >> jon, the investigation is underway so we the get too far in front of the story, but what we -- what we're getting that sounds pretty reasonable right now is that these guys were part of a quick reaction force to get in because the rangers had come, were pursuing a bomb maker and a taliban leader in the tangi valley area which has become a hot bed recently as conventional forces pull out. the taliban are moving back in. so they were back here after this guy, they came under fire, engaged with the enemy, called for the backup, the backup was enroute, and they came in, not in the normal helicopters that they fly, the special ope

many of those were killed and they were part of the elite navy seal team six but none of them were on the mission that killed osama bin laden. their helicopter was shot down in eastern afghanistan. michael has the latest on how it happened. [ gun shots ] >> it is a crushing loss. the most elite forces in the u.s. military, 11 seals killed in the fiery crash of their helicopter along with army personnel. 30 inexperience all, eight afghans and a dog trained specifically for special operations. it happened near a taliban stronghold in wardak province. u.s. forces were engaged in a firefight on the ground. chinook was on its way to help when it was shot down, probably by a rocket-propelled grenade. most of the 22 seals were part of seal team six, that heroic unit that carried out the highly successful raid on osama bin laden's compound in may but none of those that took part in the raid are believed to be on this helicopter. >> u.s. special operations teams carried out to a dozen missions a day in afghanistan, three to four thousand last year along. since 9/11 there have been 32 seals kil

taliban fire. 38 people killed, 30 of them american service members, including some of the most elite navy s.e.a.l.s. the single deadliest day in our nation's longest running war. >>> it's monday, august 8th, 2011. i'm chuck todd. quite the packed monday. let's get right to my first read of the morning and it starts with the downgrade. economic uncertainty could be the greatest obstacle for president obama's re-election campaign and standard & poor's decision to downgrade the country's credit rating for the first time ever doesn't help that anxiety. here's s&p's managing director, john chachambers, on the substa of their decision. >> we have a negative outlook, which speaks to a longer time frame, from 6 months to 24 months. and if the fiscal position of the united states deteriorates further or if the political gridlock becomes more entrenched, then that could lead to a downgrade. >> here's former fed chairman alan greenspan giving the downgrade a little more context. >> this is not an issue of credit rating. the united states can pay any debt it has, because we can always print money to

here's the scene today. 30 americans dead including elite navy seal team six. we learned that the group was not the one involved in the mission that killed osama bin laden in may. seven afghan one translator died. president obama in camp david in maryland getting word of the crash and tonight our nation in mourning. mourning the greatest loss of american lives since combat in afghanistan a decade ago. jennifer? >>reporter: harris what i can confirm well were 25 special operators . members of special operation forces killed. they were members of seal team 6 from the east coast and west coast teams. there were five crew members on board from the army including three combat controllers and an interertor and it could have been a rocket propelled grenade as they were in the tail end of the mission. they were fighting and on the way out when the helicopter was struck. >> jennifer griffin joins us and what are you learning about how usual or unusual it is to have so many members of a single unit on one helicopter. >> well, sources tell me it is extremely unusual for a

vaughn is one of 22 navy s.e.a.l.s killed this weekend. the elite and clandestine unit is often the tip of the spear. >> they work in the shadows and the happier they are. in coronado, california, where many s.e.a.l.s train hearts are heavy. >> it took me a while for it to sink in and when it did i just melt like i was melting. i didn't what to say or two. its members recently gained worldwide attention after s.e.a.l. team six raided osama bin laden's compound in pakistan, killing the al qaeda leader. military families are no strangers to sacrifice. there's not much that can prepare them for the loss of so many. >> these young men are national fre treasures. you don't find them anywhere and this was a tragedy for the entire country. >> we often hear how the navy s.e.a.l.s are so close knit. after losing 22 of their own they and their families will have to rely on those bonds more than ever. >> thank you. >> here's lester. >>> s.e.a.l. team six is so secretive the white house and defense department do not directly acknowledge its existence. with us n

the 30 americans who were killed when the taliban shot down their chinook were 22 members of the elite navy.a.l. team 6. among them was 25-year-old michael strange, who had also served in iraq and africa. he had just gotten engaged. >> he got deployed again in july. and he said he'd be home for thanksgiving. he was a great kid, man. he fought for this country. >> it's unreal. everyone who hears about that happening. now happening to us. >> the helicopter crash made saturday the single deadliest day in the ten-year war. and in this one incident, more than 7% of the highly trained, highly valuable s.e.a.l. team 6 were lost. >>> oregon's longest-serving senator has died. mark hatfield was an outspoken critic of u.s. involvement in vietnam and the persian gulf war. his liberal views often put him at odds with the rest of the republican party. hatfield once said one of his major accomplishments was helping usher through congress a ban on u.s. nuclear weapons testing. mark hatfield died yesterday. he was 89. >>> extra police are patrolling a london neighborhood after a weekend riot sparked by a f

among the dead, members of the elite navy s.e.a.l.s unit behind the raid on osama bin laden's compoundadliest single loss since the afghan war began. new fallout this morning from america's credit

among the 22 elite navy es .a.l.s that lost their l was derek benson from napa county. he's seen here in 2003, with his dad and grandfather, after just graduating from training with the s.e.a.l.s. he is survived by his wife, kara, and their 3-year-old son. >>> another navy s.e.a.l. killed, kevin houston, had strong ties to the bay area. houston's father and relatives live in san jose. his family says houston knew he wanted to be a s.e.a.l. since he was in the fifth grade. he's survived by his wife and three children. today, president obama took time to remember them all. >> we will press on. and we will succeed. but now is also a time to reflect on those we lost, and the sacrifices for all who serve and their families. >> reporter: the remains of those killed are expected to arrive at the air force base in dover, delaware, tomorrow afternoon. >>> it is a killing that gripped one bay area community. but after more than 20 years, police make an arrest in that case. still ahead, how investors put the pieces together. >>> also ahead, fish bones to the rescue. the first of i

fallout from that tragedy in afghanistan at any moment. 30 american service members most of them elite navy s.e.a.l.s were on a rescue mission. they were killed when their chopper went down on saturday. it's the single deadliest day for u.s. forces in the decade long war. 22 navy s.e.a.l.s, five army air crew and three u.s. special forces airmen died along with eight afghans. today grieving families share memories of their loved ones. >> i'm proud that i will get to carry on his legacy through our children. >> he honestly believed and saw black and white that what we're involved in, he told me this is a a war for the survival of our republic. >> if there is a a comfort in the situation, i'm so proud of my son. so very proud of him. >> they make huge sacrifices for us above and beyond. our kids need to know that. >> we will continue to relentlessly pursuit the enemy. >> i'm joined now from kabul. what are you learning about what happened? >> reporter: nato's finally giving us a glimpse into what really happened in that overnight raid on saturday that killed 389 men. what we do know is there

among the dead, members of the elite navy seals unit behind the raid on osama bin laden's compound. we'll have the latest on the deadliest single day of loss since the afghan war began. >>> new fallout from america's credit downgrade. how markets are reacting in a live report. >>> a demonstration turns violent in london. cars and shops are set on fire. >>> plus a tightrope walker's stunt goes wrong. we'll show you what happened next. >>> good morning. i'm alex witt. welcome to msnbc sunday. we are learning new details about the deadly helicopter crash in afghanistan that killed 30 u.s. special operations troops. it's the single deadliest attack since the war in afghanistan began in 2001. among the u.s. casualties were 22 navy seals. here's the latest from kabul. >> reporter: the american and afghan special forces were working side by side when the operation took a deadly turn. a senior american official says the team was on its way to a mission not far from kabul. a volatile veej known for its strong taliban presence. their target, a taliban compound housing insurgent fighters. soon

many killed were part of the elite navy seal team 6, though none of them was on the mission that killed osama bin laden. it happened when their helicopter was shot down in eastern afghanistan. we have more on what happened. to helicopter was brought down. the seals were on their way to support a u.s. unit pinned down in a firefight by insurgents when the helicopter was shot down. this afghan eyewitness says he saw this helicopter flying very low. it was hit by a rocket and it was on fire. it started coming down in the crash just yards away from our house close to the river. bay area retired admiral john bitoff has worked with navy seals. reached by phone he said we have lost some very troops. >> they are different. they are different from the run of the mill soldiers, marine, sailor because of the type of mission they are trained for and ultimately involved in. >> twenty-two members of seal team 6 killed in one night. >> it's a terrible loss, a terrible human tragedy, but it's an also significant strategic loss as well. it takes a generation to grow a special operations warrior. >> i do

defense officials tell nbc news more than 20 americans killed belong to the elite navy seals team.imed responsibility for shooting that aircraft down. rangers at yosemite national park found the body of a california man who died after being swept over a waterfall nearly three weeks ago. >>> now back to "the secret life of a soccer mom." ♪ >> you can stand on the front doorstep here and i believe you can see five miles. and i believe everything happened in that area. >> as the weeks passed, search-and-rescue teams scoured the countryside around grand junction, colorado, looking for the popular young mother of three who had suddenly vanished. >> and you stand here and you look and you say, i know you're there. but where? >> they searched on horses, atvs and on foot combing through brush land, deserted lots and the murky river running through the canyon floor. hoping to find something. afraid of what that something would be. >> and nothing. we have looked in a very vast open areas, we've looked on top of the river and we've looked under the river and we have not found her. >> special

and the shattering lost for the elite navy seal teams that took out usama bin laden. >> john brown was a rambeau without the attitude. >> he loves all you guys and all his friends -- [crying] >> tonight, we are learning more about the 30 american heros who will never come home. >> and cops call these three siblings violent fugitives. >> extremely armed and extremely dangerous and do not approach them. >> tonight, a message from their mother. >> only mom knows what good people you are inside. >> can she convince her kids to do the right thing? but first from fox this monday night, a major stock market plunge happened again today taking the biggest chunk out of your 401(k) since the financial collapse of 2008. all of the major indices fell about 6%. the dow with its worst one-day point loss or sixth worse in history off more than 600 points. the nasdaq off 175. s&p 500 off 80. the markets are trapped in a vicious cycle of fear and now panic. fear after the credit ratings agency s&p downgraded its assessment of u.s. debt. today, followed up downgrading the ratings of america's large mortg

expecting the second one within the hour. 30 men and as you have said, 22 members are members of the elite navyere are also army troops on board as well as air force troops. the air force troops were part of a special operations air traffic control unit on the ground in afghanistan, so in all 30 u.s. service member, but another eight service members who are afghans, and special forces who were in the same attack on that helicopter, in the attack and then killed along with their american colleagues and because of the crash being so horrific, they were unable to separate all of the remains, and so as a result, they are bringing back all 30 men, americans and afghans here to dover air force base and they will conduct what the military calls a dignified transfer service here in private, here on the base, and family members are invited to attend, and we do know that admiral mike mullen the chairman of the joint chiefs will be here as well as leon panetta, the secretary of defense, and then the very difficult task will be for the mortuary services people here at dover to begin the difficult work of t

navy s.e.a.l.s, they get so much training. they are this elite tactical force.to think that so many have been lost and that families now are waiting to see whether or not that knock on the door comes, what do you know about the circumstances? was the helicopter shot down as the taliban is claiming, or is that right now under investigation? >> well, that's a really good point, deborah. it is absolutely completely under investigation by the u.s. military. the taliban often make these claims. it is interesting to note that the coalition has said there were reports of enemy fire in the area at the time, but there will be a very thorough investigation to find out what happened and how this came to be. i think we just want to circle back one more time and say that, you know, we know how sensitive it is at cnn to put out the information, that it is navy s.e.a.l.s, but in the interest of transparency, multiple government officials are now saying this. admiral mike mullen, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff put out a statement just a little while ago about all of

among the dead are 22 elite navy s.e.a.l.s. abc's s reign correspondent martha raddatz joins me with the very latest. what about that community, the forces and their families? >> this is such a small community. there are only 300 s.e.a.l.s on s.e.a.l. team 6. the most elite of the s.e.a.l. team. that is such a small group. when you think about those families and 22 notices going out to those families. i got an e-mail from someone, i said i was so worried about that community. he said, look, this is a community that will smother one another with love. >> what do we know about the attack? any more details coming out? >> there are more detail this morning. what actually happened, this s.e.a.l. team was going in to help another team that was after taliban insurgents, apparently the taliban insurgents had been implanting ieds in the area. this s.e.a.l. team was coming in to help the others who had come under fire. just as they were approaching the area, they got hit by what they believe was a rocket-propelled grenade. >> martha, thi

the sad road home for 30 american service members including the elite navy s.e.a.l.s killed by taliban fire. we're learning more about the attack and about the fallen heroes. >> i'm proud that i will get to carry on his legacy through our children who will take away his strength and his love for this country. and they will know what an amazing man he is. was. >> a nation grieving. good day. i'm andrea mitchell live in washington. as we wait for the president to speak, stocks are getting pounded today after the s&p downgrade of the u.s. credit rating. followed today by dozens of realed listeneders being downgraded including fre dee may and fan neigh mac. the president will address the weekend's tragic helicopter crash in afghanistan. for more on that i'm joined by nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel in kabul and william co-when. and chris matthews, first, you, let's talk about the s&p. clearly a political judgment by the s&p about the future of debt reduction and long-term solvency. is that exceeding their grasp? and was it wrong as the white house and treasury --? >> it's d

month's death toll soared when insurgents shot down a chopper carrying 30 americans, most of them the elite navy seals. 299 americans have died in afghanistan this year. >>> libyan rebels claim they have killed one of moammar gadhafi's sons. they're saying kamis gadhafi died in a gun battle sunday night. it's not the first time the rebels claim they've killed him. one time they said he died on the battlefront but later admitted they lied. they wanted to shake the will of gadhafi forces. in the meantime, gadhafi's wife and three of his children, they have escaped to alengineeria. the anti-government rebels are demanding algerria extradite them back to libya. >>> in a little more than an hour we'll get some official answers about what caused the san bruno pipeline explosion. as alison burns reports from our washington d.c. newsroom, the national transportation safety board gives its final report on the disaster that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes. reporter: pam, that's right, the ntsb had 40 investigators working this case for nearly a year, and ahead of this morning's hearing on their

the 22 elite navy seals. american with kevin houston lived in san jose before moving to virginia. his uncle charles still lives in san jose says that he was a member of the navy seals that captured osama bin laden earlier this year. >> it was very confidential that he left and went to that area. so he could not speak too much about that. when he left, and came back he gave word to us that he said he would be very proud. he could not elaborate that much but he said that we would have been proud of him. so we took that to me that he was a major factor in that situation of the bringing down of osama bin laden. the mob he always grew up playing cowboys, indians. >> he always screwup planning t-he always-grew up drg of being a navy seal. he wanted to partake in that fashion it was a proud moment for our family. at that he served his country and this passion and he wanted us to keep our heads high in this moment of grief. this is a key, hurting. for the simple fact that we have lost them. we just ask that the rest o

are watching the "today" show or listening to news on the radio, you hear 31 americans from this elite navy s.e.a.l.s you aren't is shot down and killed in afghanistan. they are two severe body blows to this country on the same day, on the same weekend at the same time. for a lot of different reasons, i know everybody out there wants to assign blame to one person or one party, but for a lot of different reasons, we are in some fairly bleak times. >> saturday morning was a -- you're right, it was something different. it was a blow to the psyche or the soul of the nation especially the jolt. they said 30 guys went down in the helicopter. it was sickening. you thought about all the bravery of those guys and the loss and everything they sacrificed. sitting beside this gigantic downgrade, for an older generation is something, you know, you didn't see. the idea america is moving toward deadbeat status. it wasn't the america you grew up in. as much as the ripple economic effect, the hit on the soul of america that saturday was heavy. >> it was a tough saturday, wasn't it? >> yeah. >> friday night

host: we know these are member of what is viewed as elite navy seal team.esponsible for the killing of bin laden but not the same team? caller: right. not the same individuals. ho host what happens as best you can tell on this sunday morning caller: well these night raids of the type that took place when this occurred happened almost every night. sometimes several times a night. elite troops of why value targets and often go to a remote area like this one and this time it seems the insurgents might have been tipped off and were waiting for them. host: many expressed sorrow and sadness but this is an issue brought to the male tear over the years trying to get an end to the air raid. have you had reaction from the afghan government? >> not any further beyond mr. karzai's statement but this is a very serious on-going issue and he's called on a number of occasions for these night raids to be stopped and nato did not go along with that request. it's something that's probably going to continue to be an issue. we don't know whether at this point there were most or

well, they are considered among the nation's elite warriors, navy s.e.a.l.s. this morning, the families and friends of 22 u.s. s.e.a.l.s and 8 other service members are mourning their loss. >>> and violence in london, what led people to torch buildings and a tour bus. >>> an expert that says you can retire. >>> it is the single deadliest loss of u.s. forces in afghanistan since the war began a decade ago. we're beginning to learn the names of those killed and how their families are remembering them. the father of a 2-year-old son and a 2-month-old girl t. was aaron's birthday. in june he turned 30. and i told him to be careful. and he said, granny, don't worry about me, he said i'm not afraid. i know where i'm going if something happens to me. aaron was a christian and he stood firm in his faith. >> now, the chopper went down in war war wardak province. they were on a ch-47 chinook. most were members of s.e.a.l. team six. >>> president obama was notified of the helicopter crash and released a statement which reads in part their deaths are a reminder of the ext

joining us now is former s.e.a.l., howard wasdin, author of "mem wars of an elite navy s.e.a.l.t numb. >> good morning, nancy. first of all, i'd like to say that my thoughts and prayers go out to all the family members of this elite force. and yeah, all too real memories come back. i caught myself saturday feeling the same way i did during the infamous black houck down battle where i lost good friends. and i just like to say to the american people when we stand up and are happy for these guys when everything goes well, we've got to be willing to stand behind them when things go terribly wrong. i hope that america does that. >> absolutely. help us understand, since you know this unit so well, how large is s.e.a.l. team six? how long do members train to get there? is this unit just decimated now? >> it's a staggering blow. we don't give out numbers because that gives out capability. i will say that that's a terrible loss and how long you train to get there, you never quit training, nancy. you train as a s.e.a.l., and then once you get to this team, you continue training just like

navy's elite s.e.a.l. team and they believe the helicopter was shot down. barbara starr, any new details about that helicopter crash? what do the officials think happened? >> indeed, joe, at this point, 22 navy s.e.a.l.s have lost their lives, most of them are the member of the same covert unit that went after osama bin laden, not the same exact commandos, they have run a name checklist and none of the men that were on the bin laden mission were involved in this tragedy. but nonetheless, 22 navy se.a.l.s have lost their lives. they were working at what is called a quick reaction force. they had been called in to get on a helicopter, move very fast to try and help another unit that was pinned down, that was involved in the firefight and had called for some additional re-enforceme re-enforcements, some additional help. that's when this happened. at this point, a full investigation underway, but an official telling us they do believe there's a very good possibility it was shot down, there was enemy fire in the area. but nonetheless, they will conduct an investi

toll soared when insurgents shot down a chopper -- chopper carrying 30 americans, most of them elite navyls -- s.e.a.l.s. 299 americans have died in afghanistan this year. >>> two hours ago, nato announced the tripoli region is essentially free. rebels and moammar gadhafi's supporters are now negotiating over one of his remaining strongholds. meanwhile, rebels are saying they killed gadhafi faa son sunday night. however, this is not the first time rebels have made such a claim. once they announced he died on the battleground but then they admitted they lied because they wanted to take the will of gadhafi forces and we've learned that gadhafi's daughter has biven -- has given birth to a baby girl. >>> well, here at home, san jose is now being referred to by some as sin city. and they stay the police crackdown on gangs may be the reason why. police focus attention on violent crimes and gangs. but now the city is seeing a rise in prostitution, gambling and drugs. in the past two months, 38 prostitutes have been arrested including three teenagers. >> i've seen girls walk by with really short

navy's elite s.e.a.l. teams. a retired army general told me why he thinks those troops were operating in such a remote place. >> on the isaf operational update, the public operational update today, there was a report in that same area that coalition forces had been going against some irn ed makers. there may be a connection between two. but i think all of us understand the tremendous cost that ieds have had both in iraq and afghanistan. if they got a major krecell, ths what they might want to send the special operations unit against. >> we'll have more on this live with our pentagon correspondent in just a minute. >>> back in this country, a verdict in the controversial shootings case of the danziger bridge in new orleans. four former officers and another were found guilty of depriving of their rights and civil rights violations. two men were shot in the aftermath of hurricane katrina. four others wounded. the families of the victims welcome the verdict. >>> the fbi is searching for three florida siblings. they'r