after the american war in vietnam began. and on that wall, more than 58,000 names of those who didn't come home alive. most of them men, some women. chaplain, two of them among the chaplain who died there, were medal of honor recipients. and one of the speakers, today, was in vietnam as well. chuck hagel, the former senator from nebraska, who is a highly decorated vietnam veteran. he was an infantry squad leader. welcome back to our coverage on msnbc. i'm chris jansing. we wish you all a very happy memorial day. we're honored to be joined by two retired generals, both vietnam veterans. general wesley clark with us today along with general barry mccaffrey. i didn't realize, general clark, when i was reading chuck hagel's biography, i knew he'd been a vietnam veteran, a highly decorated one. so was his brother, thomas. it brings to mind the sacrifices that so many families went through during that time to have in his case and many others more than one member of the family who served at the same time. >> that's exactly right. an

the vietnam memorial is a living memorial. each year, people come here to honor their family and friends and those who they have never met. they leave flowers, metals, and written notes and prayers' at the base of the wall. the remembrances are the reminder that the great price of freedom is not simply edge on the blackstone of this memorial. it is etched on the hearts of those that more and the sailors, marines, and coastguardsman. these men, in the words of abraham lincoln, had the last devotion to their country. i want to pay tribute to the men whose names are on these walls including somebody in colorado. i also stand in honor of manuel. i remember at the age of 13 i attended his burial at a remote cemetery in colorado. i would never forget that service. it was the first time that i heard taps. the pain that his family endured. that has been the honor of the national park service to be custodian of this special place. i pledge our full support as we partner together to make the vietnam memorial visitors center at a reality

this is the story of our vietnam service members. the story that needs to be told. t. it's another opportunity to say to our vietnam veterans, what we should have been saying from the beginning. you did your job. you served with honor. you made us proud. you came home and you helped build the america that we love and that we cherish. so here today it must be said, you have earned your place among the greatest generations. at this time, i would ask all our vietnam veterans, those of you who can stand, to please stand. all those already standing, raise your hands. as we say those simple words, which always greet our troops when they come home, from here on out, welcome home. welcome home. welcome home. thank you. we appreciate you. welcome home. [ applause ] today we're calling on all americans and every segment of our society to join this effort. everybody can do something. five decades removed from a time of division among americans, this anniversary can remind us of what we share as americans. that includes honoring our vietnam veterans by never forgetting the lesso

next a discussion of his leadership and the vietnam war. panelists include former defense secretary harold brown and the author of mcnamara, clifford and the burdens of vietnam from 1965 to 1969. this is about an hour and a half. >>> for millions of americans, the veet ma'ietnam war was the g event in their lives whether they served in huge in vietnam or watched debate over the war at home. today it serves as a watershed period in history the same way world war ii did for previous generations. this panel this afternoon is of particular interest to me signs was a hospital corpsman stationed with the 1st marine division for six months in danang and then on the "uss sanctuary," served in tanang harbor for six months there. so it's my pleasure now to turn the program over to john hoffman, deputy chief historian at office of the secretary of defense, a retired marine colonel who is on active duty as infantry office and field historian for 17 years. in his civilian year, served in the history and museums division as chief of the army center for mi

involvement in the vietnam war. emains one of america's most unpopular battles he is i at thatting the day to specifically remember the men and women who served at that time, holding a special service at the vietnam veterans memorial, kicking off a 13-year project to honor those very same patriots. the lieutenant colonel oliver north served himself in vietnam. he is a fox news military analyst. he joins us now to talk about today's ceremonis. how important is this to so many americans, colonel? >> gregg, i think it is going to help end some of that polarization you just mentioned. it is, other than the civil war, it is the most divisive conflict in which we've ever had and you look at how they were treated when they came home. unlike those veterans who serve today in another long and unpopular war they were not welcomed home. so hopefully this will bring closure it some of the 2.7 million who served in combat. some of the 50,000 that are seriously injured as a consequence and still alive. the, over 1350 who are still

one of the leading -- world's leading authorities on vietnam was a man named bernard full, who lived a 20-minute drive from the pentagon. why did mcnamara and his colleagues never bother to talk to dr. full, other than the reason that he never said what they wanted to hear? >> the story, there is a story about that. one time when the -- i think it was in '63, maybe '64, and they were agonizing over vietnam, and i think mcnamara may have been the person who suggested that some expertise was needed, and someone actually suggested that hall, who was then at university, would be the ideal person. and eventually, and the context is not that clear to me, eventually, according to the stories i've heard, and this is something somebody tells in a memoir rather than something documented in another way, that they were skeptical about fall because he was french. this may have been a time -- yeah, right. i know. but that's the story. i'm just repeating the story that was told. and they went to an english journalist, p.j. honey, i think, who had written extensively on vietnam, and i think -- i don'

some say the beginning of the end of the vietnam war. in the summer of 1967 support at home for the war in vietnam was eroding. half of those interviewed in a poll said they had no idea what the war was about. the united states had become increasingly involved in vietnam since 1961. and introduced in 1965. 13,000 troops had been killed there. in august, president johnson announced he was sending 50,000 troops to jungles of vietnam. >> and there are delays and disappointments. this must continue. >> and also proposed that americans average household income under $8,000. >> in the summer of 1967, president johnson in order to pay for the war, asked americans to propose a sur tax on extra 10% on income tax to pay for the war. >> a journalist covering vietnam for nine newspapers and wrote a turning point for the vietnam war. >> so political support for the war diminished sharply. in response, the president tried to convince americans the war was nearly won. and you brought back to this country general wes moreland and appeared before congress

the vietnam generation, my generation is sgraing now. on effort gives the country an opportunity today and in the years ahead to try and right the wrongs of the past. to remember those who served in this war and what they did for us, their service, and their sacrifice on our behalf. last week, i had the opportunity to join the president in paying tribute to a fallen member of that generation. specialist les sabel who posthumously received the medal of honor. les sabo died in vietnam saving his brothers in arms. and it was those same brothers from the 101st airborne division who campaigned to reopen the medal of honor process for les more than 10 years ago. the story of les is the story of the vietnam war. we forgot and now we finally remember. next week, as secretary of defense, i'll have the opportunity to travel to vietnam to continue strengthening the growing ties our two countries are re-establishing since 1995. we've come a long way since the war has ended. and it was the veterans of vietnam who led that way for our two nations to be

some say the beginning of the end of the vietnam war. in the summer of 1967 support at home for the war in vietnam was eroding. half of those interviewed in a poll said they had no idea what the war was about. the united states had become increasingly involved in vietnam since 1961. and introduced in 1965. 13,000 troops had been killed there. in august, president johnson announced he was sending 50,000 troops to jungles of vietnam. >> and there are delays and disappointments. this must continue. >> and also proposed that americans average household income under $8,000. >> in the summer of 1967, president johnson in order to pay for the war, asked americans to propose a sur tax on extra 10% on income tax to pay for the war. >> a journalist covering vietnam for nine newspapers and wrote a turning point for the vietnam war. >> so political support for the war diminished sharply. in response, the president tried to convince americans the war was nearly won. and you brought back to this country general wes moreland and appeared before congress

the vietnam memorial is an of -- is a living memorial. le come here to honor their friends, relatives, and even those they had never met. at the base of the wall, the remembrances for that the great price of freedom were not silly -- not just at thomas stone of freedom, it is etched in the hearts and memories of those who honor the fallen. in the words of abraham lincoln, it was the last major issue of devotion to their country. i have visited the memorial office and paid tribute to those who are on these walls. i often stand at panel 41 e, wrote 21. at the age of 13, i attended his burial. indoors's his family and the ultimate sacrifice. for almost 30 years it has been the honor of the national parks service to be the facilitator. we are coming the other to make the visitors center a reality. god bless you and the united states of america. [applause] >> thank you, secretary salazar. fellow veterans, military family, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen it is a profound honor to join you on this hallowed ground on this special day. o

from kansas and served in the military in japan and vietnam. he has had a distinguished career teaching and writing in the official military history world. he's made substantial contributions, and improving the way we teach our military professionals military history, and he's written a series of important books and articles. in addition to being the author of the book under review, he is the author of also japan's imperial army, its rise and fall, which won the society for military history's distinguished book award in 2010. and he has also written in the service of the emperor essays on the imperial japanese army. he currently works as contract historian for the joint history office, joint chiefs of staff. ed? [ applause ] >> thank you, john. i would also like to thank secretary brown and professor herring for taking time to think about mcnamara once again, and to offer useful and insightful comments for us to consider. i'd also like to thank one other person. the former osd historian, dr. alfred goldberg, is the person who hired me for this p

the country? >>guest: welcome only. if you know a vietname home," because it really is a home coming. >>trace: indeed. colonel north, thank you, sir, good to see you. >> update now on the hacking scandal at britain's news of the world newspaper, today we heard from the former british prime minister, tony blair. live in london. amy? >>reporter: well, tony blair made no apology for his closeness with murdoch or with any members of the media. he said that cozyness is just a fact of life not united kingdom if you are a politician you need to work with the media because if not they will make your life miserable. >> the media people get a power in the system that is unhealthy which i have health 33 my time uncomfortable with. i took the decision and this could be subject to criticism, i took the strategic decision to manage this, not confront it. but the power of it, is indisputable. all blair during the years of prime minister was often accused of putting a spin on the in us and he went on to say he believed the media here is in need of a reform

the president was joined by the vice president and secretary of defense, but there were many vietnam veterans who say they could not get into the ceremony they've been attending for years. fox 5's tom fitzgerald has that story. >> reporter: the president arrived at the vietnam veterans memorial to the strains of hail to the chief. thousands gathered here as they do every year for one singular purpose. the president honored the 58,282 names on the wall who died in vietnam, thanked surviving vietnam veterans for reaching out to today's veterans. >> you cared for those that followed. you made it your mission to make sure today's troops get the respect and support that all too often you did not receive. >> reporter: 2012 marks important milestones for the vietnam war with the 30th anniversary of this memorial and the start of the war itself. >> we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war, a war that occupies a central place in the american story. >> we all feel a common resolve on memorial day to pause if only for a moment and to remember. >> reporter: the president's appearanc

we joined the navy. >> had you heard of vietnam? >> i had heard of it when i was in high school but it was just another country. >> just another country? >> as manyening wills are much like the history, complex and dangerous. >> edwin is professor of history. >> in the mid 19th century catholic missionaries were being persecuted in vietnam and in china and this issue was a part of what brought france into involvement in both vietnam and china. >> french colony of indochina includes cambodiaa, vietnam and laos. thousands migrated to asia in search of wealth. made second class citizens they resisted french occupation with violence. at the end of world war i, woodrow wilson envisioned a new world forum. founded at paris peace conference the league of nations was intended to be a new arena for people in countries to hash out their differences. this high minded concept appealed to one young man in particular. >> he showed up at the paris peace conference wanting better treatment for vietnam. he was basically said go away, that is for whit

tom fitzgerald has the story. >> reporter: the president arrived at the vietnam veterans memorial to the strains of hail to the chief. thousands gathered here as they do every year for one singular purpose. >> today is memorial day. >> reporter: the president honored the 58,282 names on the wall who died in vietnam, thanked surviving vietnam veterans for reaching out to today's veterans. >> you cared for those who followed. you made it your mission to make sure today's troops get the respect and support that all too often did you not receive. >> reporter: 2012 marks important milestones for the vietnam war with the 30th anniversary of this memorial. >> we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the vietnam war, a war that occupies a central place in the american story. >> we feel a common resolve on memorial day to pause if only for a moment and to remember. >> reporter: the president's appearance meant changes in security and access, changes that many veterans tell us it made it very difficult if not impossible for them to get into their own memorial. many vietnam veterans said they were

marking the 50th anniversary of the start of the vietnam war. s we wait for the president, i'm joined now by nbc news military analyst, retired general barry mccaffrey, and retired general wesley clark. both of their long military careers include service in vietnam and our thanks to you gentlemen for your service as well as for sharing this memorial day with us. we were talking a little earlier about the wall. 247 feet almost of black granite. on it now, i am told, are inscribed the names of 58,282 mostly men, and some women. and what, what does the wall, what does this day bring to mind for you, general clark? >> i think about all of those people that i know whose names are on that wall. i lost 30 west point classmates there. first classmate we had killed was killed just six months of graduation from west point. we had people killed in every imaginable way. people killed in accidents. people killed in combat. people captured and tortured. people injured with rpgs and shot. a lot of my class, all my class served there. a lot of them came back wou

after the american war in vietnam began. wall, more than 58,000 names of those who didn't come home alive. most of them men, some women. chaplain, two of them among the chaplain who died there, were medal of honor recipients. and one of the speakers, today,

if he didn't continue the struggle in vietnam. he would be seen as betraying the legacy of kennedy. >> what johnson wants most in 1964 is to be elected in his own right as president. he views vietnam as a danger to that goal. he said vietnam is the biggest damn mess i have ever seen. >> oliver: in january 1964 the man who would command the troops william westmoreland arrives in saigon. >> he needs a larger commitment to stabilize the situation. >> do you think it's a mistake to explain? >> i think what the president, it would be wise to say as a little possible. >> the u.s. arrival of the beatles was met with youthful frenzy but in washington, lb objective had bigger things on his mind. it would really foul up his campaign strategy. >> if we're going to stay in there, we haven't done so yet. i'm not sure if it's exactly the right time. >> if you start doing it you will be called a war amonger. >> it was a war that was lost in slow motion. >> despite his growing concern over the affect on his campaign, a covert operation sent asian

you did not receive. >> reporter: 2012 marks important milestones for the vietnam war, 30th anniversary of this memorial is the start of the war itself. >> we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war, a war that occupies a central place, in the american story. >> we all feel a common resolve on memorial day, to pause, if only for a moment, and to remember. >> reporter: the president's appearance this year meant changes in security and access. changes many vietnam veterans tell us made it difficult if not impossible for them to get into their own memorial >> i don't remember this debacle. >> reporter: many said they were unaware of the ticketing and entry rules this year and were disappointed they could not see the president at the vietnam memorial. >> but i came down here to see the president and we can't even see him and hell, that is why he is here >> we can't get any access this there. my other buddy got a bad knee. >> reporter: the memorial did open to the general public after the president left, but many vietnam veterans told us, they felt kept apart from a place, they f

we joined the navy. >> had you heard of vietnam? >> i had heard of it when i was in high school but it was just another country. >> just another country? >> as manyening wills are much like the history, complex and dangerous. >> edwin is professor of history. >> in the mid 19th century catholic missionaries were being persecuted in vietnam and in china and this issue was a part of what brought france into involvement in both vietnam and china. >> french colony of indochina includes cambodiaa, vietnam and laos. thousands migrated to asia in search of wealth. made second class citizens they resisted french occupation with violence. at the end of world war i, woodrow wilson envisioned a new world forum. founded at paris peace conference the league of nations was intended to be a new arena for people in countries to hash out their differences. this high minded concept appealed to one young man in particular. >> he showed up at the paris peace conference wanting better treatment for vietnam. he was basically said go away, that is for whit

. >> reporter: after arlington the president visited the vietnam war memorial. the marks the beginning of 13 year program to honor those who served dooring that controversial conflict. >> this is important for us whether you fought in it or against it, whether you were too young to be shaped by it, it is important that our children understand the sacrifices that were made by our troops in vietnam. >> reporter: the commemoration of the vietnam war will continue until veterans day 2025, which will mark 50 years since the last american troops left, what was then called saigon. at the white house, ed henry, fox news. >>> 2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the vietnam veterans memorial. president obama addressed a crowd during a special ceremony. some veterans say they were not able to attend because of all the extra security. tom fitzgerald joins us. >>> well, we should tell you at the front here this was not a story we went looking for today but didn't take long to hear a good number of vietnam vets were not happy because of all the added security perimetertickettin

for the next 13 years through 2025 to mark the end of the vietnam war. senator john mccain. both men really putting to ticks on the back burner today as they mark this national holiday and those who have be the our country and made the ultimate sacrifice. >> kristen welker at the white house for us, thank you very much. i want to thank you for joining us this memorial day for special extended coverage of the ceremony at the tomb of the unknowns. as you just heard from kristin, we have the president at the vietnam memorial live for you and i will be back in one hour for continuing live coverage, including that visit. for now, let's join "meet the press." ted? phillips' caplets use magnesium, an ingredient that works more naturally with your colon than stimulant laxatives, for effective relief of constipation without cramps. thanks. good morning, students. today we're gonna continue... thanks. put me at 5 timesd out my greater risk of a stroke, my first thoughts were about my wife, and my family. i have the most common type of atrial fibrillation, or afib.

along with the vietnam wall. m college graduations around the country. we will hear from the massachusetts senator john kyl. tomorrow graduate addresses include eric schmidt, from google. next, minnesota rep and formal -- former republican presidential candidate, michele bachmann, in virginia beach, virginia. this is about 20 minutes. >> good morning, congratulations to everyone here today. regent class of 2012, give yourself a han

at the time vietnam was divided into northern south the us supported the government of south vietnam and military intervention intensified after nine hundred sixty five. but the us made strong resistance from guerrilla forces who used dense jungle as their base of operations. defoliant spraying was begun in an effort to deny cover to the guerrillas by eliminating the jungle falling which. as the war escalated the spring of deval eons increased dramatically and much of the land in south vietnam was contaminated and left barren. the defoliant known as agent orange was made from the same chemical substances as herbicides used in the us but it was twenty five times more potent. agent orange also contained dioxin the most toxic chemical ever produced. dioxin remains in the environment for many decades and causes a variety of health problems. several million vietnamese and american soldiers who fought in vietnam were affected by agent orange. their children and grandchildren continue to suffer the affects. dioxin remains in the soil of vietnam today and the land has yet to recover. but my w

in the vietnam war. >> thank you very much kelly. appreciate it. >> it is time for the top 5 at 5:00. top five stories making news tu hour. for the latest on the etan paintballi patz case. people are worried about mental illness. >>> hernandez reportedly stashed the buys body in the refrigerator before he discarded it in the crash. it is unclear how long he kept the little boy's body hidden in his family's home. they are seeing if his description of the basement matches the drawings from 33 years ago. >> the 17-year-old boy dispiered in the ocean off long branch yesterday with rescue crews searching late into the night. his friends saying the boy wasn't that far out when he went under but never came back up. his name is not being released. >>> three family members in stable condition after being rescued from the snow covered mountains in idaho. they stayed there more than 15 hours in a complete white out after surviving a plane crash. one was able to use a cell phone and call 911. they suffered head and back injuries. it is unclear wh

the last u.s. troops, trace, to die in vietnam. america's longest war. e. >> jennifer griffin live for us in washington. thank you. >>> a child is presumed dead after a family's holiday on the water ended with a frantic search. rescue crews say a small boat sank this morning in the columbia river in washington state. onboard a grandfather, a father and his 13-year-old son. a nearby boater raced to pull the older men out of the water, but no sign ever the teenager. dive teams could not locate him either. officials say the teen was not wearing a life preserver. >>> the man who confessed to the decades-old cold case of oton pace patz said he confessed to it. he confessed to a prayer group in the early 1980s. that would have ban few years after six-year-old eton patz vanished in lower manhattan. a leader said he never went to police because the confession was to a group, not to him one-on-one. that case changed how we search for missing children in this country. he was one of the first missing kids featured on a milk carton. he told police last week he strang

and then he heads to the district of columbia and to the vietnam memorial. the events happening today top off a weekend of activities honoring our soldiers, including the wounded warrior project paying tribute to those who made it home but were left with physical and emotional scars of war. >> they took out 90 something tumors in me. i have bipal lore and stuff like that. they don't understand what's happening to us. >> you ride down the street and there are thousands of people cheering you on. it restores your faith in the country when they do that. >> reporter: you feel appreciated? >> yeah, not just for me but everybody that served and some of those that didn't come back. >> reporter: that's our matt jablow speaking to a veteran who was participating in the rolling thunder. this year marked the 25th anniversary of rolling thunder where hundreds of thousands of veterans were riding their motorcycles to honor those who lost their lives. after this morning's visit to arlington national cemetery, the president again as i said will head to the vietnam memorial.

embassy. >> ewith ought nev to end the war like we ended vietnam. >> 4:03 a.m. , two marines, charles mcmahon and darwin judge are killed at the saigon airport. they were the last troops to die in vietnam. america's longest war. jennifer driven, fox news. >> eric: heroes who made it back home joined at a special event and pga players. patriot cup golf tournament has top military players. it has money for scholarship for spouses and dependent of those killed or injured in the line of duty. >> today means more than just a golf tournament, it means we are taking an opportunity to honor people like nathaniel's father who was killed in action and those wounded as well and remembering our troops as they come home. >> not even is celebrating troops on this memorial day. what a tv host said that has him under fire. grapevine is coming up next. >> kim lewis out of kabul, afghanistan. want to send a shout out to my family and my friends in houston, texas. i want you to know i love you and i'll be home before you know it. machine. what ? customers didn't like it. so why do

. >> that's a lesson to be learned from the vietnam war. >> reporter: ricardo is one of her clients. >> i'm still under a program with a vet center. i went back into the pulitzer medic stress classes and i've been through the anger management classes. i still have some ailments. >> reporter: unlike his afghanistan war brothers, hernandez says help was never there for him and when he felt the symptoms, the country called it war fatigue. he is getting help now and supporters say they never want any returning service member to be treated like the vietnam veterans. >> i as a mental health professional never want to see that happen to any of our veterans. >> just rock solid is our commitment to make sure veterans get what they've earned in terms of health care and benefits. [ playing of taps ] >> reporter: a commitment this veteran says he appreciates. so returning service members don't have to fight a war of a different kind here at home. >> reporter: the directser of the san jose vet center says those who suffer from ptsd should also receive the purple heart because they, too, have battl

he will join vice-president joe biden this afternoon at the vietnam veterans memorial if. today's ceremony will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war. >> the national memorial day parade starts at 2:00 today in downtown washington. korean war fighter pilot and u.s. astronaut buzz aldrin will be the honorary marshal. 5:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. that stretch of constitution avenue will be closed along with seven street from constitution to independence. the westbound memorial bridge will also be closed today. >> there was a damper on memorial day events in our area yesterday. organizers canceled the national memorial day concert along the national mall. >> ladies and gentlemen, you heard the capitol police. we do have a severe weather warning. ask that everybody leave in an orderly fashion if. >> halfway through the concert gary sinese told the audience to leave. country singer trace adkins and a rock bands have already performed before the plug was pulled. before the rain, thousands of people gathered on the national mall for the observances. >> jennifer donelan

involvement in the vietnam war. more than 2,000 vietnam veterans and family members of soldiers who died in that war will be there. today's events include a wreath-laying ceremony and moment of silence. ♪ >>> the national memorial day concert ended abruptly because of bad weather. there's a chance that could happen again this afternoon. megan mcgrath is live at the world war ii memorial with more. good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, right now everything is beautiful. we have lovely weather. so the hope is that the early events should be fine in terms of weather. we'll have to watch things as the day progresses. there are preparations for the ceremony that will take place at 8:00 a.m. a special remembrance ceremony here at the world war ii memorial. they'll be laying breathes. there are a number of speakers who will be here, as well. again, honoring those who died. those who served. and there are a number of events at memorial service all over town. a number of events around the region. we're expecting a lo

marking the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war. coming up for you at 7:15, we will go live to arlington national cemetery and bring you up to date on all of the memorial day events. >> of course memorial day also being marked right here in the bay area with one of the biggest events at san francisco's presidio. allie rasmus joins us with more. >> reporter: they are lining the stage here at the national cemetery in the presidio. there's at least 200 to 300 chairs in place for the hundreds of people expected to attend today's memorial day ceremonial. the memorial observance here at the presidio has been going on for 144 years. this is video from last year's event. an area band will lead a million taker procession from lincoln in share -- sheraton. there will be a wreath laying cemetery, a salute and coast guard flyover. military and civilian dignitaries including san francisco mayor will speak this afternoon. the observance comes after a day after large crowds gathered here to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the golden gate bridge.

to visit and personally experience the memorial to veterans of the vietnam war. more than 58,000 names are on the wall at the memorial. >> allen and robert king. robert king, they are both on this. >> mike hamilton is here, too. >> 65-year-old carl huckabee in the wheelchair was severely wounded by a land mine in vietnam when he was finally well enough to get out in the world, he remembers being verbally attacked for being a war veteran. >> first time they asked me, how many people you kill? how did he answer that? >> i don't know. i don't know if he killed anybody or not. >> for many, this was their first ever visit to the vietnam veteran's memorial. the vietnam war was largely a mistake. >> 56,000 people there that didn't need to die. >> ron berg was another first- time visitor to the wall. >> i wouldn't say i'm an antiwar person. we have a reason to go to war at times, but i think that our country needs to be careful and selective in terms of where we use our military and our military power. >> in washington, john hanrahan, fox 5 news. >>> rolling thunder is pl

and this month will begin to mark the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war. n to our shame, our veterans did not always receive the respect and the thanks they deserved. a mistake that must never be repeated. that's where i want to begin today because the story of this medal of honor reminds us of our sacred obligations to all who serve. it was 1999, around memorial day, and a vietnam vote from 101st was at the national archives doing research for an article. and there among the stacks was brought a box and inside he found a file marked the name leslie h. sabo, a proposed citation for the medal of honor, and, so, this vietnam veteran set out to find answers. who was leslie sabo? what did he do? why did he never receive that medal? today, four decades after leslie's sacrifice, we can set the record straight. i spent some time with the brother and sabo appeal and last week was 42 years since he left us. this is a unique story. he was born in europe after world war ii to a family of hungarian refugees and as the iran curtain descended they boarded a boat to ameri

these are live pictures of the vietnam war memorial on the national mall in washington did . the president will be speaking shortly. -- the first couple with vice president biden and defense secretary panetta are marking the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war. [ taps ] >> earlier in the morning president obama laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown at arlington national cemetery. defense secretary panetta said 6400 men and women have died defending our country since september 11th. mr. obama says the country must strive to be a nation worthy of those sacrifices. >> the president: this memorial day, we mark another milestone, for the first time in nine years americans are not fighting and dying in iraq. [ applause ] >> the president: we are winding down the war in afghanistan and our troops will continue to come home. >> the largest memorial day observance in northern california just getting underway in the presidio. katie marzullo joins us live with more. >> reporter: i am at the presidio national ceremony. the procession arrived a few moments ago. as you can see the cerem

c-span: or one particular -- would it be the vietnam story? the world bank story? the ford motor story? >> guest: i almost think the bank story and the epilogue. i think they fit together as a story of a top-down manager trying to make everything happen. and it shows both the hubris and also the compassion and the capacity to do good, which is a big part of what mcnamara was all about. c-span: this book was written by deborah shapley and this is what the cover looks like. the title of it is "promise and power" the life and times of robert mcnamara published by little brown. thank you very much. >> guest: thank you, brian. it was a pleasure. ..

the first u.s. troops went to vietnam. vice members who died in southeast asia we want to take a look back at the war that divided the nation. jennifer griffin is in washington for us now. >> reporter: more than 50,000 u.s. service members killed in 13 years. a cold war era conflict to halt the march of communism in asia. the vietnam war began when president kennedy deployed hundreds of military advisers at the end of 1961. the war escalated to half a million u.s. troops on august 7th 1964 congress passed the gulf of tonkan resolution giving president lyndon johnson blanket authority to defend southeast asia. >> when vietnam started it was a very popular war and most of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who served over there were volunteers, they weren't draft tees. as the war progressed and troop numbers went up more people got drafted, and the demonstrations started. >> reporter: on january 30th, 1968 on the tet holiday the viet congress launched a wave of attacks, the tet offensive across cities in viet number. 3

these are live pictures of the vietnam war memorial on the national mall in washington did . the president will be speaking shortly. -- the first couple with vice president biden and defense secretary panetta are marking the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war. [ taps ] >> earlier in the morning president obama laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown at arlington national cemetery. defense secretary panetta said 6400 men and women have died defending our country since september 11th. mr. obama says the country must strive to be a nation worthy of those sacrifices. >> the president: this memorial day, we mark another milestone, for the first time in nine years americans are not fighting and dying in iraq. [ applause ] >> the president: we are winding down the war in afghanistan and our troops will continue to come home. >> the largest memorial day observance in northern california just getting underway in the presidio. katie marzullo joins us live with more. >> reporter: i am at the presidio national ceremony. the procession arrived a few moments ago. as you can see the cerem

we'll begin to mark the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war. it's another chance to honor those we lost at places like hue, khe sanh, danang and hamburger hill. and we'll be calling on you-the american people-to join us in thanking our vietnam veterans in your communities. even as we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we reaffirm our commitment to care for those who served alongside them-the veterans who came home. this includes our newest generation of veterans, from iraq and afghanistan. we have to serve them and their families as well as they have served us -- by making sure that they get the healthcare and benefits they need, by caring for our wounded warriors and supporting our military families, and by giving veterans the chance to go to college, find a good job, and enjoy the freedom that they risked everything to protect. our men and women in uniform took an oath to defend our country at all costs, and today, as members of the finest military the world has ever known, they uphold that oath with dignity and courage. as president

into the vietnam memorial wall. riders honking their horns and making lots of noise and they are trying to spot specific people in the crowd. and we talked to one guy who is not here because he knows a rider, he is here like many others because he wants to honor a fallen veteran. >> i was in nam in '72 to '73 and went down. nice to see the guys still doing what they need to do so show america we still remember our guys. >> reporter: and shannon, you hear a lot of stories like that. and we talked to people who rode here for days. we spoke to one person who rode here from sacramento, california. it took him ten days. it was raining. now, it is nice out. the organizers say they will keep having this event until all soldiers missing in action and all prisoners of war accounted for. back to you. >> shannon: peter with the latest. we'll check back in. thank you. as you can see there, washington is wilting in the heat today and we are not alone. meteorologist janice dean has the latest on beryl and the heat hitting much of