aircraft. we have two naval carrier battle groups, the enterprise and the lincoln. so that is a step forward, a notch up on coercive diplomacy. however, and i have a great deal of confidence in the secretary of defense panetta but there are only words and to date the iranians have just shrugged their shoulders and said so what. heather: they have basically for 3 1/2 years we talked about increasing these sanctions. doesn't appear to have worked so far. what more do we need to do? >> well i think what we've got to do frankly, is say that they aren't going to do anything until we make the move and we'll probably have to do it. it is getting too late now to use covert means. so i think what we should do is move two wings of f-15s and f-16s into the theater. increase the tanker force, our b-1s and b-52s move them into the theaters and other support aircraft and bet the b-2 which can carry 30,000 massive ordnance penetrator and that can penetrate the 200 foot overhang at kom where they're making 90% enriched-uranium. we'll have to take those steps and move the fors forward if we're serious. heather: back to what happened most recently. iran made clear there will be no suspension of enrichment by iran. that is key demand of a handful of united nations security council resolutions. they will not retreat from rousing the 20% because we need 20% uranium just as much to meet our needs. and iran would start building two nuclear power plants in 2013. so what do you think they're doing with that? why do they need it, in your opinion? >> i think they're delaying us. they intend, they have enough uranium, enriched-uranium at 90% to build five nuclear weapons right now. they are probably doing that right now, heather. all they're doing is stalling for time. the next talks will be in moscow in mid-july. look, we didn't get anything in baghdad on the 23rd of july. let's admit they are not going to deal with us until we close out their nuclear facilities which i think we're going to have to do. we shouldn't put the burden on the israelis. we have the punch. we should do it. heather: thank you very much. on that note we have to end it. we appreciate your insight as always. thank you very much. >> thank you, heather. heather: and to another troubling hot spot, syria. special envoy kofi annan is saying he is horrified by a gruesome weekend massacre there killing more than 100 people in one town including scores of children. the atrocities in syria fueling calls for the u.s. to do more as president obama takes heat for his handling of other hot spots like iran. also pakistan after the country that gets billions of dollars in u.s. aid levels a harsh sentence on a doctor who helped america track down bin laden. in ten minutes stay tuned. ambassador john bolton on the message that the obama administration may be sending to our enemies and our friends. gregg? gregg: we are awaiting president obama's remarks honoring herro itch and sacrifice during the vietnam war, as we mark 50 years since the beginning of that conflict. you're looking at live pictures of the vietnam veterans memorial. the names of the fallen etched in stone forever reminding us of their service and their sacrifice. the vietnam war began when president kennedy deployed hundreds of military advisors at the end of 1961. the war escalated, half a million u.s. troops, on august 7th, 1964. congress passing the gulf of tonken resolution giving president lyndon johnson blanket authority to defend southeast asia. our next guest is a distinguished vietnam veteran. host of war stories and fox news military analyst. colonel north, always a privilege to speak with you especially about this subject. if we may, let's put up a picture of colonel north during his service in vietnam. there you are, young man serving your country. as you look back on that conflict, what should we remember, what did we take away from it? >> we ought to make sure we never end a war like vietnam ever again. number two, we ought never it treat the veterans of a war like we treated those who came back from vietnam. and to a certain extent, gregg, i think we have learned some of those lessons. certainly the latter. one can only hope the current conflict does not end the same way as vietnam with a victory by the enemy. i point out that occurred two years after the last u.s. combat troops had left vietnam but it did occur as a consequence of decisions made here in washington, d.c. when congress cut off all aid to the south vietnamese government. it was a foregone conclusion that the north vietnamese would unify the country under communism. it was just a matter of when. gregg: and they did and an interesting tinge happened. it is still a communist nation. colonel, as you well know. in 2000 though it established diplomatic relations with most of the nations. its economic growth has actually been among the highest in the world. it did introduce, again this is communist nation, there is no democracy but they initiated economic reforms. >> i been back there four times. we did several specials in vietnam right there on the ground where battles were fought and what was very fascinating, gregg, you were up north and we bombed them or down south and we abandoned them. as soon as they figured out our crew was not russian, and we were americans, they embraced us. you eneven heard officials in the south complaining about the government in hanoi for a while. i thought i might be in atlanta listening about somebody complain about washington. yet these were all former members, certainly members of the communist party, in many cases former military officers who fought in the south and governor generals as it were what is now the southern part of one country called vietnam. gregg: yeah. so many lessons to be learned from that. colonel north, you're going to be with us over the course of the next couple hours. many questions to ask you. want your comment what will be happening and of course on the left-hand side of your screen what is happening at the national mall. i sort of defy anybody to go to the vietnam memorial and not weep when you see the many, many names. think of all of the people who lost their lives and their brothers and sisters and parents and family members whose lives were forever changed. so we'll get the president's remarks when it happens and we'll be back to you, colonel north. many thanks. >> thank you. heather: presumptive republican nominee mitt romney set to deliver a memorial day tribute at the veterans museum and memorial center in california. senator john mccain also expected to address the crowd and speak about his own service in the vietnam war. coming up later this hour we'll have a live report on romney's salute to our troops. if you would like to listen to romney's rashes, governor romney, you can listen to him by logging on to foxnews.com. gregg: from a massacre in syria to more sabre-rattling out of iran and pakistan. jailing a doctor who helped america get bin laden. president obama finding himself on the hot seat for his handling of some foreign policy crises. ambassador john bolton will be right here to join us. his impression what is is happening. heather: looking forward to that. plus, gregg, three veterans of d-day going back to the beaches of normandy nearly 70 years later but this time for a new mission. they will share with us why coming up this hour. gregg: on this memorial day america live salutes our servicemembers and veterans. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] the inspiring story of how a shipping giant can befriend a forest may seem like the stuff of fairy tales. but if you take away the faces on the trees... take away the pixie dust. take away the singing animals, and the storybook narrator... [ man ] you're left with more electric trucks. more recycled shipping materials... and a growing number of lower emissions planes... which still makes for a pretty enchanted tale. ♪ la la la [ man ] whoops, forgot one... [ male announcer ] sustainable solutions. fedex. solutions that matter. throughout our entire lives. ♪ one a day men's 50+ is a complete multi-vitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. ♪ it has more of seven antioxidants to support cell health. that's one a day men's 50+ healthy advantage. home protector plus, from liberty mutual insurance, where the costs to both repair your home and replace your possessions are covered. and we don't just cut a check for the depreciated value -- we can actually replace your stuff with an exact or near match. plus, if your home is unfit to live in after an incident, we pay for you to stay somewhere else while it's being repaired. home protectorlus, from liberty mutl insurance. because you never know what lies around the corner. to get a free quote, call... visit a local office, or go to libertymutual.com today. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? gregg: the president facing a stormy situation of his own. his administration seen mounting criticism for its handling of a trio of foreign policy crises, for starters, syria. the chair of the joint chiefs warning new atrocities there could trigger military action. this of course after scores of civilians including women and children, dozens of them, massacred in a syrian town over the weekend. second on the president's radar, defiant iran not only pledging to keep on enriching high-grade uranium but announcing plans for two new power plants next year. also on the president's desk, a, the plight of the doctor sentenced by a pakistani court, 33 years behind bars, for playing a critical role in helping america take out usama bin laden. ambassador john bolton joins us, former u.s. ambassador to the united nations and a fox news contributor. thanks for being with us. senator john mccain over the weekend was pretty stern in his criticism of the president. he said it is a feckless foreign policy and he said that he is abandoned real leadership. in the context of syria, does he have a point? >> well, i think, i think he does have a point. i think the administration has essentially relied on the united nations, kofi annan, the former secretary-general's mediation mission, an effort at sanctions in the security council and it has all come to nothing. the russians, the chinese, have blocked sanctions. kofi annan's cease-fire plan failed utterly. he is back there now. i don't see he will much more success this time. in the absence of the united nations doing anything, which is hardly a surprise, we see the slaughter continue. >> right. >> while people can disagree how to handle syria, just empirical reality demonstrates that the obama policy has failed. gregg: mr. ambassador, russia says they will save us. they will out of bashar al-assad. you're laughing already. i haven't even gotten the question out s that just per boss truss or is he serious? >> the administration analgized the situation in syria to yemen where president saleh was eased out. those two situations are about as different than you can imagine. the critical difference the assad regime is backed by russia. we're seeing in the media reports of new russian weapons systems to the assad regime perhaps paid for by iran, with support of iran. revolutionary guard on the ground, weapons supplied to syria to keep assad in power. as long as russia stands by his side it will be a long and bloody struggle and likely an unsuccessful one. gregg: let me turn to iran. you predicted all the negotiations were nothing more than a charade. have you been proven true? >> well it is certainly coming true very rapidly. iran will not be talked out of its nuclear weapons program. what i worry now more than anything else the administration and our european friends so desperate to find something they can point to and declare it a success we will give away positions we have held for a long time. like iran having to stop all enrichment activities, not just some of them. all of them. if somebody doesn't act soon and i mean militarily, iran will have nuclear weapons. that is coming. it is plain. the choices are very unappetizing at this point. gregg: the defense secretary, you heard him, he says it will never happen. we're not going to allow it to happen. it is that vehemence and determination shared do you think by the president? >> i'll try and be polite about this i don't think the president has the spine to use military force against iran. it is not the place we want to be but the alternatives we face are, one, iran gets nuclear weapons, or two, somebody uses military force to stop it. i think that will have to be israel as long as the obama administration is in office. they don't believe in tehran. they don't believe this administration's threats. gregg: one quick question. is pakistan not only extorting america but running all over us in afghanistan? >> well there's certainly in a very uncooperative phase and this imprisoning the doctor who helped us get bin laden is the only most outrage just in a long series of objectionable behaviors. this is very difficult to manage. for the united states though it is not something we can just throw the pakistanis under the bus and say we're tired of putting up with them. we have got a lot of stake there. this requires sustained presidential involvement. this is what they pay him the big bucks for. there is no evidence the president has done much of anything with respect to the pakistanis. secretary clinton and secretary panetta i'm sure they worked hard. it requires presidential involvement. we have not seen it. gregg: a dangerous world. ambassador john bolton, appreciate it. >> happy memorial day. heather: coming up, switching gears just briefly, a tale of the pop star versus the paparazzi. >> the beebs. heather: what could land him in big trouble, the pop star popping somebody. plus the incredible story of a fallen marine told in his own words. he is bringing comfort to his loved ones and the grateful nation this memorial day. his inspiring story coming up. >> today we remember his life and his words for they speak resoundingly and timelessly for our fallen brothers and sisters in arms. hey, the new guy is loaded with protein! really? 25 grams of protein. what do we have? all four of us, together? 24. he's low fat, too, and has 5 grams of sugars. i'll believe it when i--- [ both ] oooooh... what's shakin'? [ female announcer ] as you get older, protein is an important part of staying active and strong. ensure high protein... fifty percent of your daily value of protein. low fat and five grams of sugars. see? he's a good egg. [ major nutrition ] ensure high protein... ensure! nutrition in charge! heather: welcome back. presumptive republican nominee mitt romney delivering an emotional memorial day tribute in california. a live look for you right now at the ceremony in full swing at the veterans museum and memorial center. today's event comes amid some brand new gallup polling giving romney a wide lead over president obama among u.s. veterans showing if the election were held today, a majority of veterans would vote for governor romney with just 34% support for president obama. chief political correspondent carl cameron is following this live from our d.c. bureau and joins us with more. carl? >> reporter: it is memorial day and traditionly presidential campaigns historically at least haven't begun. normally memorial day is the beginning of summer, folks look to put politics aside and labor day has the aggressive politicking but there is undercurrent of partisanship that is this presidential campaign. you will see governor mitt romney in san diego in just a short time to come out and mark memorial day and will do so with john mccain, former arizona senator and former vietnam war pow and war hero who was the 2008 republican nominee. both in the that campaign and this one, mccain and romney have been very critical of mr. obama's foreign policy and number of decisions mccain just yesterday, very, very critical of the president's inaction regarding syria and a variety of other criticisms. so, the politics goes right on through all of this though they're going to suspend it because of today's tribute. it really started far earlier. recent look at some of the advertising spending suggests they are both campaigns way, way ahead of anything they have ever been and there is huge discussion how they're defining one another so negatively this early, memorial day, not labor day. send it back to you in new york. heather: put politics aside for the day and honor our veterans. thank you very much, carl cameron reporting live for us. by the way if you would like to listen to governor romney's remarks listen to him live by logging on to foxnews.com. gregg: coming up just minutes from now, these three men were part of the daring invasion of normandy that laid the groundwork for victory in world war ii. they will join us live to talk about that fateful day. and why they're returning to the site of that mission more than 65 years later. >> free french and american, the gis in by far the greatest numbers. from over a stretch of 60 miles the battles raged. omaha beach took its place with gettysburg and valley forge in our history. the etrade pro platform. fast. beautiful. totally customizable. finds top performg stocks -- in three clicks. quickly scans the market for new trading ideas. it can even match options strategies to your goals and lets you see the potential risk and reward. and, it also comes with a dedicated elite service team. got it? get it. good. introducing new etrade pro elite. ♪ want to start the day with something heart healthy and delicious? you're a talking bee... honey nut cheerios has whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol. and it tastes good? sure does! right... ♪ wow. delicious, right? yeah. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... ♪ well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. ♪ . >> welcome back. this is memorial day, a look back at one of america's most glorious hours of triumph and sacrifice. [explosions]. >> on that 15-year ago day the beaches of normandy were consecrated by the blood of our heroes. >> today the greatest generation is paying it forward a group of d-day veterans returning to the shores of normandy 68 years later, as part of a contingent of veterans and cadets, the heroes passing along, lessons learned, paying tribute to buddies lost and reminding a new generation of the real price of freedom. joining us now before they head back to normandy, petty officer second class, joseph sheta, u.s. navy private john sapola, and u.s. private first class wilson cold well, army as well. gentlemen, thank you so much. it is such a privilege for us to have you here. thank you so much for dropping by. mr. sheta, you were 18 years old when you arrived at normandy. talk to us about that. >> yes, sir. and we were supposed to be in the invasion on june the 5th but the weather was so bad, it was delayed until june the 6th. and that was also a bad day. and after the first couple of waves that came in, they were isolated and they stopped the invasion temporarily. gregg: is that you? >> yes, sir. that's me. that is when i was young. gregg: you still look young. so they stopped it temporarily and then what? >> and, finally a couple of destroyers went up so close they almost were scraping the bottom and they hit that whole hillside like you could not believe. all you saw was dust. and, later on, a group of soldiers finally broke through and got behind where the germans, had finally, isolate ad bunch of them, the germans, rather, and then they, the army soldiers got off the boats and were able to climb that, a hellside. okay? for you, you came in a different way. you were parachuting in and you were, you were, how old were you? >> i was just 20 years old. gregg: talk to us about landing and what happened? >> on normandy, we jumped at the 1:30 a.m., pitch dark, behind enemy lines. our mission was to parachute behind the enemy lines, do everything possible to keep the germans at bay, to prevent them from getting to the beachhead, to allow them to establish a beachhead on the american side. gregg: and what happened? >> and it was so dark, and the weather was bad and, as a result, we were scattered all over the countryside in normandy. and before we entered the plane they issued us a toy-like cricket, it would click, click, saw movement and couldn't identify who it was at night, you would click twice. if he was a paratrooper he will have had the click and he would click back once. that means, that he would be a friendly soldier. gregg: yeah. how scared were you? >> i was frightened. being a 19-year-old and i was frightened but your adrenaline gets to the point where you forget about being frightened. you're trying it save your life and do your job at the same time. gregg: mr. colewell, you were 16 years old when you parachuted in. talk to us about that. >> just before i left the plane the last words i heard, look to your left, look to your right, one of you will not see daylight. so when i landed i had the little cricket and i found a ditch and i made sure that stayed in the ditch until daylight because i wanted to see daylight. and i was about 20, 25 miles behind enemy lines by mistake because the airplanes were scattered when the ack-ack, from the ground they scattered all over the countryside. like john says, it was scary. 16 years of age, fighting and, my job was to be about a mile from the beach with the 3rd battalion to wipe out, we were told, about 1800 u.s. troops in four hours, told to take in supplies from the ships and took me six days to get back to my unit. i ended up with the 82nd airborne division and there were 17, 18 of us traveled at night to get back up to the beaches with our units. gregg: as you look back on it now and i'm sure you've reflected on it, every year for the rest of your life do you look back and you say, how did we do that? how did i survive? >> yes, sir. you're so right. it is hard to describe it. all you saw was so many bodies that first day, laying around and parts of limbs and every time you made a run, you felt lucky and hoped that you made it out and got another group in there and, anyway you did your job. we had a job to do. gregg: and you kept pushing and pushing forward. >> oh, yeah. we had to. gregg: because -- >> we had to, between the storm, the water was very, very rough and the bombers did not hit the right spots because of the weather was so bad. and the artillery was shot from the sheps. they were overshooting because of the weather was so bad. it was just a bad mess. and thank god that it worked out okay after the three destroys wouldn't have hit that whole hillside like you could not believe. all you saw was dust. and a group of army men went right through the big gully, a wedge like that. and they got behind and, they took out a few pillboxes. and that started it all. gregg: mr. sepuld. a, do you look back and say how did i live and so many died? >> exactly. whenever i watch television, the news and the especially anniversary of normandy or holland and i look and i just say to myself, whatever made me do that? how did i do it? well, we were trained for it. it wasn't that, okay, there's plane, get in there, here's parachute, jump out. we had a lot of training before we even jumped out of an airplane. towers and all that. so we were used to it but i never got over being frightened. gregg: and you, mr. colewell? >> likewise. you're really so frightened you don't know what you're doing. i had a lot of faith and my faith did not allow me to think about being negative often. i had a great christian mother i knew was praying for me. and i always felt that i was going to make it. and like i say, we all, some gave all and it's a great tribute for to us be able to travel back to the hedgerows and the beaches where we were young fellows and look at the headstones and, it brings back a lot of memories and, brings tears to your eyes when you see a hedge row of a 16-year-old friend that you had that was blown to pieces. >> well, gentlemen, you bring tears to my eyes and i tell my children the only reason we are here because of you and some others who never made it back. thank you for saving america. i don't think that's an overstatement at all. thank you so much, gentlemen. >> may i say something else? gregg: yes. >> we would like to thank our allies also in world war ii. we like to thank the corporations that support the greatest generation that made these trips possible for us to go back to the beaches and relive some of the combat days that we had. and we would like for more corporations to step forward and help us because we are a nonprofit organizations located in denver, colorado. gregg: i think we can help you with that. i really do. so we'll try to do that. gentlemen, you're heroes and thank you, and you're very humble bit and thank you very much for sharing your stories. best wishes to you. >> thank you. gregg: heather. heather: thank you so much. i have to say things as well. when mr. scida describes the beaches of normandy as a bad day, that puts all into perspective. that's a bad day. thank you very much. we're awaiting a special tribute at the vietnam veterans memorial as president obama prepares to honor those who fought in that conflict half a century ago. we'll bring it live when it happens alongwith vietnam veteran and fox military analyst, colonel oliver north. stay with news on this memorial day we honor all the soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardsmen and marines who made the ultimate sacrifice in vietnam avoid bad. avoid bad. don't go over 2000... 1200 calories a day. carbs are bad. carbs are good. the story keeps changing. so i'm not listening... to anyone but myself. i know better nutrition when i see it: great grains. great grains cereal starts whole and stays whole. see the seam? more processed flakes look nothing like naturalrains. you can't argue with nutrition you can see. great grains. search great grains and see for yourself. for multi grain flakes tt are anxcellent source of fiber try great grains banana nut crunch and cranberry almond crunch. the economy needs manufacturing. machines, tools, people making stuff. companies have to invest in making things. infrastructure, construction, production. we need it now more than ever. chevron's putting more than $8 billion dollars back in the u.s. economy this year. in pipes, cement, steel, jobs, energy. we need to get the wheels turning. i'm proud of that. making real things... for real. ...that make a real difference. ♪ gregg: it is a day for tribute and reflection across the country as memorial day services, pay whom man to america's fallen heroes and honor those who are still with us. the president also marking 50 years since the beginning of u.s. involvement in the vietnam war. while the conflict remains 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 unaccounted for, whose names are on that wall. 28,278 names on the wall together now. some more added this past week and some were identified and had their designations changed from missing in action to killed in action as a consequence of the work being done by the joint pow-mia accounting command out in hawaii. having now been back to vietnam several times, gregg, over the course of making "war stories" documentaries, it is very clear to me that there are still many people suffering as a consequence of this war that not nearly the mythology been created in large part by hollywood. one of the myths of hollywood and quite frankly some of our colleagues were that most of those who served in combat in vietnam were draftees. in fact about 7% of those who served on the ground and in the air, in the waters off vietnam and in combat were volunteers. a remarkable number of them stood up and said i want to serve. it was not a draft war. it was a draft opposition that grew up on our college campuses. 241 medals of honor awarded during that war which does make one wonder about this long war with 2.4 million already served in it and yet only a handful of medals of honor having been handed out. gregg: and, colonel, i spoke to a vietnam vet yesterday to talked about how when he came home he was told to take off your uniform. don't tell anybody you've been there. it was an embarassment. he was afraid of harrassment. and there was so much of that going on and his brother who became a paraplegic and suffered the rest of his life, finally passed away due his war injuries about seven or eight or nine years ago, and it is just so heart-breaking to think that occurred in our country. >> well, and again, it's the kind of thing where you look at it and say, don't blame the warriors. i agree, there is no such thing as a good war but there are good warriors and we've had a lot of them. like i said 2.7 million of them in vietnam. 2.4 million of them in this now long war. heather: colonel north, we want to pause for a moment because the wreath-laying ceremony is happening as we speak. and we want to pause and listen as this goes on. >> the vietnam women's memorial foundation. american gold star mothers, incorporation. gold star wives of america. military order of the purple heart. vietnam veterans of america. associates of vietnam veterans of america. sons and daughters in touch. national league of pow-mia families. veterans of foreign wars of the u.s.. disabled american veterans. amvets. the american legion. ladies auxiliary to the veterans of foreign wars of the united states. operation freedom bird. verizon veterans advisory board. rolling thunder, washington, d.c.. the 8:00 to 9:00 ptsd class. and washington veterans administration medical center. >> present wreath. ♪ . ♪ . ♪ . ♪ . ♪ . ♪ . ♪ . [applause] heather: as we continue to follow the ceremony for you live we'll go back there when there is some more action going on. right now we want to bring in colonel north again to get a little more reflection. colonel north, earlier you were talking about, the names of over 58,000 americans killed in the conflict etched there in that black granite. share with us, if you can, some of your personal stories of some of your fallen comrades who are on that wall. >> 58,282 names on the wall, either killed or unaccounted for, missing in action. 75,000 others who were severely disabled as a consequence of the war. 23,214 who were 100% disabled, some of whom have youngsters on our scholarship program from freedom alliance. over 5200 who lost their limbs over there. 1081 with multiple amputations. when you look at those casualty figures, you realize when i got to vietnam in 1968 the average rate of mortality each day was 39 killed. now modern technology and the fact that you have fewer guys actually on the battlefield in close engagements has dropped that dramatically for this war but that doesn't mean they're any less brave than those youngsters i was blessed to serve with so far, so long ago in that far away war. heather: average age just 23, 23 years old. >> in fact that is another one of the myths of war that everybody was a teenager. in fact about 61% of those who were killed over there were under the age of 21. there were several hundred who got in under age because they volunteered to do so. 11,465 of those on the wall were less than 20 years of age but the average age was over 22 that is because the officers were all older, obviously. you've got a lot of youngsters out there who stepped up, volunteered. in some cases maybe they saw a draft notice in their mailbox, put it back in and then went out and volunteered to serve but 23 is not a young age. it is about four years younger than those, the average rate of those who are killed, for example, in world war ii. and yet, much larger draft population at the time. when, when you consider that they came literally from every walk of life in america and then when they came home were basically told, don't wear your uniform off base, if you stayed in the service. many of them had to fight very hard to get kind of benefits that they deserved. the va system was not set up to handle them particularly effectively. and when you look at how many of them have been so productive since, it really is astounding. gregg: why is it, colonel, this is gregg jarrett, that so many were shunned when they returned home? in past wars they had been, you know, heroes, that had been honored and respected. but, vietnam was different. why? >> well, two reasons, gregg. one the draft became a very, very divisive issue in this country. i'm sure folks with gray in their temples all remember the enormous protests that occur on the mall here in washington, in front of the pentagon, on college campuses where you had rotc buildings burned. the second was the war ended badly. it is the only war america has ever fought which we lost. now we, the war actually epds two years after the last american combat forces have left the country but everybody remembers those images of helicopters leaving the u.s. embassy in 1975. the flight from the country of over 5 million vietnamese refugees, many of whom ended upcoming to the united states. so the outcome of the war affects how the veterans perceived their own role in it. as well as how the rest of the american people looked at them. and quite frankly even though walter cronkite was credited as being the most truthful man in america, a lot of what happened is the consequence of his erroneous coverage during tet of 1968. gregg: sure. >> te. it was a disaster for the north vietnamese and vietcong. we won it. et. in fact we won all the battlefields, but because the way we were portrayed the american people did not embrace us as we got off the planes coming home. gregg: colonel, books are have been written by many historians and those involved in the conflict. i would like your thoughts what would have happened in the vietnam and the world at large had the united states not intervened in such a substantial way beginning in 1962. would the outcome have been different? >> well, i think you would have ended up with a communist country in southeast asia. you would have found far fewer casualties from anybody. ronald reagan put it best. you can have peace anytime you want. all you have to do is surrender. we had a treaty with republican of vietnam, commonly referred to as south vietnam. we honored that treaty. there are many of us who believed we could have brought about a different outcome in the war, gregg, if we had taken the fight north. throughout the entire campaign, 12 years long, they had a refuge a haven, north vietnam. we never put combat troops on the ground, other than a few raids that were conducted. mostly by nave seals and special operations people. if you had taken the fight to the north, even, ho chi minh and the general said if they had come north, they, the north vietnamese would have lost the war. heather: colonel north, we'll go to ed henry standing by from washington. we're learning more about the president's schedule. we're told he arrived at the vietnam memorial. he is running a tad bit late. ed, from your perspective what do you see happening? ? >> reporter: header this, what the president is trying to do as colonel north has been saying focus the second part of his day on vietnam. we're now marking the 50th anniversary of the start of the vietnam war. some 58,000 americans killed in that conflict and for so many years did not get the respect they deserved in honoring of their service. earlier today the president was at arlington national cemetery laying a wreath. obviously hundreds and hundreds of acres there of gravestones of people serving in so many wars, not just vietnam and iraq and afghanistan in recent years but the president noting a pretty big milestone today, for the first time in nine years americans are not serving and dying today in iraq. it is over 4400 americans died in that conflict, the second longest war in our history now. the longest of course is afghanistan. the president noting that he is trying to wind that war down. obviously over 1900 americans have died in that war. not an easy one to wind down because obviously the president is facing political pressure here at home as to whether or not he is winding it up too quickly. whether or not it has been a mistake to put a timeline in place and let the enemy know exactly when we're pulling out but the president has made very clear, as recently as last weekend in chicago at nato he believes it is time to wind this war up. it has gone on long enough and there needs to be an end date and back and forth with the presumptive republican nominee mitt romney about the president's performance and commander-in-chief. and today to honor the service of so many. >> we are going to take you back to the ceremony that's underway. gregg: here is the joint chiefs chairman dempsey. >> as we gather at the vietnam veterans memorial our fellow citizens are gathering in backyards. at white pines cemetery under montana's big sky a widow pressed a single american flag into the still cold ground just as thee did last year and the year before that and the year before that. whether by the thousands or by ourselves, we all feel a common resolve on memorial day to pause. if only for a moment and to remember. this solemn tradition began in 188 when decoration day was proclaimed by general john logan, commander of the grand army of the republic. since our republic founding nearly 2.5 million of our countrymen and women have in the words of general logan made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes. some of their names are blasted into this granite wall. a wall and a war that some have compared to a scar. but history's temperance allows us to see success where some only saw failure. to see hope where some only saw loss. and to see valor where some simply refused to look. vietnam, its veterans and their families are not something apart from us, they are as fundamental to our national story and as instrumental to our national security as any veteran of any war. the war's 50th anniversary gives us an opportunity to remember and reflect on their story. in the years ahead our military family will join with the rest of the american family to remember, to learn, and to see ourselves with a renewed perspective. right now we can see the names of so many, too many, on the wall before us. these are america's sons and daughters. today their sons, their daughters, and even their grandchildren follow them in their service. my own first personal memory of war was in 1968 when as a 16-year-old dishwasher in a small diner in upstate new york city watched a vietnam veteran get off the bus after his first tour of duty in vietnam to be met by his family. in a time in our history when heroes were hard to find i thought i found one. i had never seen someone so handsome and determined and proud. captain john graham was his name and he is a big part of the reason i went to west point. in 1971 when i was at west point he was returned from his second tour of duty having been killed. i attended that ceremony on a cold day in the winter of 1971. his son is now on the faculty at west point. warrant officer roy thomas was a gunship pilot with the 25th infantry division. he died in battle when his son was 4 months old. his son is an air force colonel on my staff today. john and roy are two examples representative of thousands more who share a bond with their forebearers. whether they serve in iraq, afghanistan or vietnam. there is no difference in their courage and sense of duty. there is no difference when it comes to fear and suffering on the front lines and on the home front. there is no difference in the love and the longing of families. and there is no difference in the wounds that remain both seen and unseen. however, let us resolve today that there will be one essential difference. that we'll never again allow our veterans and their families to be left alone. left to feel somehow outside. left to fend for themselves. and let us resolve today to not just say welcome home, but to truly [applause] ... -- let us resolve to not just say welcome home but truly welcome our troops home with the respect and care they and their families have earned. such resolve is evident in those who joins us today. we can see tonight our president, our first lady, our secretary of veterans affairs and our secretary of defense. i know secretary panetta shares my commitment to keep faith with our military family and keep in touch with the american people. i know he shares my unbounded pride in the men and women who serve and have served in uniform. please join me in welcoming our secretary of defense, threeon panetta. [applause] >> thank you very much, marty, tom. ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, america's veterans. i'm honored to be here today with all of you as we begin the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of america's participation in the vietnam war. memorial day is an appropriate opportunity for all americans to come together, to pay tribute to all those who have fought and died for our country across more than 200 years and on battlefield near and far. america's sons and daughters have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense our liberties. to give us all a better life. at this hour, at this hallowed and haunting memorial, we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war. a war that occupies a central place in the american story. millions of americans were sent across the pacific to a little known place, to fight in the service of their country that they loved. not only at this hour, but at all times, we remember and carry in our hearts the more than 58,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardmen whose names are inscribed on this dark wall for eternity. for me personally this is an especially moving moment. as a member and later chairman of the vietnam era veterans' caucus in the house of representatives i had the honor to work on the endowment of this memorial. to see the names, the soldiers that i served with inscribed on this wall. to see the names of officers who went through rotc with me at santa clara inscribed on this wall. to know my good friend everett alvarez, a hero from this war and a classmate of mine serve with great disnings that war. no memorial better reflects the pain of the sacrifices that were made. many more came home. came home from that war to a country that failed to fully acknowledge their service and their sacrifice and failed to give them the honor they so justly deserved. that experience, that failure to thank those who are willing to put their lives on the line for this country was burned into the soul of my generation. for too many vietman veterans, the recognition of their bravery came too late. the vietnam generation, my generation, is graying now. but this commemoration 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 tribite to a fallen member of that generation, specialist lerks s sable who posthumously received the medal of honor. he died in vietnam saving his brothers and it was those same brothers from the airborne division who campaigned to reopen the medal of honor process for les more than 10 years ago. the story of les in many ways is the story of the vietnam war. we forgot and now we finally remember. next week as secretary of defense will have the opportunity to travel to vietnam to continue strengthening the growing ties our two countries are reestablishing since 1995. we have come a long way since the war has ended. and it was the veterans of vote omaha who led that way for our two nations to begin the process of trying to heal the wounds of war. today the department of defense personnel are working diligently to identify and locate the remains of fallen service members missing in action in vietnam. let me assure you, this sacred mission will continue until all of our troops come home and are accounted for. [applause] it reflects the determination our military and our country that we leave no man or woman behind and to honor those who have honored us with their service, their valor, and their sacrifice. during the last decade of war, like past generations of warriors, another generation has answered the call to fight and to sacrifice on foreign soil. they have done all this country has asked them to do and more. as they have returns from overseas, america with our vietnam veterans front and center in the effort, have embraced this new greatest generation of service members showing that we have learned perhaps the most important lesson to come out of the vietnam war, the debt we owe to those who fight and who die for our freedoms. [applause] the president and mrs. obama have done so much to encourage americans to do more to recognize and support these great patriots. they have led the fight for the men and women who have fought for our nation. as this country faces tough economic times, we must do everything we can to ease the transition of the thousands of service members who will come home from war to civilian life. they fought for us. the least we can do is fight for them. [applause] it's now my honor to introduce one of those soldiers who fought in vietnam. senator chuck haigle. he led an infantry squad in vietnam during the bloody fighting following the tet offensive. like millions of our generation he demonstrated bravery, patriotism and heroism on the battlefield. and he also demonstrated that patriotism and bravery and heroism in the life of public service that has followed. chuck, we thank you for honoring us with your presence today and thank you for your commitment to the united states of america. god bless you. [applause] >> leon, thank you. i'm honored to be among you today. and grateful for an opportunity to say a couple of words before i introduce our special guest this afternoon. this uniquely american day memorial day was born over 140 years ago, america's civil war. our most costly and terrible war. a war thatter to at the heart and fab risk our republic. the next war to divide us, it reflects of i images of the fute as it records the names of the past. they honor and remember those who fell in the service of their country. memorials further instruct us of the spofnt our nation's stewards to make it worthy. war is brutal and always accompanied by unintended consequences and uncontrollables and untree detectivable.. but even so, america's men and women always found higher purpose to their lives and service to their country. i think about the heroes my brother tom and i served with in 1968. i'm proud that my brother tom is sitting in the front row. i never knew nor served with a better soldier or better man than my brother tom. these quiet heroes who we slogged through jungles with, fought side by side with and sometimes helplessly watched die, always considered themselves just ordinary people. but they were far from ordinary. they viewed themselves as ordinary because they were humble. tragically what they received when they returned from a confused and angry nation -- they were blade for the folly that so consumed america for so many years. the vietnam veterans memorial means many things to many people. not only is there deep meaning in connection with our vietnam veterans and their families but so it is with all americans. among the responsibility is the responsibility and honor to assure that these returning veterans are productively integrated back into so side with the appreciation and recognition befitting a great nation as we have painfully learned the tragic lessons from vietnam. society must always separate the war from the warrior. we do not celebrate the vietnam war, we commemorate and historically recognize it. as i said at the ground break on this very site in 1982, there is no glory in war, only suffering. life is always more about the people than the event. events are stages upon which individuals change the world. and today we do celebrate a group of people. we celebrate those individuals who changed our country for the better. our vietnam veterans and their families. we all recognize those assisting our military families today in very special ways. like the first lady michelle obama and dr. joe biden. the character of a nation is always about who it choose to be its leaders and how it respects its veterans. in my lifetime america has not known two more committed leaders to its men and women in uniform and veterans and their families than president obama and vice president biden. here to speak to all of us on this special day when we were all americans is the leader of our country, the 44th president of the united states, obama. [applause] [♪] >> the president of the united states, barack obama, first lady, michelle obama, vice president bind and dr. biden. ["hail to the chief"] [♪] [applause] ♪ o say can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ once so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming ♪ through o'er the ramparts we watched were so gal and gallon d thely streaming ♪ ♪ the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ o say does that star spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ o'er the lands of the free and the home of the brave ♪ >> good afternoon, everybody. chuck, thank you for your words and your friendship and your life of service. veterans of the vietnam war, families, friends, distinguished guests. i know it is hot. but you are here to honor your loved ones and michelle and i could not be more manorred to be here with you. temperature could not be more honored than to be here with you. even now historians cannot agree on precisely when the war began. american advisors who served there and died there as early as the 1950s. major combat operations would not begin until the mid 60s. but if any year in between illustrated the changing nature of our involvement it was 1962. it was january. in saigon. our army pilots strapped on their helmets and board their helicopters. they lifted off, raced over treetops carrying the south vietnamese troops. it was a single raid against an enemy stronghold just a few miles into the jungle, but it was one of america's first major operations in that faraway land. 50 years later we come to this wall with this sacred place to remember. we can step towards the granite wall and reach out, touch a name. today is memorial day when we recall all those who gave everything in the darkness of war so we could stand here in the glory of spring. today begins the 50th commemoration of our war in vietnam. we honor each of those names etched in stone. 58,282 american patriots. we salute all who served with them. we stand with the families who loved them still. for years you have come here to be with them once more. and in the simple things you left behind, your offerings, mementos, gift, we get a glimpse of the lives they lived. the blanket that covered him as a baby, the baseball bat he swung as a boy, a wedding ring, a photo of the grandchild he never met. the boots he wore still caked in mud. the medals she earned still shining. and of course some of the things left here have special meaning not only to the veterans. a can of beer, a packet of m & ms, a container of spam, an old field ration, still good, still awful ... we feel the depth of your sacrifice and we see a piece of our larger american story. our founders in their genius gave us a task. they set out to make a more perfect union. and so it falls to every generation to carry on that work, to keep moving forward to overcome the sometimes painful past, keep striving for our ideals. and one of the most painful chapters in our history was vietnam. most particularly how we treated our troops who served there. you are often blamed for a war you didn't start when you should have been commended for serving your country with valor. you are sometimes blamed for misdeeds of a few. [applause] when the honorable service of the many should have been praised, you came home and sometimes were denigrated when you should have been celebrated. it was a national shame. a disgrace that should have never happened. that's why here today we resolve that it will not happen again. [applause] so a central part of this 50th anniversary will be to tell your story as it should have been told all along. another chance to set the record straight. that's one more way we keep perfecting our union. setting the record straight and it starts today. because history will honor your service, and your names will join a story of service that stretches back two centuries. let us tell the story of a generation of service members, every color, every creed, rich, poor, officer and enlisted who served with just as much patriotism and honor as any before you. let's never forget most of those who served in vietnam did so by choice. so many of you volunteered, your country was at war and you said "send me." that includes our women in vietnam. every one of you a volunteer. [applause] those who were drafted, they, too, went and carried their burden. you served, you did your duty. you persevered through some of the most brutal conditions ever faced by americans in war. the suffocating heat, the drenching monsoon rains, an enemy that would come out of nowhere and vanish just as quickly. through the most intense urban combat in history in battles for a single hill that could rage for weeks. let it be said in those hell holes like briar patch and the zoo and the hanoi hilton, our vietnam pows didn't simply endure. you wrote some of the most incredible stories of bravery in the annals of military history. [applause] as a nation we have long celebrated the courage of our forces at normandy and iwo jima, and heartbreak ridge. so let us also speak of your courage, saigon, from hamburger hill to rolling thunder. all too often it's forgotten you, our troops in vietnam won every major battle you fought in. [applause] when you came how many know many of you put your medals away. tucked them in a drawer or a box in the closet. you went on with your lives, started families and pursued careers. you didn't talk too much about your service. the nation has not always fully appreciated the chapter your lives that came next. so let us also tell a story of a generation that came home and how even though some americans turned their back on you, you never turned your back on america. [applause] generations before you took off the uniform, but you never stopped serving. you became teachers, police officers, nurses. the folks we count on every single day. you became entrepreneurs, running companies and pioneering industries that changed the world. you became leaders and public servants from town halls to capitol hill, lifting up our communities, our states, our nation. you reminded us what it was like to serve, what it meant to serve. those of you who stayed in uniform, you rows through the ranges and become leaders in every service. learned from your experience in vietnam and rebuilt our military into the finest force the world has ever known. [applause] let's remember all those vietnam veterans who came back and served again in iraq and afghanistan. you did not stop serving. [applause] even as you succeed in all these endeavors, you did something more, maybe the most important thing you did, you looked after each other. when your government didn't live up to its responsibilities you spoke out fighting for the care and benefits you had earned an overtime transforming the va. and of course one of these vietnam veterans is now our outstanding secretary of veterans affairs. [applause] you looked after one another. you cared for one another. these people weren't always talking about ptsd, but you understood it. just as importantly you didn't just take care of your own, you cared for those that followed. you made it your mission to make sure today's troops get respect and support that all too often you did not receive. [applause] because of you, because our vietnam veterans led the charge, the post-9h 9/11, g.i. bill is helping returning veterans to go to college and pursue their dreams. when our troops get off the airplanes, you are there to shake their hands. [applause] because of you across america communities have welcomed home our forces from iraq. when our troops return from afghanistan america will give this entire 9/11 generation the welcome home they deserve. that happened in part because of you. [applause] this is the story of our vietnam service members. the story that needs to be told. this is what this 50th anniversary is all about. 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 are calling on all americans in 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 lessons of that war. let us resolve that when america sends our sons and daughters into harm's way we'll always give them a clear mission, we'll always give them a sound strategy, we'll give them the equipment they need to get the job done. we'll have their backs. [applause] we'll resolve that leaders will be candid about the risks and about progress and have a plan to bring our troops home with honor. let us resolve to never forget the cost of war including the terrible loss of innocent civilians, not just in vietnam but in all wars. we know while your sacrifice and service is the definition of glory, war itself is not glorious. we hate war. when we fight we do so to protect ourselves because it's necessary. let's resolve in our democracy we can debate and disagree even in a time of war, but let us never use patriotism as a political sword. patriots can support a war or oppose a war. and whatever our view, let us always stand united in support of our troops who we placed in harm's way. that's our solemn obligation. [applause] let's resolve to take care of our veterans as well as they have taken care of us. not just talk, but actions. not just the first five years after a war, but first five decades. for our vietnam veterans this means disability benefits for diseases connected to agent orange. it means job opportunities and mental healthcare to help you stand tall again. it means ending the tragedy of veterans' hopelessness that every veteran who has fought for america has a home in america. you shouldn't have to fight for a roof over your head when you fought for the country that you love. [applause] and when an american does not come back, including the 1,666 americans still missing from the vietnam war, let us resolve to do everything in our power to bring them home. this our solemn promise to mothers like sarah shay who joins us today. 93 years old, who has honored her son, major doned a shay junior, missing in action for 42 years. sarah, thank you for your courage. god bless you. [applause] it's a promise we are fulfilling today to the maroney family of fayetteville, arkansas. 43 years after he went mission. we can announce army captain virgil maroney iii is coming home and he can finally rest in peace. [applause] some have called this war an era of scar on our country. but here's what i say. as any wound heals, the tissue around it becomes tougher, it becomes stronger than before. in this sense, finally, we might begin to see the true legacy of vietnam. because of vietnam and our veterans we use american power smarter, rehonor our military more, we take care of our veterans better. because of the hard lessons of vietnam, because of you america is stronger than before. [applause] finally on this anniversary and all the years to come, let us remember what binds us as one people. this is important for all of us whether you fought in the vietnam war or fought against it, whether you were too young to be shaped by it. it's important that our children understand the sacrifices that were made by our troops in vietnam. that for them this is more than just a name in the history books. it's important that we know the lesson of a gift once left at this memorial. towards the end of the day and most of the tourists and visitors had depart. there it was, a football helmet with white stripes and a wristband. with them was a handwritten note, it was from a young man still in high school -- this was two decades after vietnam. that high school student was born years after the war had already ended. but in that shorthand written note he captured the reverence, the bond between generations that bring us here today. the letter began, dear vietnam veterans. here are two things from me to you that i think you should have. he explained it was his helmet from midget football and his wristband from his senior year. so today i want to close with the words he wrote. in these two pieces of equipment i was allowed to make mistakes. correct them, grow, and mature as a person. however, that was on my battlefield. you didn't get the chance to do that on your battlefield. some of you are forced to grow up too fast. all of you died too soon. we do have many things in common, though. we both have pride, heart and determination. i'm just sorry you guys had to learn those quality too fast. that's why i'm giving you what i grew up with, you are true heroes, and you will never be forgotten. it's from a high school kid. born decade after the end of the war. and that captures the spirit of this entire country should embrace. veterans, families of the vietnam war. i know the wound of war are slow to heal. you know that better than most. but today we take another step. the task of telling your story continues, the work of perfecting our union goes on. decades from now i hope another young american will visit this place and reach out and touch a name and she'll learn the story of service members. people she never met, who fought a war she never knew. in that moment of understanding and gratitude and of grace, your legacy will endure. for you are all true heroes. and you will all be remembered. may god bless, may god bless your families. may god bless our men and women in uniform, and may god bless these united states of america. [applause] [applause] >> there is a tradition at wall when a new name is added. it is read on memorial day. this year 10 new names were added to the wall. we ask the families of these heros to rise as their loved ones are read. albert cueva. [applause] joseph william hobin. richard carl hunt. richard duane stalker. david mcclean. >> ladies and gentlemen, please rise as the president, first lady and other distinguished leaders take their place at the wall with families of the fallen who represent not only their loved ones, but all who served. suffers, and sacrificed in the name of freedom. noun >> joining the vice president of the united states is mrs. janine rezina, sister of medal of honor recipient. in honor of american prisoners of war. joining the honorable leon panetta is mrs. sarah frances shea in honor of all who remain unaccounted for and to whom we renew our commitment to the fullest possible accounting. joining the honorable ken salazar, secretary of the interior, are grady renville, and travis rememberville. captain convenientville, u.s. army as they honor all who served. joining the honorable secretary of veterans affairs is frank neary, june *. the sons of corporal frank neary in honor of all veterans who bear the wounds of war. joining general martin dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff is dave clinker, brother of mary clinker. in honor of all those who served. joining the chief of staff, united states army is jeannett erly in honor offer soldier who served. the mother of private bruce carter, in honor of every marine who served. joining admiral mark ferguson, stephanie lo berks r, niece of petty officer richard community honor of every sailor who served. joining general phillip breedlove. is the daughter of anthony cameron shine in honor of every member of the air force who served. joining the vice admiral vincent brown, is the brother and the sons of lieutenant jack columbus ritiger and in honor of every member of the coast guard who served. joining general mckinley is bill siler and steven ssiler in honor of the guards who serve. joining the honorable william burns is the wife of joseph gregory fambino in honor of the state department and agencies who served. joining the honorable john picary, deputy secretary of transportation is commander nah hurricanes ll. to honor all who served in the merchant marine. joining mr. jan scruggs is the sister of james gabriel in honor of all special forces. joining major general victor hugo is jenny tran in honor of all who served. [♪] ["amazing grace"] brac ["taps"] [♪] (inaudible lyrics)