Transcripts For KPIX 60 Minutes 20150525

2009. We were there as golf company stood rigid in a mudwalled memorial service. It was the first time the troops had come to grips with the terrible loss signified by seven battlefield crosses. And we wondered, whats become of them . We caught up with them on a field trip, part of their washington reunion. What do they think of their war . Was coming home the homecoming they hoped for . Cooper these heavenly looking South Pacific islands were once known as a forgotten corner of hell. Thats because more than 200 american fighter planes were lost here during world war ii. But its forgotten no more, as Technology Helps discover the wrecked aircraft and respectfully recover the remains of american airmen both on land and underwater. At the end of the game, its not about finding wreck sites. Its about finding the m. I. A. S who. Who are no longer m. I. A. Here at fidelity we give you the most Free Research reports, customizable charts, powerful screening tools and guaranteed 1second trades. And at the center of it all is a surprisingly low price just 7. 95. In fact, fidelity gives you lower trade commissions than schwab, Td Ameritrade and etrade. Im monica santiago of fidelity investments, and low fees and commissions are another reason serious investors are choosing fidelity. Call or click to open your fidelity account today. Why pause a spontaneous moment to take a pill . Or stop to find a bathroom . Cialis for daily use, is approved to treat both erectile dysfunction and the urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently, day or night. Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Do not drink alcohol in excess. Side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. To avoid longterm injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. If you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision or any symptoms of an allergic reaction stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. Ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a free 30tablet trial. Its the final days of the Ford Ecoboost challenge. Here we go last chance to save big on ford, and get our best deals of the season. Fusion is rockin it man. I prefer without a doubt the escape over the crv. What doesnt this truck do . But these great deals end soon so act fast and dont miss out. Do you want to take my tradein right now . Hurry to the final days of the ecoboost challenge. And get a fusion with 0 for 60 plus 1000 bonus cash, plus 750 cash if you own a ford or qualifying competitive vehicle. Allergies distracting you . When your symptoms start. Doctors recommend taking claritin every day of your allergy season. Claritin provides powerful nondrowsy 24hour relief for. Fewer interruptions from the Amazing Things you do. Every day. Live claritin clear. Pelley good evening, im scott pelley. Tonight, during this memorial day weekend, 60 minutes presents war stories. Navigating the end of the longest war in American History is the job of general John Campbell. His mission is making sure that after the u. S. Withdraws from afghanistan, the Afghan Security forces do not go the way of iraq, where territory that was fought over and won by the u. S. At great cost was lost because the Iraqi Military wasnt Strong Enough to hold the enemy back. Could the same thing happen in afghanistan . The u. S. Combat mission officially ended on december 31 last year, but in a sign that the afghans need more time, the u. S. Agreed to still play a limited role on the battlefield. As lara logan first reported in january, under general campbells command, American Forces will fly combat operations for afghan troops when needed, and u. S. Special Operations Forces will continue to hunt down al qaeda with their afghan counterparts. But, after 13 years of fighting, the war as americans have known it is over. Logan americas longest war is being reduced to dust and rubble. You can see it here at Bagram Airfield half the base is gone. Barracks, where soldiers slept torn down. Bunkers bulldozed into piles of sandbags. Equipment and vehicles shipped out at a relentless pace, and close to 300 u. S. Bases shut down to meet the deadlines set by president obama. Much of what is left now belongs to the afghans. John campbell weve been at this for 13 years, been a lot of blood, sweat, tears. But ive seen some good progress, as well. Logan 57yearold John Campbell is one of the youngest fourstar generals in the army and this is his third tour in afghanistan. To show us what billions of dollars in foreign aid has done to make kabul more modern, he flew us over the city just hours after we arrived. This was among the darkest capitals in the world when the u. S. Got here. Now, the ancient city is ablaze with light. Campbell this is a perspective people dont get kabul at night here, the lights. Logan when i came into kabul for the first time with the. The afghan forces, when they took the city from the taliban in 2001, there wasnt a single light. Campbell just take a look at the highway lights. Logan but millions of people across afghanistan are still without power, and the lack of security threatens whatever progress has been made. Last year was the deadliest of the war more than 5,000 Afghan Soldiers and policemen killed. At this memorial down south in kandahar, general campbell paid tribute to some of their fallen. Afghan Major General abdul hamid was at his side. He lost close to 200 of his men this past year. You believe that the Afghan Security forces, particularly the Afghan National army doesnt get the credit it deserves. Campbell its the number one respected institution in afghanistan. Couple years ago, i probably wouldnt have said that, but today it is. Theyve taken this fight on, theyve gotten them through two very, very tough fighting seasons, and the last one, predominantly, all on their own. Logan the Afghan Government cant afford to pay for them. The afghan army, the police, the air force, theyre all paid for by the u. S. And its allies. Casualty rates theyre dying in huge numbers. Unsustainable, according to your deputy. The attrition rates another area of concern. Campbell yeah, i mean, theres challenges. They know that the army they have today probably will not be the size several years from now. They just cant afford that. The casualties you brought up, you have to take a look and put that in context. So, in fighting season 14, their operational tempo was at least four times greater, so you expect probably casualties to go up a little bit. Logan leading the fight, afghanistans elite special operations units. The Defense Department released this video, which shows afghan commandos on a nighttime clearing operation. At the height of the fighting season this past summer, they carried out over 150 missions every month. Eight years ago, these forces didnt exist. General campbell flew us out to their main training facility, in the high desert on the southern edge of kabul, where they allowed us a rare opportunity to see some of these soldiers up close. They have their own wing of specialized pilots, and on this training exercise, the afghan commandos showed how they would assault an enemy compound. While they operate mostly on their own, they still rely heavily on the u. S. In areas like intelligence and logistics. And there are fears over what will happen when the americans withdraw, heightened by the collapse of u. S. Trained forces in iraq. Campbell there is a lot more talk from many of the Senior Leaders i deal with on the. On the Afghan Security forces about iraq and syria, and whats going on, and saying, hey the Coalition Left iraq, and a couple years later, look what happened. Dont let that happen to us here in afghanistan. Logan the u. S. Significantly underestimated the risks of withdrawing completely from iraq. Do you face any of the same risks here . Campbell the fundamental difference is that the Senior Leadership, both on the military side and in the government, want the coalition. They want the u. S. To stay here. Logan but do we share any of the same risks . Campbell therell still continue to be threats in afghanistan that will try to dictate that is it not stable, so absolutely. Logan general campbell has to weigh those risks against his orders to end this war for americans. Here, he was pinning medals on some of the soldiers he was sending home. Under president obamas mandate, u. S. Troops are now down to about 10,000. And in december 2016, the u. S. Mission is supposed to be over. Youre operating on the president s timeline here. How much wiggle room do you have . Campbell as any commander gets on the ground, he has to make an assessment, and then provide his best military advice with Senior Leadership. So im constantly making those assessments. Logan so you dont feel boxed in . Campbell well, i. I feel like. You know, im a four star general im not sure what you mean by boxed in. If it. If it means boxed in on the number of people i can have here and the timeline im on again, if the. If the Administration Just wanted somebody to come here and say, hey, youre not going to make any changes, youre going to do x, then they wouldnt need a leader that had the experience. They wouldnt have picked me. Ashraf ghani deadlines concentrate the mind. But deadlines should not be dogmas. Logan ashraf ghani is the new president of afghanistan, a former World Bank Official who has spent much of his life in the u. S. Ghani if both parties, or, in this case, multiple partners, have done their best to achieve the objectives, and progress is very real, then there should be willingness to reexamine a deadline. Logan did you tell president obama that . Ghani president obama knows me. We dont need to. To tell each other. Logan it took a firm hand from the u. S. To get president ghani and his chief political rival, dr. Abdullah abdullah, to share power after a bitter dispute over fraud in the president ial election. Its general campbells job to stay close to both men. Hes now invited to attend their National Security Council Meetings here in the palace, and says the new government is on the offensive. In our interview, president ghani had strong words for the nations enemies. Ghani do not ever threaten an afghan with violence. We will rise as one, and we will face every threat the way we have taken on thousands of previous armies and conquerors. This is the moment of destiny. Work with us to transform asia. But should you threaten our existence, everybody will be destroyed, not just us. Logan you say that with a smile at the end. Ghani well, because i want to make sure people understand who they are dealing with. Logan who are they dealing with . Ghani the bones of my ancestors guide us. This country was not the gift of anyone. It is the results of millions of people sacrificing. What did we have . Our bare hands. Logan one of president ghanis Biggest Challenges is something John Campbell has dealt with before. When we first visited him here four and a half years ago, he was in charge of eastern afghanistan, which borders pakistan. During that visit in 2010, we were caught in an ambush with his troops along the frontier. gunshots . A routine event for u. S. Soldiers who faced the Impossible Task of fighting an enemy that flowed freely from its safe havens in pakistan. Weve had this conversation before 2010, when you were division commander. Campbell three hours, you made me talk about pakistan. Logan and nothing has changed on the battlefield. In fact, the pentagon, in their most recent report on afghanistan, said that, the resiliency of the afghan insurgency continues to depend on sanctuary in pakistan. Campbell well, everybodys been frustrated with pakistan. Afghanistan has been frustrated. Pakistanis have been frustrated with afghanistan. But ive seen change here just in the last couple of weeks with engagement with the Senior Leadership. Logan lets look at what hasnt changed in 13 years. The pentagon, in their most recent report, said that pakistan is continuing to provide sanctuary to americas most lethal enemies in afghanistan, the haqqani network, which they describe as the most potent strain of the insurgency, the greatest risk to u. S. And coalition forces. Campbell yeah, i agree with. I agree with you. Haqqani, you brought up. Theyve been the greatest threat to the coalition. Ive lost many soldiers because of haqqani members. Am i frustrated because they come in afghanistan, they go into pakistan . Of course, i am. Logan the pakistanis protect their leadership. They allow them to recruit. They allow them to rest. Campbell i agree. You know, im not going to tell you that im a friend of haqqani here and that pakistan is not providing them sanctuary. They are. Weve known that for years. Ghani well either sink together or swim together. Weve both become mutually vulnerable, and we both need to understand that stability in one isnt conceivable without the stability in the other. Logan can you understand the skepticism, though, given pakistans actions here . Ghani skepticism is part of your job. The job of an elected president is to overcome the past and change the playing field. My people are bleeding. It is precisely because of that that i need to make sure that peace comes. Logan but in remote parts of the country, like these mountains in kunar province, president ghanis enemies are entrenched. We asked a local journalist to meet up with the taliban fighters there. The u. S. Ceded this ground to them when american soldiers were pulled out of here. This man, who goes by the name qari abdullah, claimed to command 150 taliban fighters. He said, we will fight against democracy, wherever it is. And he used this interview as an opportunity to pledge support for the Islamic State, which has threatened to move into afghanistan. May we be united to spread our ideology throughout the world, he said. Are you concerned about the rise of the Islamic State and what threat that could pose here . Ghani yes. Yes. Because the past has shown us that threats, that networks change their form. Logan but their ideology hasnt changed. Ghani their ideology gets more radical. Logan how concerned are you about that threat . Campbell there have been incidents of recruiting, of night letter drops that talked about different parts of the country. So, theyre concerned. If theyre concerned, im concerned about that. But i think, with the military they have here, with the conditions that are set, this. Again, this is not iraq. I dont see isis, isil coming into afghanistan like they did into iraq. The Afghan Security forces would not allow that. Logan as general campbell transforms Americas Mission theres no Peace Agreement with the enemy, no decisive military victory, and no end to the war in sight. His challenge is making sure the soldiers he brings home do not have to go back. The u. S. Came to afghanistan after 9 11 to defeat al qaeda. 13 years later, as the u. S. Leaves, al qaeda is still here. Campbell whats the question . Logan thats the question. Campbell are they still here . Are there small pockets . Are there leadership that we continue to go after and a network that supports them . Of course. Are they at a level that they can continue to attack and plan for the United States . Were doing everything we can today to make sure they dont have that capacity. But i think were going to have to keep continued pressure on that. Once you take that pressure off, its only a matter of time before they continue to build that back up. So thats why its so important that we do build upon the afghan capacity to keep that pressure on. If we get to a point where i think that their capability cant do that and theyre still a threat to the United States, then ill make sure my Senior Leadership understands that. Cbs update brought to you in start by conspiracy, spiriva. Good evening, greece will not be able to make its 1. 8 billion debt payment next month. 11 auto makers this week are expected reveal which models are part of the extended air bag recall. And a pair of ubari melons sold for more than 12,000 in japan. I am jeff glor, cbs news. When youre not confident you have complete visibility into your business, it can quickly become the only thing you think about. Thats where at t can help. With Innovative Solutions that connect machines and people. To keep your internet of things insync, in realtime. Leaving you free to focus on what matters most. Take me into your darkest hour and ill never desert you ill stand by you yeaaaah yeah. So thats our Loyalty Program. Youre automatically enrolled, and the longer you stay, the more rewards you get. Great oh ill stand by you wont let nobody hurt you isnt there a simpler way to explain the Loyalty Program . Yes. Standing by you from day one. Now, thats progressive. Advanced design makes it easy to protect your dog or cat from fleas and ticks. Discover seresto. With the performance you expect from topicals in a nongreasy collar seresto provides protection against fleas and ticks for 8 months. Seresto. Fact when pharmacists are in pain the medicine in advil is their 1 choice for pain relief. More than the medicines in tylenol or aleve. Use the medicine that pharmacists use most for themselves. Relief doesnt get any better than this. Advil. Pelley two and a half million americans served in iraq and afghanistan. And we wondered whats become of them long after they cut down the yellow ribbons and the camo went into hiding in the back of the closet . What do they think of their war . Was coming home the homecoming they hoped for . As we first told you in march, we recently joined an annual reunion of men that we first met five years ago. It was back in 2009 that golf company, second battalion of the eighth marines, was taking the highest casualties on afghanistans most lethal battlefield. When we met them again last summer in washington, we found that their searing experience had made them brothers in war and peace. We caught up with them on a field trip, part of their washington reunion. They fell in without uniforms, weapons, or the passing of years. Theyre mostly civilians now gathered in one place they could be together, the place they could say things that had been left unsaid or deliver news of the last five years. Golf companys Lance Corporal burrow and lieutenant bourgeois were enlisted in the ranks of Arlington National cemetery, each stone arch, a gateway through time. Robert pullen Lance Corporal jonathan f. Straud Lance Corporal gregory a. Posey. Pelley this was september 2009. We were there as golf company stood rigid in a mudwalled memorial service. It was the first time the troops had come to grips with the terrible loss signified by seven battlefield crosses. First Sergeant Robert pullen called the roll of the dead. Pullen . Lance Corporal Patrick w. Shimell Lance Corporal dennis j. Burrow, Lance Corporal Javier Olvera Lance Corporal david r. Hall. Pelley the seven marines had died fighting to clear and hold the taliban heartland, exhausting months negotiating around land mines and skeptical elders. Back then, their orders were to use restraint. And Corporal Jonathan quiceno told us what he thought of that. Jonathan quiceno it sucks. I dont know another word to say it. It sucks, because all you want to do is get that guy, just get them, you know, for revenge. Pelley revenge for the death of his friend nick xiarhos, who was killed in 2009 by a roadside bomb. Five years later, quiceno had used his Veterans Benefits for college, and now hes selling retirement plans for lincoln financial outside philadelphia. He moved on, but he never let go of xiarhos. Quiceno its because of people like him that i want to continue to push harder in life and succeed, because its. Its the good ones that pass. And i cant let that be in vain. It drives me, it motivates me. Pelley is there anything that you miss about afghanistan and the marine corps . Quiceno absolutely the brotherhood. Theres no question about that. You miss the. The sense of purpose, right . You had a mission. You felt accomplished with everything that you do, even at a young age. I think, when you transition into the real world, you have to find out what your mission is. Pelley you know, a lot of people would think you would try to forget afghanistan, and it seems to me youre trying to remember it. Quiceno i dont want to put it behind me. I want it to be real in everything that i do because it gives me something to live for gives me something to stand for. Rory hammill i loved the camaraderie and everything that came along with it. Pelley theres nothing like it. Hammill nothing. Havent found anything like it. Pelley golf companys rory hamill was so dedicated to the camaraderie, he went back to afghanistan for another tour in 2011. Hammill i suppose it was to try and get back at the guys that killed my brothers. Pelley tell me about the day you were wounded. Hammill came across a local national who gave us some intelligence on the ground that there was an i. E. D. In a compound next to his house. I took the minesweeper off my point mans back and i jokingly said, see you on the other side. I got about threequarters of the compound swept, and then i stepped on a low metallic pressure plate. And my leg was instantly sheared off. I remember it seemed very surreal. My vision went gray, a lot of ringing, dust every where. Pelley when the dust settled, his right leg was gone, half way up the thigh. At walter reed medical center, president obama brought him an honor. Hamill he awarded me with a purple heart. It was amazing. It was an amazing experience. Pelley you mustve been in a pretty dark place otherwise. Hammill oh, yeah. The first two weeks, lot of the thoughts going through my head were, why didnt i die . What am i going to do now with my life . Pelley were there times you wished you hadnt survived . Hammill yeah. I was contemplating taking my own life. But sitting and thinking about it, realizing that i have children that depend on me, i knew that was not the right course of action. Pelley urged onto a different course by his father hamill pressed through counseling and physical therapy. Hes found work managing logistics in a navy program for wounded warriors. Having been through everything youve been through, would you do it again . Hammill in a heartbeat. It made me the man i am today. Christian cabannis whether they like it or not, i still feel responsible, you know, for them. Pelley theyre still your marines . Cabannis they always will be. Pelley golfs Battalion Commander was Lieutenant Colonel christian cabannis. Cabannis in this summer of decision in afghanistan in 2009, you are going to change history, living the dream one minute at a time. Pelley today, hes colonel cabannis, and he joined this reunion. Why do you think some of the marines are still struggling after theyve come home, after five years . Cabannis i think, in some ways, we all do when we come back. Its because were trying to put that experience into perspective. I joked i am never more popular coming home from a deployment than right before the bus door opens. Supermans coming, supermans coming, supermans coming, the door opens and oh, its just him. And they expect you to fall back into those roles husband father, brother, nephew, cousin, uncle, as if nothing changed. Dan ohara there were definitely times when i questioned what we were doing over there. Pelley five years ago, dan ohara was a fresh Second Lieutenant leading his first combat platoon. Whats the biggest threat to your marines . Ohara the biggest threat would be the improvised explosive devices. Pelley he told us, then, that he joined the marines because he didnt want to regret not serving. It turned out, we met on what would be his worst day. Ohara we should be good pushing up through here until we get near that i. E. D. Site. Pelley it was a mission to defuse a landmine, and it went exactly according to plan. But on the way back, Lance Corporal david hall detonated a second bomb. And the next day, ohara tried to give meaning to halls death. Ohara just understand were doing the right things were doing good work, were making a difference here, were here fighting for the people of afghanistan, were here ultimately fighting for our country. Should we have been in afghanistan . I dont know. Maybe the answers yes, maybe its no. And so, when i run into people who say, tell me about afghanistan. What were our goals there . Should we have been there . I think im in the same boat where i would say, you know, to be honest with you, i dont know. Pelley after two tours and a lot of questions, oharas been recruited into general electrics program for returning vets. Hes a project manager for g. E. Oil and gas. And sometimes, he thinks about running for office. Ohara i had done what i wanted to do in the marine corps. I could say i deployed twice in the defense of my nation, so that was something i was proud of. Theres certainly part of you that says, im glad that thats over with. Pelley goodbye to all that. Ohara yeah. Goodbye to afghanistan. I wont be seeing you again. Devin jones those images are burned in your head, man. They never go away. They never go away. Pelley afghanistan did not leave golf companys devin jones. Like many others, jones brought the war home. Jones it was rough. I didnt do anything during the day. I moved at night and that was it. Pelley the anxiety of post Traumatic Stress left him isolated and jobless. Jones youre getting closer to closer to being on the streets. Youre getting eviction notices. Youre getting those and youre just like, man, this is bad. Pelley did you lose the apartment . Jones yeah. I ended up losing it. I ended up. Pelley whered you go . Jones for a little while, i stayed in my storage unit. Pelley you were living in a storage unit . Jones yeah. Yeah, staying in the storage unit. Pelley why arent you reaching out for help . Jones i felt like a complete idiot, like, a complete failure. I went from being a very proud combat, you know, veteran to just. To another, you know percentage of the homeless vets. Its so much easier to give up. You go from having a job, stable job, having everyone that cares about you around you 24 7 to being alone, broke, eating saltine crackers living in a storage unit. Who wouldnt want to die . Pelley but what torments jones is that he isnt alone. There is the persistent presence of his friend, dennis burrow. After burrow was killed by a landmine, golf company put his name on a combat outpost so he wouldnt be forgotten, but it turns out that isnt the problem the dead are immortal in the mind. Were you there when burrow died . Jones yes. Yes, i was. Pelley what happened . Jones im not sure if i really want to go into detail on that too much, you know . Im not. I dont want to be the person that. That the family hears that from, if they dont already know, you know . Its not easy to think about that day, because. That was a pretty rough day. Sorry. Pelley im sorry that its so hard to remember that. Jones its all right. Pelley youre still looking out for burrow. Jones yeah. You never stop looking out for your team. Your teams everything. Ive had nightmares where ive just been sitting there just staring at him. Pelley did you sometimes think youd like to trade places . Jones every day. Every single day. How do i deserve to be here . Its been a long time, bud. Miss you, dude. Dont know else to really say just look after us, look after you know, everybody else, man. So im thinking about you, bud. Pelley the men do look after one another. Phone calls at 3 00 a. M. To be reminded that what got them through combat will get them through whatever theyre fighting now. There is a bond that only a vet can know, that does not loosen with time. Where do you think these marines will be five years from now . Cabannis what i really hope is, you know, five years from now, theyre still coming together to see each other, to talk to each other. And theyre talking about their kids and the things that are going on in their lives, so that theyve been able to put that experience in perspective and use it as a foundation. Because ive said that these kids are our next greatest generation, but not necessarily because of what they did on the battlefield. Its going to be because of what they did when they got home. And now a cbs sports update brought to you by lyrica. At the crown plaza invitational, at colonial in fort worth, chris kirk shot a final round 66 to win a pga tour event for the fourth time, jordan speith, and bon tied for second, Juan Pablo Montoya won the indianapolis 500 for the second time in his career, holding off willpower in the final lambs, for more sports news information go to cbssports. Com, jim nance reporting from fort worth, texas. That moving more helps ease fibromyalgia pain. He also prescribed lyrica. For some patients, lyrica significantly relieves fibromyalgia pain and improves physical function. With less pain, i feel better. Lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. Tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression or unusual changes in mood or behavior. Or swelling, trouble breathing rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling or blurry vision. Common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. Dont drink alcohol while taking lyrica. Dont drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. Those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. Fibromyalgia may have changed things. But with less pain, im still a doer. Ask your doctor about lyrica. Did you know only 1 of supplements have earned the usp mark. An independent certification for quality and purity . I recommend nature made because theyve earned the most of any brand. Nature made. The number 1 pharmacist recommended fish oil brand. Arent you Christen Press . Thats me. Great to see you off the soccer field. Whats that sunscreen . Its coppertone clearly sheer. Lightweight, breathable protection. Your skin looks amazing not greasy. Try it. Heads up show off. I heard that coppertone clearly sheer. We live in a pick and choose world. Choose choose choose. But at bedtime . Why settle for this . Enter sleep number. Dont miss the memorial day special Edition Mattress with sleepiq technology. Sleepiq tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. You like the bed soft. Hes more hardcore. So your sleep goes from good to great to wow only at a sleep number store. Save 500 on the memorial day special Edition Mattress with sleepiq, plus 36month special financing. Ends monday know better sleep with sleep number. New flonase allergy relief nasal spray. 24 hour relief that outperforms a leading allergy pill. Most allergy pills only control one inflammatory substance flonase controls six. Seize the day and the night. New flonase. 6 is greater than 1. This changes everything. Pelley more than 400,000 americans died fighting in the Second World War. Adding to the heartache of that staggering loss, nearly one in five of those killed was declared missing in action. To this day, the families of some 73,000 unaccountedfor servicemen have lived with the mystery of how they died, and have been deprived of the comfort that comes from a burial. At the end of the war, the technology didnt exist to find and identify many of the missing, but today, it does. As Anderson Cooper reported in november, this is the remarkable story of a group of volunteers who spend their own time and money quietly searching for these long lost servicemen remarkable because of what theyve discovered in recent years. They are doing it, they say, for the fallen, and focus on palau a Pacific Island nation that saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war 70 years ago, a place that some pilots called a forgotten corner of hell. Cooper fly today over palaus 586 small islands and miles of barrier reefs, and youll see no sign of the carnage that once occurred here. But beneath the jungle canopy, you can still find the rusted ruins of japanese antiaircraft guns, and in the clear blue water, a graveyard of planes and the men who flew them. As the Second World War raged in the pacific, the islands of palau were teeming with japanese soldiers, and under attack by american planes. The skies overhead were filled with hellcats, corsairs, avengers and b24 liberators. On september 1, 1944, this b24, number 453, and its crew took off on a bombing mission. Announcer a liberator is hit cooper 453, like the b24 in this newsreel, was shot out of the sky and disappeared into the sea. It was one of more than 200 american planes lost over palau during the war. Announcer our Pacific Island warfare is not cheap. Pat scannon this was a tough place. This was no pushover. There was as much antiaircraft fire available in this part of the pacific as anything that was over tokyo. Cooper today, dr. Pat scannon leads a group of volunteers that look for the wreckage of american warplanes and the missing airmen who flew them, including 453 and its crew of 11. They call themselves the bent prop project; many have military backgrounds. With permission from the palauan government, they come every year, paying their own expenses, to search in the sea and on land. Scannon i think thats what took my breath away when i saw that star and bar. Cooper when scannons team finds the remains of americans they inform the u. S. Military, whose job it is to recover and identify the missing airmen. It all started when scannon was vacationing in palau 20 years ago and came across the wing of a b24 with its propeller sticking out of the water at low tide. The bent prop gave the group its name. Did it surprise you that it was still there . Scannon oh, absolutely. Cooper that moment you saw that, what did you think . Scannon i think somebody died there. Cooper the wing and engine of the b24 scannon found in 1993 are still here, the propeller undisturbed in a few feet of water. Scannon says he hasnt been the same since he first found it. Scannon it was one of those special moments in life where, from one step to the next, i. I knew i had to know what went on. It just was wrong to me that this wing is sitting here and nobody knows anything about it. Cooper finding the answers rarely comes easily or quickly. Scannons team spent ten years looking for 453, acting on hunches and old battlefield reports. But it wasnt until 2004 and a tip from a local fisherman that they finally found the wreckage. Thats the tail section of the plane. It was about a mile away from where theyd been searching all those years. Scannon a mile away underwater is. You might as well be on the moon. We spent years doing grid searches in the area that we thought it was. Cooper just methodically square by square, underwater. Scannon square by square underwater. Because we knew it had to be here. We. You know. You know, a b24 is a big thing. And you know, at least on the map, these waters dont look that big. So how hard could it be . At least thats what we thought. Well, it turns out, its hard. Cooper we went to 453 to dive with pat scannon and his team. The site is now protected by the palauan government. When you first enter the water its only a few seconds before you see the first signs of the plane. The plane impacted, and as it hit the water. And thats why its now laying in sections. At first, you might mistake it for coral. In fact, coral has been growing over it. And over here, you can see the propeller. Scannon at the end of the game, its not about finding aluminum. Its not about finding wreck sites. Its about finding the m. I. A. S who. Who are no longer m. I. A. Cooper the remains of eight crew members were found at this site, and later recovered and identified by the u. S. Military. One of the men was jimmy doyle a 25yearold texan who was 453s nose gunner. You can still see the turret where he was sitting when the plane crashed and where his remains were found. That diver, pausing in the spot, is jimmy doyles grandson, casey doyle, an active duty marine who now volunteers with the bent prop project. Casey doyle just to know where the last few moments of his life were is a very special time, and to see that down there, and theres probably still a little physically. A little bit of him and the rest of the crew still down there, so its an incredibly powerful and special place for me. Cooper until bent prop found the wreckage, jimmy doyles family didnt talk much about him. Some family members actually believed he survived the war and started a new life. What did people say about your grandfather . Doyle theres a whole generation of people in my family that just did not speak of this because of. Of the unknown. Scannon you can tell a family that their loved one is missing, or that their loved ones were captured and were p. O. W. S. But i swear to goodness, i have talked to families who really believe that grandpa somehow made it out, was saved by the natives and had amnesia, and was living on an island being taken care of by young native girls. And hes. Cooper and families really believe that. Scannon i. I have heard it. Cooper why would people think that . Scannon i think it comes with the hope that someone missing may show up. Cooper jimmy doyle finally returned home with seven of his crew members in 2010, 65 years after their plane was shot out of the sky. A memorial was held in Arlington National cemetery, where some of the men were buried. Pat scannon was invited to attend. What was that like to. To be at arlington . Scannon i was. I felt that my job on that plane was done. And i actually. I stepped back and watched the ceremony from a ways off. And it was extremely emotional. Cooper youre emotional just thinking about it . Scannon yeah. Its. I think about it a lot actually. Cooper whats the emotion for you . Scannon happiness, that they know whats. What happened. Cooper but not everyone from 453 has come home. Just after the plane was hit three crew members parachuted out, including 22yearold art schumacher. All three were quickly captured by the japanese, and according to witnesses, taken to a camp in the jungle and executed. The bent prop team is still looking for their remains, but searching on land is no easier than in the ocean. Pat scannon has tried to pinpoint the location of the graves by traveling to japan to interview former japanese soldiers stationed in palau. And hes tracked down palauans who say they saw the men just before they were captured. Scannon so you saw the parachutes . Yeah. Scannon do you know how many . Well, i saw like three, i think. Cooper one palauan drew a map in the dirt showing where he believed the prisoners were executed. Using that information, the bent prop team has identified two spots in the jungle where they think as many as a dozen americans were killed. We were with them when they started digging. The red sticks are where buried pieces of metal were detected probably fragments of munitions, but perhaps a prisoners button or zipper. The chance of finding art schumacher and the others on the first dig may be small, but schumachers niece jo has flown here from washington. What would it mean to find your uncle . Jo well, gosh, we could bring him home. We could bring him home to family. And we can do a proper burial, we can honor them. And they gave their lives for the country. Cooper scannons team has found debris from at least 30 american planes over the past 20 years. In addition to the eight airmen recovered from 453, bent props other discoveries could lead to the return of 19 more m. I. A. S from palau. But many planes crashed in far less accessible parts of the ocean and dense jungle, and their crews never found. Do you know how Many Americans are still missing here . Scannon we think its somewhere between 70, 80 american. American airmen crashed in this area. The real question is how many crashed inside the barrier reef. Inside the barrier reef means we can possibly find them. Cooper why . Because outside. . Scannon its 2,000 feet deep. Cooper in 2005, scannons team found this wing of a t. B. M. Avenger in the jungle. They believe the rest of the plane is in the water nearby and theyve been searching for it the past nine years. Scannon weve never been able to find the fuselage, so somewhere out here theres a fuselage with. Possibly, with two m. I. A. S on it. Cooper to find the avenger bent prop has now been joined by a team from the Scripps Institution of oceanography and the university of delaware. They bring High Technology to the hunt. This research torpedo called remus can scan large areas of ocean with sonar. Eric terrill leads the effort. Eric terrill we ran the remus a few hours off of the mangroves here and found a couple of targets. Drop down, get some visuals on the targets. Scannon if theres a place it ought to be, its right here. Cooper terrill leads the way with a handheld sonar device and is the first to come across debris, including part of the planes tail. When the sonar shows signs of something ahead, he turns around to get pat scannon. Scannon he comes swimming up to me, grabs my hand, and practically yanks my arm off. And so i figured he probably knows something. And this gray hulk becomes an airplane. And theres a Big Propeller right there. You get misty, i got misty underwater. You know, i s. You know, maybe this isnt such a good thing to do underwater, you know . But, you know, it. I couldnt help it. It was very emotional. And when you put your finger on the plane, its real. And thats what we did, and. Cooper you touch it . Scannon you touch it, and. Cooper why . Scannon i dont know. You know, science is about facts. I mean, my eyes saw it, you know . I mean, so fact was it was there. But touching it, you know, just gave it a sense of finality. We all knew the. What this was and what it meant. Cooper there are americans down there . Scannon there are americans down there. The families dont even know yet. And its. Its not that im wanting to keep a secret, but we also. Until the remains are properly identified, we dont want to hold out false hope. Cooper to get proper identification, bent prop notifies the u. S. Military of the discovery, but the actual recovery and identification of remains by the military can take years. Scannon this plane was shot down over this area the fourth of may, 1945. Cooper every time bent prop finds wreckage of a plane with missing airmen, they hold a small ceremony. They videotape it so that, one day, the families of the m. I. A. S will know the respect shown to them by scannon and his team who spent their own time and money to find them. Over the avenger crash site this year, bent prop unfurls an american and a palauan flag, and speak of the men who were lost. They say their names, their ages, what theyve learned of their lives. And at the end of every ceremony, pat scannon recites a poem written during world war i. Its called for the fallen. Would you read it to me . Scannon sure, ill read it to you. I cant read it without standing up. Can i stand up . Cooper of course. Scannon so. They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. Anderson cooper dives with the bent prop team. Go to 60minutesovertime. Com. Sponsored by pfizer. Of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Before you and your rheumatologist decide on a biologic ask if xeljanz is right for you. Xeljanz is a small pill, not an injection or infusion for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. Xeljanz can relieve ra symptoms and help stop further joint damage. Xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. Serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers have happened in patients taking xeljanz. Dont start xeljanz if you have any infection unless ok with your doctor. Tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. Your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz and routinely check certain liver tests. Tell your doctor if you have been to a region where fungal infections are common, and if you have had tb hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take. One pill, twice daily, xeljanz can reduce ra pain and help stop further joint damage even without methotrexate. Ask your rheumatologist about xeljanz. Allergies distracting you . When your symptoms start. Doctors recommend taking claritin every day of your allergy season. Claritin provides powerful nondrowsy 24hour relief for. Fewer interruptions from the Amazing Things you do. Every day. Live claritin clear. Pelley im scott pelley. Thanks for joining us. 60 minutes will be back next week. Advanced design makes it easy to protect your dog or cat from fleas and ticks. Discover seresto. With the performance you expect from topicals in a nongreasy collar seresto provides protection against fleas and ticks for 8 months. Seresto. Captioning funded by cbs and ford [dramatic music] male announcer since premiering to nearly 40 Million Viewers in 2010, more than 70 bosses. Ow my god announcer have posed as subjects on a fake show to get honest feedback from their employees. All right. announcer its been shocking. [cow mooing] a lot of people smoke pot. announcer its been challenging. woman its not the homeowners fault that i get paid peanuts. announcer but its inspired them to change their employees lives forever. Ive decided to invest around 3 million because of you. Thank you. [crying] for real . Like, this is real. Without a doubt. [crying] i am going to give you your own store. Yay probably the best thing somebody ever did for me. I have a check for 250,000. Oh, my god. announcer tonight, the l