draining their bank accounts. for some victims it s fatal. one mother who fought to convince police her son s death was no accidental overdose. those images of unruly passengers on planes. today, the flight attendants on the steps of the capitol. what they re demanding congress do about it. the growing scam involving ai. how criminals can impersonate you or a loved one and cash in. and on this vietnam veterans day, , haarry smiith on a a journey home more than 50 years in the making. announcer: this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. good evening, and welcome, everyone. we begin with developing news out of the vatican tonight surrounding the health of pope francis. just days before the start of holy week observances, the 86-year-old leader of the roman catholic church is in a hospital in rome tonight after suffering breathing difficulties in recent days. tonight the vatican reports pope francis is being treated for a respiratory infection and will remain hospit
repoorter: ccorporalal larry hughes was carl s dad, patricia hughes, his sister. it took me way back in time as a teenage girl, and my brother s gone. we don t know if he s going to come home. reporter: corporal hughes did come home to northern florida but passed away a couple of years ago. carl said his dad never spoke to him about vietnam, yet i joined the marines, as well, just like him, wanted to follow in his footsteps. reporter: as did patricia s son. he served in iraq. i was in with the marine corps parents because we said, we will never let our sons be treated like they treated the vietnam vets. riight. reportter: patatricia tolld us heher brotther wowould chhange ouut of his uniiform whwhen he came homome to avvoid thee stares and hateful words of some civilians. jim webb had the dog tag framed along wwith coorporal hughes s miilitary ribbonsns, and a cereemony wasas held toto hononor his s servicee. the recognition for the vietnam vets, you couldn t have
reporter: there were few parades, , little fananfare, just welcomee home f from family and friends for those who served in vietnam. i was a rifle platoon commander and then a company commander in the 1st battalion, 5th marine regiment. reporter: last fall former senator jim webb led a group of notre dame students to that battlefield, that province where more than 7,000 marines had lolost their lives, a and they y needed to understand how and what we were trying to do. reporter: while there, a local man appeared with a dog tag. professor mike dash bought it for $20. name and rank, larry hughes, corporal. webb wondered. whether we were able to find him or his family so that we could pay our respects to them. reporter: they did. i was like, oh, this has got to be some kind of a scam or something, you know. it doeoesn t souound reaal. > reportter: carrl hugughes waas wary.. his aunt papatricia a brokoke downn in tearsrs. > i couldndn t belieieve iit. i saiaid, are y y