first. if it was not for him i would not be alive today. reporter: but etchberger didn t survive, as the chopper pulled away, gunfire from it ground. etch had been sitting on the jump seat right above my head, and that bullet went right through him, killed him instantly. i live with it every day. live with it every day. it haunts me. reporter: etchberger was posthumously, secretly, awarded the air force cross for his heroism, but it was feared giving him the medal of honor would expose the u.s. military presence in laos. since his story became public, his hometown erected a memorial. his name displayed proudly on the town s sign, but only now 42 years after his death will he get the military s highest award for bravery. a tribute many feel he is due. jeanne meserve, cnn, washington. by the way, you can watch that medal of honor ceremony live. it will be happening at the
time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze. my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a liquid gel. zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. in just over an hour at the white house the ceremony begins for a war hero. talking about 42-year-old air force chief master sergeant richard l. edgeberger who died on a mountain in lao, but not before saving three comrades. this afternoon he will be honored with a military s highest award for bravery. homeland security correspondent jeanne meserve has the story. reporter: air force chief
the administration insists the obamas paid for all costs associated with it, hotel, rooms, and the cost of two commercial first class tickets. european newspapers have been going to town reporting on the size of the obama entourage. one new york columnist from the daily news called the first lady a modern day marie antoinette. patricia neal died yesterday. she was 84 years old. she was best known for her role in hud and is remembered for making a remarkable comeback after a series of strokes left her temporarily unable to speak and walk. still ahead, guantanamo bay s youngest detainee is about to face a military commission. the trial will be the first test of president obama s new rules for military tribunals. homeland security correspondent jeanne meserve has a live report just ahead. ten minutes past the hour.
system. if you have a justice system that s set aside for none-citizens, it will never have validity. reporter: even recent reforms passed by congress don t give defendants in military commissions the protections they would have in federal court. but a former top pentagon lawyer believes they are fair and all detainees should be tried there. i don t see the need or have the desire to put those people who are not citizens, who were detained on a battlefield, who were fighting against united states soldiers, i don t see giving them the same rights that united states citizens would have. reporter: the case is expected to move forward this week. its success or failure could affect the administration s decision on where to try the more notorious 9/11 conspirators courts or commissions. back to you. jeanne meserve for us in washington, thanks so much. there s new attention this morning on the volatility in afghanistan. after the brutal killings of ten aid workers.
we re back with the most news in the morning. on the security watch this monday morning, the long delayed trial of gitmo detainee omar cotter set to begin this week. the canadian citizen is accused of killing a u.s. soldier in afghanistan eight years ago. it is the first trial under the obama administration s new guidelines for military commissions. homeland security correspondent jeanne meserve is following the story for us this morning live from washington. it is an understatement to say everybody s going to be watching this especially in legal circles and political circles to see how it goes down. reporter: that s right. cotter is the youngest guantanamo detainee and only westerner held there and his trial has drawn international criticism and is also being closely watched because it is the first test of the obama administration s revised military commission system. omar cotter, sobbing during an interrogation at guantanamo bay in 2003. for eight years, the young canadian has