>> before touching down, air force 1 flew over joplin, missouri, giving the president an aerial view of the devastation. what took months and years to build was destroyed in a few moments. homes, businesses, and anything else in the tornado's path. on the ground, it was a somber president surveying breathtaking damage up close. meeting with officials, survivors and promising not to abandon this city. >> what i've been telling every family that i've met here is, we're going to be here long of a the cameras leave. we are not going to stop until joplin is fully back on its feet. >> there is plenty of pain here but also plenty of hope. roadways were lined with thousands of people, some waving flags or holding signes with messages like, god bless joplin. at a memorial service on the campus of missouri southern state university, that escaped the tornado's wrath -- >> we will be with you every step of the way. we're not going anywhere.