ad info

 
CNN.comTranscripts
 
Editions | myCNN | Video | Audio | Headline News Brief | Feedback  

 

  Search
 
 

 

TOP STORIES

Bush signs order opening 'faith-based' charity office for business

Rescues continue 4 days after devastating India earthquake

DaimlerChrysler employees join rapidly swelling ranks of laid-off U.S. workers

Disney's GO.com is a goner

(MORE)

MARKETS
4:30pm ET, 4/16
144.70
8257.60
3.71
1394.72
10.90
879.91
 


WORLD

U.S.

POLITICS

LAW

TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

 
TRAVEL

ARTS & STYLE



(MORE HEADLINES)
 
CNN Websites
Networks image


Sunday Morning News

Veterans Groups Take Center Stage as America Celebrates Memorial Day

Aired May 28, 2000 - 9:00 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All across America, veterans' groups are front and center this Memorial Day weekend as the country pauses to reflect on the countless men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of liberty.

One familiar fixture each year in the nation's capital is the massive motorcycle rally of Vietnam vets known as Rolling Thunder. This is the 13th straight year for the event. The bikers are assembling at this hour in a parking lot at the Pentagon, and when they are ready, they will take off in an impressive display of horsepower and chrome, crossing Memorial Bridge into Washington, where they will head to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which is right on the Mall.

Now, Rolling Thunder always generates a lot of attention, and the sight and sound of the big bikes makes a lasting impression, of course. And while the bikers clearly enjoy their moment in the spotlight, there is a serious side to the annual ride.

Joining us from outside the Pentagon to talk more about the purpose and goals of this year's Rolling Thunder event is the president, Artie Muller. Thanks for being with us, Artie.

ARTIE MULLER, PRESIDENT, ROLLING THUNDER: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: All right, what's -- what are you up to? Give us, in a nutshell, what the cause is all about.

MULLER: Well, we are here because the United States government has failed to do what they promised. They had promised everybody that served in the United States armed forces two things when they enlisted or were drafted. One, that if you were captured as a POW or MIA, they would do everything underneath their power to bring them home. Two, all veterans were promised a health care package. They have reneged on both.

The United States government goes to many foreign countries, and they say, We know you have no live American POWs. We're looking for remains. Well, we're tired of hearing that. We would like the live ones back, and get the remains last, because eventually everybody will die off. And that's what they're hoping and praying for, that this issue dies off and that there is nobody left behind.

O'BRIEN: Artie, you still believe there are some live ones there, as you put it?

MULLER: Yes, I do. On March 3 of this year, the 11th South Korean from the Korean War escaped North Korea. That's almost 50 years. If South Koreans that fought in that war were held prisoners all these years in North Korea, I believe Vietnam veterans could still be held, and so could Gulf War veterans.

O'BRIEN: Do you have any direct evidence of that, though, Artie?

MULLER: It was proved in the committee with the United States government, the Senate Select Committee, that the United States government did leave live Americans, POWs, behind. But, they state, they don't know if there is any left now. They state they're all dead. But they can't prove they're all dead, and they can't prove they're alive. And I think they should prove it beyond a reasonable doubt one way or the other.

O'BRIEN: Let me ask you a little bit about your efforts. Clearly you will be heard, in the most literal sense, with the number of motorcycles that you have there. But figuratively, do you think that your cause is a top priority item right now in the halls of Congress?

MULLER: Well, if it isn't a top priority, it should be, because every man and woman that ever served in the military forces of the United States, keep this country free, and everybody that served was willing to die on a battlefield for it. So if they are not going to support what we are doing, then they don't belong in Congress or in the Senate.

O'BRIEN: And there -- the -- Artie obviously has some supporters nearby there. The reception you receive when you lobby members of Congress, is it cordial?

MULLER: On a good part, yes, we are getting more all the way. One of our best supporters is Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell from Colorado. He pushes veterans' affairs all the way to the top.

O'BRIEN: All right, give us a sense of the scale here today. How many people involved, how many bikes, and how much noise?

MULLER: Well, last year they estimated over 250,000 motorcycles, and over 400,000 participants, between veterans, citizens of the United States, and people from all different countries around the world.

O'BRIEN: Tell me...

MULLER: We got people...

O'BRIEN: Go ahead, finish up.

MULLER: We've had people here from Australia, Vietnam veterans, Austria, New Zealand, England, France, Germany. We have somebody here from Guam today we met. They come from all over the world, Germany.

O'BRIEN: And tell us just how the day's going to play out then.

MULLER: Well, we hope we get a lot more attention than we did last year. We seem to gain a lot more every year. And what's important is that we educate the public of the United States of America and everybody in all foreign countries that we, the United States of America, will not deal with them holding our people. This is a very powerful country, and if China don't want to deal with us, or Vietnam or Cambodia, Laos, or North Korea, then we should blockade them, not buy any products, and we should not send any supplies whatsoever into them.

O'BRIEN: Artie Muller is the president of this year's Rolling Thunder. Thanks very much for being with us on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, sir, and good luck with your efforts.

MULLER: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: All right.

There are, of course, many other events of note taking place this Memorial Day weekend. One is a music concert, which traditionally occurs in Washington every Memorial Day. This one will be on the West Lawn of the Capitol, and it features a whole cavalcade of stars, including country music star Trisha (ph) Yearwood, blues legend B.B. King, and also among the scheduled performers is actor and singer James Naughton, whom you might recognize from the show "Ally McBeal." Here he is rehearsing yesterday, as you can see, in the rain. Weather looks a little better there today in Washington.

Mr. Naughton is up and at 'em already today. He joins us from our Washington studios to talk more about tonight's concert.

Good morning, and welcome, sir.

JAMES NAUGHTON, ACTOR/SINGER: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Tell us what's in store.

NAUGHTON: Well, what you just saw was what it looked like out there yesterday while we were rehearsing. It was pouring. And the show's going on tonight at 8:00. It'll be broadcast live on PBS, which means if it's pouring, we'll be out there in the rain tonight.

O'BRIEN: All right, so let's get that out of the way, 8 P.M. Eastern time, PBS. If you have an opportunity, it's worth seeing.

Who -- this concert, when you go to select musical performances for a concert of this nature, the natural thing to do is pick patriotic songs, of course. What kinds of songs are we going to hear? That, and other things as well?

NAUGHTON: Yes, there will be other things as well. I open the show, and spend some time, I think, singing four songs, two of which are not patriotic in nature, but they are devoted to and dedicated to the kinds of songs that Korean War veterans might have heard, "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," and "My Foolish Heart." In addition to B.B. King and Trisha Yearwood, Terry Garr, Elizabeth Ashley, Robert Culp, and Charles Durning, who's been there many times before, a highly decorated veteran, will be performing and reading letters.

There's a special section on a Korean War veteran named Ed Reeves, who has just an incredible story to tell about how he survived, the only one of many, many, many people who survived this -- just an unbelievable onslaught by Chinese soldiers. It's a very, very moving account of an inspiring story. He's come in from Arizona with his family. That will be told tonight, in addition to the entertainment.

O'BRIEN: As a performer, to perform at an event like this, and given the nature of it, is it considered a privilege?

NAUGHTON: Well, I guess it is. When I mentioned to a friend of mine that I was coming down and what we were going to be doing here, the friend said to me, "Wow, what an honor!" I hadn't actually thought of it that way before, but now that I'm here, I certainly do feel that way, yes.

O'BRIEN: All right, James Naughton, actor and singer, part of a long list of stars who will be a part of the concert tonight in Washington. And you can check for it, 8 P.M. Eastern time on your PBS station.

Thanks for being with us on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

NAUGHTON: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Veterans in the San Francisco area think this Memorial Day holiday is appropriate to vent their grudge against city officials. They say war veterans there are not getting enough attention or respect.

We get more on this story from Isabel Duran (ph) of our affiliate in San Francisco, KRON.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN HOEN (ph), WORLD WAR II VETERAN: PFC, U.S. Army World War II.

ISABEL DURAN, KRON, SAN FRANCISCO (voice-over): World War II veteran Martin Hoen stopped by the Presidio Cemetery to pay respects to a buddy. He's troubled, believes that veterans are out of fashion.

HOEN: Well, they're kind of passe now, especially, I guess, guys from World War II. Kids today that don't even know what World War II is.

DURAN: Korean veteran Wallace Levin (ph) agrees that veterans just don't get enough respect. He points to his ongoing money battles with the city of San Francisco to put on a commemorative ceremony and parade. WALLACE LEVIN, KOREAN WAR VETERAN: The people are forgetting, and the politicians especially are forgetting the obligation that we have to pay tribute to those that died.

DURAN: The mayor's office once organized the memorial service. Now a small vets' group does it for $1,000. Levin says they need $5,000, like other groups get.

They get another $9,100 to stage the Veterans Day parade. They'd like twice that to promote it and increase the dwindling crowds.

LEVIN: We're not asking for the moon.

DURAN: Levin is outraged other city parades get so much more from the Grants for the Arts program funded from the hotel tax. Seventy-seven thousand for the Chinese New Year parade, $75,000 for the Lesbian-Gay Freedom Day. St. Patrick's Day gets more than twice what the veterans receive.

The grants program director, Kary Schulman, told "The Chronicle," quote, "Every other organization that we fund raises a substantial amount of money over and above the city's money," unquote.

(on camera): They suggested that perhaps you should do a little fund raising on the side.

LEVIN: It's their obligation to pay for it, if they want to have it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: That was the work of Isabel Duran of our affiliate KRON in San Francisco. The veterans do have a little backing on the San Francisco board of supervisors. One member calls the discrepancy in funding "unfair and disgraceful," and he says he'll lobby for more money.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

 Search   


Back to the top  © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.