World News Tonight (ABC) - 1999-05-31

Channel: malgent

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] outside right now in Milwaukee. It's

[0:02] 63°. Kind of cool, kind of damp. Another

[0:04] [music] weather update in a half an

[0:05] hour.

[0:11] >> [music]

[0:12] >> On World News Tonight this Memorial Day,

[0:15] honoring the ultimate sacrifice.

[0:24] An American institution struggles

[0:26] [music] to survive, fighting against

[0:28] time.

[0:30] In Yugoslavia, bombing night and day.

[0:32] More targets and more civilians killed.

[0:35] And testing the conventional wisdom,

[0:37] does milk always do a body good?

[0:47] From ABC News world headquarters in New

[0:50] York, this is World News Tonight with

[0:53] Peter Jennings.

[0:55] Sitting in tonight, Connie Chung.

[0:58] Good evening. Millions of people across

[1:00] the country today were enjoying the sun,

[1:02] the water, the long weekend. School is

[1:05] coming to a close for the kids, and for

[1:07] adults, it's a welcome day off. Time to

[1:09] relax, or maybe a time to play. But

[1:11] there are some people today who say that

[1:13] as a country, we may be missing the

[1:15] point. Memorial Day is the time to

[1:18] remember more than a million men and

[1:20] women who died defending the country.

[1:22] Here's ABC's James Walker.

[1:27] There are many places where Memorial Day

[1:29] has not lost its meaning. President

[1:31] Clinton at Arlington National Cemetery,

[1:34] veterans marching in small town parades,

[1:37] a wreath at the Intrepid Museum in New

[1:39] York City, at cemeteries across the

[1:41] country. But for millions of Americans,

[1:44] it was also a day to concentrate on

[1:46] enjoyment. It's really lost its meaning.

[1:49] Now people looking at it the first day

[1:51] of

[1:51] summer, when the pools open. But they

[1:54] should remember that they couldn't do

[1:55] these things but weren't for the people

[1:57] to remember on that day. Carmella

[1:59] Laspada is the founder of a group called

[2:01] No Greater Love that this Memorial Day

[2:04] urged Americans to take time out to

[2:06] remember. President Clinton agreed. This

[2:09] afternoon,

[2:10] I ask all Americans to join with those

[2:14] who have urged us

[2:16] to engage in a moment of remembrance at

[2:18] 3:00

[2:19] Eastern Daylight Time

[2:21] in honor of those who have given their

[2:23] lives for our country. At 3:00,

[2:26] Major League ball clubs did pause. But

[2:29] at New York City's busy Port Authority

[2:31] bus terminal, the sound system was poor

[2:34] and no one seemed to notice.

[2:36] New traditions are not born easily.

[2:39] There are places where the meaning of

[2:41] this day cannot be ignored. At the

[2:43] Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington,

[2:45] D.C., there was a special tribute to the

[2:48] first known father and son to die in

[2:50] Vietnam. The name of Air Force Sergeant

[2:53] Richard Fitzgibbon, who was killed in

[2:55] 1956,

[2:56] is now joined with his son Richard, who

[2:59] died in 1965.

[3:01] For past the sorrow,

[3:04] it's a celebration, at least for our

[3:05] family. For some, this was a day of

[3:08] closure. For others, primarily veterans

[3:11] and family members, it was a time amid

[3:13] the joys of summer to remember those who

[3:16] made the ultimate sacrifice.

[3:32] James Walker, ABC News, New York.

[3:38] Later in the broadcast, we're going to

[3:40] take a closer look at thousands of old

[3:42] soldiers losing a place they call home.

[3:45] In his speech today, President Clinton

[3:46] acknowledged that some Americans do not

[3:49] support the war against the Serbs. But

[3:51] the president pointed out that many of

[3:52] the people buried at Arlington National

[3:54] Cemetery died because the world waited

[3:57] too long to intervene in Europe during

[4:00] World War II.

[4:02] In the air war today, the Serbs say NATO

[4:04] bombs have again missed their targets

[4:06] and killed innocent civilians. The Serbs

[4:09] claim an attack on a city 120 miles

[4:11] south of Belgrade hit an apartment

[4:13] building killing 10 people. And in a

[4:15] separate attack farther south, the Serbs

[4:17] say a nursing home and health care

[4:19] facility were hit, killing 17 people and

[4:22] wounding dozens of others. ABC's Bob

[4:25] Woodruff reports.

[4:27] Serb television said the bomb that hit

[4:29] this nursing home in the town of

[4:31] Surdulica killed some elderly residents

[4:33] and other civilians. NATO said today the

[4:36] planes were aiming at a military

[4:37] barracks and ammunition warehouse, and

[4:39] insisted no bombs went astray. All

[4:42] munitions hit the planned aiming points.

[4:44] NATO cannot confirm any Serb claims of

[4:48] casualties or collateral damage.

[4:50] The attack on Surdulica occurred

[4:52] overnight, but in the past several days,

[4:54] daytime bombing has also become common.

[4:57] Yesterday in the southern town of

[4:59] Varvarin, NATO blew up this bridge at

[5:01] midday while civilians were returning

[5:03] from the market. At least nine people

[5:05] died here.

[5:07] Daylight attacks are now common all over

[5:09] Serbia.

[5:12] Air raid sirens that used to be heard

[5:14] mostly at night now sound several times

[5:17] a day. Daytime was once considered safe

[5:19] here, not anymore. It's unpredictable.

[5:22] You know, you you you don't know what's

[5:23] going to happen next.

[5:25] Psychology Professor Zarko Korac says

[5:27] the danger of day and night raids is

[5:29] deepening people's fears. If you can

[5:31] predict when the bombing is going to

[5:33] take place, you're less afraid that if

[5:34] you cannot predict. So there should be

[5:37] more fear, and probably there is more

[5:38] fear in people.

[5:39] >> There's no no person not afraid. Still,

[5:43] the streets remain crowded.

[5:47] Distant explosions day or night evoke

[5:49] very little reaction now. The people

[5:52] here are getting used to being afraid.

[5:55] Bob Woodruff, ABC News, Belgrade.

[5:58] 240 miles above the earth today,

[6:00] astronauts from the shuttle Discovery

[6:02] entered the International Space Station

[6:04] to make repairs. ABC's John Cochran

[6:07] reports the most trouble has come with

[6:09] sections produced by America's biggest

[6:11] partner in the project, Russia.

[6:15] Discovery Houston, good morning.

[6:17] Memorial Day greetings. Continuing

[6:19] delays have kept the space station empty

[6:21] for almost 6 months. That's why the

[6:23] communication system in the

[6:25] Russian-built module, meant to last 4

[6:27] months, had to be replaced today. Your

[6:29] hard work has paid off. You have

[6:31] successfully fixed the station's early

[6:32] communication system. Congratulations.

[6:35] But far more worrisome are power

[6:37] drop-offs caused by battery recharging

[6:39] units which have failed. They too had to

[6:42] be replaced. It's very distressing that

[6:44] this kind of design flaw was not caught

[6:47] in the pre-flight testing last year. The

[6:49] Russians clearly cut some corners.

[6:51] Publicly, NASA officials downplay their

[6:54] disappointment. The Clinton

[6:55] administration does not want to make its

[6:57] shaky relations with the Russians any

[7:00] worse. One NASA official puts it this

[7:02] way. Think of the space station as a new

[7:04] car that needs to go back to the dealer

[7:07] for a little tweaking. Maybe, but in

[7:09] space, the dealer must go to the car.

[7:12] And each service trip costs hundreds of

[7:15] millions of dollars.

[7:16] John Cochran, ABC News, Washington.

[7:20] In Austin, Texas today, the state

[7:22] legislature, which meets only every 2

[7:24] years, wrapped up its latest session. No

[7:27] one outside Texas would normally pay

[7:29] much attention to laws being considered

[7:30] there, but this year they have national

[7:33] implications for a man who wants to be

[7:35] president. Texas Governor George W.

[7:38] Bush. ABC's Mike Von Frem reports

[7:40] tonight for Governor Bush, the curtain

[7:43] is now up, and the big show is about to

[7:45] begin.

[7:47] For months, George W. Bush has been

[7:50] hesitant to take on foreign policy

[7:52] issues.

[7:54] But at this morning's ceremony honoring

[7:56] veterans, the governor tested the

[7:58] waters, saying the nation needs what he

[8:00] called a more coherent and clear

[8:03] military policy. Let us resolve never to

[8:05] multiply our missions

[8:08] while cutting our capabilities.

[8:10] With trips to Iowa and New Hampshire in

[8:12] the next few weeks, Bush promises he

[8:14] will have more to say about foreign

[8:16] policy, but he concedes he has virtually

[8:19] no experience in that area.

[8:22] So what he is really selling are his

[8:24] accomplishments in the Texas

[8:26] legislature. And many say the session

[8:29] ending today was tailored to build his

[8:31] record as a leader on national issues.

[8:34] There was a $2 billion property tax cut,

[8:37] teacher salaries up, class sizes down, a

[8:41] deregulation package for electricity,

[8:43] and tougher laws on drunk driving. He's

[8:45] definitely received some elevation from

[8:48] the session. He's he's way up the

[8:49] ground. Democrats in the legislature

[8:52] have complained Bush put his own

[8:54] interests above those of the state.

[8:56] Believe it or not, the presidential

[8:58] campaign is shaping the actions and the

[9:00] issues of this body in this legislature.

[9:03] A popular hate crimes bill proposed

[9:05] after the brutal dragging death of James

[9:07] Byrd in Jasper, Texas was dropped. The

[9:10] bill included language that protected

[9:12] sexual orientation, and Democrats

[9:15] believe the governor was afraid that

[9:17] would hurt his campaign. But Bush claims

[9:20] one of his biggest accomplishments is

[9:22] building consensus. And even some of his

[9:24] Democratic critics seem to give him

[9:26] credit for that. I've worked under five

[9:28] governors.

[9:29] By far, George Bush

[9:32] is more effective in working out

[9:35] problems than the other four that I've

[9:37] served under. By every measure, raising

[9:40] money, winning political endorsements,

[9:42] and popularity in the polls, George W.

[9:44] Bush is the clear front-runner. His

[9:46] challenge now is living up to

[9:48] expectations.

[9:50] Mike Von Frem, ABC News, Austin.

[9:53] When we return, those congested

[9:55] highways. Too many travelers, not enough

[9:57] road.

[9:59] And one last battle for the Veterans of

[10:01] Foreign Wars.

[10:05] This is World News Tonight with Peter

[10:08] Jennings, brought to you by the new

[10:10] Silverado.

[10:14] I'm going to raise you. Fold. Too rich

[10:17] for me.

[10:17] >> Not fold.

[10:24] Call. A couple of things to remember.

[10:27] One,

[10:29] a full house always beats three of a

[10:30] kind. And two, the new Chevy Silverado

[10:33] has the most powerful V8 of any pickup.

[10:36] [music]

[10:36] Chevy Silverado, it's the truck.

[10:41] Shut up.

[10:44] Introducing Benecol. My doctor said I

[10:46] need to watch my cholesterol, but it's

[10:47] hard. Now there's new hope for millions

[10:50] of people concerned about their

[10:51] cholesterol. Benecol, it's a completely

[10:54] new kind of product used in place of

[10:55] butter or margarine. Studies show that

[10:57] Benecol actually helps promote healthy

[11:00] cholesterol levels. It really tastes

[11:02] good, and it's good for my cholesterol?

[11:04] I'd use it. Benecol isn't just low in

[11:07] cholesterol, it actually promotes

[11:08] healthy cholesterol levels.

[11:11] New Benecol, [music]

[11:12] now available. If you wear dentures,

[11:15] imagine how nervous teaching teenagers

[11:17] could make you feel. What if your

[11:19] dentures slipped? But thanks to the

[11:21] all-day hold of Super Poligrip, those

[11:23] days are over. I think that says a lot

[11:25] about the power of Poligrip.

[11:29] Why do I have Aflac insurance [music] on

[11:30] top of my regular health insurance?

[11:34] Because he has his mother's eyes.

[11:37] Because I still have to teach him to

[11:38] whistle.

[11:40] >> [music]

[11:40] >> And because Aflac helps cover what other

[11:42] insurance doesn't.

[11:44] If I'm injured, Aflac even [music]

[11:45] provides cash to help pay bills.

[11:48] So, why do I have Aflac?

[11:51] Did I mention he has his mother's eyes?

[11:52] [music]

[11:54] Aflac supplemental insurance. Without

[11:56] it, no insurance is complete.

[11:59] Have you seen this?

[12:01] It's a Pepsid AC chewable, a

[12:03] great-tasting minty chewable in its own

[12:05] individual wrapper. Keep one in your

[12:07] pocket so you can stop heartburn before

[12:09] it starts, anytime, anywhere.

[12:15] A record 33 million people are traveling

[12:18] on this holiday weekend. A thriving

[12:20] economy and reasonable gas prices make

[12:23] it easier for more and more Americans to

[12:25] get away. But as ABC's Barry Serafin

[12:27] reports, there is a price to pay.

[12:31] For years, American families headed for

[12:33] the open road, a chance to get away from

[12:35] the crowds. But that was then, and this

[12:38] is now.

[12:40] 83% of the Americans traveling this

[12:43] holiday weekend have been in their cars.

[12:45] It's been pretty much bumper to bumper.

[12:47] It's been pain. In the last decade,

[12:49] we've seen a 33% increase in highway

[12:51] travel, but overall road capacity is

[12:53] only up 3%. So, obviously the result is

[12:56] more congestion. Congress last year

[12:59] passed a whopping $217 billion highway

[13:02] construction bill, but much of that

[13:04] money is to improve existing roads, and

[13:06] the road work often makes congestion

[13:08] worse.

[13:10] Taking to the air has its own problems.

[13:14] Too much with the crowds, too much with

[13:16] the security.

[13:18] Planes in this country carried 655

[13:21] million passengers last year, 38% more

[13:24] than a decade earlier. The airlines and

[13:26] the planes are going to be full, and

[13:28] yes, the aggravations probably going to

[13:30] go sky-high, too.

[13:31] And the air traffic control system is

[13:33] having more and more trouble keeping up.

[13:35] Last month, 34,000 flights were delayed

[13:38] by air traffic control problems. Our air

[13:41] traffic control system, although it's

[13:43] safe, is very inefficient and generate

[13:45] lots and lots of delays.

[13:47] And airports themselves have been slow

[13:49] to expand. As I think it comes down to

[13:52] dollars and cents, most of those

[13:53] expansions are paid out of the airlines'

[13:55] pocketbooks. So, if your summer travel

[13:57] plans include flying or driving, expect

[14:00] some frustration. But at least, you will

[14:03] have lots of company. Barry Serafin, ABC

[14:06] News, Washington.

[14:09] A travel nightmare from overseas in

[14:11] Calais, France, the entrance to the

[14:13] tunnel across the English Channel

[14:15] linking France with Britain was blocked

[14:17] today by striking workers demanding

[14:19] higher wages. People trying to get home

[14:21] to Britain after a holiday weekend were

[14:23] delayed 4 hours.

[14:26] An era is ending in South Africa this

[14:28] week. On Wednesday, voters go to the

[14:30] polls in what is only the country's

[14:32] second truly democratic election. And

[14:34] President Nelson Mandela, who led his

[14:37] country out of the race-based system of

[14:39] apartheid, is retiring. ABC's Jim Wooten

[14:42] reports from Johannesburg tonight on the

[14:44] final days of the election campaign.

[14:53] The last rallies are over now. Mandela

[14:56] and his heir apparent, Thabo Mbeki,

[14:58] celebrated their finale together with

[15:00] 80,000 supporters. And all that's left

[15:03] now is the voting. Soldiers and disabled

[15:06] marked their ballots today in what

[15:08] election officials predict will be an

[15:10] even larger turnout than 5 years ago. It

[15:13] has been a bitter campaign with an

[15:15] abundance of accusations and vitriol,

[15:18] though compared to '94, relatively

[15:20] peaceful. As hundreds of local and

[15:23] national candidates have focused their

[15:24] attention, and the country's, on massive

[15:27] unemployment and rising crime.

[15:30] The ruling party, the ANC, now led by

[15:33] Mbeki, has told South Africa it is not

[15:36] to blame. And most polls show most

[15:39] voters concur. Some suggest the ANC

[15:42] could win a two-thirds majority on

[15:43] Wednesday.

[15:49] President Mandela certainly thinks so.

[15:52] We are winning.

[15:57] Even the opposition parties don't deny

[15:59] that, and may have to settle for merely

[16:01] a token presence in the parliament.

[16:04] The 80-year-old Mandela, who took a

[16:06] little farewell stroll through

[16:08] Johannesburg today, scoffs at the other

[16:10] parties in the race.

[16:22] For this election at least, most South

[16:24] Africans seem to agree.

[16:26] Jim Wooten, ABC News, Johannesburg.

[16:29] In just a moment, milk, what it doesn't

[16:32] do for your health. Taking on the

[16:34] conventional wisdom.

[16:42] When some people have allergies, they

[16:43] sneeze a lot. [music]

[16:44] Others get an itchy, runny nose or nasal

[16:47] congestion. Me,

[16:49] I had it all.

[16:51] >> [music]

[16:51] >> So, I said to my doctor, "Enough

[16:53] already." He prescribed Flonase nasal

[16:55] spray. Multi-symptom Flonase [music]

[16:57] once a day relieves all nasal allergy

[16:59] symptoms. In fact, it's the number one

[17:02] prescribed nasal allergy spray [music]

[17:04] for any or all of those nasal symptoms.

[17:06] All it takes is Flonase. Even kids as

[17:08] young as four [music] can use Flonase.

[17:10] For best results, Flonase must be used

[17:12] daily. Call to learn more or ask your

[17:14] doctor. [music] Side effects are

[17:15] generally mild and may include headache,

[17:17] nosebleed, or sore throat. For nasal

[17:20] allergy [music] relief, ask your doctor

[17:21] about multi-symptom Flonase. When you

[17:24] get [music] it all, all it takes is

[17:26] Flonase.

[17:27] There are at least 100 questions every

[17:29] home buyer should ask.

[17:31] Like,

[17:32] how much down payment do I need?

[17:34] Can I buy a $200,000 home with an FHA

[17:37] loan?

[17:41] >> [music]

[17:43] >> Do I really need homeowner's insurance?

[17:48] Luckily, HUD's FHA has the answers.

[17:50] We've helped 25 million Americans buy a

[17:53] home. Call for a free brochure.

[17:57] 1-minute Maalox or Mylanta Supreme?

[18:00] Before you choose, you should know that

[18:02] Maalox maximum strength neutralizes

[18:04] [music] over twice as much acid.

[18:06] When you get heartburn, make it 1-minute

[18:08] Maalox.

[18:10] The number one choice of hospitals.

[18:13] Forget these.

[18:15] Remember this.

[18:17] Smile. [music]

[18:19] Eat.

[18:20] Make a mint.

[18:23] Make a memory.

[18:24] Escape to Red Lobster.

[18:28] Do you use the same corn pads your

[18:29] grandmother used? Well, there's a

[18:31] breakthrough. Band-Aid brand corn relief

[18:34] cushions.

[18:35] It relieves painful pressure and stays

[18:38] in place better. Band-Aid brand cushions

[18:40] for feet corn relief.

[18:44] Tonight we begin a new occasional series

[18:46] called Conventional Wisdom.

[18:49] Stories that will challenge some of our

[18:51] basic assumptions and separate what is

[18:53] true from what may not be. We start with

[18:56] milk, good for aging bones, or so you

[18:59] thought. Here's ABC's Deborah Amos.

[19:04] The ads are now as famous as those who

[19:06] wear the mustache. From basketball to

[19:09] boxing, models to moguls, even Bob and

[19:11] Bill, the multi-million dollar campaign

[19:14] from the dairy industry suggests that

[19:16] calcium in milk is good for everyone's

[19:19] bones. So, why is this consumer group

[19:22] filing a complaint with the Federal

[19:24] Trade Commission, challenging some

[19:26] claims in the milk mustache campaign?

[19:28] The ads suggest that African Americans,

[19:31] men in general, or older women will have

[19:34] some protection for their bones if they

[19:36] drink milk. While the Physicians

[19:38] Committee for Responsible Medicine

[19:40] allows that calcium itself may be

[19:42] important for overall bone health, it

[19:44] challenges the conventional wisdom that

[19:47] calcium in milk prevents osteoporosis or

[19:50] brittle bones that can lead to

[19:52] fractures.

[19:53] The Physicians Committee or PCRM has

[19:56] filed a complaint with the Federal Trade

[19:57] Commission charging that some of the

[19:59] milk mustache ads are inaccurate,

[20:02] oversimplified, incomplete, and even

[20:04] harmful. That claim by PCRM is simply

[20:08] foolish. It is simply not true. Ted

[20:10] Gresser is the director of the Milk

[20:12] Processors Education Campaign. Because

[20:14] it is the easiest source and the most

[20:16] economical source to get calcium,

[20:18] absolutely milk is very, very important

[20:21] for the prevention of osteoporosis. Dr.

[20:24] Walter Willett of Harvard University

[20:26] disagrees. There's really no good

[20:28] evidence that increasing milk

[20:30] consumption by adults will reduce their

[20:32] risk of fractures. PCRM points to this

[20:35] ad charging it incorrectly implies the

[20:38] calcium in milk helps prevent

[20:40] osteoporosis or brittle bones. And PCRM

[20:43] says this ad incorrectly implies milk's

[20:46] calcium helps women protect their bones

[20:48] beyond their bone building years. The

[20:51] milk mustache ads may be cute, but are

[20:54] they correct? It's the job of the

[20:56] Federal Trade Commission to decide. The

[20:58] FTC will examine the ads and take the

[21:01] complaint seriously. Deborah Amos, ABC

[21:03] News, New York.

[21:06] In a moment, a crisis of numbers.

[21:09] I can't believe it.

[21:11] I just cannot believe it.

[21:14] To me,

[21:16] it's like home.

[21:17] A home that's disappearing for thousands

[21:20] of veterans.

[21:25] Where will you be when your grandson

[21:26] gets his first taste of the ocean?

[21:30] >> [music]

[21:30] >> When man walks on Mars?

[21:34] When your children want to discover

[21:35] their heritage?

[21:37] Life is filled with moments you don't

[21:39] want to miss. That's why if you have

[21:41] high cholesterol and heart disease, you

[21:43] should know about Zocor. Zocor is proven

[21:46] to help save lives by reducing the risk

[21:48] of a heart attack. So, where will you be

[21:50] tomorrow? That could [music] depend on

[21:52] what you do today. When diet and

[21:54] exercise aren't enough, talk to your

[21:56] doctor about adding Zocor. [music]

[21:58] Zocor is a prescription medication that

[21:59] is not right for everyone, including

[22:01] women who are nursing, pregnant, or may

[22:03] become pregnant, or people [music] with

[22:04] liver problems. Your doctor may do blood

[22:06] tests to check for liver problems

[22:08] because serious side effects can result.

[22:10] Tell your doctor about any muscle pain

[22:12] or weakness you experience while on

[22:13] Zocor and about any medicines you are

[22:15] taking.

[22:16] >> [music]

[22:16] >> For more information, talk to your

[22:18] doctor or call Zocor. It's your future.

[22:21] Be there.

[22:23] Fortunately for Millie, [music]

[22:24] Dr. Espinoza was in the office early

[22:27] while someone else was drafting the

[22:28] marketing plan to sell his home.

[22:30] At 11:00 he [music] was making his

[22:32] rounds instead of visiting his title

[22:34] company.

[22:35] At 1:00 p.m. he was giving Pam good news

[22:37] >> [music]

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[24:57] And finally [music] tonight, a closer

[24:59] look at the disappearing home. That's

[25:01] what some old soldiers call the VFW, the

[25:04] Veterans of Foreign Wars. During World

[25:06] War II, more than 16 million Americans

[25:09] went into uniform and served their

[25:10] country. Fewer than half are still alive

[25:13] today. Of the 550,000 veterans who died

[25:17] last year, more than 300,000 were from

[25:20] World War II. They've been the backbone

[25:22] of the VFW's membership and their

[25:25] dwindling ranks are just part of the

[25:27] VFW's current struggle. ABC's Dean

[25:29] Reynolds reports tonight on the crisis

[25:31] of numbers, money, and mission.

[25:35] Pledge allegiance to the flag. At VFW

[25:38] Post 981 in Arlington Heights, Illinois,

[25:41] the old soldiers know it's only a matter

[25:43] of time. If there's any way we can save

[25:45] the post, again,

[25:48] I will make sure that we save it.

[25:51] But the signs are not good. This post is

[25:53] up for sale as are others elsewhere.

[25:56] Across America, more than a thousand VFW

[25:59] halls have closed in the last five years

[26:01] and the rate is accelerating. Lack of

[26:03] funds has a lot to do with it. We were

[26:06] showing a loss of $50,000 last year. But

[26:09] another reason has to do with the VFW

[26:11] itself, all of whose members must have

[26:14] served in war zones overseas. Today,

[26:17] half who belong were in World War II.

[26:19] Most of the rest were in Korea. Other

[26:22] veterans groups have less restricted

[26:24] membership requirements and are in

[26:25] better shape. The VFW admits that troops

[26:28] from Vietnam and more recent conflicts

[26:31] were either not recruited well enough or

[26:33] not interested in joining in the first

[26:35] place. Well, the new flag looks good up

[26:37] there at the Now, Korean vets are aging

[26:39] and World War II GIs are dying off at a

[26:42] rate of a thousand a day.

[26:45] They've been having Friday fish fries

[26:47] for over 30 years at Post 981.

[26:51] That staple will soon end and the bar

[26:54] for comrades and camaraderie will fall

[26:56] silent. It's like home. Otto Heiman went

[27:00] ashore on D-Day 55 years ago. I can't

[27:03] believe it.

[27:06] I just cannot believe it.

[27:08] But I know it's coming. I know it's

[27:10] coming.

[27:12] For generations, the VFW hall was the

[27:15] happening place in small town America.

[27:18] In West Swansea, New Hampshire, the

[27:20] collapse of Post 2616 means no more VFW

[27:23] scholarships here. No more Christmas

[27:26] parties for kids or fundraisers for

[27:28] veterans down on their luck. Anything

[27:30] that has anything to do with a community

[27:32] service, this post is always been there

[27:34] to give a helping hand. Rob Clawson, one

[27:37] of only two Persian Gulf vets at Post

[27:39] 981, suspects the VFW just got to be

[27:42] taken for granted. There's just not a

[27:45] lot of knowledge of what we do anymore.

[27:47] I mean,

[27:48] they go by a cemetery on Memorial Day

[27:50] and there's flags there.

[27:53] They have a Memorial Day parade and

[27:54] there's

[27:55] people walking down and and waving

[27:56] flags, but they don't think about where

[27:58] does that come from? Who does that?

[28:00] While no one expects the VFW to suddenly

[28:03] disappear, its fate could well resemble

[28:05] the tale of the old soldiers who never

[28:08] die, but just fade away.

[28:11] Dean Reynolds, ABC News, Arlington

[28:13] Heights, Illinois.

[28:16] And that's our report on World News

[28:18] Tonight. I'm Connie Chung. Thank you for

[28:20] joining us on this Memorial Day and for

[28:23] all of us at ABC News, good night.

[28:29] Tomorrow, it's your money. 500 million,

[28:32] 16 years, and nothing. What took the

[28:34] government so long to see the light?

[28:36] Watch World News Tonight with Peter

[28:38] Jennings.

[28:39] This has been a presentation of ABC

[28:41] News. More Americans get their news from

[28:44] ABC News [music] than from any other

[28:45] source. abcnews.com now a part of the Go

[28:48] Network.