is always on cbs sf.com. >> smith: tonight, as america honors its war dead, president obama completes an overhaul of his national security team. i'm harry smith. also tonight, where she stops nobody knows. sarah palin hops on the bus and leaves the country guessing about where she's headed. answering the call in joplin. an army of volunteers is helping tornado victims dig out. and for this veteran, everyday is memorial day. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" >> smith: good evening. they answered the call to duty and gave their lives. today, americans paid tribute to them.

it was an emotional memorial day and one marked by change as president obama named a new top military officer. a reminder that members of the u.s. armed forces are in harm's way on three separate fronts. at arlington national cemetery the president laid a wreath before the tomb of the unknowns and addressed military families who waved flags and fans in the sweltering heat. >> our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay. but we can honor their sacrifice and we must. >> smith: the crowd greeted retired chairman of the joint chiefs of staff admiral mike mullen with a standing ovation for his four decades of service. earlier in the day, the president announced the admiral's replacement, army

general martin dempsey. >> for nearly 40 years in uniform martin dempsey is one of our nation's most respected and combat-tested generals. >> smith: general dempsey will serve as the principal military advisor to the president and his newly reorganized defense team as they tackle the war in afghanistan, conflict in libya and wind down operations in iraq. as wind whipped through the so- called desert of death in afghanistan, marines at camp leatherneck paused to remember their fallen friends. and last night candles in kabul for the more than 1,500 american servicemen and women who have died in the nearly decade-long war. on the home front, there were celebrations of service and star-spangled parades. and there were somber moments like this one at fort snelling in minnesota where 308 white crosses represent the lives of soldiers lost from that community since 9/11.

and "taps" played across the land in honor of and in mourning for those who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we hold dear. the long war continues in afghanistan. today taliban suicide bombers struck a city in the west that had been relatively quiet. a car bomb exploded at an italian army base in herat near the border with iran. a second bomb tore through a bus stop. five people were killed and about three dozen wounded, including five italian soldiers. on the eastern edge of afghanistan, in paktika province, this memorial day found american troops in combat and getting ready for more. mandy clark is with them. >> reporter: it's the end of the

day at the combat outpost here in marga which is right here in pakistani border but for the soldiers at fox company this is just an ordinary day in an extraordinary place. we're just two miles away from the pakistani border. now these soldiers are preparing for the influx of insurgents that come every spring because this time of year is known as the fighting season. there were ceremonies across afghanistan to mark memorial day. >> we've got to move, guys! >> reporter: but most soldiers here are here to fight and casualties are still coming in hard and fast. and just this morning for the sixth day in a row the base came under attack, one shallow rocket landed just outside the base, another landed inside the base. and whenever they come under attack, they have to defend themselves and they call in the heavy weapons, the big guns, to repel those attacks. there is always the danger that civilian targets may get caught in the cross fire. this unit of very young men based in the heart of

afghanistan's tribal area, a very austere, remote place really is to find the balance between fighting a war and winning the peace. mandy clark, cbs news, paktika, afghanistan. >> smith: in the battle for libya, new signs moammar qaddafi is losing his grip on power. five libyan army generals turned up in rome today saying they and scores of other officers have defected. and in tripoli, qaddafi himself appeared on t.v. for the first time in weeks to welcome a delegation offering him one last chance to escape. allen pizzey is there. >> reporter: south african president jacob zuma arrived to this eccentric pomp and clamber signature of the regime of colonel moammar qaddafi. this peace mission is seen as a last-ditch effort to find a diplomatic exit for the libyan dictator.

the crowds chanted "we want qaddafi" but the man himself was nowhere insight and zuma was whisked away in a convoy surrounded by south african soldiers and police. hours later, the two men strolled into an ornate hall believed to be part of the much- attacked compound known as bab al-azizia. it was the first time that qaddafi has been seen since may 11. that's not least because nato warplanes have picked up the pace of air strikes and british planes are being armed with powerful bunker-busting bombs that prompted nato's secretary general to predict that what he called "qaddafi's reign of terror" would end soon. to add to qaddafi's woes eight libyan army officers-- including five generals-- told a press conference in rome that they were joining the libyan rebels and that 120 officers and soldiers had defected in recent days. and now it seems the peace mission has fallen flat. zuma told libyan and south african television that qaddafi said he was willing to talk about a cease-fire but made no mention of meeting the rebels' key demand that he step down. in effect, the same answer that scuttled the last such peace effort. allen pizzey, cbs news, tripoli. >> smith: to politics now and

the question that is dominating these early days of the 2012 presidential campaign: will sarah palin run? so far, she's not tipping her hand. here's political correspondent jan crawford. >> reporter: after stealing the thunder at the annual rolling thunder bike rally sarah palin kicked off her one nation bus tour today with a stop at the national archives to see the declaration of independence and then it was on to fort mchenry in baltimore and all the way reporters were chasing behind her with the same question. >> when are you planning to announce that you're running for president? >> when i decide if i'm ever going to run will for president. >> what's going to make that decision? >> it's a continued process of contemplating what it is we have in front of us as a family and what the field looks like. >> reporter: but as she starts her cross-country trip to historic sites and patriotic events palin refused to give reporters her schedule. when they complained they didn't know where she was going next

she suggested in an interview in fox news that stumping her old adversaries in the press was part of the plan. >> i don't think i owe anything to the mainstream media. >> reporter: now at one stop today palin told reporters she thought any republican candidate could beat president obama. but her tour is really stealing the political thunder from some other candidates with michelle bachmann new hampshire, tim pawlenty in iowa most of the media focus instead was on palin and chasing the tour bus to its next stop. >> smith: jan, where is that bus? >> reporter: right now it's in a hotel parking lot in gettysburg, pennsylvania. so we assume she'll be visiting the historic civil war battlefield but we don't really know for sure. what we do know, though, is that this is a big week for the committed candidates in the race. mitt romney's going to make his campaign official on thursday, michele bachmann said today she will be announcing her plan soon in iowa, that's the state, of course, where she was born. >> smith: what about... what do you think this impact, though,

is having. all of the attention is going to sarah palin over the last several days. what impact do you think it has on the other candidates? >> well, right now, harry, they are getting asked about palin at every stop, especially michele bachmann. she was asked over and over today in new hampshire what she thought about palin. and bachmann repeatedly said palin will have no impact on whether she gets in the race or not. at one stop she said today "look i like sarah palin, she's made important contributions to the country but she's just not comparing herself to palin. bachmann said the person she should be compared to is barack obama and she said she thought she compared favorably. >> smith: jan crawford in washington this evening, thank you very much. the drug violence in mexico has touched nearly every part of that country, even the schools. on friday, a teacher in monterrey got her kindergarten students on the floor and recorded what happened when five people were gunned down at a taxi stand right outside the school.

she kept the children calm with a song even as gunshots rang out. ( gunshots ) ( speaking spanish ) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> smith: that teacher was honored today with a certificate praising her outstanding civic courage. and there was a barrage of bullets earlier today in miami's south beach. police traded fire with a man in a car who had raced down a crowded block after an apparent drive-by shooting. what you are seeing was caught on video from a nearby high- rise. the man was killed, three officers and four bystanders were wounded. coming up next on the "cbs evening news," she lost nearly

everything to the tornado in joplin. but strangers helped her recover what mattered most. plus, he's flown thousands of american flags but none as special as this one. or a heart attack known as acs, elated chesn you may not want to face the fact that you're at greater risk of a heart attack or stroke. plavix helps protect people with acs against heart attack or stroke: people like you. it's one of the most researched prescription medicines. goes beyond what they do alone by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking and forming dangerous clots. plavix. protection against heart attack or stroke in people with acs. [ female announcer ] plavix is not for everyone. certain genetic factors and some medicines such as prilosec reduce the effect of plavix

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>> smith: it has been a somber memorial day weekend in tornado-rav anxioused joplin, missouri. 29 people are still unaccounted for and today fema said it will consider bringing in trailers for some of the homeless, many of whom are still picking through what's left of their belongings. from joplin, here's ben tracy. >> all of them, all of him memories are here. all of them. >> reporter: mary hazelbaker is 83, no children, no husband. >> yeah, he died in >> yeah, he died in '82. >> reporter: and now not much else. >> my stuff. this is my stuff. >> reporter: she does have eileen. she drove in from kansas. >> we're sisters, can you tell? >> reporter: but this mess is too big for two sisters to handle. >> i'm sore, too, and i didn't do a whole lot. >> reporter: yet shortly after the tornado left, help arrived. >> we prayed that morning that if there was a need that we would know it and god works these things out. >> reporter: tammy davis and her son daniel heard about mary on

the radio. they showed up, even if this is where a 12-year-old wants to spend his holiday weekend. >> well, i would rather be places, that's the honest truth, but it's just a good feeling to be out here helping her. >> that's my keepsake. >> reporter: mary lived here for 50 years, she had countless things but only cares about one box. what's in the box? >> pictures. >> reporter: stuff you want to see. >> yeah, pictures that i can't replace. >> that's all we're looking for. >> reporter: suddenly, about 30 volunteers appeared. >> i don't know them but that don't make no difference. i like them. >> reporter: they lift mary's furniture and her spirits. >> on behalf of the disaster, we'd like to pray with you. >> i sure appreciate it. >> reporter: but when there is so much need, help has to keep moving. >> they had to go help somebody else. >> i don't know what i'm going to do. >> i know. you want to take a break? okay. it's okay.

they're going to take care of you. >> i had a lot of nice things. >> reporter: i know you did. the davis family took mary in for five nights then got her into this home set up for tornado victims. you're going to be all right? >> i'm blessed. just blessed. >> reporter: and when mary's new friend came to see her today, they had found a certain box. >> i got something to show you. >> my marriage license. >> reporter: with mary's memories and her pictures. >> i don't know what i would have done if it hadn't have been for her. i don't know what i would have done. >> you found lots and lots of people loving on you. >> reporter: so you may be wondering how mary survived the tornado? well, she wasn't home at the time, she was actually at church huddled in a closet. now today a church group said they are going to rebuild mary's house right here for free. harry?

>> smith: ben tracy in joplin, thanks. a sad update now from our story from joplin on friday. we told you about deann hayward a mother of three last seen leaving to pick up pizza for her son's graduation party. after a week of searching, the family says it received a call from officials last night confirming her death. jim tressel, one of college football's most successful coaches, resigned today as head coach at ohio state university. in 2002, tressel led the buckeyes to their first national championship in 34 years, but his years there were clouded by scandal. recently the n.c.a.a. fined and suspended tressel for five games for turning a blind eye to rules violations which included players trading team collectibles for tattoos and cash. when we come back, american kids building a school in the himalayas. what brought them there is a story all in itself. in itself. ,,,,

>> smith: never underestimate the power of teenagers, when they are motivated they can do just about anything. and michele miller found someone who is inspiring thousands of young achievers. in this rural village in napal these american teens are digging a foundation for the future, a school for kids half a world away. they're here because of this man jim ziolowski. 20 years ago while backpacking in nepal, he was moved by the opening of a new school there. >> it was a two-day celebration,

is 48 straight hours, they never went home. >> reporter: he returned home to a corporate job in new york but couldn't let go of the images of hope he'd seen amidst all the poverty. >> i saw what they're dealing with on a day-to-day basis and i realized we had to do something and give them a way to take action. in 1991, he did take action, right in his own backyard. he began an after school program for inner city kids who wanted to make a difference in their communities, he called it "build on." the organization is now 20,000 strong. on any given saturday you can find build on teens feeding the homeless, playing cards with the elderly, and caring for the disabled. they spend on average eight hours a month with people in need. it's where you'll find 15-year- old sherece preuone. >> instead of me on saturday staying at home watching television i actually get out of the house, do work.

>> reporter: through more than 700,000 hours of service, build on teens have touched the lives of nearly a million and a half people, putting a brighter face not just on communities here but around the world. ♪ now i know my a-b-c's... >> reporter: several times a year jim takes his american build on teens to help build schools throughout the world. >> it made me see that i could do anything if i work for it. not to ever give up. >> reporter: they just broke ground on their 400th school with plans to build 60 more this year alone. >> we will not stop until we have reached out to every one of the schools and giving students an opportunity to transform their community. >> reporter: and empowering a new generation to move forward by giving back. michelle miller, cbs news, new york. >> smith: up next, the american spirit, a veteran and one grand old flag.

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the crisis. their dramatic . be the on the at 6:00. >> a film crew documenting the mean streets of oakland gets a closeup look at a crisis. their dramatic video just moments away.

>> smith: america's fallen heroes should be remembered everyday. not just on the final monday of may. at the southern tip of new jersey there's a veteran who keeps their memory alive night after night. national correspondent jim axelrod pays a return visit in tonight's "american spirit." >> reporter: in a way, everyday is memorial day for marvin hume. >> welcome to sunset beach. >> reporter: we first met marvin last summer, a 90-year-old world war ii navy air vet who's been flying a flag that covered the casket of a different veteran each night of every summer for the last 39 years. >> everyday when i do this service it's as important to me as the day before. >> reporter: usually he does it on sunset beach in cape may point, new jersey, with the survivors of the veteran being

honored that night looking on. >> oh, when that goes up it's beautiful. >> reporter: but this year marvin hume has a much larger venue for a much larger flag. the patriot flag, 30 x 56 feet has traveled nearly 90,000 miles from alaska to montana to florida to honor our troops as well as those who perished on 9/11. >> i've flown flags of men that were in battle, lost their life and i have personal feelings for every one that i fly. but this magnifies it. >> reporter: just as he's done more than 6,000 times in the last four decades, he helped raise the flag as it made its way back through new jersey. >> he is a gift. he's a gift to us. he's a gift to our country. >> reporter: for the next three and a half months, the patriot

flag will travel the country leading up to this 10th anniversary of 9/11. on that day it will move between shanksville, pennsylvania, the pentagon, and new york. >> this will demonstrate the bond that exists in this country and this flag has really, really proved to everyone the strength of this country. >> reporter: a flag that honors the fallen and thanks their survivors for their loved ones sacrifice just like this man does every summer's day. jim axelrod, cbs news, new york. >> smith: that's the "cbs evening news." i'm harry smith in new york. thank you for watching. we'll see you again tomorrow night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org ed by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

. you're watching cbs 5 eyewitness news in high definition. it's the kind of story we report all too often. but tonight video that shows us exactly what it's like when violence erupts on the streets of oakland. the gunfire, the chaos, the fire and the consequences. a bay area nursing student missing for three days now. the one clue that is now drawing the focus of family and the police. >> the the disease known as aids. >> it was mysterious. it was terrifying and it was just the beginning. tonight we launch a series of special reports on aids at 30. we begin a look with where it all tarted. san francisco in the early 1980s. good evening, i'm allen martin. >> i'm dana king. they are known for