omar viafranka, cbs news, granger, texas. rihanna, eminem. st concert is 60 minutes away and wusa9 is here. this is bruce johnson. how about good news. homeless advocates say the country could reach its goal of no homeless veterans by next year. i'm going to have that story. the crowds are a tad smaller than we expected, but enthusiastic as they hit the national mall singing and dancing the night away celebrating america's fighting men and women. the concert very valor takes off. thanks for joining us, i'm derek mcginty. >> debra alfarone is near the mall tonight and she is checking on the crowds. deb, you got a lot of company? what's going on? >> i do have a lot of company. you can see a couple people walking past me. everyone is making their way to the check points. it's three blocks still. it's really tough to get near it. we are hearing reports, the mall is filling up. there are lots of people at this point. we are hearing it's getting so

busy that some people are deciding to jump fences. maybe that guy is going to be one, hopefully, if you do. watch out. because you're going to end up being contained like the people we saw on twitter. now we have been here all day. and how early do you have to get there to get a good seat? well, let's take a look. >> oh, woke around 3:00 this morning. about 6:50 a.m. >> what time did i get up? 4:30. >> you've got to get up early if you want to stand, sit, or sleep front row. >> i came here to see the boss. >> what is your favorite song? >> born in the u.s.a. >> metallica, definitely. >> i came here for eminem. >> bruce. so excited. i am so excited. >> we're here for a good time. not a long time, everybody party on. >> one person who was not partying was disabled marine veteran, greg tucker, who lives near charlottesville. the spot closer to the stage is

for vip's and veterans and tucker asked a security guard if he could get into that. >> is that good enough to get me a seat up here? he turnedded and laughed and walked away. >> we listened to tucker, thanked him for his service and became facebook friends. tucker posted these pictures a short time later. >> all right. thank you, debra. we appreciate that even though we lost your feed. i'm sure we will be hearing from you as the night goes on. meantime, folks need to get there and get home and that usually involves metro. well, the train service increased security on the platform. problem is, the concert literally is not the only game in town tonight. the capitals are on the home ice at verison and that could doubly strain the system. the veterans we talked to say crowds don't scare them. >> i am actually a veteran. so i'm excited to go down and celebrate.

>> it feels good to know that everybody is supportive of us. >> i think this is fantastic. i would like to take my family down there and enjoy the day. >> keep in mind, those metro stations will close at midnight. they will run until the platform is clear. they will have the rush hour service in effect just to make sure everybody gets home. for a complete list of street closures and the congested areas around the mall, check our wusa9 mobile app. click on the you heard it on wusa9, now find it right here category. down load the app, upgrade for free on your apple or android. >> the only station with weather alert days, wusa9's first alert weather. >> okay, we are within an hour of go time. i tell you what, temperature wise, it could not be better. we have a few clouds, doppler 9,000 is quiet. let's start with the forecast for the whole concert. good news is, temperatures are going to be in the 50s and 60s. i mean, during the concert, 58 to 65. now i suppose if you're going

home late and you're going home east of town, you could see a sprinkle. during the concert, it will stay dry. remember, no bicycles, no chairs, and the concert is free. and it will kind of crazy on the metro. because we have the caps game, as we mentioned. on the future cast, 8:00 tonight, we're still 60 downtown. how nice is that? 60 is our average high for this time of year and the 50s in the suburbs. by 9:00, we're 59 downtown. upper 50s south and mid 50s north and west. by 10:00, still 58 downtown. 55 in gaithersburg. 53 in leesburg and 54 in manassas. we could not have diagrammed a better november night. by 11:00, a few clouds overhead and a few clouds moving up north from the northern neck into the southern maryland and then we do find some clouds by midnight. no sprinkles right now. temperatures in the 50s. by morning, a lot of clouds roll through and sprinkles possible down into the south. we will come back and talk about the arctic air. the front rolls through tomorrow. we'll tell you about when the real arctic air arrives.

>> the goat of the white house and congress is to get every homeless veteran off the streets. bruce johnson talks with some vets who are proof that it can be done no matter how dire the circumstances. >> i had a lot of trouble getting work after i got out. and the pressure hit soon after that. >> it is miles johnson, d.c. native, college grad, and army specialist 1995, and a street person after that. >> it's all about remaining quiet and remaining quiet. >> kept him on the streets for years and then came the lifeline from the veteran's administration teaming up with the coalition for the homeless. >> it's a program for homeless individuals who have severe mental illness and need to be connected to psychiatric services, daily living skills. >> local nonprofit and

veteran's administration offer two safe haven residences in the county. >> what about this place? >> it's a god send. >> i was running away from when i got out of the service. >> mary is a navy veteran. when she left the military, the former petty officer's mental illness led her to d.c. streets. >> led to homelessness, led to couch surfing, sleeping on people's couches, spending the night in dope houses, crack houses. >> the v.a. says the number of veterans still on the streets in the u.s. is big. nearly 50,000. but compare that to the 75,000 homeless veterans in 2010. >> housing advocates say the country could reach its goal of no homeless veterans by the end of next year. democrats putting the money where their mouths are. last year they spent $900 million. this year it's $1.6 billion to get the vets off the streets. >> they have given a relief of

vets. >> johnny had been in the air force. he was on the streets before landing at safe haven house in montgomery county. >> this place is ideal. this place is wonderful. this place is heart lifting. >> it's a small, but significant part of the bigger goal to get every military veteran off the streets in this country. we owe them that. bruce johnson, wusa9. >> all right, the v.a. is paying $151 a day for the veterans to stay at safe haven. and it is transitional housing. most of them will move to permanent apartments using v.a. rent vouchers. you talk about your true grit. he's already survived vietnam and now he's ready to hit the battlefield again.

how is your chance to say thank you to our veterans and military families who have given so much? call us at 202-895-560 to donate a thanksgiving food basket through the uso turkeys for troops phone bank and you never know who might pick up the phone. we have redskins with us in the studio. >> speaking of appreciation, we would like to salute one maryland veteran who just can't seem to stay away from the troops. >> that's right. his name is john. despite his experience in vietnam, if he could, he would wear the army uniform again to join his brothers and sisters

on the battlefield. >> this is good navy. i don't talk about my experiences as a combat veteran. mostly listen to them. what part of this great country are you from? i had spent over 27 years in the military myself. how about you? retired as an army sergeant major and having worked my way up through the ranks and servicing soldiers, being with soldiers, i just cannot stay away from them. you know, it's part of my life. i was chosen to go to south vietnam and fly helicopters. this was in 1966. i did not know where south vietnam was even at. january of 1968 is when it started. believe me when i tell you that it is probably one of the most terrifying experiences i ever had in vietnam. we flew around the clock, which is unheard of.

they are not made to fly like that. came out in 1968 unscathed. psychologically, it was -- there are some things i still deal with about that. there's a period in the 60s that, you know, if you wore a uniform, you were shunned. i experienced the brunt end of that coming out of vietnam. so now seeing the young folks coming into the military, young men and women, and still having faith in our country, faith in our services, is rewarding to me. knowing that what i did and what happened to me during the vietnam era was not a loss. >> okay guys. stop and see us again, okay?

>> and john tells us one thing that got him through those tough times in battle, the uso. and after 13 years at war, you can't help but believe the same is true for today's soldiers and airmen. so, do you want to say thank you? well you should. you want to consider donating whatever money you can afford to our uso turkey for troops telethon. the money we raise today will buy thanksgiving food baskets. so call this number. 202-895-5560. the troops really appreciate your help and lord knows they deserve it. topper is up next with the forecast.

are you looking for a way to say thank you to a veteran today? why not buy them a thanksgiving food basket and the we are making it so easy for you. just call our uso turkeys for troops phone bank at 202-895- 5560. make a donation. no amount is too small. and speaking of donations, we here at wusa9 along with our parent company, gwinnett, are honored to donate to this cause and we are joined by our president and general manager, mark, who is also here. the ceo, the president, the

tiny but mighty presint of the uso of metropolitan washington baltimore. and mark, you are here to do something in word and in deed. >> i want to thank all the people here who are volunteering and helping this cause. i happen to have a small check back here, somewhere back here on behalf of wusa and the gwinnett foundation. we are donating $10,000 to the uso. thank you for all that you do. it might be humble, but it's hungry. >> oh my gosh. this means so much. thank you so much for not forgetting our young enlisted families that are living in this area. we have so many military here and this is what is going to help us make their thanksgiving for them. >> absolutely. >> well, we are happy to do it. grateful to be your partner here and we want to thank all of our viewer who's have joined us today in this incredible effort. you still have time to donate thanksgiving food baskets to our military personnel. call our phone bank at 202-895-

5560. any amount you can give will be appreciated and every penny of it stays right here in our area. we'll keep these lines open until 7:30 tonight. you can go to our web page. look for the turkeys for troops on the left hand of the blue bar and topper is here to take us into the forecast. hey top. >> let's get everybody to call in. want to hear the phones while i'm doing weather. let's talk about temperatures. check this out, it's 15. these are current temperatures, not windchills. 12 in denver. in was in the 70s two days ago. we'll move out. it was 29 in kansas city. 35 in chicago. now we are still on the mild side, but the arctic air is slowly but surely going to sweep east and south and we'll feel it as we get into tomorrow night and thursday and friday. we have one more mild day. all right, live look outside. it's our live michael and son weather cam. still 66. how nice is that. winds out of the south,

southeast at 7. headlines, mild tonight with some clouds. doppler radar will be quiet. perfect for the concert. bus stop temperatures also mild. only 46 to 56. we get into tomorrow afternoon, it's going be a good day. it's going to be breezy. get out and enjoy tomorrow. temperatures are going to be either side of 60 because here comes on thursday, we're chilly with increasing clouds and downright cold on friday. 10:00 tonight, upper 50s downtown. mid 50s in the suburbs and generally clear skies. now we do see some clouds develop overnight and by 6:00 a.m., most of us have mostly cloudy skies. but notice there's no green blobs. so it's quiet in terms of showers. 52 downtown. by 6:00 a.m. tomorrow, and 58 in gaithersburg and 47 in manassas. right around 50 everywhere. clouds roll out. beautiful late morning and afternoon. pretty much pure sunshine. 62 want to walk to lunch, perfect. 57 in leesburg and 60 in manassas at 1:00 tomorrow.

by 3:30, 4:00, we're still upper 50s to low 60s. by 6:00, getting colder now north and west. 48 leesburg. 48 in gaithersburg. 47 up in martinsburg and by 8:00, we're still 50 downtown. that's an aberration. everybody else is falling into the 40s and by 10:30, walking the dog late tomorrow night, barely 40 in gaithersburg already 39 in martinsburg. 39 in hagerstown. some of that arctic air crawls over the mountains and seeps in here slowly. it's not going to be a jolt of arctic air. it's going to be a slow go. partly to mostly cloudy. 46 to 54. now by morning, returning partly cloudy. there will be some clouds to start. temperatures pretty nice. 46 to 58. and then by afternoon, breezy, but mild. high temperatures around 60 and winds out of the northwest at 10 to 20 with higher gusts. playing golf tomorrow, probably two club rule. 57 at 9:00 with sunshine.

11:00 we're 62. 1:00 we are also 62 with pretty much full sun. okay. now thursday, chilly, clouds come in late. showers, maybe a sprinkle. maybe even a flurry late thursday night. the day is going to be generally dry. only 49. 45 on friday for high school football. that's going to be cold. temperatures in the 30s for some of those games and speaking of 30s, it will be in the 30s for the terps, only 48 for a high. and alsoberg also burgundy and gold. temperatures in the 40s. we'll be back after this. ♪

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now, wusa9 game on sports with kristen burr set. brought to you by exfinty. >> the maryland terrapins exceeded expectations during their first season in the big ten conference. at 6-3, they are bowl eligible. with that monkey off their back, they turn their focus to a strong finish in the conference. the terps have a tough test at home. have to beat the spar tans without stefan digs who is suspended for that game. is this the last we have seen of digs this season? yesterday, we reported that a source told us digs suffered a lacerated kidney, but he didn't have too much to say. >> i don't comment on injuries, stefan is suspended for this game and we'll move forward next week. >> we have been in this

situation before. so i mean, when the guy, you know, can't go out there and play for whatever reason, other guys will have to set them up. it's the beauty. >> the washington redskins have a great opportunity to get back in the win column when they host a struggling tampa bay team. filled with negativity and plenty of questions. but players say a win will go a long way to quiet those critics. >> you win games, there's no talk about what you guys are doing, what needs to be fixed. it's none of that. how can we get better for the next week? >> robinson is the recipient of this year's courage award. chosen by his teammates after suffering torn pecktorial muscles the last two seasons. he returned to start all nine games this year and currently leads the team in tackles. here's your chance to win a redskins jersey signed by ryan kerrigan. all you have to do is go to our

facebook page. you have until sunday, november 23. the start to the washington capitals season and the era has been discouraging. after an o-4-1 slide, the caps found their winning ways again. after back to back victories, they have a chance for three in a row when they host the blue jackets. all it takes is one big game to spark a turn around. for the caps, that may have come with their victory on friday. >> obviously, two wins help for sure. i think it's a big thing. and then, i mean, it's a hard place to win. >> the nationals may have exited the playoffs early, but it was still a great season for the team. and now the manager is being rewarded for guiding his team through a mir myriad of injuries. he has been named manager of

the league. and reminder to vote in our high school game of the week. it's playoff time. the winning game leads our coverage friday night. so yeah, matt williams national league manager of the year. much deserved. >> a little bit of a consolation prize. he had to be disappointed with how things went off the table. >> all right, that's it for us. the cbs evening news is next. we are still taking your calls for our turkeys for troops effort.