And i, of course, was at abc doing it. We can never forget. Its too penetrating a memory, obviously, but there are so many who are in our business now, who are growing up, who didnt live it. And this museum, im telling you, when you go in there, it tells the story of that day. The sounds of the emergency locator beacons that they have playing in demonstrations of rubble that represent i never knew what they were when i heard them. You heard them for days. Confusing. Every one of those represented the firefighters who was lost, every one. And you hear them when you go to the museum. Im going to be honest, i havent having been there that day and actually when the north tower fell, i havent been back here but three times, and this is the third time in 13 ye years. One was for the first anniversary. One was for the tenth anniversaa anniversary and now today, this is how i September September 11th. That was about a few minutes after the north tower had fallen. And the window directly below me was broken. We could scamper in for protective cover. That was the World Trade CenterSecurity Guard who was cleaning his eyes out. And behind him was an nypd officer as well. Its not a place i like to be, i have to be honest with you, but ive got to say, seeing these pictures of this museum, im thrilled. I feel really great. This is a beautiful and poignant memorial. You know, youll learn many of the things that matter most in life are hard. They take effort. Theres difficulty. This is no different. But it is worthwhile because of what it does. And i think one of the things they captured very well which often doesnt get done well is you have new york, of course. You have d. C. You have pennsylvania. And they were all woven together in this tribute to the opening of the museum. And thats important. Because there were three different cities that are now threaded together in a way that theyre inextricably linked. And you do have this sense of pre9 11 and post9 11. Very much. And i think that came through as well. Everybody spoke the right way about what mattered on this day. And hopefully people come and see the museum for what it is, not what it isnt. And its says not just a museum. It is a cavernous experience. I mean, if you ever saw what what ground zero looked like after the pit, as they called it, had been cleared, it was this massive excavation site that looked like it could never be filled again. And the museum itself really keeps it perfectly, and at the same time just displays remarkably all of those all of those artifacts. The number of things that youll see in there and the mass and scope of them is spectacular. By the way, the president it was perfect that he was here today as sort of a National Moment for us, perfect that the president was here as well. Jim acosta has been traveling with the president. Jim, lets go to you. We know the president had to leave early, were told, according to the scheduling. But what did you observe being with him today . Reporter thats right, chris and ashleigh. And we should point out the white house is now saying that the reason why the president and the first lady left early is because of the security bubble that they take with them everywhere they go. That security bubble shut down the museum. And so they wanted to leave in the middle of the ceremony. So after its over, the families can go inside and tour the site here freely. And so thats the explanation that we got from the white house on that. You did hear the president really give a solid endorsement of this museum. He called it a profound and moving experience. You also heard during his remarks a reflection on the sacrifices here at ground zero, here at the World Trade Center site. And really, a huge salute to the bravery of the people who survived and to the people who perished trying to rescue those survivors. And you heard at one point the president saying nothing can ever break us. Nothing can ever change who we are as americans. And so i was talking to some white house officials who said thats what this day was really about. The president paying tribute to what happened here, to how this country has persevered in the years that followed. And really this is a president , even though he was not in office when 9 11 happened, his presidency has been very much shaped by 9 11. Youll recall when this president was, you know, giving the nominating speech for john kerry in 2004, he talked about how this country is not a collection of red states and blue states. Were the United States of america. Its because this country was pretty well divided in part because of the iraq war after 9 11. This president has always tried to bring this country together. It hasnt always worked, but his Foreign Policy has been very much shaped by this. And so you didnt hear the president talk about this today. Well hear him talk about that in the coming months. But he definitely wanted to pay tribute, wanted to honor the victims here and honor this museum. And we definitely heard that from the president today. We talk about the kinship of shanksville and the pentagon and new york city. And theres a kinship among the reporters as well. Here we are, 13 years later, back at the same site. Deb feyerick, you as well on that day, with a brandnew baby and off you went to report as well. And now youve had a chance to see that memorial for yourself. Reporter yeah. What i found so moving about this entire ceremony was just how everyones lives intersected and connected on that day. You know, you hear the message of a mom who was calling her son who was on one of the hijacked planes basically saying, you know, these planes are being hijacked. Theyre slamming into buildings. Do what you can do. That was one of the pen who was able to take down that plane that crashed in shanksville, pennsylvania. You heard another story about a woman who got lost in the dust and the debris, and she heard some man on a bullhorn saying, if you can hear this, follow the light. Follow the light. The acts of bravery and even when the president spoke about the man in the red bandana who sort of appeared out of nowhere, people trapped on one of the higher floors, and he said come this way. Heres the exit. Heres the exit. So it wasnt just about the people who died but about the people who they saved as well. And you feel that, that sense of connection. It was just incredibly done. You know, from my perspective, i had a newborn baby at home, and i went essentially that evening to the command center, and i will never forget mayor giuliani and the fire commissioner at the time talking about the number of lives that were lost. Not only the firefighters, 343 of them, but all the souls, one giuliani saying you know, it doesnt matter how many were lost. Its going to be too much for us to bear. You if eliminate that today. It was powerful. Reporter and deb, i should point out that in the weeks that followed 9 11, i had my first assignment for cbs news, my previous employer, they sent me down here a couple of weeks after the attacks had occurred. I remember Walking Around on the streets actually with a photographer who i saw here earlier this morning covering todays event. And i tried to share this story. I tried to do a standup, and i remember trying to do an oncamera standup for my story that day. And i remember not being able to do i just couldnt find the words. Reporter nobody could. Reporter to talk about what i was seeing around me. And ill just never forget being down here for those weeks that followed. And its amazing to see how the city has come back and this part of the city, how its come back. Incredible. Reporter ashleigh . Chris . Never forget being the absolute ultimate theme as we look upon the reflecting pools below us. And you see often when you come to the pools, the families. Remember how many kids there were. Just born. Just getting to know their parents who were lost on that day, and theyve had to grow up without them. And youll hear mothers and fathers say how they resemble, you know, spouses who were lost. And so many of them had the same message in the aftermath after dealing with the anger and the grief was that you have to live your life. Life is a blessing. You have to make the most of it. So for all of the tragedy that was absorbed and endured, the message of that resiliency, that the water goes in and comes back and recirculates, is something that you equally take as message. I got engaged 11 days after 9 11 because seeing all these people who had lost their chance at their life, it became even more urgent that we all make the most of our lives while we can. You felt as though we were certainly one nation. There were no red states or blue states and everybody was a sister or brother. That was the message. So as we leave you today, its about courage, unity, compassion and love all after the tragedy. And this hour with berman and michaela begins right after this quick break. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. Cs. While a body in motion tends to stay in motion. Staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. But if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. Prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. Because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. Plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. Celebrex can be taken with or without food. And its not a narcotic. You and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. All prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. 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Insures support. A breakthrough. And sooner than youd like. Sooner than you think. You die from alzheimers disease. We cure alzheimers disease. Every little click, call, or donation adds up to something big. Alzheimers association. The brains behind saving yours. Oh the name your price tool you tell them how much you want to pay, and they help you find a policy that fits your budget. I told you to wear something comfortable this is a polyester blend whoa uh. Little help . I got you unh its so beautiful man should we Call Security . No, this is just getting good. The name your price tool, still only from progressive. Hello, everyone, im john berman. And im michaela pereira. Right now on capitol hill, Veterans Affairs secretary Eric Shinseki is in the hot seat. His job is on the line after an explosive cnn report revealed deadly waiting times and allegations of a coverup and coverups at v. A. Hospitals. So the most troubling problems we know about happened at a phoenix hospital. At least 40 veterans died while waiting for care. Now, secretary shinseki has just started speaking a short time ago. In response to allegations about manipulation of appointments, scheduling at phoenix, i am committed to taking all actions necessary to identify exactly what the issues are. To fix them and to strengthen Veterans Trust in v. A. Health care. First the office of the Inspector General, as many of you have pointed out, is now conducting a thorough and timely review. If any of these allegations are true with regard to scheduling at phoenix and elsewhere where weve invited the i. G. To come and look at issues that were that surfaced. If any allegations are true, theyre completely unacceptable. To me, to veterans, and i will tell you the vast majority of dedicated vha employees who come to work every day to do their best by those veterans. If any are substantiated by the Inspector General, we will act. Our drew griffin is the one who really exposed this crisis. He joins us now from capitol hill. Were also joined by dan caldwell of the concerned veterans for america. And drew, i want to start with you here. The secretary says of these allegations, the allegations make him mad as hell, he would use stronger language if he could, but he keeps using the word if. If these allegations prove to be true. If they investigate and find out its happened, then they will take the appropriate action. Is there really an if at this point associated with it . Based on your reporting, theres a lot of strange, strange stuff that happened here. Reporter yeah, and thats whats so incredulous about this hearing thats taking place. A lot of outrage, a lot of back slapping. I just dont get it. It is a proven fact that veterans across this country have died because of delayed care. 23 of them by the v. A. s own count. Okay . Its not just happening in phoenix. This has been proven. The office of Inspector General has already reported on problems in south carolina, georgia, florida, texas. Everybody in the room should know this. Now shinseki is talking about doing something about it now. It just seems very hollow. Were outside the hallway where hes going to come out and speak to us, john, and im going to ask him these questions. Where have you been . And were anxious to hear how he responds to your questions, drew. Dan, we want to bring you into the conversation. We want to know what your thoughts are. I know that youre calling for shinsekis resignation. You call these hearings a joke. Do you think anythings going to come of it . No. Most hearings like this, Committee Hearings on capitol hill, are dogandpony shows. Theyre scripted. We know what people are going to say ahead of time. Its just political theater. In regards to the chairman of this committee whos running the show, hes not taking this seriously. In his opening remarks, he tried to minimize this problem and then remarks previously he basically said that this is some vast right wing conspiracy. The problems are minimal and that the reporting that cnn and others have done should just be ignored. As drew said, were past the alleged stage. The v. A. Has admitted that veterans have died from delayed care. This is before phoenix. This is before any of these issues came up. And our group is calling for shinseki to resign, not just because of phoenix but because of a long pattern of mismanagement. Senate hearings one thing they do do, even if it may not provide immediate results, they do shine a spotlight on this problem, drew, that youve been investigating for months and months and months. What is the current status right now of your investigation and also the secretary who says hes doing a facetoface meeting with every hospital practically in the country right now . Reporter look, our investigation is blowing up across the country. Were getting whistleblowers coming out of the woodworks now, telling us that there are secret waiting lists. Theres manipulation of wait times. There are people coming forward saying my husband, my father died because lets just be straight. Why these guys are dying, all right . These are old guys who are dying because theyre not getting a colonoscopy, all right . That is pretty damn sad. That is what the office of Inspector General has found. Thats what were talking about, the health care here. This is you or your father not being able to get a colonoscopy within two years when you finally get one, guess what . Youve got fullstage cancer, and you are dead. Its that sad. It is that simple. And as for whats going on in the senate, the house Veterans Affairs committee has been railing on this for the past year. So i dont get whats going on down this hallway. Dan, quickly, what are you hearing from veterans there in phoenix . We know the folks there, theyve got to have very little confidence that theyre going to get to the bottom of this. Theres zero confidence in the department of Veterans Affairs out here in phoenix, arizona. Its a sad thing to say, but veterans out here, for a long time, not just this year or the last, going back to 2011, have dealt with problems in the v. A. Hospital. I experienced many of those firsthand as a veteran myself and then as a v. A. Case worker in the congressional office, there have been many, many problems at both the Regional Office which handles disability benefits and the health administration. And its going to take a lot to restore the trust. They recently sent in a new acting director to replace Sharon Hellmann while shes on administrative leave and the investigation goes forward. But frankly, you know, there was an American Legion town hall the other day, and nobody has faith that this guy they sent down from utah is really going to fix anything. Theres just no trust because theres no accountability. Theres no faith that theyre going to do the right thing and fix it here. Veterans are angry, and they have every right to be. And they should be. They need a voice, too. And of course, veterans are people, we owe so much to them in their time of their lives which makes this all the more infuriating. What this is about is fudging records at v. A. Hospitals in getting the treatment that they need. Dan caldwell, thanks so much. Great reporting. Drew griffin, this is a day thats due to your reporting on this issue. Thank you to you. We really appreciate it. Coming up for us, schools closed. A Nuclear Power plant evacuated. Parts of the Camp Pendleton military base shut down all because of fastmoving fires in california. We will take you there live next. Americas newest Real Estate Brand is all ready the brand of the year. Berkshire hathaway home services. Goo