And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN, the Axviles, with your

host, David Axelrod.

Of all the people that I've met in public life, few have, as remarkable a story as Tammy

Duckworth, the newly elected Senator from Illinois, raised overseas. She's dealt with issues

of poverty in her life. She enlisted in the military, was gravely injured in Iraq and

fought her way back to become a champion for veterans, and a distinguished public servant.

I sat down with Tammy in Chicago the other day to talk about that journey and where America

is today.

Tammy Duckworth, welcome. First, I should congratulate you on your election at the Center for

Illinois seat held by none other than Barack Obama at one point. So congratulations on that.

You were a known survivor and you survived another storm here.

I did. Thanks for having me on, Ax.

Let me, let me, before we talk about contemporary stuff, I don't know that that many people

know your whole story and it is an amazing story. So let's start from the beginning and your

folks and, yeah, and your, your early years.

Yeah.

I grew up in Southeast Asia. My dad was a multiple warm man. He comes from a long line

of military service and he ended his army career in 1972, 1973, I think, but with his second

tour of duty in Vietnam. So his first tour of duty was fairly early and he had, had switched

to reserve status by like 1967, 1968. And after his service.

So there was quite a bit of action there, right? Did he see action in Vietnam? Did he see?

He never talked about it. He really never talked about his military service to me and, or

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