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American Morning
Operation Happy Holidays: Interview of Casey Sheila McCall
Aired December 25, 2001 - 07:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You know, we did this yesterday, and had a few lucky Marines hook up with their families back in the U.S. Going to try it again today.
Sergeant Casey McCall's with us. He's from Jacksonville, North Carolina.
And we're going to give this a swing here in just a bit, but first, Sergeant, merry Christmas to you.
SGT. CASEY MCCALL: Merry Christmas to you.
HEMMER: Good to see you today. Thanks for taking time. First of all, you have a note that you want to send out to someone.
C. MCCALL: Yes, ...
HEMMER: Go ahead ...
C. MCCALL: ... that's right, ...
HEMMER: ... with that.
C. MCCALL: ... yes, sir. This would be the family of Corporal Carl Robinson. The message is that, I'm all right, and I love you Chastity (ph). And Merry Christmas.
HEMMER: Sweet. Very good. Is that a buddy of yours.
C. MCCALL: It's a friend of mine, yes.
HEMMER: All right. How's it going for you?
C. MCCALL: It's going well.
HEMMER: Yeah.
C. MCCALL: It's going well.
HEMMER: How long's it been since your family has seen you?
C. MCCALL: You know, it's September, actually.
HEMMER: Yeah? C. MCCALL: Yes, sir.
HEMMER: What day did you ship out?
C. MCCALL: September 20th.
HEMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
C. MCCALL: Got a job to do.
HEMMER: Yeah.
C. MCCALL: Finish our job, then we'll go home.
HEMMER: Got it. Well, listen, your wife Sheila is standing by in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Also understand you've got four little ones, too, ages two to 10.
And if Sheila, if you can hear us here in Kandahar, your husband, like so many Marines yesterday, I will say, has chosen you to go ahead with the first comment and the first question, so to you in Jacksonville, Sheila. Go ahead and merry Christmas.
SHEILA MCCALL, WIFE OF CASEY MCCALL: Hi, baby. Merry Christmas to you.
C. MCCALL: I go ahead and respond?
HEMMER: Sure.
C. MCCALL: Hi. Merry Christmas, baby. Hi, kids. I don't know if ...
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Hi, Daddy.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Hi, Daddy.
C. MCCALL: ... you guys opened your presents yet or not, but make sure that you eat breakfast before you eat anything out of your stockings.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Oh, OK.
S. MCCALL: They've torn into the candy already.
C. MCCALL: I'm sorry, baby. You repeat that please?
S. MCCALL: I said, they've already torn into all the candy.
C. MCCALL: All right. Well maybe we should have went on the air a couple of hours ago, then.
S. MCCALL: Yeah.
C. MCCALL: I guess I'm a little bit too late on that. Merry Christmas. I love you guys, and I miss you very much.
S. MCCALL: I love you, too. Merry Christmas.
C. MCCALL: I guess it's my turn to talk now? Right? Because I'm waiting for you.
C. MCCALL: OK. That's right, that's right. Well, tell me what the kids got for Christmas, because I really want to know, because that way I'll know what to get them when I get home.
S. MCCALL: We haven't opened Christmas gifts yet. We come to see you first.
C. MCCALL: Oh, OK. So I guess you probably can't tell me yet, then. It's ...
S. MCCALL: Not a good idea.
C. MCCALL: ... understandable (ph). I have a surprise for all of you after I get home anyway.
So I'm probably getting a little more sun than you guys are right now.
S. MCCALL: It's getting light out, yes. Say hi to Daddy.
C. MCCALL: Yeah ...
S. MCCALL: I don't think the kids are going to talk.
C. MCCALL: Are the kids there? If so - OK. None of the kids want to talk. Well, merry Christmas, guys. I love you and I miss you.
S. MCCALL: I love you. Merry Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED MCCALL CHILD: Merry Christmas.
C. MCCALL: I heard it. Yeah, I heard something.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Say merry ...
C. MCCALL: Echo (ph) and Skyler (ph) ...
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Merry Christmas, Daddy.
C. MCCALL: ... and Clancy (ph) and Stacey (ph), merry Christmas to all of you.
Well, merry Christmas, baby. It took you long enough. Maybe a little bit shy, huh (ph).
HEMMER: Why don't you go ahead and have Sheila introduce your kids to our audience, OK.
C. MCCALL: Sure. HEMMER: Point out who they are, how old they are what their names are.
C. MCCALL: OK. Sheila's going to do that?
HEMMER: Sheila's - she's in charge now.
C. MCCALL: All right.
S. MCCALL: OK. This is Echo (ph), our oldest and she's 10. Say hi.
This is Skyler (ph) and he's seven.
SKYLER MCCALL: Hi.
S. MCCALL: This is Clancy (ph). He's four. And this is Kasen Rose (ph), and she's 20 months.
C. MCCALL: You know, the Christmas present that I want from you Sheila, if the baby could be out of diapers by the time I come home, that would be a really good Christmas present.
C. MCCALL: We've been changing diapers ...
S. MCCALL: Oh, no. That's ...
C. MCCALL: ... for about 10 years.
S. MCCALL: ... your job. That's for when you get home. That's all you. We're saving that one for you.
C. MCCALL: Well, make sure that you tell Dad and your brothers merry Christmas for me also.
S. MCCALL: I will. And Mama Ruby (ph) and Mama Joy (ph) says hello. Merry Christmas and they love you very much.
C. MCCALL: Yeah. Tell Mama and Sissy (ph) I love them and miss them, too.
Everybody's fine here. We're doing all right. We're eating fine. We're sleeping well, as you can imagine.
Everything is fine.
S. MCCALL: All right.
C. MCCALL: I love you all and miss you very much. And merry Christmas.
S. MCCALL: I love you, too.
HEMMER: Ah, that's sweet, ...
S. MCCALL: Miss you, too. HEMMER: ... very nice. And to Sheila, one last comment from you. Or maybe if one of the kids want to jump in here with Dad before we have to say goodbye, OK?
S. MCCALL: Merry Christmas, baby. I love you. Say something.
UNIDENTIFIED MCCALL CHILD: Merry Christmas, Daddy.
UNIDENTIFIED MCCALL CHILD: Goodbye, Daddy.
UNIDENTIFIED MCCALL CHILD: Bye, Daddy. Bye.
HEMMER: Well, unfortunately for us, Sergeant, ...
S. MCCALL: I love you.
HEMMER: ... we're having a little hard time hearing them. There we go.
C. MCCALL: There we go.
HEMMER: There we go.
C. MCCALL: I love you, too. You guys enjoy your presents and make sure that you eat breakfast before you start digging into all of your candy.
HEMMER: Good (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ...
UNIDENTIFIED MCCALL CHILD: OK.
C. MCCALL: And I'll see you guys soon.
HEMMER: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MCCALL CHILD: Bye.
HEMMER: Sergeant, thank you.
C. MCCALL: I thank you very much.
HEMMER: We appreciate it. And merry Christmas to you. Thanks for coming out, and ...
C. MCCALL: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ...
HEMMER: ... hope that's something your kids will remember, OK?
C. MCCALL: Oh, I'm sure they will.
HEMMER: All right, pal. Don't go far. I want to talk to you in just a bit.
C. MCCALL: OK.
HEMMER: Sheila, again, thanks to you and the kids back there in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
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