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American Morning
Operation Happy Holidays: Interview of Rick and Melody Stevenson
Aired December 25, 2001 - 09:47 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: Anyway, with us now, Lance Corporal Rick -- you're not going to propose, by the way, are you?
LANCE CORPORAL RICK STEVENSON: No, I've already past that.
HEMMER: You're already married. Lance Corporal Rick Stevenson grew up in Boxite, Arkansas, which is a little south of Little Rock, and his wife is Melody, she's standing by in Detroit, Michigan. How long you been married?
R. STEVENSON: Coming up on two years.
HEMMER: Okay. What's your job here in Kandahar?
R. STEVENSON: I'm an 03-11, a scout for LAR (ph).
HEMMER: Scout, okay. You on the perimeter?
R. STEVENSON: Yes. Right up front.
HEMMER: Listen, Melody is, I think we can hear her right now. Melody, if you hear us, merry Christmas to you.
MELODY STEVENSON: Merry Christmas.
HEMMER: Your husband has elected you to go ahead with the first question or comment, and there we have it. Go ahead sir.
R. STEVENSON: Merry Christmas to you too. How are you doing?
M. STEVENSON: Good. How are you honey? Are you doing okay? Okay, well, your mom --
HEMMER: She said, "are you doing okay?"
R. STEVENSON: Yeah, I'm doing fine. Mom and Dad are taking care of me.
M. STEVENSON: Yeah, Mom and Dad, and Misty and Jason all said be safe, they love you, they miss you, they're watching you. Your mom called everybody in Arkansas, so they are all watching you out there.
R. STEVENSON: Yeah, Mom called everybody? Yeah, she likes to -- she's proud of me over here.
M. STEVENSON: Yeah. Hey, take your hat off, want to see your hair.
R. STEVENSON: Take my hat off? You want to see my hair.
M. STEVENSON: Yay, you grew it back.
R. STEVENSON: Yeah, it's been a while, huh?
M. STEVENSON: I haven't seen you since October.
R. STEVENSON: What's that? Hadn't seen me since -- yeah, I know, I haven't seen you either. I haven't called you in 32 days.
M. STEVENSON: Happy anniversary.
R. STEVENSON: Is she crying? What's that?
M. STEVENSON: Happy anniversary. Ten days.
R. STEVENSON: I can't hear what she's saying.
HEMMER: She said happy anniversary. When is your anniversary?
R. STEVENSON: In January. Happy anniversary too, baby. What a way to do it, huh?
M. STEVENSON: I know. Just come home safe, okay?
R. STEVENSON: Are you crying?
M. STEVENSON: I cry all the time, you know that.
R. STEVENSON: Oh, yeah. My mom is probably crying just watching.
M. STEVENSON: Can you see me?
HEMMER: She wanted to know, if you can see her, and obviously we can't, given the conditions here, but she can see you.
R. STEVENSON: Yeah, I can't see you.
M. STEVENSON: Did you get all your packages?
R. STEVENSON: But you can see me. Be happy. Yeah, I got all of the packages.
M. STEVENSON: Did you get your Christmas cards?
R. STEVENSON: I got the Christmas cards.
M. STEVENSON: All right.
R. STEVENSON: I sent you some letters. Have you got those? M. STEVENSON: No. I got the cardboard -- I got the MRE.
R. STEVENSON: So are you at home -- Yeah?
M. STEVENSON: Yeah.
R. STEVENSON: So you went home for Christmas, huh?
M. STEVENSON: Yeah. Kat (ph) and Mom are sitting right next to me. They all say hi, and everybody misses you.
R. STEVENSON: Oh yeah?
M. STEVENSON: Yeah.
R. STEVENSON: Yeah? You having a good Christmas over there?
M. STEVENSON: Yeah.
R. STEVENSON: What are you doing?
M. STEVENSON: We're going over to Keith and Kristin's house.
R. STEVENSON: What's that? Oh, yeah? Well, tell Keith I said hi.
M. STEVENSON: Oh, I forgot to tell you, my brother Rob and Keith are both expecting babies in June and July.
R. STEVENSON: Well, that's good. Tell Keith congratulations. Have you talked to the guys from Alpha Company back home?
M. STEVENSON: Yes, and Ty (ph) and Kenny and Steve and Jeremy and J.J. They're all watching you back in -- at Laflores (ph).
R. STEVENSON: Are they all jealous?
M. STEVENSON: They can't believe you're on TV.
R. STEVENSON: Just because I'm on TV huh? That's understandable.
M. STEVENSON: You're doing good, though?
R. STEVENSON: What's that?
M. STEVENSON: You keeping warm out there, not freezing?
HEMMER: She said are you doing -- are you keeping warm, are you freezing?
R. STEVENSON: Yeah. Mom and Dad and Frank have been hooking me up from Take a Hike (ph) a lot.
M. STEVENSON: Well, you look adorable still.
R. STEVENSON: So when are you going home? Oh yeah, all right.
M. STEVENSON: I fly back to California.
HEMMER: Excellent. Very good stuff. Hey, Melody, one final comment for your husband here on Christmas day.
M. STEVENSON: I love you, Rick. I miss you. Come home safe. I can't wait to see you again. Take care.
R. STEVENSON: Well, you know -- you know I love you, and it's only a little bit longer now.
M. STEVENSON: Ten weeks.
HEMMER: And Melody, I'm thrilled that you asked him to take off his hat, because most guys won't do that, actually. We found that out. Melody thanks, merry Christmas back in Detroit, Michigan. Lance Corporal Stevenson, thanks. Very nice, and an uncle two times.
R. STEVENSON: I am already.
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