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American Morning
Seven marines Killed in Crash of Air Tanker
Aired January 10, 2002 - 07:05 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Up front this morning, as we've been reporting, seven Marines have been killed in the crash of an air tanker. It went down in the southwest region of Pakistan near the Afghanistan border. Among the dead in yesterday's crash, the first female service member to die in the three month old conflict.
CNN's Bill Hemmer is standing by in Kandahar and has the very latest on this -- good morning, Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, thank you and good evening from Kandahar.
When the sun broker earlier today in Afghanistan, the word came down confirming that seven marines had lost their lives again in southwestern Pakistan. The crew of seven on board, with great sadness sweeping this base last night, getting word of that plane going down. Further confirmation when the marines got up today and now they remember the six men and one woman as heroes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
1ST LT. JAMES JARVIS, U.S. MARINES: Any time we lose one marine is one too many. We've got a lot, you know, these were our friends, these were our colleagues, you know, these are Little League coaches, you know, these are volunteer firemen in their communities. And so this is a big loss.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: An investigative team left from Kandahar earlier today. They'll go investigate the crash site, said to be in very rough terrain, difficult to get to. They give no word right now for the cause of that crash, Paula, but one marine says the possibility of enemy fire is highly unlikely -- Paula.
ZAHN: Bill, wanted to move you onto another subject now and that is the status of the some 351 detainees. What have you been told about where they're headed to?
HEMMER: Yes, Paula, at this point no detainee has left Kandahar, or, for that matter, left Afghanistan. But we're getting word again, strong indications that move may come soon, possibly when the sun goes down in a few hours a little later tonight. One source told me this is a trial run, in his words. About 15 to 20 detainees will go in the first shipment, trying to test out that security measures that they have taken here, quite great lengths, as well.
Last night, though, Paula, in the shroud of darkness, two pieces of videotape to show you. The first of two groups of detainees coming in here to Kandahar. The first group of 18 shackled and bound, chained and hooded, led across the tarmac into the expanded detention facility. It was hours later that another group came in, 27 more are led to the tarmac this time. Also on board that second group, three injured detainees carried on a stretcher. You can see the I.V. fluids hanging by the side.
Again, 45 in all last night, 351 the count now in Kandahar. And once again, the move to Cuba could come any time very soon -- Paula.
ZAHN: Thanks, Bill, so much for that update.
And a little bit later on this morning we'll be briefing all of you on what we are learning about the conditions under which these detainees will be transported and what it will be like in Cuba once they arrive there.
The military has now released the names of those killed in the tanker crash. They are Captain Matthew Bancroft, Captain Daniel McCollum, Gunnery Sergeant Stephen Bryson, Staff Sergeant Scott Germoson, Sergeant Nathan Hays, Lance Corporal Bryan Bertrand and Sergeant Jeannette Winters.
The KC-130 Hercules that went down yesterday was part of a marine refueling transport squadron known as The Raiders. It was based at the marine corps air station in Miramar, California.
That is exactly where we find CNN's Eric Horng this morning -- Eric, I know it's not appropriate to give you a good morning greeting. Give us a sense of what is going on there this morning.
ERIC HORNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, good morning.
No doubt an emotional day here at Miramar. Some 11,000 marines stationed here, many of them hearing the news late last night that seven of their own were killed overseas.
But for a moment just to focus in on one of those marines, 25- year-old Sergeant Jeannette Winters, the first U.S. servicewoman killed in Operation Enduring Freedom, a radio operator aboard that KC- 130 who joined the marine corps in 1997. Late last night her father, in Gary, Indiana, spoke to reporters, offering these words about hearing the news of his daughter's tragic death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW WINTERS, FATHER OF JEANNETTE WINTERS: They told me that there had been a crash and my daughter was in it. So, and, you know, it just, it's caught all us by, because I was laying in the bed, and it just caught all of us by a real big surprise.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HORNG: Those seven marines were part of the Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 here at Miramar, a very proud squadron that we understand has been involved in virtually every major U.S. military conflict since WWII. And it is with that pride and, of course, a sense of sorrow that those seven marines will be remembered here today at Miramar.
I'm Eric Horng reporting live -- Paula, back to you.
ZAHN: Eric, before we let you get away, one quick question for you. Have you been able to learn anything more about what the marine corps might be doing for the families of these latest victims?
HORNG: We understand today a number of grief counselors and clergy will be on hand for not only the relatives of those marines killed, but as well as any of the thousands of marines that are stationed here at Miramar. Of course, I don't need to tell you this is a very, an air station with a very proud history and a very famous naval air station here for many years. A few years ago it became a marine corps air station. A very tight knit group here. No doubt a very emotional day, as well -- Paula.
ZAHN: OK, thanks so much for that report, Eric.
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