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CNN Live Today
USS Roosevelt Arrives, Bringing Cheer to Families
Aired March 27, 2002 - 11:37 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. The USS Theodore Roosevelt battle group returned to port at Norfolk, Virginia today after six months of service in the Afghan campaign. We sent our national correspondent, Bob Franken, out there, and he has been watching these happy homecomings all morning -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What a story, Leon. 5,500 happy homecomings and 5,500 separate stories. But we have a story of the second homecoming in as many days. This is Captain Jeff Kathy (ph) and his wife, Casey Kathy (ph). You are the deputy commander of the air wing here, so you came back first yesterday.
CAPT. JEFF KATHY, DEPUTY COMMANDER, USS ROOSEVELT AIR WING: We came back yesterday. We flew into Oceana Naval Air Station with the F-14s and F-18s and had a great, fantastic homecoming there, and then helicoptered out with the air wing commander, Captain Vesh (ph) today, for the second homecoming.
FRANKEN: So, is it the same.
CASEY KATHY, WIFE OF JEFF KATHY: They are all better. Every one keeps getting better and better.
FRANKEN: Well, you want to go a third one here?
J. KATHY: Well, we are ready to go. We -- imagine we'll probably be back out there in a quick turnaround, maybe another ship, and slightly different air wing, but ready to go and complete the unfinished business.
FRANKEN: Now, I tell me why, Leon, I wanted to talk to these people. The wife, Casey, was carrying golf clubs. You're not the golfer here, are you?
C. KATHY: I'm the caddy.
J. KATHY: She is a good caddy. She is great.
FRANKEN: Well, you didn't get to take your caddy along, but I believe that through all the hardship and deprivation, you still managed to get some golf in?
J. KATHY: We did. We played 18 holes there in Bahrain, and another day in France near Marseilles, on a beautiful course. It was fantastic. We didn't have too many days off, but the ones that we did, we had about eight, we took advantage of.
FRANKEN: Well Leon, as you can see, no sacrifice is too great for your country.
HARRIS: Now, that's love.
FRANKEN: At any rate, golf notwithstanding, it has been a very long six months, I know, and I know you are glad to be back.
J. KATHY: It was long, and it was good, and the crew and the air wing executed fantastically. It is great to be back here. I tell you what, the best part about it was the support we got from you and the American people is great.
FRANKEN: Well, thank you very much. Congratulations to both of you on both returns.
J. KATHY: Thank you, Bob.
FRANKEN: Leon.
HARRIS: That's a good one. Way to go -- Bob. Only you, you would be the first guy to find a set of golf clubs out there. Hey, but listen. Tell us, you got give us an update on this marriage proposal that we heard about earlier.
FRANKEN: No update. We know that there was a proposal. We haven't found yet the woman to whom the proposal was directed. I'm not sure we are going to. I looked around to see if somebody was, in fact, very emotional at the moment, and I saw about 15,000 of those, so I wasn't able to narrow it down more.
HARRIS: Well, as we -- Bob, what we are hearing is some young lady did nod yes.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's fill Bob in, because, you know, he is there. I mean, as you said, 15,000 people...
HARRIS: You probably haven't had a chance to get to your computer yet.
KAGAN: ...and I know he won't be able to sleep tonight unless he hears this, being the romantic that Bob Franken is. The man who was making the proposal is Petty Officer Justin Trober (ph), and as you could see, he was proposing to Ashley McGee. She was in the crowd, and according to Associated Press, it says she put her hand to her mouth, nodded yes, and it brought tears from the sailor, who said his long deployment on the ship made him realize how much he wanted to get married, and they have set a date for April 6 in Dallas, Texas.
HARRIS: Wow. That didn't take long.
FRANKEN: That is what is called an "aahhh" story.
KAGAN: Yes. Aahhh!
FRANKEN: Exactly. And there are about 5,500 of those here.
KAGAN: And you have brought us a lot of them. We appreciate your work this morning, Bob.
HARRIS: Nice going out there, Bob. Have a good one.
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