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CNN Live Today

Troop Deployments

Aired January 06, 2003 - 11:30   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: Across the country, exactly, all the way across the country, some children are dealing with the sadness, but for different reasons here. As we told you, thousands of Marines and sailors are shipping out of Southern California today, and they're heading out for the Persian Gulf region, and we've been watching some of these families who have been saying goodbye to their loved ones who are going to be boarding the ships.
Let's check in once again now with our national correspondent Frank Buckley. He is once again live from San Diego, where those troops are saying goodbye.

Hello, Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.

We continue to speak to some of the families here, and they've been kind enough to let us intrude into their tender moments as they await the departure to what could be harm's way. Three ships, the Teroa (ph), the Duluth, and the Rushmore, the 15th MU (ph), the expeditionary unit, the Marines, some 4,000 Marines and sailors heading to sea on a regular deployment that will take them -- one of the places they will be going will be the Persian Gulf, but clearly, given the circumstances in the world, a difficult situation. We're going to have to toss it back to you because of the news conference, I understand. ' No, I'm sorry, sorry, guys. Someone said, you're finished. So I'm sorry about that. I'll continue then, and talk to the family that I asked to stand here.

Daniel Zepeda and family, this is a difficult day for everybody, but given the situation in the world, tell me how this is a little different.

DANIEL ZEPEDA, U.S. NAVY: Not knowing the certainty of where we're going to be going or what we'll be doing, that would make it a little bit more different, but the main thing is, as long as we're doing what's important for the country, for the world, for our families, that's what we're looking to do.

BUCKLEY: We were talking earlier, and you were saying he's been to sea before for had this sort of a six-month thing, but given the world circumstances, and now you've got two kids, the last one you didn't have these two guys, tell me how this is different for you.

DYNEL ZEPEDA, WIFE: It's a lot more different now. It's a little harder, because I'm a working mom, too, and I feel like it's going to be harder, but all I can say is just, I'm so proud being married with this military guy right here, and I'm -- I just have to be strong for them, too. I'm glad I have these two to keep us together, keep us strong.

BUCKLEY: Dillon (ph) has been going through some difficulty this morning, as many children do on this day. What do you try to tell him to reassure him?

DYNEL ZEPEDA: I tell him just to be strong, that his dad is just going to be doing his job, you know, for the country and he understands that, yes.

BUCKLEY: And, Daniel, what about you? Leon was mentioning to me earlier, one of our anchors that the fact that my father was in the military, as well, and that I went through this. I remember my dad saying to me, you've got to be the man of the house when I'm gone. What do you say to your son and daughter?

ZEPEDA: To take care of his sister, listen to his mom, help his mom out as much as he can, and just be good, keep out of trouble, and do what he has to do. He knows what his responsibilities are at home and school, so just do that, and he should be fine.

BUCKLEY: You know, I've been at sea with you guys in the past, and the sailors and the Marines get into a routine. You've got your work to do, the days turn into another day. But really it's most difficult, don't you think, for the families at home?

ZEPEDA: Well, because of E-mail and still being able to talk to your family every day it seems like with e-mail, that makes it a lot easier to be able to communicate back home and find out what's going on and if the kids are sick and so forth, so it does help us a lot.

BUCKLEY: Are there any special thoughts that you try to convey to him in the last hours before he takes off, especially given what could be a wartime situation in the weeks ahead?

DYNEL ZEPEDA: All I tell him, to just be safe and just have a -- just be strong, and we'll be OK. I can handle this. Yes, that's all.

BUCKLEY: All right, thank you all so much for sharing your story. We wish you well.

Sorry about the mixup there, Leon. But as we say, there's some 4,000 families and each one of us -- each one of them giving us an emotional story, and we appreciate their time.

HARRIS: Definitely. No problem at all, Frank. This is live TV. We know how that stuff works out. Nice going out there. We'll check back with you later on, all right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 6, 2003 - 11:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Across the country, exactly, all the way across the country, some children are dealing with the sadness, but for different reasons here. As we told you, thousands of Marines and sailors are shipping out of Southern California today, and they're heading out for the Persian Gulf region, and we've been watching some of these families who have been saying goodbye to their loved ones who are going to be boarding the ships.
Let's check in once again now with our national correspondent Frank Buckley. He is once again live from San Diego, where those troops are saying goodbye.

Hello, Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon.

We continue to speak to some of the families here, and they've been kind enough to let us intrude into their tender moments as they await the departure to what could be harm's way. Three ships, the Teroa (ph), the Duluth, and the Rushmore, the 15th MU (ph), the expeditionary unit, the Marines, some 4,000 Marines and sailors heading to sea on a regular deployment that will take them -- one of the places they will be going will be the Persian Gulf, but clearly, given the circumstances in the world, a difficult situation. We're going to have to toss it back to you because of the news conference, I understand. ' No, I'm sorry, sorry, guys. Someone said, you're finished. So I'm sorry about that. I'll continue then, and talk to the family that I asked to stand here.

Daniel Zepeda and family, this is a difficult day for everybody, but given the situation in the world, tell me how this is a little different.

DANIEL ZEPEDA, U.S. NAVY: Not knowing the certainty of where we're going to be going or what we'll be doing, that would make it a little bit more different, but the main thing is, as long as we're doing what's important for the country, for the world, for our families, that's what we're looking to do.

BUCKLEY: We were talking earlier, and you were saying he's been to sea before for had this sort of a six-month thing, but given the world circumstances, and now you've got two kids, the last one you didn't have these two guys, tell me how this is different for you.

DYNEL ZEPEDA, WIFE: It's a lot more different now. It's a little harder, because I'm a working mom, too, and I feel like it's going to be harder, but all I can say is just, I'm so proud being married with this military guy right here, and I'm -- I just have to be strong for them, too. I'm glad I have these two to keep us together, keep us strong.

BUCKLEY: Dillon (ph) has been going through some difficulty this morning, as many children do on this day. What do you try to tell him to reassure him?

DYNEL ZEPEDA: I tell him just to be strong, that his dad is just going to be doing his job, you know, for the country and he understands that, yes.

BUCKLEY: And, Daniel, what about you? Leon was mentioning to me earlier, one of our anchors that the fact that my father was in the military, as well, and that I went through this. I remember my dad saying to me, you've got to be the man of the house when I'm gone. What do you say to your son and daughter?

ZEPEDA: To take care of his sister, listen to his mom, help his mom out as much as he can, and just be good, keep out of trouble, and do what he has to do. He knows what his responsibilities are at home and school, so just do that, and he should be fine.

BUCKLEY: You know, I've been at sea with you guys in the past, and the sailors and the Marines get into a routine. You've got your work to do, the days turn into another day. But really it's most difficult, don't you think, for the families at home?

ZEPEDA: Well, because of E-mail and still being able to talk to your family every day it seems like with e-mail, that makes it a lot easier to be able to communicate back home and find out what's going on and if the kids are sick and so forth, so it does help us a lot.

BUCKLEY: Are there any special thoughts that you try to convey to him in the last hours before he takes off, especially given what could be a wartime situation in the weeks ahead?

DYNEL ZEPEDA: All I tell him, to just be safe and just have a -- just be strong, and we'll be OK. I can handle this. Yes, that's all.

BUCKLEY: All right, thank you all so much for sharing your story. We wish you well.

Sorry about the mixup there, Leon. But as we say, there's some 4,000 families and each one of us -- each one of them giving us an emotional story, and we appreciate their time.

HARRIS: Definitely. No problem at all, Frank. This is live TV. We know how that stuff works out. Nice going out there. We'll check back with you later on, all right.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com