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American Morning

Talk with Brother of Jessica Lynch

Aired April 02, 2003 - 08:04   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: We are going to go straight to Walt Rodgers, embedded with the Army's 3-7th Cav, which is moving toward Baghdad. He joins us now by videophone.
Walt, good morning. What's the very latest?

WALT RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Paula.

Actually, we're on a cell phone at this point, because the videophones are not working. The latest is all day long, we have watched a battle plan unfolding. Huge columns of troops, mostly 3rd Infantry Division moving in the general direction of Baghdad.

At one point, we crossed a road, went as far as you could see in either direction, perhaps 10 miles across the Iraqi desert to the left and 10 miles to the right, were huge convoys of supplies moving forward in the general direction of Baghdad. The 7th Cavalry itself yesterday was 50 miles from Baghdad, and today, we're approximately half that distance, and there are other U.S. forces with the 3rd Infantry Division probably just as close, perhaps even closer.

Earlier today, there was a fight for the town of Karbala, which is about 50 miles south of Baghdad. First the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division punched through town and expected tough resistance from Saddam Hussein's army. The resistance was minimal. There were a few tanks, a few mortar positions, not much else. Then the 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division came through, secured the town.

Again, if the Republican Guard was there, they were greatly overrated in their fighting strength. Throughout the day, as we've driven northward, we've seen groups of prisoners of war, Iraqi prisoners of war. One group of perhaps 50 or more, another group of at least as many as that, they were squatting by the road. There was an -- a medical unit close by in case any of them needed medical assistance. We did not see that. We have seen more than a few Iraqis dead by the road.

And, by the way, within the last 30 minutes, 7th Cavalry was involved in a serious firefight here. We were pushing in the general direction of Baghdad, and we came under very substantial antiaircraft fire. That is, there were three Soviet-vintage 20 millimeter antiaircraft guns aiming at the 7th Cavalry. Immediately, the 7th Cavalry's mortars were called up. The mortars went out over our heads. They pretty well extinguished the batteries that the Iraqis were using, and there were several mortar units here that were also taken out. One officer in the 7th Cavalry told me there are at least 20 Iraqis dead as a result of this exchange a few moments ago. A few meters from where I'm standing, I'm watching one of those old Soviet- vintage antiaircraft guns, double-barreled, At-At (ph) 20 millimeter being wired with symtex (ph), or some plastic explosive by the engineers. There is a fair amount of live ammunition around. The engineers are going to blow that up very quickly and disable that anti-gun -- Paula.

ZAHN: Walt, finally, you talk about these huge columns you see moving in the direction of Baghdad. We want to make it very clear that has been cleared by military officials to report. Has anybody characterized for you there what kind of pace you're talking about, the advance on Baghdad? military officials are telling us here it's going to be slow and systematic.

RODGERS: I think that's very accurate, and we shouldn't exaggerate the advance on Baghdad. The reason it's going to be slow is while some of these tanks can move over 50 miles an hour, also the Bradley fighting vehicles, they cannot outrun their supply lines or outrun their fuel or can't outrun their medical units which are very close behind them should the unit incur casualties. So what we're seeing is a very slow advance. I probably shouldn't give you the speed, but it isn't any slower than the -- it isn't any faster than the slowest truck in the unit.

So again, what we're seeing is a consolidation of U.S. forces, all pointing towards the general bull's eye of Baghdad of the 7th Cavalry is on one flank, protecting the 3rd Infantry Division. The 3rd Infantry Division may be closer than we are. They were in Karbala at one point. That's 50 miles south of Baghdad, and as I say, some units of the 3rd Infantry Division may well be closer to Baghdad than that.

ZAHN: Walt Rodgers, reporting with the 3-7th Cav. At what point telling us a little bit earlier this morning, they were just about 25 miles away from Baghdad.

Back to Bill now in Kuwait City.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Paula, clearly, Jessica Lynch right now is the most positive story of the day. She was rescued overnight. A daring raid there. Condition right now, not very clear, but some reports indicated she was in stable condition. Now, firmly in the hands of the U.S.

But there is a flipside to this story. About 11 bodies discovered in and around, two in the morgue, nine outside in what's described as some sort of shallow grave. No identification offered just yet, though, for those 11.

Tom Mintier is tracking everything down in Qatar at Central Command, and he joins us now for possibly more information on this, and also the uplifting story of Jessica Lynch.

Tom, hello again. Good afternoon there. TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.

We wish we had more information than was provided just a few minutes ago about what was found in and around the hospital. They do report that 11 sets of remains unidentified were brought out of the hospital by coalition forces.

But we saw the video, and we had to ask for it. It wasn't offered up. It wasn't like a movie trailer. And if it is going to be a movie, we saw the final scene and not all of the drama. We did see video from a nightscope camera, from a combat camera team, as Jessica Lynch was loaded aboard this what appeared to be a Chinook helicopter by special operation forces. Very green, grainy video of a stretcher being loaded aboard this helicopter, and then we can see a clear color photograph, obviously taken after they had left the hostile area of this young PFC, who was rescued from her imprisonment in the hospital as a POW.

We also heard from Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, that the Army, the Marines, the Air Force and the Navy were all involved in this operation, that it was a joint operation, an operation to make sure that no one was left behind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. VINCENT BROOKS, CENTCOM: The nature of the operation was a coalition special operation that involved Army Rangers, Air Force pilots and combat controllers, U.S. Marines and Navy SEALS. It was a classic joint operation done by some of our nations finest warriors, who are dedicated to never leaving a comrade behind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MINTIER: We also are starting to get a bit more information about the battles that are raging south and southeast of Baghdad. In the last two or three hours, public affairs officials here have been talking about this confrontation that's going on with the Republican Guard units.

In one of the situations during the briefing, General Brooks said that this guard unit was destroyed, and the other had been seriously degraded. So just what kind of after-action reports we're going to get in the next 24 hours as to how these ongoing operations are going on, but it seems now that we're hearing about more operations as they're occurring here -- Bill.

HEMMER: Tom, it was my observation just on Monday, 48 hours ago, the members of the British and U.S. Military that we talked to here in Kuwait, they seemed like they had a much more positive outlook on what was happening on the ground and the battlefield, almost as if they had turned that mythical corner. Did you get a similar perception there in Qatar during there this week?

MINTIER: Well, I think during the last couple of days, they have been extremely quiet, not sullen, but just quiet, and only talking about really basic operations what was going on. It was clear that Baghdad has been the objective all along, and just how they got there, they apparently wanted to keep that pretty much a secret, which is difficult to do with the embedded journalists program.

But this is what's going on right now, described to me as the first set piece battle of the war, and I know we have a lot of generals who analyze these things for us, but this will be maybe a defining moment in this campaign, these two pincher attacks against the Republican Guard units just outside of Baghdad.

HEMMER: Tom, thanks. Tom Mintier in Qatar at Central Command.

Paula, again in New York.

ZAHN: Thanks so much, Bill.

As Tom was just describing a few minutes ago, CENTCOM released that dramatic video of the operation to rescue POW Jessica Lynch. She was rescued from the hospital where she was being held by Iraqi military personnel, where she was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. At the CENTCOM briefing this morning, we saw that dramatic video. Her brother, Greg Lynch Jr. saw that video for the first time here on CNN. He joins us now by the telephone this morning.

Greg -- actually, you're on air now.

Greg, thank you very much for being with us.

GREG LYNCH JR., BROTHER OF JESSICA LYNCH: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: We are so happy for your family and your community. Tell us a little bit about your reaction to that dramatic video.

LYNCH: I tell you what, Paula, I saw the video the this morning for the first time probably about 10, 15 minutes ago. It wasn't very long. And I was just shocked just to see her face, and the news that she's doing all right and she's in care right now is just wonderful.

ZAHN: I know that you and your father have been up all night trying to get information on Jessica's condition. Can you share anything with us about what you've been told about her health?

LYNCH: So far, Paula, we haven't heard any news yet. My dad is expecting a call from her soon, hopefully, but we haven't received any information from her as well, and the military as well; they're doing their job the best they can.

ZAHN: Do you even know where she is right now?

LYNCH: I believe, Paula, she is in a hospital right now being treated for multiple wounds, is what I was told.

ZAHN: And can you tell us any more about what went wrong? She's been referred to as a soldier missing in action, also as a prisoner of war. Is that any clearer to your family today?

LYNCH: Paula, we are still, you know, the POW thought. We didn't really think that it happened, and we just assumed that MIA was the key, but apparently, she was a POW inside a hospital, and the news that she has found is just great to my family.

ZAHN: We are hearing from a number of published reports this morning that it was an Iraqi citizen that tipped off U.S. military personnel that she was being held in that hospital. Has your family been told anything else about the circumstances surrounding her rescue?

LYNCH: No, Paula. My dad received a call yesterday evening about 6:15 and, you know, it was kind of chaotic at that point. All they told him was that she was found and she was being treated at a hospital, and hopefully she will be getting in contact with us soon. That's all we were told, Paula.

ZAHN: You come from a town of about a thousand people, maybe a little less than that. Last night, we were on the telephone with one of Jessica's former elementary school teachers, and she was just telling us the town was setting off fireworks, they were turning sirens on. Describe to us what you saw last night when your town got this very good news.

LYNCH: Paula, it was just wonderful news. I received, you know, after we had received a call, my mom literally, she about tore the front door off the house. The town, the fire trucks came up the road to celebrate. Friends, family from the community was here. It was a mad house. I mean, we were just so outstanding by the news. Everybody was in shock, Paula. Everybody was in shock, but we really want to think that just because my sister made it home safely, and she's on her way, hopefully, but we still have others missing and lives are being lost, and now we're astounded by the news, but yet we're still looking forward to hear good news for the other families as well.

ZAHN: Greg, you got to believe that Jessica's Rescue provides some hope to families who might not have very much hope at this stage.

Do you agree with that?

LYNCH: I agree, Paula. Her rescue is definitely going to brighten the lives of other families, but we're just hoping for the best for everybody. My sister made it home, and we're hoping that everything happens for the same for other families as well.

ZAHN: Finally, Greg, we learned from your sister' kindergarten teacher, that all your sister every wanted to do was be a teacher, that she went into the military to get a good education and to serve her country. What are you inclined to think she's going to do when she gets home?

LYNCH: She's probably going to relax, Paula, if I'm going to guess, but, you know, hopefully, she's going to spend time with the family, thank everybody for supporting her. I'm sure the cameras will be on her 24/7. Probably no rest again next week or the week after that, but hopefully, as long as she makes it home safe, that's all we're caring about right now. ZAHN: Well, you were very generous to share your family's great news for us this morning. I know you didn't get much sleep at all, and we really do appreciate you spending a little time with us this morning. Best of luck to you and your whole family.

LYNCH: Thank you, Paula.

Back to you, Bill. I don't know, I think you actually were probably sleeping at the time that this news broke last night, but we immediately got on one of Jessica's teachers on the phone last night, and she described an incredible scene in that very close-knit small town as they heard this good news.

HEMMER: They got to be going nuts in Palestine, West Virginia.

Listen, the news rippled through here when we got up this morning too. It was, for lack of a better phrase, some of the more positive news we have heard lately in Kuwait.

Back to the battlefield quickly, Marty Savidge embedded with the U.S. Marines by way of videophone.

Marty, I understand you were moving in the middle of the night, and I believe you've been moving throughout the day today as well. What's happening now? Good afternoon.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill.

And we are still moving. Right now, this is what they would call a temporary pause, and right now, what they're trying to do is figure out who goes first, who goes second, and how to clear up what is a massive traffic jam of military hardware that stretches all the way along this highway, not only direct behind us, but if you can look in the other direction, too, it goes a long way back that way as well. It's all the U.S. Marines, and they are all on the move.

We're with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. They pushed off early this morning. We've done about 80 kilometers. We are moving north. That's about as specific as we can get, and continue to be followed and also led by many other Marine units here. No indication that there has been opposition along the way. The only artillery fire we've heard has all been outgoing by the U.S. Marines. Not sure what targets they're hitting at.

A lot of helicopters firing overhead, indication that there may have been some sporadic firing. But just one small example is a burning tank or artillery piece that we saw about 10 kilometers ago. Otherwise, thought, it appears that this force continues to move forward with very little Iraqi opposition standing in its way, at least none that has made its presence known. And you can see that there doesn't appear to be any hindrance on the supply lines either, judging by all of the vehicles that have been waiting to push forward.

So for the most part, the Marines today seem to be moving very easily, very well and not meeting much in the way of resistance -- Bill. HEMMER: Marty, I'm not sure if you were around the are of Baghdad, where the Republican Guard was located, but CENTCOM again has said they're essentially destroyed. Has that news rippled through your unit just yet?

SAVIDGE: No, not yet. News like that is much too recent for these Marines to have a full understanding of. For the most part, they're very much kept in the dark, not intentionally, but just because there is so little access to the outside news media as far as information. So they would not know about the rescue that took place today, which obviously would be very heartening, because Marines were involved in that. And they probably don't even know that there has been fighting in and around the Baghdad area. But they would know that they are on the move, and for these Marines that have been holed up for a number of days working on security issues, the fact that they are on the move, perhaps headed to the fight, lifts morale quite a bit. They would not like to think that they missed any of the action if they could be a part of it -- Bill.

HEMMER: Wow. Marty Savidge, by way of videophone, with the U.S. Marines. Marty, thanks again for checking in. We'll talk a bit later today.

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Aired April 2, 2003 - 08:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to go straight to Walt Rodgers, embedded with the Army's 3-7th Cav, which is moving toward Baghdad. He joins us now by videophone.
Walt, good morning. What's the very latest?

WALT RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Paula.

Actually, we're on a cell phone at this point, because the videophones are not working. The latest is all day long, we have watched a battle plan unfolding. Huge columns of troops, mostly 3rd Infantry Division moving in the general direction of Baghdad.

At one point, we crossed a road, went as far as you could see in either direction, perhaps 10 miles across the Iraqi desert to the left and 10 miles to the right, were huge convoys of supplies moving forward in the general direction of Baghdad. The 7th Cavalry itself yesterday was 50 miles from Baghdad, and today, we're approximately half that distance, and there are other U.S. forces with the 3rd Infantry Division probably just as close, perhaps even closer.

Earlier today, there was a fight for the town of Karbala, which is about 50 miles south of Baghdad. First the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division punched through town and expected tough resistance from Saddam Hussein's army. The resistance was minimal. There were a few tanks, a few mortar positions, not much else. Then the 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division came through, secured the town.

Again, if the Republican Guard was there, they were greatly overrated in their fighting strength. Throughout the day, as we've driven northward, we've seen groups of prisoners of war, Iraqi prisoners of war. One group of perhaps 50 or more, another group of at least as many as that, they were squatting by the road. There was an -- a medical unit close by in case any of them needed medical assistance. We did not see that. We have seen more than a few Iraqis dead by the road.

And, by the way, within the last 30 minutes, 7th Cavalry was involved in a serious firefight here. We were pushing in the general direction of Baghdad, and we came under very substantial antiaircraft fire. That is, there were three Soviet-vintage 20 millimeter antiaircraft guns aiming at the 7th Cavalry. Immediately, the 7th Cavalry's mortars were called up. The mortars went out over our heads. They pretty well extinguished the batteries that the Iraqis were using, and there were several mortar units here that were also taken out. One officer in the 7th Cavalry told me there are at least 20 Iraqis dead as a result of this exchange a few moments ago. A few meters from where I'm standing, I'm watching one of those old Soviet- vintage antiaircraft guns, double-barreled, At-At (ph) 20 millimeter being wired with symtex (ph), or some plastic explosive by the engineers. There is a fair amount of live ammunition around. The engineers are going to blow that up very quickly and disable that anti-gun -- Paula.

ZAHN: Walt, finally, you talk about these huge columns you see moving in the direction of Baghdad. We want to make it very clear that has been cleared by military officials to report. Has anybody characterized for you there what kind of pace you're talking about, the advance on Baghdad? military officials are telling us here it's going to be slow and systematic.

RODGERS: I think that's very accurate, and we shouldn't exaggerate the advance on Baghdad. The reason it's going to be slow is while some of these tanks can move over 50 miles an hour, also the Bradley fighting vehicles, they cannot outrun their supply lines or outrun their fuel or can't outrun their medical units which are very close behind them should the unit incur casualties. So what we're seeing is a very slow advance. I probably shouldn't give you the speed, but it isn't any slower than the -- it isn't any faster than the slowest truck in the unit.

So again, what we're seeing is a consolidation of U.S. forces, all pointing towards the general bull's eye of Baghdad of the 7th Cavalry is on one flank, protecting the 3rd Infantry Division. The 3rd Infantry Division may be closer than we are. They were in Karbala at one point. That's 50 miles south of Baghdad, and as I say, some units of the 3rd Infantry Division may well be closer to Baghdad than that.

ZAHN: Walt Rodgers, reporting with the 3-7th Cav. At what point telling us a little bit earlier this morning, they were just about 25 miles away from Baghdad.

Back to Bill now in Kuwait City.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Paula, clearly, Jessica Lynch right now is the most positive story of the day. She was rescued overnight. A daring raid there. Condition right now, not very clear, but some reports indicated she was in stable condition. Now, firmly in the hands of the U.S.

But there is a flipside to this story. About 11 bodies discovered in and around, two in the morgue, nine outside in what's described as some sort of shallow grave. No identification offered just yet, though, for those 11.

Tom Mintier is tracking everything down in Qatar at Central Command, and he joins us now for possibly more information on this, and also the uplifting story of Jessica Lynch.

Tom, hello again. Good afternoon there. TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill.

We wish we had more information than was provided just a few minutes ago about what was found in and around the hospital. They do report that 11 sets of remains unidentified were brought out of the hospital by coalition forces.

But we saw the video, and we had to ask for it. It wasn't offered up. It wasn't like a movie trailer. And if it is going to be a movie, we saw the final scene and not all of the drama. We did see video from a nightscope camera, from a combat camera team, as Jessica Lynch was loaded aboard this what appeared to be a Chinook helicopter by special operation forces. Very green, grainy video of a stretcher being loaded aboard this helicopter, and then we can see a clear color photograph, obviously taken after they had left the hostile area of this young PFC, who was rescued from her imprisonment in the hospital as a POW.

We also heard from Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, that the Army, the Marines, the Air Force and the Navy were all involved in this operation, that it was a joint operation, an operation to make sure that no one was left behind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. VINCENT BROOKS, CENTCOM: The nature of the operation was a coalition special operation that involved Army Rangers, Air Force pilots and combat controllers, U.S. Marines and Navy SEALS. It was a classic joint operation done by some of our nations finest warriors, who are dedicated to never leaving a comrade behind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MINTIER: We also are starting to get a bit more information about the battles that are raging south and southeast of Baghdad. In the last two or three hours, public affairs officials here have been talking about this confrontation that's going on with the Republican Guard units.

In one of the situations during the briefing, General Brooks said that this guard unit was destroyed, and the other had been seriously degraded. So just what kind of after-action reports we're going to get in the next 24 hours as to how these ongoing operations are going on, but it seems now that we're hearing about more operations as they're occurring here -- Bill.

HEMMER: Tom, it was my observation just on Monday, 48 hours ago, the members of the British and U.S. Military that we talked to here in Kuwait, they seemed like they had a much more positive outlook on what was happening on the ground and the battlefield, almost as if they had turned that mythical corner. Did you get a similar perception there in Qatar during there this week?

MINTIER: Well, I think during the last couple of days, they have been extremely quiet, not sullen, but just quiet, and only talking about really basic operations what was going on. It was clear that Baghdad has been the objective all along, and just how they got there, they apparently wanted to keep that pretty much a secret, which is difficult to do with the embedded journalists program.

But this is what's going on right now, described to me as the first set piece battle of the war, and I know we have a lot of generals who analyze these things for us, but this will be maybe a defining moment in this campaign, these two pincher attacks against the Republican Guard units just outside of Baghdad.

HEMMER: Tom, thanks. Tom Mintier in Qatar at Central Command.

Paula, again in New York.

ZAHN: Thanks so much, Bill.

As Tom was just describing a few minutes ago, CENTCOM released that dramatic video of the operation to rescue POW Jessica Lynch. She was rescued from the hospital where she was being held by Iraqi military personnel, where she was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. At the CENTCOM briefing this morning, we saw that dramatic video. Her brother, Greg Lynch Jr. saw that video for the first time here on CNN. He joins us now by the telephone this morning.

Greg -- actually, you're on air now.

Greg, thank you very much for being with us.

GREG LYNCH JR., BROTHER OF JESSICA LYNCH: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: We are so happy for your family and your community. Tell us a little bit about your reaction to that dramatic video.

LYNCH: I tell you what, Paula, I saw the video the this morning for the first time probably about 10, 15 minutes ago. It wasn't very long. And I was just shocked just to see her face, and the news that she's doing all right and she's in care right now is just wonderful.

ZAHN: I know that you and your father have been up all night trying to get information on Jessica's condition. Can you share anything with us about what you've been told about her health?

LYNCH: So far, Paula, we haven't heard any news yet. My dad is expecting a call from her soon, hopefully, but we haven't received any information from her as well, and the military as well; they're doing their job the best they can.

ZAHN: Do you even know where she is right now?

LYNCH: I believe, Paula, she is in a hospital right now being treated for multiple wounds, is what I was told.

ZAHN: And can you tell us any more about what went wrong? She's been referred to as a soldier missing in action, also as a prisoner of war. Is that any clearer to your family today?

LYNCH: Paula, we are still, you know, the POW thought. We didn't really think that it happened, and we just assumed that MIA was the key, but apparently, she was a POW inside a hospital, and the news that she has found is just great to my family.

ZAHN: We are hearing from a number of published reports this morning that it was an Iraqi citizen that tipped off U.S. military personnel that she was being held in that hospital. Has your family been told anything else about the circumstances surrounding her rescue?

LYNCH: No, Paula. My dad received a call yesterday evening about 6:15 and, you know, it was kind of chaotic at that point. All they told him was that she was found and she was being treated at a hospital, and hopefully she will be getting in contact with us soon. That's all we were told, Paula.

ZAHN: You come from a town of about a thousand people, maybe a little less than that. Last night, we were on the telephone with one of Jessica's former elementary school teachers, and she was just telling us the town was setting off fireworks, they were turning sirens on. Describe to us what you saw last night when your town got this very good news.

LYNCH: Paula, it was just wonderful news. I received, you know, after we had received a call, my mom literally, she about tore the front door off the house. The town, the fire trucks came up the road to celebrate. Friends, family from the community was here. It was a mad house. I mean, we were just so outstanding by the news. Everybody was in shock, Paula. Everybody was in shock, but we really want to think that just because my sister made it home safely, and she's on her way, hopefully, but we still have others missing and lives are being lost, and now we're astounded by the news, but yet we're still looking forward to hear good news for the other families as well.

ZAHN: Greg, you got to believe that Jessica's Rescue provides some hope to families who might not have very much hope at this stage.

Do you agree with that?

LYNCH: I agree, Paula. Her rescue is definitely going to brighten the lives of other families, but we're just hoping for the best for everybody. My sister made it home, and we're hoping that everything happens for the same for other families as well.

ZAHN: Finally, Greg, we learned from your sister' kindergarten teacher, that all your sister every wanted to do was be a teacher, that she went into the military to get a good education and to serve her country. What are you inclined to think she's going to do when she gets home?

LYNCH: She's probably going to relax, Paula, if I'm going to guess, but, you know, hopefully, she's going to spend time with the family, thank everybody for supporting her. I'm sure the cameras will be on her 24/7. Probably no rest again next week or the week after that, but hopefully, as long as she makes it home safe, that's all we're caring about right now. ZAHN: Well, you were very generous to share your family's great news for us this morning. I know you didn't get much sleep at all, and we really do appreciate you spending a little time with us this morning. Best of luck to you and your whole family.

LYNCH: Thank you, Paula.

Back to you, Bill. I don't know, I think you actually were probably sleeping at the time that this news broke last night, but we immediately got on one of Jessica's teachers on the phone last night, and she described an incredible scene in that very close-knit small town as they heard this good news.

HEMMER: They got to be going nuts in Palestine, West Virginia.

Listen, the news rippled through here when we got up this morning too. It was, for lack of a better phrase, some of the more positive news we have heard lately in Kuwait.

Back to the battlefield quickly, Marty Savidge embedded with the U.S. Marines by way of videophone.

Marty, I understand you were moving in the middle of the night, and I believe you've been moving throughout the day today as well. What's happening now? Good afternoon.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Bill.

And we are still moving. Right now, this is what they would call a temporary pause, and right now, what they're trying to do is figure out who goes first, who goes second, and how to clear up what is a massive traffic jam of military hardware that stretches all the way along this highway, not only direct behind us, but if you can look in the other direction, too, it goes a long way back that way as well. It's all the U.S. Marines, and they are all on the move.

We're with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. They pushed off early this morning. We've done about 80 kilometers. We are moving north. That's about as specific as we can get, and continue to be followed and also led by many other Marine units here. No indication that there has been opposition along the way. The only artillery fire we've heard has all been outgoing by the U.S. Marines. Not sure what targets they're hitting at.

A lot of helicopters firing overhead, indication that there may have been some sporadic firing. But just one small example is a burning tank or artillery piece that we saw about 10 kilometers ago. Otherwise, thought, it appears that this force continues to move forward with very little Iraqi opposition standing in its way, at least none that has made its presence known. And you can see that there doesn't appear to be any hindrance on the supply lines either, judging by all of the vehicles that have been waiting to push forward.

So for the most part, the Marines today seem to be moving very easily, very well and not meeting much in the way of resistance -- Bill. HEMMER: Marty, I'm not sure if you were around the are of Baghdad, where the Republican Guard was located, but CENTCOM again has said they're essentially destroyed. Has that news rippled through your unit just yet?

SAVIDGE: No, not yet. News like that is much too recent for these Marines to have a full understanding of. For the most part, they're very much kept in the dark, not intentionally, but just because there is so little access to the outside news media as far as information. So they would not know about the rescue that took place today, which obviously would be very heartening, because Marines were involved in that. And they probably don't even know that there has been fighting in and around the Baghdad area. But they would know that they are on the move, and for these Marines that have been holed up for a number of days working on security issues, the fact that they are on the move, perhaps headed to the fight, lifts morale quite a bit. They would not like to think that they missed any of the action if they could be a part of it -- Bill.

HEMMER: Wow. Marty Savidge, by way of videophone, with the U.S. Marines. Marty, thanks again for checking in. We'll talk a bit later today.

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