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CNN Live Today

Interview With Colonel Jonathan Woodson

Aired April 14, 2003 - 10:36   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, as you might imagine, there was joy, of course, but concern as well after the rescue of those seven POWs. They looked remarkably healthy, but what had happened to them while they were held captive?
Colonel Jonathan Woodson is deputy commander of clinical services for the U.S. Army in Kuwait. He examined all seven of them right after their release, and he joins us now live. Thank you, sir, for being here with us today.

COL. JONATHAN WOODSON, U.S. ARMY: Glad to be here.

COLLINS: Want to know, if you could tell us, immediately what were the needs of the POWs, right when they came under your care? What did you attend to first?

WOODSON: Well, I would just like to say that they all looked to be in reasonably good shape, and we had an opportunity to converse with them and to talk with them, their spirits were high. They actually uplifted our spirits to take care of these extremely brave young Americans who came in harm's way. They appear amazingly resilient, and in good humor when we spoke. Some did have some wounds which we cared for, but as I say, in general, they were in very good shape.

COLLINS: I do realize you are a highly trained professional, but I have to ask you, was it at all hard to focus on what you were trying to do in examining them because of that incredible mood of elation?

WOODSON: Oh, extremely. You know, what we wanted to do, really, was throw our arms around them and just hug them and thank them for what they had been through and their sacrifice. We just felt at one with them, and we were so happy to see them back. It was just an emotional experience for all of us. No doubt about that. As human beings, that's the kind of thing we want to see, a positive outcome, and we are just so happy to have them back at home. We've had an opportunity to take care of a number of wounded over the years in my profession, and I'm happy to say that I was very happy not to have to do a great deal, but just to, again, extend my thanks and gratitude for what they've been through.

COLLINS: Another thing I'm wondering about is, obviously, there were physical needs and concerns that you needed to tend to right away, as you say. But as a doctor, clearly there are emotional needs as well. You say their mood was good, and spiritually very strong. What do you see for them as far as the emotional side of things now? WOODSON: Well, again, I think on that score also, I see that they are in pretty good shape. I must admit they had us laughing quite a bit. One soldier is quite humorous in describing his captors, had us in stitches. Had his comrades in stitches, his fellow soldiers in stitches to the wee hours of the morning. He has a great monologue, and maybe he'll show you some of that in future times.

But I must say that they wanted to be together, did not want to be separated. They talked about matters, and I think their prognosis is excellent.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Colonel Woodson, Leon Harris here. I'm just going to jump in here, because there is a couple of questions that I have just got to ask you. Now, you had been following this situation, you know they've been missing for a long time, you know that they've been held in some, maybe, pretty scary circumstances. What did you expect them to look like? What kind of condition did you expect them to be in before they got there?

WOODSON: Well, again, we never truly know. We have to just go on what we see at the time. Anything, I guess, is possible under these circumstances. But again, I want to say that, America has a lot to be proud of, its sons and daughters who are serving over here. These folks are just great human beings, and we're all uplifted by their bravery and their courage and their resilience in coming back and showing that they have weathered this situation extraordinarily well.

HARRIS: What kind -- how would you characterize the kind of care that they did receive? I understand that Shoshana Johnson, actually had had some surgery by an Iraqi doctor? How would you say they actually handled -- physically and medically, how do you think they were handled.

WOODSON: That is -- that is correct, and again, I think that they have weathered things very well. The type of care that they've received, of course, is a comprehensive evaluation. It is the type of care we render in all of these sorts of situations. We want to make sure that everything is going well, working well, we attend to their needs. We want to provide them high quality care, and again, when there is not much to be done, then put our arms around them.

COLLINS: Colonel -- Colonel Woodson, pardon me. Just one last question for you. We had heard that some of the family members, if you may remember yesterday, when we were showing the pictures and some of the family members were calling in and recognizing their loved ones, a lot of them said they looked skinny. How did you find them to be? Any dehydration, or lack of food that you noticed?

WOODSON: We didn't see any severe problems there, but the issue is that, obviously, as the family members have recognized, they've lost a few pounds, but again, our comprehensive review has not shown anything of real significance. And again, their spirits are just tremendous. They are a benefit to all of us.

COLLINS: All right. Colonel Jonathan Woodson, deputy commander of clinical services for the U.S. Army in Kuwait. Thank you so very much. Interesting story, as you were the first to see them medically.

WOODSON: Thank you very much.

COLLINS: Thank you, sir, for being with us.

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 April 14, 2003 - 10:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, as you might imagine, there was joy, of course, but concern as well after the rescue of those seven POWs. They looked remarkably healthy, but what had happened to them while they were held captive?
Colonel Jonathan Woodson is deputy commander of clinical services for the U.S. Army in Kuwait. He examined all seven of them right after their release, and he joins us now live. Thank you, sir, for being here with us today.

COL. JONATHAN WOODSON, U.S. ARMY: Glad to be here.

COLLINS: Want to know, if you could tell us, immediately what were the needs of the POWs, right when they came under your care? What did you attend to first?

WOODSON: Well, I would just like to say that they all looked to be in reasonably good shape, and we had an opportunity to converse with them and to talk with them, their spirits were high. They actually uplifted our spirits to take care of these extremely brave young Americans who came in harm's way. They appear amazingly resilient, and in good humor when we spoke. Some did have some wounds which we cared for, but as I say, in general, they were in very good shape.

COLLINS: I do realize you are a highly trained professional, but I have to ask you, was it at all hard to focus on what you were trying to do in examining them because of that incredible mood of elation?

WOODSON: Oh, extremely. You know, what we wanted to do, really, was throw our arms around them and just hug them and thank them for what they had been through and their sacrifice. We just felt at one with them, and we were so happy to see them back. It was just an emotional experience for all of us. No doubt about that. As human beings, that's the kind of thing we want to see, a positive outcome, and we are just so happy to have them back at home. We've had an opportunity to take care of a number of wounded over the years in my profession, and I'm happy to say that I was very happy not to have to do a great deal, but just to, again, extend my thanks and gratitude for what they've been through.

COLLINS: Another thing I'm wondering about is, obviously, there were physical needs and concerns that you needed to tend to right away, as you say. But as a doctor, clearly there are emotional needs as well. You say their mood was good, and spiritually very strong. What do you see for them as far as the emotional side of things now? WOODSON: Well, again, I think on that score also, I see that they are in pretty good shape. I must admit they had us laughing quite a bit. One soldier is quite humorous in describing his captors, had us in stitches. Had his comrades in stitches, his fellow soldiers in stitches to the wee hours of the morning. He has a great monologue, and maybe he'll show you some of that in future times.

But I must say that they wanted to be together, did not want to be separated. They talked about matters, and I think their prognosis is excellent.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Colonel Woodson, Leon Harris here. I'm just going to jump in here, because there is a couple of questions that I have just got to ask you. Now, you had been following this situation, you know they've been missing for a long time, you know that they've been held in some, maybe, pretty scary circumstances. What did you expect them to look like? What kind of condition did you expect them to be in before they got there?

WOODSON: Well, again, we never truly know. We have to just go on what we see at the time. Anything, I guess, is possible under these circumstances. But again, I want to say that, America has a lot to be proud of, its sons and daughters who are serving over here. These folks are just great human beings, and we're all uplifted by their bravery and their courage and their resilience in coming back and showing that they have weathered this situation extraordinarily well.

HARRIS: What kind -- how would you characterize the kind of care that they did receive? I understand that Shoshana Johnson, actually had had some surgery by an Iraqi doctor? How would you say they actually handled -- physically and medically, how do you think they were handled.

WOODSON: That is -- that is correct, and again, I think that they have weathered things very well. The type of care that they've received, of course, is a comprehensive evaluation. It is the type of care we render in all of these sorts of situations. We want to make sure that everything is going well, working well, we attend to their needs. We want to provide them high quality care, and again, when there is not much to be done, then put our arms around them.

COLLINS: Colonel -- Colonel Woodson, pardon me. Just one last question for you. We had heard that some of the family members, if you may remember yesterday, when we were showing the pictures and some of the family members were calling in and recognizing their loved ones, a lot of them said they looked skinny. How did you find them to be? Any dehydration, or lack of food that you noticed?

WOODSON: We didn't see any severe problems there, but the issue is that, obviously, as the family members have recognized, they've lost a few pounds, but again, our comprehensive review has not shown anything of real significance. And again, their spirits are just tremendous. They are a benefit to all of us.

COLLINS: All right. Colonel Jonathan Woodson, deputy commander of clinical services for the U.S. Army in Kuwait. Thank you so very much. Interesting story, as you were the first to see them medically.

WOODSON: Thank you very much.

COLLINS: Thank you, sir, for being with us.

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