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American Morning
Homeward Bound: Interview With Rescued POW's Family
Aired April 14, 2003 - 08:09 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: Just three weeks ago, we talked to the parents of Sergeant James Riley shortly after his capture on March 23 near Nasiriyah Yesterday, the Riley family heard the news they had been hoping for. James was, in fact, among the 7 POWs rescued by U.S. Marines. It could be coming home soon.
Jane and Athol Riley join us now from their hometown in Pennsauken, New Jersey.
Good morning, thanks so much for joining us and congratulations.
JANE RILEY, SGT. RILEY'S MOTHER: Thank you.
ATHOL RILEY, SGT. RILEY'S FATHER: Thank you.
ZAHN: Jane, how did you find out the good news?
J. RILEY: Major Banks, the casualty officer, informed us at 9:30 in the morning that it definitely was James. Prior to that, we had -- he had informed us along -- at the same time -- simultaneously as the radio was that there were POWs or MIAs that had been found.
ZAHN: And we're looking at a picture of you now when you established the first phone contact you have had with your son in a long, long, long time.
Did any of the details of his captivity come up in that conversation?
A. RILEY: No -- no, not really. He did say that he never wanted to eat chicken and rice again. And he did say that they had -- he had lost his driver's license, his MAC card and his checkbook and to make sure no money was withdrawn from Baghdad from his account.
ZAHN: Boy. He's -- he's really thinking for everything he's been through. That shows an awful lot of composure.
In "The Washington Post" this morning, there is a fair amount about your son's account of what he went through and I just wanted to share with our audience a little bit of that. He told Peter Baker that he and the other POWs were like Custer. He said they were surrounded, had no working weapons and they would have been mowed down if they didn't surrender.
And then he went on to say it was not a small ambush. It was a whole city and we were getting shot from all different directions as we were going down the road: front, rear, left, right. There was nowhere to go.
Did he convey any of that to you?
A. RILEY: No.
J. RILEY: No.
ZAHN: Is it because you had other things to talk about or do you think he simply just didn't want to go there?
A. RILEY: Well, he said he was very tired. His mind was going at a million miles an hour, and he asked about the family and -- and his sisters and we had to tell him that his younger sister had passed away while he was captured. So he hadn't been notified of that. So there was quite a lot to talk about in the short space of time.
ZAHN: Jane, how did he take that news? He knew his sister was very sick with a neurological disorder before he was deployed.
A. RILEY: Yes, he knew about it and I -- I believe he was expecting bad news because he had told me to contact the Red Cross and they would get a hold of him when he was deployed.
Of course, we contacted the Red Cross, but they were unable to get a hold of him.
And Jane, when you think of everything your son has been through over the last couple of weeks, what is it do you think kept him alive? We've heard various characterizations of him as being practical- minded, strong. At times, willful, stubborn. What else should folks know about what kept him alive?
J. RILEY: I think those are probably the basic things that did keep him alive. Plus, he was responsible for all of those other lives that were under him, the other four people that were with him at least until they joined up with the others and then I don't know if there was a shift in command, if you want to call it that, or what. But I'm sure he was looking out for everybody to the best of his ability.
ZAHN: That's quite clear from everything we've read this morning, the accounts from this "Washington Post" reporter.
Finally, Athol, what kind of homecoming do you have planned for him?
A. RILEY: Nothing is planned at the moment. I want to see what kind of condition he's in mentally and physically and we'll leave it to the military to -- to sort out when he can be released from their care.
J. RILEY: And what he wants to do.
ZAHN: Probably the most important thing to hear. Well, I know you've been through a rollercoaster of emotions with everything you've had to endure over the last several weeks.
Thank you very much, Jane Riley and Athol Riley, for sharing your family's story with us this morning. Best of luck to you and your son.
J. RILEY: Thank you.
A. RILEY: Thank you.
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 - 08:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Just three weeks ago, we talked to the parents of Sergeant James Riley shortly after his capture on March 23 near Nasiriyah Yesterday, the Riley family heard the news they had been hoping for. James was, in fact, among the 7 POWs rescued by U.S. Marines. It could be coming home soon.
Jane and Athol Riley join us now from their hometown in Pennsauken, New Jersey.
Good morning, thanks so much for joining us and congratulations.
JANE RILEY, SGT. RILEY'S MOTHER: Thank you.
ATHOL RILEY, SGT. RILEY'S FATHER: Thank you.
ZAHN: Jane, how did you find out the good news?
J. RILEY: Major Banks, the casualty officer, informed us at 9:30 in the morning that it definitely was James. Prior to that, we had -- he had informed us along -- at the same time -- simultaneously as the radio was that there were POWs or MIAs that had been found.
ZAHN: And we're looking at a picture of you now when you established the first phone contact you have had with your son in a long, long, long time.
Did any of the details of his captivity come up in that conversation?
A. RILEY: No -- no, not really. He did say that he never wanted to eat chicken and rice again. And he did say that they had -- he had lost his driver's license, his MAC card and his checkbook and to make sure no money was withdrawn from Baghdad from his account.
ZAHN: Boy. He's -- he's really thinking for everything he's been through. That shows an awful lot of composure.
In "The Washington Post" this morning, there is a fair amount about your son's account of what he went through and I just wanted to share with our audience a little bit of that. He told Peter Baker that he and the other POWs were like Custer. He said they were surrounded, had no working weapons and they would have been mowed down if they didn't surrender.
And then he went on to say it was not a small ambush. It was a whole city and we were getting shot from all different directions as we were going down the road: front, rear, left, right. There was nowhere to go.
Did he convey any of that to you?
A. RILEY: No.
J. RILEY: No.
ZAHN: Is it because you had other things to talk about or do you think he simply just didn't want to go there?
A. RILEY: Well, he said he was very tired. His mind was going at a million miles an hour, and he asked about the family and -- and his sisters and we had to tell him that his younger sister had passed away while he was captured. So he hadn't been notified of that. So there was quite a lot to talk about in the short space of time.
ZAHN: Jane, how did he take that news? He knew his sister was very sick with a neurological disorder before he was deployed.
A. RILEY: Yes, he knew about it and I -- I believe he was expecting bad news because he had told me to contact the Red Cross and they would get a hold of him when he was deployed.
Of course, we contacted the Red Cross, but they were unable to get a hold of him.
And Jane, when you think of everything your son has been through over the last couple of weeks, what is it do you think kept him alive? We've heard various characterizations of him as being practical- minded, strong. At times, willful, stubborn. What else should folks know about what kept him alive?
J. RILEY: I think those are probably the basic things that did keep him alive. Plus, he was responsible for all of those other lives that were under him, the other four people that were with him at least until they joined up with the others and then I don't know if there was a shift in command, if you want to call it that, or what. But I'm sure he was looking out for everybody to the best of his ability.
ZAHN: That's quite clear from everything we've read this morning, the accounts from this "Washington Post" reporter.
Finally, Athol, what kind of homecoming do you have planned for him?
A. RILEY: Nothing is planned at the moment. I want to see what kind of condition he's in mentally and physically and we'll leave it to the military to -- to sort out when he can be released from their care.
J. RILEY: And what he wants to do.
ZAHN: Probably the most important thing to hear. Well, I know you've been through a rollercoaster of emotions with everything you've had to endure over the last several weeks.
Thank you very much, Jane Riley and Athol Riley, for sharing your family's story with us this morning. Best of luck to you and your son.
J. RILEY: Thank you.
A. RILEY: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
