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CNN Live Today
Heading to Germany
Aired April 16, 2003 - 12:41 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Seven former American prisoners of war are on their way to a U.S. military base in Germany. They were rescued in Iraq on Sunday and have been resting up and undergoing medical checks in Kuwait.
Our Matthew Chance is at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, joins me now live.
Matthew, no doubt, this will be a very exciting homecoming.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Certainly will, Kyra. And thank you for that.
It has been a long and arduous journey for these seven American prisoners of war, captured in Iraq in two separate incidents as U.S. forces advanced across the country, held by Iraqi forces, sometimes in isolation from their comrades, then paraded on Iraqi television. All of us remember those scenes, Shoshana Johnson of the 507th Maintenance Unit, that was ambushed looking, I remember, absolutely terrified as she was asked questions by Iraqi and Arabic-speaking journalists, before finally being tracked down and rescued by U.S. troops in the region.
As you mentioned, for the past few days, they've been in Kuwait receiving whatever medical attention, number of them who were injured were required. That process of debriefing has also begun there. They're currently on an aircraft making their way here to Landstuhl, Germany, a big U.S. Army medical facility here, the same one where Jessica Lynch that other prisoner of war, was dramatically rescued and brought here by U.S. special forces, where she received her medical treatment and her counseling before she was moved on to the United States.
But here, they will receive more medical treatment, if it's needed, and that process of psychological counselling will continue until they are given the okay to go back to the States -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Matthew, meanwhile, what are you expecting there at Ramstein? Are there lots of servicemen and women showing up to greet these POWs?
CHANCE: They won't be showing up at the actual Air Force base. It will be a relatively discrete affair. They will be brought in to the U.S. Ramstein Air Force base on a big U.S. military plane, along with a number of other people who have been injured in combat operations. This is a big regional medical facility of the U.S. Army. It's where more than 1,500 soldiers, and Marines, and military service personnel have been brought for treatment as a result of their combat injuries and other injuries sustained in the Iraqi theater. They'll be taken to that facility, and given whatever discrete attention is needed before they're shipped back to the United States -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Matthew Chance, thank you so much.
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 16, 2003 - 12:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Seven former American prisoners of war are on their way to a U.S. military base in Germany. They were rescued in Iraq on Sunday and have been resting up and undergoing medical checks in Kuwait.
Our Matthew Chance is at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, joins me now live.
Matthew, no doubt, this will be a very exciting homecoming.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Certainly will, Kyra. And thank you for that.
It has been a long and arduous journey for these seven American prisoners of war, captured in Iraq in two separate incidents as U.S. forces advanced across the country, held by Iraqi forces, sometimes in isolation from their comrades, then paraded on Iraqi television. All of us remember those scenes, Shoshana Johnson of the 507th Maintenance Unit, that was ambushed looking, I remember, absolutely terrified as she was asked questions by Iraqi and Arabic-speaking journalists, before finally being tracked down and rescued by U.S. troops in the region.
As you mentioned, for the past few days, they've been in Kuwait receiving whatever medical attention, number of them who were injured were required. That process of debriefing has also begun there. They're currently on an aircraft making their way here to Landstuhl, Germany, a big U.S. Army medical facility here, the same one where Jessica Lynch that other prisoner of war, was dramatically rescued and brought here by U.S. special forces, where she received her medical treatment and her counseling before she was moved on to the United States.
But here, they will receive more medical treatment, if it's needed, and that process of psychological counselling will continue until they are given the okay to go back to the States -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Matthew, meanwhile, what are you expecting there at Ramstein? Are there lots of servicemen and women showing up to greet these POWs?
CHANCE: They won't be showing up at the actual Air Force base. It will be a relatively discrete affair. They will be brought in to the U.S. Ramstein Air Force base on a big U.S. military plane, along with a number of other people who have been injured in combat operations. This is a big regional medical facility of the U.S. Army. It's where more than 1,500 soldiers, and Marines, and military service personnel have been brought for treatment as a result of their combat injuries and other injuries sustained in the Iraqi theater. They'll be taken to that facility, and given whatever discrete attention is needed before they're shipped back to the United States -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Matthew Chance, thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
