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American Morning
Wounded in Combat
Aired April 16, 2003 - 08:41 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Marine Private First Class Michael Meyer was shot eight times during a battle on April 5th, south of Baghdad. The 18-year-old graduated from high school just last year, and finished infantry school in February. Today, Michael is recovering at the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, where he is being treated the finest the U.S. military can offer in terms of care. Michael's with us live from Germany, and it's great to have you, and we heard you and a couple of other Marines talk earlier today. I want to know how you're feeling, eight gun shot wounds, a broken foot -- how is your condition?
PFC. MICHAEL MEYER, 3RD BATTALION, 5TH MARINE REGIMENT: I'm all right for going through all that. I'm pretty sure. I'm up walking around and eating by myself and going to the bathroom by myself, so everything is pretty good.
HEMMER: Do you miss your family?
MEYER: Oh, yes, sir. I'm ready to get back to them on Friday. I'm flying into Maryland, so I'm ready to get back to them and start visiting again.
HEMMER: Well, I know you've talked to them. Let's not delay anymore. Ken and Denise, your parents are live with us in Austin, Texas as well.
Great to have you. And there is a big old smile on both of your faces. How does this feel?
KEN MEYER, FATHER OF MICHAEL MEYER: Hello, Michael.
DENISE MEYER, MOTHER OF MICHAEL MEYER: He looks wonderful.
M. MEYER: Hey, dad.
K. MEYER: Hey, buddy.
HEMMER: Just so you know, we got a bit of delay in the satellite coming from Austin all the way to Germany and here in New York as well.
That's OK. You're all right, Denise. You're doing good.
D. MEYER: OK.
HEMMER: I want to know, as a mother right now, I know you must be tremendously excited and very proud. Can you convey to us what it is like to know that your son should have a full recovery and will join you again in the United States?
D. MEYER: It's overwhelming, and it's awesome. Mike's doctor walked us through all of the wounds this past, well, a week ago, Tuesday, and just to know that he's going to make a full recovery really puts the focus now on just moving ahead with him, and Ken and I are still concerned about the Marines that are there, and we cannot wait to meet someday the hospital corpsman that initially took care of Mike, because he did a super job.
HEMMER: Hey, Ken, what do you want America to know about your son?
K. MEYER: Mike is a lot like hundreds of thousands of other servicemen that are proud to serve his country. He did basically what we taught him to do. He learned the values well. But he's not alone. There are just innumerable brave servicemen and women that are doing the country a good job, and basically, that's what I'd like them to know.
HEMMER: I want to know from you as parents, and, Michael, we'll bring this to you as well. You are 18 years old, you were in high school just a few months ago. Have you been able to comprehend the experience you've had half a world away?
M. MEYER: It's a lot for an 18-year-old, I can tell you that. And being away from home, going to war, actually being shot at, returning fire, being in combat, stuff like that, it's a lot of experience. It's a good experience and kind of a bad experience in the same situation, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world. If I could get better, I'd go back there and keep on fighting.
HEMMER: What do you want America to know, Michael, about the job the Marines and the U.S. military did in Iraq and the accomplishments that were made with tanks rolling into central Baghdad on day 21?
M. MEYER: I tell you what, the United States Marines, if you just say Marine, I mean, it just stands out. They did an outstanding job, as well as the Army, and the whole infantry division. We ran through Iraq like just a blitzkrieg. It was a pretty fast war, and we were very professional when we came to firefights. We got the mission done with as least amount of casualties as possible and kept moving on.
I couldn't tell you much about Baghdad, because I wasn't there, so. But I'm proud of the Marines and I'm especially proud of -- I'd like to give a shout out to the Navy corpsman that followed the Marines, because the Marines don't have medics like the Army does. Those guys are going in the fight, just exchanging everything like that.
HEMMER: Got it. Michael, thanks.
Michael Meyer, live. Thank you much. A bit of delay in the satellite.
Ken and Denise, while we have you here, congratulations to you, and best of luck with the family reunion. I'm assuming you're going to be in D.C. later in the week maybe?
D. MEYER: Yes.
K. MEYER: Thursday night.
HEMMER: Enjoy the trip.
D. MEYER: Thank you.
K. MEYER: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: Ken and Denise Meyer, very proud parents there in Austin, Texas. They will see their son on Friday.
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 - 08:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Marine Private First Class Michael Meyer was shot eight times during a battle on April 5th, south of Baghdad. The 18-year-old graduated from high school just last year, and finished infantry school in February. Today, Michael is recovering at the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, where he is being treated the finest the U.S. military can offer in terms of care. Michael's with us live from Germany, and it's great to have you, and we heard you and a couple of other Marines talk earlier today. I want to know how you're feeling, eight gun shot wounds, a broken foot -- how is your condition?
PFC. MICHAEL MEYER, 3RD BATTALION, 5TH MARINE REGIMENT: I'm all right for going through all that. I'm pretty sure. I'm up walking around and eating by myself and going to the bathroom by myself, so everything is pretty good.
HEMMER: Do you miss your family?
MEYER: Oh, yes, sir. I'm ready to get back to them on Friday. I'm flying into Maryland, so I'm ready to get back to them and start visiting again.
HEMMER: Well, I know you've talked to them. Let's not delay anymore. Ken and Denise, your parents are live with us in Austin, Texas as well.
Great to have you. And there is a big old smile on both of your faces. How does this feel?
KEN MEYER, FATHER OF MICHAEL MEYER: Hello, Michael.
DENISE MEYER, MOTHER OF MICHAEL MEYER: He looks wonderful.
M. MEYER: Hey, dad.
K. MEYER: Hey, buddy.
HEMMER: Just so you know, we got a bit of delay in the satellite coming from Austin all the way to Germany and here in New York as well.
That's OK. You're all right, Denise. You're doing good.
D. MEYER: OK.
HEMMER: I want to know, as a mother right now, I know you must be tremendously excited and very proud. Can you convey to us what it is like to know that your son should have a full recovery and will join you again in the United States?
D. MEYER: It's overwhelming, and it's awesome. Mike's doctor walked us through all of the wounds this past, well, a week ago, Tuesday, and just to know that he's going to make a full recovery really puts the focus now on just moving ahead with him, and Ken and I are still concerned about the Marines that are there, and we cannot wait to meet someday the hospital corpsman that initially took care of Mike, because he did a super job.
HEMMER: Hey, Ken, what do you want America to know about your son?
K. MEYER: Mike is a lot like hundreds of thousands of other servicemen that are proud to serve his country. He did basically what we taught him to do. He learned the values well. But he's not alone. There are just innumerable brave servicemen and women that are doing the country a good job, and basically, that's what I'd like them to know.
HEMMER: I want to know from you as parents, and, Michael, we'll bring this to you as well. You are 18 years old, you were in high school just a few months ago. Have you been able to comprehend the experience you've had half a world away?
M. MEYER: It's a lot for an 18-year-old, I can tell you that. And being away from home, going to war, actually being shot at, returning fire, being in combat, stuff like that, it's a lot of experience. It's a good experience and kind of a bad experience in the same situation, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world. If I could get better, I'd go back there and keep on fighting.
HEMMER: What do you want America to know, Michael, about the job the Marines and the U.S. military did in Iraq and the accomplishments that were made with tanks rolling into central Baghdad on day 21?
M. MEYER: I tell you what, the United States Marines, if you just say Marine, I mean, it just stands out. They did an outstanding job, as well as the Army, and the whole infantry division. We ran through Iraq like just a blitzkrieg. It was a pretty fast war, and we were very professional when we came to firefights. We got the mission done with as least amount of casualties as possible and kept moving on.
I couldn't tell you much about Baghdad, because I wasn't there, so. But I'm proud of the Marines and I'm especially proud of -- I'd like to give a shout out to the Navy corpsman that followed the Marines, because the Marines don't have medics like the Army does. Those guys are going in the fight, just exchanging everything like that.
HEMMER: Got it. Michael, thanks.
Michael Meyer, live. Thank you much. A bit of delay in the satellite.
Ken and Denise, while we have you here, congratulations to you, and best of luck with the family reunion. I'm assuming you're going to be in D.C. later in the week maybe?
D. MEYER: Yes.
K. MEYER: Thursday night.
HEMMER: Enjoy the trip.
D. MEYER: Thank you.
K. MEYER: Thank you very much.
HEMMER: Ken and Denise Meyer, very proud parents there in Austin, Texas. They will see their son on Friday.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
