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CNN Live At Daybreak
Five Former POWs Begin Week of Medical Tests
Aired April 21, 2003 - 05:17 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The five former POWs from the U.S. Army's 507th Maintenance Company begin a week of medical tests today.
But as CNN's Ed Lavandera reports, the troops first had a happy homecoming with their families.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Edgar Hernandez's family can't stop hugging the 21-year-old former prisoner of war. Hernandez and his four comrades of the 507th Maintenance Company are adjusting to life in the spotlight.
SPEC. EDGAR HERNANDEZ, FORMER POW: Thanks for your prayers and keep praying for all the people that are still missing.
JOEL HERNANDEZ, FORMER POW'S BROTHER: I gave him a hug and I told him, "Man, we missed you so much." And I was just, I was started, we started crying for joy, you know?
LAVANDERA: Private First Class Patrick Miller tells CNN that when he and Specialist Joseph Hudson emerged from the top of the C-17 aircraft, they were stunned to see how many people had turned out to welcome them home. After a victory lap, it was Hudson who spoke for his fellow soldiers.
SPEC. JOSEPH HUDSON, FORMER POW: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your outstanding support. This means the world to all of us. Remember our fallen soldiers. God bless America. This is why we live in a great country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today's paper!
LAVANDERA: These soldiers woke up Sunday to discover their pictures and story all over the place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today's paper!
LAVANDERA: Four days of medical testing at Fort Bliss will include preparing the former POWs to cope with their momentary celebrity status.
COL. GLENN MITCHELL, BEAUMONT ARMY MEDICAL CENTER OFFICIAL: We are also making sure they have the psychological tools to be able to reintegrate into their lives, to be able to reestablish the bonds with their families, their units, all that, after they've gone through this stressful experience. LAVANDERA: After all the tests are done, these five soldiers will likely get about a 30 day vacation, enough time for someone like Theresa Rowland to catch up with her best friend Shoshana Johnson. Rowland kept a journal while Johnson was held as a POW and she has a plaque she wants to give her friend.
THERESA ROWLAND, FRIEND OF SHOSHANA JOHNSON: Seeing her on the back of that golf cart and waving and the smile, nobody has a smile like Shana. Nobody.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Medical military officials say that all five former POWs are in great shape and one official even goes on to say that they're so excited to be home that the toughest part of this week might just be to get these soldiers to focus on the medical tests that still need to get done.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Fort Bliss, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 21, 2003 - 05:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The five former POWs from the U.S. Army's 507th Maintenance Company begin a week of medical tests today.
But as CNN's Ed Lavandera reports, the troops first had a happy homecoming with their families.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Edgar Hernandez's family can't stop hugging the 21-year-old former prisoner of war. Hernandez and his four comrades of the 507th Maintenance Company are adjusting to life in the spotlight.
SPEC. EDGAR HERNANDEZ, FORMER POW: Thanks for your prayers and keep praying for all the people that are still missing.
JOEL HERNANDEZ, FORMER POW'S BROTHER: I gave him a hug and I told him, "Man, we missed you so much." And I was just, I was started, we started crying for joy, you know?
LAVANDERA: Private First Class Patrick Miller tells CNN that when he and Specialist Joseph Hudson emerged from the top of the C-17 aircraft, they were stunned to see how many people had turned out to welcome them home. After a victory lap, it was Hudson who spoke for his fellow soldiers.
SPEC. JOSEPH HUDSON, FORMER POW: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your outstanding support. This means the world to all of us. Remember our fallen soldiers. God bless America. This is why we live in a great country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today's paper!
LAVANDERA: These soldiers woke up Sunday to discover their pictures and story all over the place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today's paper!
LAVANDERA: Four days of medical testing at Fort Bliss will include preparing the former POWs to cope with their momentary celebrity status.
COL. GLENN MITCHELL, BEAUMONT ARMY MEDICAL CENTER OFFICIAL: We are also making sure they have the psychological tools to be able to reintegrate into their lives, to be able to reestablish the bonds with their families, their units, all that, after they've gone through this stressful experience. LAVANDERA: After all the tests are done, these five soldiers will likely get about a 30 day vacation, enough time for someone like Theresa Rowland to catch up with her best friend Shoshana Johnson. Rowland kept a journal while Johnson was held as a POW and she has a plaque she wants to give her friend.
THERESA ROWLAND, FRIEND OF SHOSHANA JOHNSON: Seeing her on the back of that golf cart and waving and the smile, nobody has a smile like Shana. Nobody.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Medical military officials say that all five former POWs are in great shape and one official even goes on to say that they're so excited to be home that the toughest part of this week might just be to get these soldiers to focus on the medical tests that still need to get done.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Fort Bliss, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
