Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Sailors with USS Abraham Lincoln Battle Group Returning From War
Aired April 25, 2003 - 11:13 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Sailors with the USS Abraham Lincoln battle group are returning home from the war. Our Frank Buckley is onboard the USS Mobile Bay as it moves closer to San Diego.
David Mattingly is on shore. You gentlemen did a fine job last hour. Let's do it again.
Frank, we'll start with you.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We'll, Daryn, we'll give it a try. Nine months at sea for most of these sailors, a very long deployment. The Mobile bay and the Shiloh both coming home today, the first pacific fleet vessels coming back to port. Let me show you, if we look forward, you can actually see, I think, the Shiloh just ahead of us, about a thousand yards as we get closer and closer to San Diego. You've got walk up here to the bow to take a look, but you can probably see her there. She and this ship, again, the Shiloh and Mobile Bay are both guided missile cruisers. We've all seen the video of tomahawk launches as these Tomahawk land attack missiles have been launched into Iraq. That sort of video. This is not from this specific ship but we can show you some of the pictures of those kinds of missiles being launched onto Iraq.
And on this ship, we can actually you where those kinds of launches take place. More than two dozen Tomahawk missiles were launched from this particular ship, and this is one of the cells, as they call it, from which an actual Tomahawk was launched into Iraq. You can see the seal there is broken. And you can see the scorch marks from where the fire came out from the tail end of that missile as it was leaving this ship.
As we say on the human side, this has been a very long deployment for these sailors, nine months at sea and among the sailors who has had to sacrifice in his personal life is first class Derek Webb.
Mr. Webb, tell us, it's a very long time at sea to be away from your wife and your 7-year-old. Tell me what it's been like for you.
DEREK WEBB, U.S. NAVY: Well, it's been hard, it's been long, but I was able to do it and do it well. I never could have done it without the family like I have at home. So it was really hard, but I can't wait to get home and embrace my family.
BUCKLEY: We're happy that you say that. David Mattingly, my colleague, is on shore with your wife, Charity, and, David, we'll toss it to you. DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Frank. Derek, I have to tell you, you haven't hugged either one of them yet. You've already made their day.
What is it like standing here seeing him for the first time?
CHARITY WEBB: It's really nice. We're glad to see him.
MATTINGLY: You're waving at your dad. I to show everybody at home. Derek, I know you can't see this, but I want you to come in close to this. Derek, while you were gone, your son has lost both of his front teeth. Can you smile for us real quick? That's the smile that that he's going to be coming home for. How about that?
Anything you'd like to say to your dad.
I'm sure you've got a lot to say once he gets here, though. What do you have to say to him? There he is, right there.
C. WEBB: I just want to say it's been hard, long, but we're glad you're coming home. We love you, we missed you, and we're proud of you.
MATTINGLY: Derek, what have you got to say? we're all ears here. We can hear you just fine. Derrick, can you hear us?
Well at least you can see him.
C. WEBB: That's right.
MATTINGLY: That's something you haven't been able to do so far.
C. WEBB: Exactly, we've gotten a few pictures but nothing like knowing he's on the way and seeing him on the screen.
MATTINGLY: And now just a couple of hours away, how does he look?
C. WEBB: Good, he looks good.
D. WEBB: I can hear them on the -- yes, sir, I can hear you.
MATTINGLY: OK , he can hear you now.
D. WEBB: Hi, babe.
C. WEBB: Hi. We miss you, we're glad you're coming home. We made it!
D. WEBB: Yes, we made it. I never could have done it without you and Torrin (ph). It's been hard, but we're on our way home now. We should be there in a few hours, I guess.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, daddy. I lost both my big teeth, so I'm going to lose another one.
D. WEBB: Oh, man. I bet you're still a handsome little man without your front teeth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you.
MATTINGLY: He says he bets you're still a hand some little man without your front teeth.
You're probably right, and he's probably grown like a weed.
C. WEBB: Yes, he has. He's almost doubled. He's big.
D. WEBB: Wow.
D. WEBB: Well, I love you both.
MATTINGLY: Go ahead, Derek.
D. WEBB: I just love my family. I just cannot wait to embrace them. It's going to be great.
MATTINGLY: Well, the clock is ticking. And he's going to be home soon. Everybody going to get that first embrace, that first kiss. Thanks so much for doing this with us today. And I have to tell you that the sun is out. It is a beautiful day here in San Diego, but everybody tells me that even if it was pouring buckets today, they'd be out here smiling. We have a picture to show you from overhead, of all the crowd that's starting to gather here, all the VIP tents that have been set up, everyone very anxious for their loved ones to come home and get off of that ship -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Wow. I mean, can we just say that's a picture of the day, the young Mr. Webb. That's picture of the day, the young Mr. Webb's picture with all his teeth missing, and the bubble gum coming out of the gums there.
MATTINGLY: Could you smile for us one more time? One big smile that you're going to show your dad? That was just for you, Daryn.
KAGAN: That is great. Congratulations to the Webb family, and the tooth your fairy and dad coming home very soon. David Mattingly, Frank Buckley, appreciate that. Webb family, you have a great day ahead of 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
From War>
Aired April 25, 2003 - 11:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Sailors with the USS Abraham Lincoln battle group are returning home from the war. Our Frank Buckley is onboard the USS Mobile Bay as it moves closer to San Diego.
David Mattingly is on shore. You gentlemen did a fine job last hour. Let's do it again.
Frank, we'll start with you.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We'll, Daryn, we'll give it a try. Nine months at sea for most of these sailors, a very long deployment. The Mobile bay and the Shiloh both coming home today, the first pacific fleet vessels coming back to port. Let me show you, if we look forward, you can actually see, I think, the Shiloh just ahead of us, about a thousand yards as we get closer and closer to San Diego. You've got walk up here to the bow to take a look, but you can probably see her there. She and this ship, again, the Shiloh and Mobile Bay are both guided missile cruisers. We've all seen the video of tomahawk launches as these Tomahawk land attack missiles have been launched into Iraq. That sort of video. This is not from this specific ship but we can show you some of the pictures of those kinds of missiles being launched onto Iraq.
And on this ship, we can actually you where those kinds of launches take place. More than two dozen Tomahawk missiles were launched from this particular ship, and this is one of the cells, as they call it, from which an actual Tomahawk was launched into Iraq. You can see the seal there is broken. And you can see the scorch marks from where the fire came out from the tail end of that missile as it was leaving this ship.
As we say on the human side, this has been a very long deployment for these sailors, nine months at sea and among the sailors who has had to sacrifice in his personal life is first class Derek Webb.
Mr. Webb, tell us, it's a very long time at sea to be away from your wife and your 7-year-old. Tell me what it's been like for you.
DEREK WEBB, U.S. NAVY: Well, it's been hard, it's been long, but I was able to do it and do it well. I never could have done it without the family like I have at home. So it was really hard, but I can't wait to get home and embrace my family.
BUCKLEY: We're happy that you say that. David Mattingly, my colleague, is on shore with your wife, Charity, and, David, we'll toss it to you. DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Frank. Derek, I have to tell you, you haven't hugged either one of them yet. You've already made their day.
What is it like standing here seeing him for the first time?
CHARITY WEBB: It's really nice. We're glad to see him.
MATTINGLY: You're waving at your dad. I to show everybody at home. Derek, I know you can't see this, but I want you to come in close to this. Derek, while you were gone, your son has lost both of his front teeth. Can you smile for us real quick? That's the smile that that he's going to be coming home for. How about that?
Anything you'd like to say to your dad.
I'm sure you've got a lot to say once he gets here, though. What do you have to say to him? There he is, right there.
C. WEBB: I just want to say it's been hard, long, but we're glad you're coming home. We love you, we missed you, and we're proud of you.
MATTINGLY: Derek, what have you got to say? we're all ears here. We can hear you just fine. Derrick, can you hear us?
Well at least you can see him.
C. WEBB: That's right.
MATTINGLY: That's something you haven't been able to do so far.
C. WEBB: Exactly, we've gotten a few pictures but nothing like knowing he's on the way and seeing him on the screen.
MATTINGLY: And now just a couple of hours away, how does he look?
C. WEBB: Good, he looks good.
D. WEBB: I can hear them on the -- yes, sir, I can hear you.
MATTINGLY: OK , he can hear you now.
D. WEBB: Hi, babe.
C. WEBB: Hi. We miss you, we're glad you're coming home. We made it!
D. WEBB: Yes, we made it. I never could have done it without you and Torrin (ph). It's been hard, but we're on our way home now. We should be there in a few hours, I guess.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, daddy. I lost both my big teeth, so I'm going to lose another one.
D. WEBB: Oh, man. I bet you're still a handsome little man without your front teeth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you.
MATTINGLY: He says he bets you're still a hand some little man without your front teeth.
You're probably right, and he's probably grown like a weed.
C. WEBB: Yes, he has. He's almost doubled. He's big.
D. WEBB: Wow.
D. WEBB: Well, I love you both.
MATTINGLY: Go ahead, Derek.
D. WEBB: I just love my family. I just cannot wait to embrace them. It's going to be great.
MATTINGLY: Well, the clock is ticking. And he's going to be home soon. Everybody going to get that first embrace, that first kiss. Thanks so much for doing this with us today. And I have to tell you that the sun is out. It is a beautiful day here in San Diego, but everybody tells me that even if it was pouring buckets today, they'd be out here smiling. We have a picture to show you from overhead, of all the crowd that's starting to gather here, all the VIP tents that have been set up, everyone very anxious for their loved ones to come home and get off of that ship -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Wow. I mean, can we just say that's a picture of the day, the young Mr. Webb. That's picture of the day, the young Mr. Webb's picture with all his teeth missing, and the bubble gum coming out of the gums there.
MATTINGLY: Could you smile for us one more time? One big smile that you're going to show your dad? That was just for you, Daryn.
KAGAN: That is great. Congratulations to the Webb family, and the tooth your fairy and dad coming home very soon. David Mattingly, Frank Buckley, appreciate that. Webb family, you have a great day ahead of 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
From War>
