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CNN Live Today

USS Abraham Lincoln Nears Shore

Aired May 02, 2003 - 11:36   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Live pictures there, the deck of the "USS Abraham Lincoln." That carrier now approaching San Diego's port. Should be getting into the port, as you see there, almost any minute now. It's been easing its way up the channel and under the Coronado Bridge and past Coronado Island. Our Frank Buckley is somewhere on board that ship. We'll get to him in just a second. Our Thelma Gutierrez meantime is there on the dock, there with some families. Let's bring in Frank first.
Frank, an exciting day for the carrier and crew after a long stretch at sea.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, man, these folks on this ship are just thrilled to be home, to be about to see their -- at least get to talk to his family before he runs over on the shore to see them. This is Chief Richard Ziba (ph) from the battle group staff. Your wife Jodie (ph) and-one-year-old daughter Megan (ph) ashore. Boy, Chief, a 1-year-old. How has this year meant for you to not be able to see her?

CHIEF RICHARD ZIBA (ph), USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN: It's been tough, especially not being able to see my daughter. I was able to stay in touch with my wife via, you know, e-mail and a phone call, every now and again, but I missed out on so much of my daughter. I'll just have to make up on it in the next couple weeks.

BUCKLEY: Absolutely. You're getting real close now. We can actually see the folks over there. We can hear them screaming for you. What's it feel like after nearly ten months?

ZIBA (ph): Feels great. It's honoring to -- everybody appreciates what we do out there, and that's great. I appreciate it. It's nice to know that all the hard work that we did out there was appreciated. .

BUCKLEY: Well, enough of me talking to you. My colleague, Thelma Gutierrez, is down there with Jodie (ph) and Megan (ph). Why don't you look into the camera, and you can talk directly to them.

Thelma, we'll throw it to you.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: : Thanks, Frank. I can tell you that all morning long we've been talking about how emotional and how exciting it is for the families down here on the pier. Well, when we saw the ship come into view just a short time ago, Jodie Ziba (ph) actually broke out in tears. It was a very overwhelming time, I guess. JODIE ZIBA (ph): Yes. It's very thrilling. This is our first time going through a deployment and also seeing it come dockside or pier side. And it's overwhelming.

GUTIERREZ: When you look into the monitor, you can actually see your husband standing with Frank. How does he look? What do you want to say to him?

J. ZIBA (ph): He looks so good.

Hi, honey. I love you.

R. ZIBA (ph): Thank you, baby. I love you, too.

J. ZIBA (ph): You're welcome. Thank you.

GUTIERREZ: Megan is 16 months old. She's so cute. She's eating the American flag here.

J. ZIBA (ph): Unfortunately at the moment.

GUTIERREZ: She was 7 months old when her father last saw her.

J. ZIBA (ph): Correct.

GUTIERREZ: In that time, a lot has changed, hasn't it?

J. ZIBA (ph): Oh, so much. Unfortunately for us, he's had to miss a lot of her firsts. But we're going to try to make up for it.

GUTIERREZ: So Megan (ph) now walks, talks. She has teeth.

J. ZIBA (ph): Yes. When he left, she didn't have any teeth, and that was the biggest thing for my husband. We used to have a weekly bet on, oh, she's going to get teeth this week or, you know, something of that sort. And so it's a big deal that she now has teeth.

GUTIERREZ: All right, well, Jodie and Megan, thank you very much. I guess it's just a short time now when you'll be able to actually hold your husband.

J. ZIBA (ph): Yes.

GUTIERREZ: So that will be a big plus.

All right, Frank. We'll go back to you now.

BUCKLEY: All right. Thanks a lot, Thelma. Chief, we really appreciate your service. And thanks for spending time, letting us look in on your family.

R. ZIBA (ph): Thank you. My pleasure.

BUCKLEY: All right, thanks.

Just one of the many happy reunions that we're at least getting to bring to you now, even before the sailors get aboard the pier here. It takes half an hour to an hour before a big old ship like this can pull alongside the pier. The tug's working really hard. It's a careful steering job. But it's getting closer and closer.

HARRIS: All right. All right, thanks, Frank. We'll get back out there as soon as that gets under way. As you can see there, that aircraft carrier inching, literally, its way into port. So stay tuned, folks.

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 May 2, 2003 - 11:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Live pictures there, the deck of the "USS Abraham Lincoln." That carrier now approaching San Diego's port. Should be getting into the port, as you see there, almost any minute now. It's been easing its way up the channel and under the Coronado Bridge and past Coronado Island. Our Frank Buckley is somewhere on board that ship. We'll get to him in just a second. Our Thelma Gutierrez meantime is there on the dock, there with some families. Let's bring in Frank first.
Frank, an exciting day for the carrier and crew after a long stretch at sea.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, man, these folks on this ship are just thrilled to be home, to be about to see their -- at least get to talk to his family before he runs over on the shore to see them. This is Chief Richard Ziba (ph) from the battle group staff. Your wife Jodie (ph) and-one-year-old daughter Megan (ph) ashore. Boy, Chief, a 1-year-old. How has this year meant for you to not be able to see her?

CHIEF RICHARD ZIBA (ph), USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN: It's been tough, especially not being able to see my daughter. I was able to stay in touch with my wife via, you know, e-mail and a phone call, every now and again, but I missed out on so much of my daughter. I'll just have to make up on it in the next couple weeks.

BUCKLEY: Absolutely. You're getting real close now. We can actually see the folks over there. We can hear them screaming for you. What's it feel like after nearly ten months?

ZIBA (ph): Feels great. It's honoring to -- everybody appreciates what we do out there, and that's great. I appreciate it. It's nice to know that all the hard work that we did out there was appreciated. .

BUCKLEY: Well, enough of me talking to you. My colleague, Thelma Gutierrez, is down there with Jodie (ph) and Megan (ph). Why don't you look into the camera, and you can talk directly to them.

Thelma, we'll throw it to you.

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: : Thanks, Frank. I can tell you that all morning long we've been talking about how emotional and how exciting it is for the families down here on the pier. Well, when we saw the ship come into view just a short time ago, Jodie Ziba (ph) actually broke out in tears. It was a very overwhelming time, I guess. JODIE ZIBA (ph): Yes. It's very thrilling. This is our first time going through a deployment and also seeing it come dockside or pier side. And it's overwhelming.

GUTIERREZ: When you look into the monitor, you can actually see your husband standing with Frank. How does he look? What do you want to say to him?

J. ZIBA (ph): He looks so good.

Hi, honey. I love you.

R. ZIBA (ph): Thank you, baby. I love you, too.

J. ZIBA (ph): You're welcome. Thank you.

GUTIERREZ: Megan is 16 months old. She's so cute. She's eating the American flag here.

J. ZIBA (ph): Unfortunately at the moment.

GUTIERREZ: She was 7 months old when her father last saw her.

J. ZIBA (ph): Correct.

GUTIERREZ: In that time, a lot has changed, hasn't it?

J. ZIBA (ph): Oh, so much. Unfortunately for us, he's had to miss a lot of her firsts. But we're going to try to make up for it.

GUTIERREZ: So Megan (ph) now walks, talks. She has teeth.

J. ZIBA (ph): Yes. When he left, she didn't have any teeth, and that was the biggest thing for my husband. We used to have a weekly bet on, oh, she's going to get teeth this week or, you know, something of that sort. And so it's a big deal that she now has teeth.

GUTIERREZ: All right, well, Jodie and Megan, thank you very much. I guess it's just a short time now when you'll be able to actually hold your husband.

J. ZIBA (ph): Yes.

GUTIERREZ: So that will be a big plus.

All right, Frank. We'll go back to you now.

BUCKLEY: All right. Thanks a lot, Thelma. Chief, we really appreciate your service. And thanks for spending time, letting us look in on your family.

R. ZIBA (ph): Thank you. My pleasure.

BUCKLEY: All right, thanks.

Just one of the many happy reunions that we're at least getting to bring to you now, even before the sailors get aboard the pier here. It takes half an hour to an hour before a big old ship like this can pull alongside the pier. The tug's working really hard. It's a careful steering job. But it's getting closer and closer.

HARRIS: All right. All right, thanks, Frank. We'll get back out there as soon as that gets under way. As you can see there, that aircraft carrier inching, literally, its way into port. So stay tuned, folks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com