Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Home From War

Aired May 23, 2003 - 11:06   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: Another battle group returning home from the war in Iraq today, our Kathleen Koch is standing by at Naval station Norfolk, Virginia for the USS Harry Truman homecoming.
And, Kathleen, can you see the ships yet from there.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, we can't see anything yet, Leon. It is very gray and very cloudy, but let me show you something, this was a headline in the local paper today. As you can see, it says "High on Homecoming." Now you may wonder why you see someone already greeted by their loved one. Well, the airwing, the third air carrier airwing did come back early yesterday, F-14s, F-18s, so those families got a little bit of an early homecoming.

But people here are waiting. They're going to be waiting for several hours in the rain, because the Harry Truman is due back at 12:30. It's going to take them another hour to fasten the gangplanks up, there will four of them, that the sailors and Marines will be coming down it.

You know, but Families don't care how long it takes. They are so anxious. We've here with us Janine (ph) Turner. Her husband has been on the ship away for nearly six months.

How are you feeling right now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm happy. I'm ready for it to be over.

KOCH: Has then been a tough six months?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A tough six months, very hard.

KOCH: Has this deployment been harder than others? And why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it has. It just has. I don't know why. It's been extremely harder. I thought the longer it goes, I would be better, but...

KOCH: Tell us about your husband, what he does on this ship, and any experiences he shared with you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of them. He's an SH (ph), and he does the vending, and the cash cage and the barbershop, pretty much all the easy stuff.

KOCH: Helps keeps everybody well fed and looking good. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, he don't do the food part. He does the money part, most of the money part he does, and he tries to keep it together. But he's bringing it home -- honey, I need you to help me balance this, I can't get it right, things like that. It's pretty cool, though.

KOCH: Terrific. And he'll be back in a few more hours.

We have a father who is expecting his son back here.

Sir, would you share your name with us and tell us about your son, who's due back any time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name I'm Luke Wilkerson (ph). We have a son coming in. His name is Anthony.

KOCH: Tell us what Anthony does on board the USS Harry Truman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He works down in the engine room.

KOCH: Did he correspond with you, e-mail at all, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and what did he tell you? Is this his mother to the right? What did he tell you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pretty much like always, not very much. He writes about three lines, and that's it, so we didn't really hear very much from him when things were really going on.

KOCH: Do you find as his parents though that modern technology makes it easier to stay in touch with your loved ones today than ever before?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, very much so. Very much so.

KOCH: I know the young lady to your left is waiting for her boyfriend to come back. What's your name? And who are you waiting for?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name's Jackie, and I'm waiting for Atillio Dente (ph).

KOCH: Now, Jackie, tell me, how nerve-wracking has it been, him being deployed during wartime?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nerve-wracking like depressed, all that stuff. You know, I'm just happy that he's coming home.

KOCH: Leon, I'll tell you what, we do have good news. With this ship every single sailor, every single Marine that deployed, every single aircraft that took off came back safely. The first ones off the ship will be the one who won the lottery and then those 109 fathers who will be meeting their babies for the very first time.

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 23, 2003 - 11:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Another battle group returning home from the war in Iraq today, our Kathleen Koch is standing by at Naval station Norfolk, Virginia for the USS Harry Truman homecoming.
And, Kathleen, can you see the ships yet from there.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, we can't see anything yet, Leon. It is very gray and very cloudy, but let me show you something, this was a headline in the local paper today. As you can see, it says "High on Homecoming." Now you may wonder why you see someone already greeted by their loved one. Well, the airwing, the third air carrier airwing did come back early yesterday, F-14s, F-18s, so those families got a little bit of an early homecoming.

But people here are waiting. They're going to be waiting for several hours in the rain, because the Harry Truman is due back at 12:30. It's going to take them another hour to fasten the gangplanks up, there will four of them, that the sailors and Marines will be coming down it.

You know, but Families don't care how long it takes. They are so anxious. We've here with us Janine (ph) Turner. Her husband has been on the ship away for nearly six months.

How are you feeling right now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm happy. I'm ready for it to be over.

KOCH: Has then been a tough six months?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A tough six months, very hard.

KOCH: Has this deployment been harder than others? And why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it has. It just has. I don't know why. It's been extremely harder. I thought the longer it goes, I would be better, but...

KOCH: Tell us about your husband, what he does on this ship, and any experiences he shared with you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of them. He's an SH (ph), and he does the vending, and the cash cage and the barbershop, pretty much all the easy stuff.

KOCH: Helps keeps everybody well fed and looking good. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, he don't do the food part. He does the money part, most of the money part he does, and he tries to keep it together. But he's bringing it home -- honey, I need you to help me balance this, I can't get it right, things like that. It's pretty cool, though.

KOCH: Terrific. And he'll be back in a few more hours.

We have a father who is expecting his son back here.

Sir, would you share your name with us and tell us about your son, who's due back any time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name I'm Luke Wilkerson (ph). We have a son coming in. His name is Anthony.

KOCH: Tell us what Anthony does on board the USS Harry Truman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He works down in the engine room.

KOCH: Did he correspond with you, e-mail at all, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and what did he tell you? Is this his mother to the right? What did he tell you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pretty much like always, not very much. He writes about three lines, and that's it, so we didn't really hear very much from him when things were really going on.

KOCH: Do you find as his parents though that modern technology makes it easier to stay in touch with your loved ones today than ever before?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, very much so. Very much so.

KOCH: I know the young lady to your left is waiting for her boyfriend to come back. What's your name? And who are you waiting for?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name's Jackie, and I'm waiting for Atillio Dente (ph).

KOCH: Now, Jackie, tell me, how nerve-wracking has it been, him being deployed during wartime?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nerve-wracking like depressed, all that stuff. You know, I'm just happy that he's coming home.

KOCH: Leon, I'll tell you what, we do have good news. With this ship every single sailor, every single Marine that deployed, every single aircraft that took off came back safely. The first ones off the ship will be the one who won the lottery and then those 109 fathers who will be meeting their babies for the very first time.

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