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CNN Live Today

Interview With Dirk Johnson

Aired November 10, 2003 - 11:07   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: The story of POW Jessica Lynch is getting lots of attention this week. Her authorized biography will be released this tomorrow, the same day she appears in a network television interview. And last night her story was the subject of a made for television movie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you see that, First Sergeant?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, stay calm. Weapons ready.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Lynch was severely injured and taken prisoner after her convoy was ambushed in Iraq. And while her story has made headlines, other stories from the 507th Maintenance Company are just now being told.

"Newsweek" reports on some of the unsung heroes in an article in it's November 17 issue. "Newsweek"'s Dirk Johnson joins from us Chicago. Dirk, good morning.

DIRK JOHNSON, "NEWSWEEK": Good morning.

KAGAN: Let's get right to some of the people in the 507th. First Sergeant Robert Dowdy. He was driving the Humvee that was attacked. One of them

JOHNSON: He was. He's a 38-year-old Army veteran. And he was killed. And all of the attention, the movie, the book that talk about the happy ending. There was no happy ending for the Dowdy family. He was killed, and his 14-year-old daughter, Christy (ph), at the constant mention of Jessica's battle will sometimes say, Don't they know that Dad was in that Humvee? Don't they know that Dad was doing stuff, too?

KAGAN: Another family that doesn't have a happy ending and is very frustrated, the Waters family, the parents of Sergeant Donald Waters. They've gone so far -- Walters, has gone so far as to file a freedom of information request to find out exactly what happened in that ambush.

JOHNSON: Yes, they have. Despite the fact that there's some evidence to indicate that the heroism that was initially attributed to Jessica was, in fact, Donald Walters. That he was the person who fought very bravely until he was gunned down himself. But they've gotten very few questions answered.

KAGAN: Of course, there was another woman POW, Shoshana Johnson. She survived. She was shot in both her ankles. But a controversy developed over how much compensation she getting from the U.S. government versus Jessica Lynch.

JOHNSON: Her disability was 30 percent of her pay, whereas Jessica's was 80 percent.

KAGAN: And the Army says they have an explanation for this, because they figure out just how disabled you are.

JOHNSON: Well, there seems to be some subjectivity involved, to be clear. Although there are some matters that do seem puzzling, Patrick Miller, who Jessica Lynch herself says the hero in this battle, is still waiting for his next promotion, even though he held off a cluster of Iraqis as he fought from a berm.

KAGAN: And then finally, you also write in this piece about the conditions in which the POWs were held.

JOHNSON: Well, they were held in very tiny cells. In some rooms, there was an ominous hook hanging from the ceiling. They were to shut up on an occasion. They were beaten, they were intimidated.

KAGAN: And very, very difficult conditions, indeed. And it sounds like for many of them, even though I'm sure they're just thrilled to be home and to be safe now, still a battle continues in terms of getting the kind of recognition their families fighting that battle as well and also overcome some of the injuries and getting the compensation they believe coming their way.

Dirk, thank you.

JOHNSON: You're welcome.

KAGAN: Dirk Johnson from "Newsweek" in the November 17 issue. More on that.

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 November 10, 2003 - 11:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The story of POW Jessica Lynch is getting lots of attention this week. Her authorized biography will be released this tomorrow, the same day she appears in a network television interview. And last night her story was the subject of a made for television movie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you see that, First Sergeant?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, stay calm. Weapons ready.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Lynch was severely injured and taken prisoner after her convoy was ambushed in Iraq. And while her story has made headlines, other stories from the 507th Maintenance Company are just now being told.

"Newsweek" reports on some of the unsung heroes in an article in it's November 17 issue. "Newsweek"'s Dirk Johnson joins from us Chicago. Dirk, good morning.

DIRK JOHNSON, "NEWSWEEK": Good morning.

KAGAN: Let's get right to some of the people in the 507th. First Sergeant Robert Dowdy. He was driving the Humvee that was attacked. One of them

JOHNSON: He was. He's a 38-year-old Army veteran. And he was killed. And all of the attention, the movie, the book that talk about the happy ending. There was no happy ending for the Dowdy family. He was killed, and his 14-year-old daughter, Christy (ph), at the constant mention of Jessica's battle will sometimes say, Don't they know that Dad was in that Humvee? Don't they know that Dad was doing stuff, too?

KAGAN: Another family that doesn't have a happy ending and is very frustrated, the Waters family, the parents of Sergeant Donald Waters. They've gone so far -- Walters, has gone so far as to file a freedom of information request to find out exactly what happened in that ambush.

JOHNSON: Yes, they have. Despite the fact that there's some evidence to indicate that the heroism that was initially attributed to Jessica was, in fact, Donald Walters. That he was the person who fought very bravely until he was gunned down himself. But they've gotten very few questions answered.

KAGAN: Of course, there was another woman POW, Shoshana Johnson. She survived. She was shot in both her ankles. But a controversy developed over how much compensation she getting from the U.S. government versus Jessica Lynch.

JOHNSON: Her disability was 30 percent of her pay, whereas Jessica's was 80 percent.

KAGAN: And the Army says they have an explanation for this, because they figure out just how disabled you are.

JOHNSON: Well, there seems to be some subjectivity involved, to be clear. Although there are some matters that do seem puzzling, Patrick Miller, who Jessica Lynch herself says the hero in this battle, is still waiting for his next promotion, even though he held off a cluster of Iraqis as he fought from a berm.

KAGAN: And then finally, you also write in this piece about the conditions in which the POWs were held.

JOHNSON: Well, they were held in very tiny cells. In some rooms, there was an ominous hook hanging from the ceiling. They were to shut up on an occasion. They were beaten, they were intimidated.

KAGAN: And very, very difficult conditions, indeed. And it sounds like for many of them, even though I'm sure they're just thrilled to be home and to be safe now, still a battle continues in terms of getting the kind of recognition their families fighting that battle as well and also overcome some of the injuries and getting the compensation they believe coming their way.

Dirk, thank you.

JOHNSON: You're welcome.

KAGAN: Dirk Johnson from "Newsweek" in the November 17 issue. More on that.

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