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In Columbus, Ohio, Police Looking for Motive in Shooting Spree at Nightclub

Aired December 09, 2004 - 11:33   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: Good morning. We're just a few minutes past the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. There's an awful lot happening in the news.

KAGAN: We begin in Columbus, Ohio, where police are looking for a motive in a shooting spree at a nightclub that left four people and the shooter dead. Authorities say the man is identified as Nathan Gale. He jumped on stage, and appeared to target the band before firing into the crowd. Police confirm that guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott of the band Damageplan is among the dead.

A mortar attack wounded eight members of the Iraqi National Guard at their base today in Baghdad. In a separate attack, a roadside bombing wounded an American soldier.

Japan's cabinet voted today to keep troops in Iraq for another year, even though most Japanese oppose that deployment. Japan has about 550 troops in Iraq. Their duties are restricted to humanitarian relief.

And Canada's highest court ruled today the government can allow same-sex marriage. Canada would join Belgium and the Netherlands as allowing gay marriage, if the parliament makes it legal nationwide. Six Canadian provinces and a territory already allow same-sex marriage.

SANCHEZ: Let's go back to that shooting in Ohio now that Daryn just mentioned moments ago. The story coming out of there is one of a extremely heroic police officer. Also, no official word yet. Maybe we may never know what the actual motive for this killing was, so says one of the officers in charge there.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim has already been looking into this story. He's joining us now with that, and some of the other aspects of this bizarre crime.

Keith, over to you.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, a lot, Rick. The gunman has been identified as 25-year-old Nathan Gale from the Marsyville section of Columbus, and police say that at 10:00 last night. Here is what happened at the nightclub that's behind me, the El Rosa. A heavy metal band by the name of Damageplan started to play its first set, and perhaps within 30 seconds after it began, band started to play music, that's when Gale jumps up on stage, police say, and he shoots the lead guitarist Darrell Abbott, several times at close range. That, as you can imagine, set off mayhem inside.

The establishment, there were about 250 people inside. And everyone scattered, police said. Witnesses said the gunman grabbed a hostage, and also fired into the crowd. In short time, a Columbus police officer came inside, he responded, and he shot and killed Gale. That officer's name is James Nigamire (ph). And just moments ago, Columbus Police spokesperson Brent Mull described the life-and-death situation that officer Nigamire faced.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is believed that the suspect had a hostage underneath his arm, pretty much in a headlock situation. Had his firearm out, shooting. And the -- it was believed that the suspect at that point was going to take the gun to his hostage. Once the hostage was able to help us out as far as getting out of the way somewhat, the officer took advantage of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPENHEIM: Dramatic stuff. We'll talk about Officer Nigamire in just a moment here.

But more about Darrell Abbott, the lead guitarist of Damageplan. He's known in the heavy metal world. He and his brother, Vinnie Paul Abbott, had formed the band Damageplan after their former group, Pantera, had broken up last year. That group may be known to some who like that kind of music. They had been nominated for a Grammy. That group, Pantera, had recorded four albums during the 1990s. And so this was their new band that was playing at the El Rosa club to a smaller crowd.

Now as for Nathan Gale, police have not established what the motive in this case might have been. In fact, they're saying, Rick, that they don't think that he had any direct connection to this band. They haven't established that, and they're not even sure if they're going to understand what the motive is down the road.

There were witnesses who said that they thought that Nathan Gale had a grudge. And Police are saying they believe he targeted the lead guitarist in his shooting, but that's what they pretty much know at this point.

As for the officer in this case, you know, as you said, that his actions are heroic. Police are adding this detail, that he entered the establishment without backup, which shows how dangerous it was for him. So they are indeed calling him a hero today.

SANCHEZ: You know, Keith, I'm curious as to what type of weapon the shooter was using, and perhaps how many more rounds he had left, if we know that. And I guess, what I'm getting at here is, had the officer not shot him and downed him, how much more damage could he have done? OPPENHEIM: That's a good question. I know that it was a handgun. I have heard that it was a semiautomatic handgun, so he had the ability to fire somewhat rapidly here, and did so. But I'm not sure about how many rounds that he had left.

SANCHEZ: We missed the last part of that. But let me also ask you about the officer himself. It seems that he was able to come in somewhat secretively, right? I mean hardly anyone, maybe even the shooter, didn't know that he was there when he shot him dead.

OPPENHEIM: That's right. He slipped in the back of the establishment. He came through the backstage, and was able to find a spot so that he was able to confront the gunman when he did. And police are saying that they think it's pretty clear that if he had not done what he did, that more people might have died.

KAGAN: That's an amazing story. Keith Oppenheim, thanks for hustling out there, following it for us. We'll certainly get back to you throughout the course of the day.

Daryn, over to you.

KAGAN: Let's get some more not just on the shooting, but on the band and the band members. We're joined by MTV News' Gideon Yago, who's joining us live from New York.

Gideon, thanks for being here with us.

GIDEON YAGO, MTV NEWS: Thanks, Daryn.

KAGAN: First of all, what are you hearing there at MTV News about this investigation?

YAGO: Well, basically everything that you've heard also from the press conference that just came out, although we have had a chance to talk to some people who were in the club that night and -- last night. And they had said that some of the things that Nathan Gale was talking about onstage before he, unfortunately, shot Abbott, was stuff about Pantera's breakup, although none of that's confirmed yet. I know the police say that they've got no motive. But it seems like this was just a disgruntled fan.

KAGAN: All right. Let's take a few steps back for us old fogies out there to fill us in on who this band is. First, Pantera. This was a well-known heavy metal -- is that a fair way to describe this band?

YAGO: Yes, very well known actually. When "Far Beyond Driven," which was their third album, came out in 1994, it debuted at No. 1. They really were -- they had a huge fan base, they were a band with incredible staying power. And they released an album in 2000 and sort of had been on the rocks after that. They kind of only really officially broke up last year but they parted ways with their lead singer, Phil Anselmo.

But you look at thrash heavy metal bands like Metallica that were so big in the '80s, and without Pantera you can't bridge to a lot of heavy metal bands that are so big now, like Tool, like Korn. They really are sort of a bridge between those two decades.

In Pantera are these two brothers, the Abbott Brothers who then go on to form this band, Damageplan. One of those brothers, Darrell, was one of the victims last night.

YAGO: Yes. Yes. Actually, they just put out their record last year and were -- this is a hard working band. This is a hard working band that's all about playing live and keeping a connection with their fans. And they really tried to keep the -- they played some Pantera songs live that they had written. But by and large they were trying to do their own thing and keep working and keep touring and keep their fans flush with new music and were having a very successful and go of things, obviously up until last night.

KAGAN: And they did write much of their own music. I was checking out their Web site. And almost eerie, one of the notes they send out to their fans, they talk about the music from this latest album you're talking about, "New Found Power." They say it was written from our heart and soul but most of all for our fans who have been so loyal to us over the years. Pantera was everything to us. We put everything we had into it, a 1,000 percent, but it's time to move on.

YAGO: Yes. It was actually -- I was reading a lot of the Web site and the message boards that were up. And it actually just crashed very recently I think because so many people have been visiting it. And the expression of sort of shock and by the fans was -- I mean, it was just really touching. It was just a testament to how loyal the fan base this band and Pantera had. And it's just a really, really sad day.

KAGAN: It is for the fans and especially for the Abbott family. Gideon, thank you for your insight for this part of the music world, Gideon Yago from MTV News.

SANCHEZ: Having the winter blues. There is now a simple solution to winter depression. And our Elizabeth Cohen will explain it to you when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Today's "Daily Dose"...

KAGAN: How about that?

SANCHEZ: ... is a common malady, Daryn.

KAGAN: Why don't you take it though?

SANCHEZ: I will.

KAGAN: OK.

SANCHEZ: It's a common malady that affects thousands of people at this time of the year. It's called Seasonal Affected Disorder. Fortunately, the solution for many is a simple as the flick of a switch. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUANN HUGHES, SAD PATIENT: You love that shirt.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the winter, Luann Hughes dresses her three children before the sun comes up. She eats breakfast before the sun comes up.

HUGHES: And you get out of the shower and it's still dark. And you have your cup of coffee and it's still dark.

COHEN: In winters past, all that darkness made her feel depressed and irritable with her children.

HUGHES: Mostly, those are the things that really cause me trouble in the winter is not being able to be the effective parent that I wanted to be. Those months were tough.

COHEN: At first, Hughes tried an antidepressant drug, which she says didn't work very well. And then she tried light, fake light for about half an hour a day in the winter.

HUGHES: It took only about two weeks until I really started noticing something's different.

COHEN: Hughes has Seasonal Affective Disorder or winter depression. Her doctor explained to her that the light outside affects so many things inside the body, such as hormone levels, which in turn, affect mood.

MICHAEL TERMAN, DR., NY STATE PSYCHIATRIC INST.: The clock in our head depends on seeing sunrise every day to keep in sync with local time.

COHEN: Dr. Michael Terman, director of the Winter Depression Program at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, says 80 percent of the time light therapy helps patients with winter depression feel better.

TERMAN: It's a rapid turnaround. It's a faster effect than you get with antidepressant drugs.

COHEN: Fake light and getting as much real light as she can has been the answer for Hughes.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: A lot of military families are separated this holiday season because of the call of duty.

SANCHEZ: Some extended, as a matter of fact, and not happy about it. Well, Staff Sergeant John Miller and his wife Kris have been apart four of the six years that they have been married. But this holiday we are reuniting them by satellite. The holiday homefront we call it, and it's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

SANCHEZ: We have something new for you this morning. Every Thursday and Friday at this time during December, we're going to help you bring in holiday homecomings. And today, the TV reunion is between Kris Miller and her husband, Staff Sergeant John Miller, who's based in Baghdad.

Here it is -- Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STAFF SGT. JOHN MILLER, U.S. ARMY: Yes, it never gets easier. Kosovo was really the first time I was away during the Christmas and New Year holidays -- well, Thanksgiving as well. And I had a hard time getting through it, but my family was there supporting me, sending me care packages. I called and they sent letters back and forth.

So it wasn't so bad. Here in Baghdad it's a totally different situation. A lot of the unknown out there, and I'm just looking forward to having Christmas here with the family that I do have on this end, and I know that my family back home will be thinking about me and I'll be doing the same from this end.

CAFFERTY: How are you going to spend Christmas day in Iraq? Do you know yet?

MILLER: No. I have no idea. Christmas Day will probably be a work day just like any other for us depending on our mission (UNINTELLIGIBLE). If I do -- if I am fortunate enough to be one of the people who does have a down day at that time I'll probably catch up on a little bit of paper work, maybe watch a couple of DVDs and call home.

CAFFERTY: And call home. I imagine Kris and your daughters will look forward to that. Kris, let me talk to you for a couple of minutes. Your husband is in Iraq but your job is no less difficult I wouldn't think being a father of four kids myself. You've got two little ones at home. The holidays are coming up; your husband is not with you. How are you handling all of this?

KRIS MILLER, WIFE OF STAFF SGT. JOHN MILLER: Well, like John said, this isn't our first time around. We just do our day-to-day activities and try and get through them the best we can.

CAFFERTY: At this point, if I were you I'd probably be tired of talking to me and want to talk to my spouse. So I'm going to step out of the way and let the two of you visit a little bit if that's all right, but we're going to eavesdrop.

J. MILLER: Kris.

K. MILLER: John, can you hear me?

J. MILLER: Yes, I understand you can see me?

K. MILLER: No, I can't see you. I can just hear you.

J. MILLER: OK, it's the same on this end. I was originally told that you'd be able to see me, but. Oh, well.

K. MILLER: We wish you were going to be home.

J. MILLER: Yes, me too.

K. MILLER: I have a package to mail you. From Santa.

J. MILLER: I thought you had already mailed it?

K. MILLER: No. Sorry.

CAFFERTY: All right, listen, on behalf of the folks here at AMERICAN MORNING let me wish you both a happy holiday season -- and John, once again, our thanks from the United States here for all that you people are doing. We're all very proud of you and we hope you stay safe. Thanks for visiting with us here.

J. MILLER: Thank you. It's my pleasure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: That was my, of course, my friend and yours, Jack Cafferty at well. Tune in tomorrow at this time for another holiday homecoming between a U.S. service member and a member of their family.

KAGAN: Those are difficult, because you set them up, but you have the satellite delay. So you have all these emotions, but you're kind of tripping on each other. But it's just a nice to get families together.

SANCHEZ: You know what, it ain't easy being on TV.

KAGAN: No, so they tell me.

We'll be right back with your forecast, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: I think that's going to do it for us.

SANCHEZ: It certainly is. And that means we're tossing things over to Wolf to find out what's on tap.

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 December 9, 2004 - 11:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. We're just a few minutes past the half hour. I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. There's an awful lot happening in the news.

KAGAN: We begin in Columbus, Ohio, where police are looking for a motive in a shooting spree at a nightclub that left four people and the shooter dead. Authorities say the man is identified as Nathan Gale. He jumped on stage, and appeared to target the band before firing into the crowd. Police confirm that guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott of the band Damageplan is among the dead.

A mortar attack wounded eight members of the Iraqi National Guard at their base today in Baghdad. In a separate attack, a roadside bombing wounded an American soldier.

Japan's cabinet voted today to keep troops in Iraq for another year, even though most Japanese oppose that deployment. Japan has about 550 troops in Iraq. Their duties are restricted to humanitarian relief.

And Canada's highest court ruled today the government can allow same-sex marriage. Canada would join Belgium and the Netherlands as allowing gay marriage, if the parliament makes it legal nationwide. Six Canadian provinces and a territory already allow same-sex marriage.

SANCHEZ: Let's go back to that shooting in Ohio now that Daryn just mentioned moments ago. The story coming out of there is one of a extremely heroic police officer. Also, no official word yet. Maybe we may never know what the actual motive for this killing was, so says one of the officers in charge there.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim has already been looking into this story. He's joining us now with that, and some of the other aspects of this bizarre crime.

Keith, over to you.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, a lot, Rick. The gunman has been identified as 25-year-old Nathan Gale from the Marsyville section of Columbus, and police say that at 10:00 last night. Here is what happened at the nightclub that's behind me, the El Rosa. A heavy metal band by the name of Damageplan started to play its first set, and perhaps within 30 seconds after it began, band started to play music, that's when Gale jumps up on stage, police say, and he shoots the lead guitarist Darrell Abbott, several times at close range. That, as you can imagine, set off mayhem inside.

The establishment, there were about 250 people inside. And everyone scattered, police said. Witnesses said the gunman grabbed a hostage, and also fired into the crowd. In short time, a Columbus police officer came inside, he responded, and he shot and killed Gale. That officer's name is James Nigamire (ph). And just moments ago, Columbus Police spokesperson Brent Mull described the life-and-death situation that officer Nigamire faced.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is believed that the suspect had a hostage underneath his arm, pretty much in a headlock situation. Had his firearm out, shooting. And the -- it was believed that the suspect at that point was going to take the gun to his hostage. Once the hostage was able to help us out as far as getting out of the way somewhat, the officer took advantage of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPENHEIM: Dramatic stuff. We'll talk about Officer Nigamire in just a moment here.

But more about Darrell Abbott, the lead guitarist of Damageplan. He's known in the heavy metal world. He and his brother, Vinnie Paul Abbott, had formed the band Damageplan after their former group, Pantera, had broken up last year. That group may be known to some who like that kind of music. They had been nominated for a Grammy. That group, Pantera, had recorded four albums during the 1990s. And so this was their new band that was playing at the El Rosa club to a smaller crowd.

Now as for Nathan Gale, police have not established what the motive in this case might have been. In fact, they're saying, Rick, that they don't think that he had any direct connection to this band. They haven't established that, and they're not even sure if they're going to understand what the motive is down the road.

There were witnesses who said that they thought that Nathan Gale had a grudge. And Police are saying they believe he targeted the lead guitarist in his shooting, but that's what they pretty much know at this point.

As for the officer in this case, you know, as you said, that his actions are heroic. Police are adding this detail, that he entered the establishment without backup, which shows how dangerous it was for him. So they are indeed calling him a hero today.

SANCHEZ: You know, Keith, I'm curious as to what type of weapon the shooter was using, and perhaps how many more rounds he had left, if we know that. And I guess, what I'm getting at here is, had the officer not shot him and downed him, how much more damage could he have done? OPPENHEIM: That's a good question. I know that it was a handgun. I have heard that it was a semiautomatic handgun, so he had the ability to fire somewhat rapidly here, and did so. But I'm not sure about how many rounds that he had left.

SANCHEZ: We missed the last part of that. But let me also ask you about the officer himself. It seems that he was able to come in somewhat secretively, right? I mean hardly anyone, maybe even the shooter, didn't know that he was there when he shot him dead.

OPPENHEIM: That's right. He slipped in the back of the establishment. He came through the backstage, and was able to find a spot so that he was able to confront the gunman when he did. And police are saying that they think it's pretty clear that if he had not done what he did, that more people might have died.

KAGAN: That's an amazing story. Keith Oppenheim, thanks for hustling out there, following it for us. We'll certainly get back to you throughout the course of the day.

Daryn, over to you.

KAGAN: Let's get some more not just on the shooting, but on the band and the band members. We're joined by MTV News' Gideon Yago, who's joining us live from New York.

Gideon, thanks for being here with us.

GIDEON YAGO, MTV NEWS: Thanks, Daryn.

KAGAN: First of all, what are you hearing there at MTV News about this investigation?

YAGO: Well, basically everything that you've heard also from the press conference that just came out, although we have had a chance to talk to some people who were in the club that night and -- last night. And they had said that some of the things that Nathan Gale was talking about onstage before he, unfortunately, shot Abbott, was stuff about Pantera's breakup, although none of that's confirmed yet. I know the police say that they've got no motive. But it seems like this was just a disgruntled fan.

KAGAN: All right. Let's take a few steps back for us old fogies out there to fill us in on who this band is. First, Pantera. This was a well-known heavy metal -- is that a fair way to describe this band?

YAGO: Yes, very well known actually. When "Far Beyond Driven," which was their third album, came out in 1994, it debuted at No. 1. They really were -- they had a huge fan base, they were a band with incredible staying power. And they released an album in 2000 and sort of had been on the rocks after that. They kind of only really officially broke up last year but they parted ways with their lead singer, Phil Anselmo.

But you look at thrash heavy metal bands like Metallica that were so big in the '80s, and without Pantera you can't bridge to a lot of heavy metal bands that are so big now, like Tool, like Korn. They really are sort of a bridge between those two decades.

In Pantera are these two brothers, the Abbott Brothers who then go on to form this band, Damageplan. One of those brothers, Darrell, was one of the victims last night.

YAGO: Yes. Yes. Actually, they just put out their record last year and were -- this is a hard working band. This is a hard working band that's all about playing live and keeping a connection with their fans. And they really tried to keep the -- they played some Pantera songs live that they had written. But by and large they were trying to do their own thing and keep working and keep touring and keep their fans flush with new music and were having a very successful and go of things, obviously up until last night.

KAGAN: And they did write much of their own music. I was checking out their Web site. And almost eerie, one of the notes they send out to their fans, they talk about the music from this latest album you're talking about, "New Found Power." They say it was written from our heart and soul but most of all for our fans who have been so loyal to us over the years. Pantera was everything to us. We put everything we had into it, a 1,000 percent, but it's time to move on.

YAGO: Yes. It was actually -- I was reading a lot of the Web site and the message boards that were up. And it actually just crashed very recently I think because so many people have been visiting it. And the expression of sort of shock and by the fans was -- I mean, it was just really touching. It was just a testament to how loyal the fan base this band and Pantera had. And it's just a really, really sad day.

KAGAN: It is for the fans and especially for the Abbott family. Gideon, thank you for your insight for this part of the music world, Gideon Yago from MTV News.

SANCHEZ: Having the winter blues. There is now a simple solution to winter depression. And our Elizabeth Cohen will explain it to you when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Today's "Daily Dose"...

KAGAN: How about that?

SANCHEZ: ... is a common malady, Daryn.

KAGAN: Why don't you take it though?

SANCHEZ: I will.

KAGAN: OK.

SANCHEZ: It's a common malady that affects thousands of people at this time of the year. It's called Seasonal Affected Disorder. Fortunately, the solution for many is a simple as the flick of a switch. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUANN HUGHES, SAD PATIENT: You love that shirt.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the winter, Luann Hughes dresses her three children before the sun comes up. She eats breakfast before the sun comes up.

HUGHES: And you get out of the shower and it's still dark. And you have your cup of coffee and it's still dark.

COHEN: In winters past, all that darkness made her feel depressed and irritable with her children.

HUGHES: Mostly, those are the things that really cause me trouble in the winter is not being able to be the effective parent that I wanted to be. Those months were tough.

COHEN: At first, Hughes tried an antidepressant drug, which she says didn't work very well. And then she tried light, fake light for about half an hour a day in the winter.

HUGHES: It took only about two weeks until I really started noticing something's different.

COHEN: Hughes has Seasonal Affective Disorder or winter depression. Her doctor explained to her that the light outside affects so many things inside the body, such as hormone levels, which in turn, affect mood.

MICHAEL TERMAN, DR., NY STATE PSYCHIATRIC INST.: The clock in our head depends on seeing sunrise every day to keep in sync with local time.

COHEN: Dr. Michael Terman, director of the Winter Depression Program at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, says 80 percent of the time light therapy helps patients with winter depression feel better.

TERMAN: It's a rapid turnaround. It's a faster effect than you get with antidepressant drugs.

COHEN: Fake light and getting as much real light as she can has been the answer for Hughes.

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: A lot of military families are separated this holiday season because of the call of duty.

SANCHEZ: Some extended, as a matter of fact, and not happy about it. Well, Staff Sergeant John Miller and his wife Kris have been apart four of the six years that they have been married. But this holiday we are reuniting them by satellite. The holiday homefront we call it, and it's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

SANCHEZ: We have something new for you this morning. Every Thursday and Friday at this time during December, we're going to help you bring in holiday homecomings. And today, the TV reunion is between Kris Miller and her husband, Staff Sergeant John Miller, who's based in Baghdad.

Here it is -- Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STAFF SGT. JOHN MILLER, U.S. ARMY: Yes, it never gets easier. Kosovo was really the first time I was away during the Christmas and New Year holidays -- well, Thanksgiving as well. And I had a hard time getting through it, but my family was there supporting me, sending me care packages. I called and they sent letters back and forth.

So it wasn't so bad. Here in Baghdad it's a totally different situation. A lot of the unknown out there, and I'm just looking forward to having Christmas here with the family that I do have on this end, and I know that my family back home will be thinking about me and I'll be doing the same from this end.

CAFFERTY: How are you going to spend Christmas day in Iraq? Do you know yet?

MILLER: No. I have no idea. Christmas Day will probably be a work day just like any other for us depending on our mission (UNINTELLIGIBLE). If I do -- if I am fortunate enough to be one of the people who does have a down day at that time I'll probably catch up on a little bit of paper work, maybe watch a couple of DVDs and call home.

CAFFERTY: And call home. I imagine Kris and your daughters will look forward to that. Kris, let me talk to you for a couple of minutes. Your husband is in Iraq but your job is no less difficult I wouldn't think being a father of four kids myself. You've got two little ones at home. The holidays are coming up; your husband is not with you. How are you handling all of this?

KRIS MILLER, WIFE OF STAFF SGT. JOHN MILLER: Well, like John said, this isn't our first time around. We just do our day-to-day activities and try and get through them the best we can.

CAFFERTY: At this point, if I were you I'd probably be tired of talking to me and want to talk to my spouse. So I'm going to step out of the way and let the two of you visit a little bit if that's all right, but we're going to eavesdrop.

J. MILLER: Kris.

K. MILLER: John, can you hear me?

J. MILLER: Yes, I understand you can see me?

K. MILLER: No, I can't see you. I can just hear you.

J. MILLER: OK, it's the same on this end. I was originally told that you'd be able to see me, but. Oh, well.

K. MILLER: We wish you were going to be home.

J. MILLER: Yes, me too.

K. MILLER: I have a package to mail you. From Santa.

J. MILLER: I thought you had already mailed it?

K. MILLER: No. Sorry.

CAFFERTY: All right, listen, on behalf of the folks here at AMERICAN MORNING let me wish you both a happy holiday season -- and John, once again, our thanks from the United States here for all that you people are doing. We're all very proud of you and we hope you stay safe. Thanks for visiting with us here.

J. MILLER: Thank you. It's my pleasure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: That was my, of course, my friend and yours, Jack Cafferty at well. Tune in tomorrow at this time for another holiday homecoming between a U.S. service member and a member of their family.

KAGAN: Those are difficult, because you set them up, but you have the satellite delay. So you have all these emotions, but you're kind of tripping on each other. But it's just a nice to get families together.

SANCHEZ: You know what, it ain't easy being on TV.

KAGAN: No, so they tell me.

We'll be right back with your forecast, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAGAN: I think that's going to do it for us.

SANCHEZ: It certainly is. And that means we're tossing things over to Wolf to find out what's on tap.

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