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CNN Live Today
Following One Soldier as He Returns to Duty in Iraq; The Story of a Soldier Coming Home
Aired December 24, 2004 - 10:30 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: We're just a minute past the half hour. Good morning once again on this Christmas Eve. I'm Daryn Kagan.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris in for Rick Sanchez. Here's what's happening now in the news.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld delivers Christmas greetings to U.S. troops in Iraq. Before dawn this morning, he arrived on a surprise visit to Mosul, the site of a suicide bombing. He then traveled to Tikrit and Falluja, where he again reassured troops that the mission is worthwhile, despite sometimes appearing bleak.
In northern Honduras, gunmen opened fire on a public bus killing at least 28 people. A revolutionary group has claimed responsibility for the attack. It further escalates ongoing battles between the government and opposition gangs. Police have made one arrest.
A Russian spaceship is on its way to the international space station with some badly needed food and water. The two astronauts, one American, the other Russian, have been living on rationed portions of a diet largely made up of sweets and junk food. The Russian craft is due to arrive with fresh supplies tomorrow.
Some 62 million Americans are traveling this holiday season. And those plans could be snarled in much of the nation's midsection. A winter storm that dumped as much as 31 inches of snow is over, but record snowfalls are still creating problems in several states.
KAGAN: As you celebrate your holiday, take a few minutes to think about Sergeant Robert Morris. He's on a dangerous detail in Iraq. He's far from home. Morris was able to celebrate Christmas early with his family in Georgia.
Our Thelma Gutierrez joins him for that occasion, as well as his return to duty. This is one soldier's story. And it's a story you'll see only here on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sergeant Robert Morris has seen the reality of war. For four months, he's had one of the riskiest jobs in Iraq, commanding a gun truck and fighting off attacks on convoys traveling the world's most dangerous roads.
He's seen a lot, but he doesn't like to talk about it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mary, Mary had a baby boy in Bethlehem.
GUTIERREZ: Canton, Georgia is far from all of that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mary, Mary had a baby boy. Heavenly angels shout for joy.
GUTIERREZ: And so is this family's celebration.
SGT. ROBERT MORRIS, ARMY RESERVIST: We feel real good because I know I'm leaving tomorrow. And I'm not going to spend Christmas day with them. So this is the Morris family's Christmas is today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look, daddy!
R. MORRIS: Yes.
GUTIERREZ: The Morrisses invited us to share their last night together, before this father of five heads back to Iraq. Lisa Morris says it's hard to let go. Her husband has only been home two weeks. Already their time is up.
LISA MORRIS, MOTHER: It's a lot of tension for the kids. I feel blessed every day that I can sit down and all together as a family.
GUTIERREZ: For as much as he dreamed about coming home, Robert told me it isn't easy shifting gears out of combat.
R. MORRIS: When I first got home on the first, I was happy. But in a sense, I still have to get my mind back here in Georgia to get my mind back to be with Lisa again, too, you know, because I've been gone away. I guess maybe like on the eighth and stuff - and then I snap myself back to reality. Hmm, I'm back home. I'm dad now. And I'm a husband now.
GUTIERREZ: His time in Iraq also weighs heavily on his children.
I worry a lot, especially at night time when I go to sleep.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I miss him and I love him so much. And I don't want him to get killed. He gives us everything we need, food on the table, clothes on our back, and the shoes and everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When he's gone, I have something on my mind. And I can't get it off. And I fall back on my grades.
R. MORRIS: Come here. Come here. It's all right. Don't cry. It's going to be all right. I'll be back. I promise you. I will be back safe. Trust me.
GUTIERREZ: Twelve hours to go before Robert heads back to war.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mommy, come here.
R. MORRIS: I got everything I need, Lisa.
GUTIERREZ: This is the morning the Morrisses dreaded. R. MORRIS: Oh, rushing. I'm rushing a lot. And - well, not ready to go, but you know, I got to go. So I wish I could stay another week, at least.
L. MORRIS: We're just not ready for him to leave right now.
R. MORRIS: Get your shoes on, baby. You got to get your shoes on. We've got to go. I'm all set to go. Ready to go.
GUTIERREZ: For the next 30 hours, we'll follow Robert back to his other reality.
L. MORRIS: He's got a few more minutes.
R. MORRIS: Well, I'll see y'all.
L. MORRIS: Get the keys?
R. MORRIS: I don't want to go back, but I got to. Give me a kiss. Love you. Give me a kiss. Love you. You all be good. Back to my journey again.
L. MORRIS: We've got a real good understanding of each other. You know, this is the job he gets to do, but he'll be all right.
GUTIERREZ: Sergeant Robert Morris and 170 others leave their loved ones behind, not sure when they'll be back. Nine hours later, we stop in Germany. Just long enough to refuel. As we head for Kuwait, chaplain offers a prayer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We give thanks for these soldiers. We're grateful for the willing sacrifice that they're making. We ask as they get into harm's way that their minds will be keen, that they'll be sharp, that they'll be decisive.
GUTIERREZ: A reminder that war is much closer now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God bless y'all, now stay alert.
R. MORRIS: When we loaded up from Dramamine, that pretty much triggered it for me.
GUTIERREZ: Five hours later.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Kuwait.
GUTIERREZ: Robert and the other soldiers board buses and were off to Camp Doha near the Iraqi border.
R. MORRIS: A little nervous like I did my first time over and just edgy and more nervous than anything.
GUTIERREZ: With good reason. Robert tells me he's seen heavy combat. Every time he's gone out, his convoy has been hit by roadside bombs.
R. MORRIS: We're going to war. I'm safe though pretty much. I made up my mind - a lot in my mind.
GUTIERREZ: A few hours from now, Robert and the others will be back in Iraq.
(on camera): Before you leave, your family prepared a couple of messages.
R. MORRIS: OK.
GUTIERREZ: So they wanted you to take a look.
L. MORRIS: I love you. And that you come back safely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm trying to be taking better care of my brothers and sisters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dad, you have to be safe to come back home and have a good time with the family. And I'll be taking care of mama, and little Tina and Brendan. And I just want to say bye.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): At the break of dawn, we say good-bye to the husband and father we met in Georgia. Now Sergeant Robert Morris is back in the reality of a soldier at war, back to the dangers of convoy escort duty on the world's deadliest roads.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that incredible story came from Thelma Gutierrez. Now while some are going, some are also coming back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK. It's OK. It's OK, mom. I'm coming home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: He really is coming home. And we're going to show you the next part, part two of a soldier's story. So Thelma ripped our heart out by showing the soldiers who left.
HARRIS: Yes.
KAGAN: She's going to put it back. She traveled along with a soldier as he inches closer to his family. That is a story you will see only here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK, before the break, we followed one soldier as he returned to duty in Iraq. And boy didn't that break your heart.
Now the story of another soldier coming home. Once again, Thelma Gutierrez with more on a story you'll see only on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fresh off the battlefield, Army Specialist Anthony Jimenez is about to leave Iraq after six months. While across the world, in Georgia...
RACHEL JIMENEZ, MOTHER: Santa Claus is coming tomorrow. He's coming early.
GUTIERREZ: Rachel Jimenez nervously prepares to see her only son. Here on the desolate border of Iraq and Kuwait, we begin the long journey home.
R. JIMENEZ: I constantly think about him and worry about him.
GUTIERREZ: But Rachel has no idea just how close her son was to the front. His boots are stained with the blood of combat.
SPC. ANTHONY JIMENEZ, U.S. ARMY: Hey, mom, you know I'm down here in Kuwait now.
GUTIERREZ: She knew little until now.
A. JIMENEZ: I got two things I got to tell you. Well, you're probably going to be upset at one. I haven't been in Kuwait the whole time. Yes, I've been in Baghdad. And, it's OK -- it's OK. It's OK, mom. I'm coming home. Oh, yes. Thank you. Yes, she's a little upset about that one. I'm an only child.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make sure you have two tags attached to your gear, one for your catalog, one for your vest.
GUTIERREZ: Anthony (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the first sign they're going home.
A. JIMENEZ: Looks like we're going home finally. So rough outside the wire.
GUTIERREZ: Camp Doha is the hub of the R&R program. On average, 1200 service men and women pass through here every day in or out of the theater.
I met Anthony for his first taste of home before our 30 hour trip back to the U.S. He says foremost in his mind is his family and how he'll deal with the white lie he told his mother when he sees her.
(on camera): You basically told her the truth.
A. JIMENEZ: Yes.
GUTIERREZ: What was her reaction?
A. JIMENEZ: Well, she was pretty upset. She started crying on the phone. I think she knew I was in Iraq. She just didn't know I was in Baghdad. She doesn't want me around the Baghdad area.
GUTIERREZ: Anthony's job is in Baghdad, where he's the driver and protector of a lieutenant colonel. This is what happened to their vehicle when they were attacked.
A. JIMENEZ: I've been hit three times. So -- and the first time was the worst. It was an ambush. They hit us with three IEDs, four RPGs and small arms fire. And everybody was walking wounded.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Anthony tells me he will never forget the day a car bomb exploded in Baghdad.
(on camera): You said that when you actually got out of your vehicle that day, you saw some pretty heavy stuff.
A. JIMENEZ: I stepped out of the vehicle. And like five - you know, five to 10 feet away, there was like a rib cage laying there and whatever body parts there were.
GUTIERREZ: How do you deal with that?
A. JIMENEZ: We really just try to not think about it.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): More than 30 Iraqi children were killed that day.
A. JIMENEZ: You underappreciate life a whole lot more when you're over here and can be taken away just like that. In the blink of an eye, you know, you get hit with something and you know, you're gone. You're no more. And now your family has to deal with that.
GUTIERREZ: At 23, this is Anthony's third deployment. His second to a combat zone. He says his life is forever changed by Iraq.
A. JIMENEZ: It's a big wake-up call to what's going on over here. I remember watching it on the news, seeing what's going on. And you know, man, I'm glad I'm not there. But you know, now I am here, and I see what's going on.
GUTIERREZ: His experience has given him a new perspective on the Iraqis.
A. JIMENEZ: Most of the people that, you know, want to work for us and want us here are very nice people. And they - and you know, there's just some that don't agree with us being here and want to blame us for all their hardships.
GUTIERREZ (on camera): What do you see for your future?
A. JIMENEZ: Family, kids, a good education and you know, where I don't have to worry about money and I don't have - and my kids don't have to worry about war. I'll gladly fight the war so my kids don't have to.
R. JIMENEZ: He'll be in tomorrow around 9:45.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Back in Georgia, a Christmas celebration awaits the son, now a soldier, who has always been the center of Rachel's life. Physically and emotionally spent, Anthony and the others fly home. It takes a day and a half. Most sleep the whole way.
A. JIMENEZ: It's Georgia out there. It's so pretty.
GUTIERREZ: Home never looked so good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's American freaking soil out there. And it's green. And there's buildings out there that aren't crumbling.
GUTIERREZ: As we're about to land in Georgia, they tell me they look forward to the simple things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A real fork instead of plastic.
GUTIERREZ: From here, many soldiers will fly on to their hometowns. But Anthony is home. His mother, father, and girlfriend anxiously await in the terminal. As we make our way toward them, Anthony tells me he has butterflies in his stomach.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There he is.
A. JIMENEZ: It's OK. I'm home now. It's all right.
GUTIERREZ: If only for two weeks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: That's the moment, isn't it?
KAGAN: That is.
HARRIS: That's the moment. Oh, my goodness.
Coming up in the next hour, we will have two live reunions with soldiers in Iraq and their families. And one of those, a pregnant wife, has traveled hundreds of miles for a studio reunion.
And please join us again tomorrow, Christmas morning, for a CNN special, "Military Family Reunions: The Injured, and the Heroes from the Mosul Attack" airs at 8:00 a.m. Eastern.
KAGAN: All right, so mascara and those stories are not a good combination.
HARRIS: You held up. You held up. It was a struggle, though.
KAGAN: Yes, a little makeup touchup on the break. OK, so yes, he has...
HARRIS: Oh, look at you, oh.
KAGAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) after the show.
HARRIS: No, no, no, no. This moment -- look at that. Oh, she did. She teared up. Oh, it was good. It was great.
KAGAN: We're going to be crying though at the mall.
HARRIS: Yes, getting bumped and jostled. And something tells me I won't be alone.
KAGAN: No, Allan Chernoff is already out there.
Hey, Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You certainly would have plenty of company here at the mall at Short Hills in New Jersey. The place is hopping. And we'll have details on last-minute shopping coming straight ahead.
KAGAN: Plus, it is a jungle out there in the malls. And the parking lots, still to come, what do you do to get the perfect parking spot?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: So did I sell you out telling America you're going to the mall after the show?
HARRIS: I can't -- you know what? I just can't help myself. I've done a bunch of the shopping. But I can't -- it's just that last day, to get jostled and elbowed. Boy, it just feels like Christmas when that happens, doesn't it?
KAGAN: Got to love the holiday spirit. Whatever.
Allan Chernoff is at a mall to give you an advanced look if are people finding bargains or...
HARRIS: Let's hope so.
KAGAN: ...what are they doing out there -- Allan?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's down to the wire for holiday shoppers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I usually try to have everything done before Thanksgiving. But this year, I missed that target. And so I'm out last minute shopping.
CHERNOFF: But for retailers, the holiday season is not nearly finished, not even close. A growing number of shoppers are planning to spend heavily after Christmas. Over 20 percent of their holiday budget, according to one survey. The quest is to get more for their money.
SCOTT KRUGMAN, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION: Post Christmas shopping now is more important than it's ever been in the history of retail. The main factor here is gift cards.
CHERNOFF: Gift cards, an easy solution at the last minute, are extending the shopping season. No longer perceived as the lazy man's gift, Americans are buying a record number of gift cards. It's especially important for retailers, since gift cards don't count as sales until they're cashed in.
TARA WEINER, DELOITTE & TOUCHE: A significant percentage, up to 30 percent, spend twice the face value of the gift card, a tremendous opportunity for retailers to focus on.
CHERNOFF: It's a second chance for retailers, many of whom have had a challenging holiday season. Discounters in particular. Wal- Mart has said it expects sales in December may rise only one percent from the year ago period.
Some of the money shoppers might have spent on gifts this year instead has gone to fill the gas tank. 20 percent more expensive than last year.
KEN HICKS, JCPENNEY PRESIDENT: It could take as much as $10 out of each customer's pocket per week for every car that they have. And that has an impact on what they have available to spend for Christmas gifts.
CHERNOFF: JCPenney is doing better than most department stores, some of which have been struggling to meet modest sales targets of gains in the low single digits.
But upscale stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Saks, whose customers barely feel the pinch of higher gas prices, are filled with the cheer of ringing cash registers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF: Among the hot items this season, wide screen televisions, cashmere sweaters, and, yes, Apple's Ipod. The Apple store here is packed. And yes, they still do have plenty of Ipods in stock.
HARRIS: Got that.
KAGAN: That was my question. I heard you can't find them out there. But I guess at that mall, you can. Thank you, Allan. Happy holidays.
CHERNOFF: You, too.
KAGAN: And before we pull out of the mall, you might want to look very closely at this picture.
HARRIS: OK.
KAGAN: Tell me if you see any stalkers.
HARRIS: Yes.
KAGAN: Search and destroyers perhaps. HARRIS: Hmm, all right I'm looking. A Connecticut based insurance company has come up with labels for mall parkers. Search and destroyers, prowl for the perfect spot close to the entrance, the lay and wait parkers, stop at the end of an aisle, and wait for a space to open up.
KAGAN: And the stalkers slowly tail shoppers walking back to their car. While drivers in the see it and take it category grab the first spot they see, no matter how far away.
HARRIS: I think that's who I am.
KAGAN: You are? Well, put up the categories. There you are. Tony...
HARRIS: Hey, wait, wait, wait. What's with that picture? Come on.
KAGAN: You're search...
HARRIS: Christian, why'd you do this to me?
KAGAN: You're see it and take it?
HARRIS: Well, here's the thing. I'd like to park. It doesn't matter to me how far away I need to park. I just want -- I don't want to get jostled. I don't want to get bumped. I don't want to get the car all bumped up, because you've got to pay for that stuff. You got to get those little dings knocked out of there.
KAGAN: So you see it and you take...
HARRIS: All right, Daryn, let's see what we did with you here.
KAGAN: I have a unique thing. Oh, cute.
HARRIS: Oh, with a halo?
KAGAN: Well, and you know why? Because this is what I do.
HARRIS: This is outrageous.
KAGAN: My sister...
HARRIS: Yes.
KAGAN: ...has the best parking space luck of anybody. She's my parking angel. So I'm in a parking lot like that, I just channel my sister Calen.
HARRIS: Is that what you do?
KAGAN: Space shows that.
HARRIS: And it just...
KAGAN: Yes, have a little zen moment. Calen send me a space and there it is.
HARRIS: Telepathy, wish you could send some of that over here.
KAGAN: You might need it this afternoon.
HARRIS: Yes, I might need it this afternoon. Very good, very good.
KAGAN: It is the countdown to Christmas. After waiting all year just hours away with a very busy Santa taking a few minutes. Oh, see, Santa's here. The kids are here.
HARRIS: Oh, the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
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 24, 2004 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're just a minute past the half hour. Good morning once again on this Christmas Eve. I'm Daryn Kagan.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris in for Rick Sanchez. Here's what's happening now in the news.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld delivers Christmas greetings to U.S. troops in Iraq. Before dawn this morning, he arrived on a surprise visit to Mosul, the site of a suicide bombing. He then traveled to Tikrit and Falluja, where he again reassured troops that the mission is worthwhile, despite sometimes appearing bleak.
In northern Honduras, gunmen opened fire on a public bus killing at least 28 people. A revolutionary group has claimed responsibility for the attack. It further escalates ongoing battles between the government and opposition gangs. Police have made one arrest.
A Russian spaceship is on its way to the international space station with some badly needed food and water. The two astronauts, one American, the other Russian, have been living on rationed portions of a diet largely made up of sweets and junk food. The Russian craft is due to arrive with fresh supplies tomorrow.
Some 62 million Americans are traveling this holiday season. And those plans could be snarled in much of the nation's midsection. A winter storm that dumped as much as 31 inches of snow is over, but record snowfalls are still creating problems in several states.
KAGAN: As you celebrate your holiday, take a few minutes to think about Sergeant Robert Morris. He's on a dangerous detail in Iraq. He's far from home. Morris was able to celebrate Christmas early with his family in Georgia.
Our Thelma Gutierrez joins him for that occasion, as well as his return to duty. This is one soldier's story. And it's a story you'll see only here on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sergeant Robert Morris has seen the reality of war. For four months, he's had one of the riskiest jobs in Iraq, commanding a gun truck and fighting off attacks on convoys traveling the world's most dangerous roads.
He's seen a lot, but he doesn't like to talk about it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mary, Mary had a baby boy in Bethlehem.
GUTIERREZ: Canton, Georgia is far from all of that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mary, Mary had a baby boy. Heavenly angels shout for joy.
GUTIERREZ: And so is this family's celebration.
SGT. ROBERT MORRIS, ARMY RESERVIST: We feel real good because I know I'm leaving tomorrow. And I'm not going to spend Christmas day with them. So this is the Morris family's Christmas is today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look, daddy!
R. MORRIS: Yes.
GUTIERREZ: The Morrisses invited us to share their last night together, before this father of five heads back to Iraq. Lisa Morris says it's hard to let go. Her husband has only been home two weeks. Already their time is up.
LISA MORRIS, MOTHER: It's a lot of tension for the kids. I feel blessed every day that I can sit down and all together as a family.
GUTIERREZ: For as much as he dreamed about coming home, Robert told me it isn't easy shifting gears out of combat.
R. MORRIS: When I first got home on the first, I was happy. But in a sense, I still have to get my mind back here in Georgia to get my mind back to be with Lisa again, too, you know, because I've been gone away. I guess maybe like on the eighth and stuff - and then I snap myself back to reality. Hmm, I'm back home. I'm dad now. And I'm a husband now.
GUTIERREZ: His time in Iraq also weighs heavily on his children.
I worry a lot, especially at night time when I go to sleep.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I miss him and I love him so much. And I don't want him to get killed. He gives us everything we need, food on the table, clothes on our back, and the shoes and everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When he's gone, I have something on my mind. And I can't get it off. And I fall back on my grades.
R. MORRIS: Come here. Come here. It's all right. Don't cry. It's going to be all right. I'll be back. I promise you. I will be back safe. Trust me.
GUTIERREZ: Twelve hours to go before Robert heads back to war.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mommy, come here.
R. MORRIS: I got everything I need, Lisa.
GUTIERREZ: This is the morning the Morrisses dreaded. R. MORRIS: Oh, rushing. I'm rushing a lot. And - well, not ready to go, but you know, I got to go. So I wish I could stay another week, at least.
L. MORRIS: We're just not ready for him to leave right now.
R. MORRIS: Get your shoes on, baby. You got to get your shoes on. We've got to go. I'm all set to go. Ready to go.
GUTIERREZ: For the next 30 hours, we'll follow Robert back to his other reality.
L. MORRIS: He's got a few more minutes.
R. MORRIS: Well, I'll see y'all.
L. MORRIS: Get the keys?
R. MORRIS: I don't want to go back, but I got to. Give me a kiss. Love you. Give me a kiss. Love you. You all be good. Back to my journey again.
L. MORRIS: We've got a real good understanding of each other. You know, this is the job he gets to do, but he'll be all right.
GUTIERREZ: Sergeant Robert Morris and 170 others leave their loved ones behind, not sure when they'll be back. Nine hours later, we stop in Germany. Just long enough to refuel. As we head for Kuwait, chaplain offers a prayer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We give thanks for these soldiers. We're grateful for the willing sacrifice that they're making. We ask as they get into harm's way that their minds will be keen, that they'll be sharp, that they'll be decisive.
GUTIERREZ: A reminder that war is much closer now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God bless y'all, now stay alert.
R. MORRIS: When we loaded up from Dramamine, that pretty much triggered it for me.
GUTIERREZ: Five hours later.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Kuwait.
GUTIERREZ: Robert and the other soldiers board buses and were off to Camp Doha near the Iraqi border.
R. MORRIS: A little nervous like I did my first time over and just edgy and more nervous than anything.
GUTIERREZ: With good reason. Robert tells me he's seen heavy combat. Every time he's gone out, his convoy has been hit by roadside bombs.
R. MORRIS: We're going to war. I'm safe though pretty much. I made up my mind - a lot in my mind.
GUTIERREZ: A few hours from now, Robert and the others will be back in Iraq.
(on camera): Before you leave, your family prepared a couple of messages.
R. MORRIS: OK.
GUTIERREZ: So they wanted you to take a look.
L. MORRIS: I love you. And that you come back safely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm trying to be taking better care of my brothers and sisters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dad, you have to be safe to come back home and have a good time with the family. And I'll be taking care of mama, and little Tina and Brendan. And I just want to say bye.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): At the break of dawn, we say good-bye to the husband and father we met in Georgia. Now Sergeant Robert Morris is back in the reality of a soldier at war, back to the dangers of convoy escort duty on the world's deadliest roads.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And that incredible story came from Thelma Gutierrez. Now while some are going, some are also coming back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK. It's OK. It's OK, mom. I'm coming home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: He really is coming home. And we're going to show you the next part, part two of a soldier's story. So Thelma ripped our heart out by showing the soldiers who left.
HARRIS: Yes.
KAGAN: She's going to put it back. She traveled along with a soldier as he inches closer to his family. That is a story you will see only here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK, before the break, we followed one soldier as he returned to duty in Iraq. And boy didn't that break your heart.
Now the story of another soldier coming home. Once again, Thelma Gutierrez with more on a story you'll see only on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fresh off the battlefield, Army Specialist Anthony Jimenez is about to leave Iraq after six months. While across the world, in Georgia...
RACHEL JIMENEZ, MOTHER: Santa Claus is coming tomorrow. He's coming early.
GUTIERREZ: Rachel Jimenez nervously prepares to see her only son. Here on the desolate border of Iraq and Kuwait, we begin the long journey home.
R. JIMENEZ: I constantly think about him and worry about him.
GUTIERREZ: But Rachel has no idea just how close her son was to the front. His boots are stained with the blood of combat.
SPC. ANTHONY JIMENEZ, U.S. ARMY: Hey, mom, you know I'm down here in Kuwait now.
GUTIERREZ: She knew little until now.
A. JIMENEZ: I got two things I got to tell you. Well, you're probably going to be upset at one. I haven't been in Kuwait the whole time. Yes, I've been in Baghdad. And, it's OK -- it's OK. It's OK, mom. I'm coming home. Oh, yes. Thank you. Yes, she's a little upset about that one. I'm an only child.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make sure you have two tags attached to your gear, one for your catalog, one for your vest.
GUTIERREZ: Anthony (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the first sign they're going home.
A. JIMENEZ: Looks like we're going home finally. So rough outside the wire.
GUTIERREZ: Camp Doha is the hub of the R&R program. On average, 1200 service men and women pass through here every day in or out of the theater.
I met Anthony for his first taste of home before our 30 hour trip back to the U.S. He says foremost in his mind is his family and how he'll deal with the white lie he told his mother when he sees her.
(on camera): You basically told her the truth.
A. JIMENEZ: Yes.
GUTIERREZ: What was her reaction?
A. JIMENEZ: Well, she was pretty upset. She started crying on the phone. I think she knew I was in Iraq. She just didn't know I was in Baghdad. She doesn't want me around the Baghdad area.
GUTIERREZ: Anthony's job is in Baghdad, where he's the driver and protector of a lieutenant colonel. This is what happened to their vehicle when they were attacked.
A. JIMENEZ: I've been hit three times. So -- and the first time was the worst. It was an ambush. They hit us with three IEDs, four RPGs and small arms fire. And everybody was walking wounded.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Anthony tells me he will never forget the day a car bomb exploded in Baghdad.
(on camera): You said that when you actually got out of your vehicle that day, you saw some pretty heavy stuff.
A. JIMENEZ: I stepped out of the vehicle. And like five - you know, five to 10 feet away, there was like a rib cage laying there and whatever body parts there were.
GUTIERREZ: How do you deal with that?
A. JIMENEZ: We really just try to not think about it.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): More than 30 Iraqi children were killed that day.
A. JIMENEZ: You underappreciate life a whole lot more when you're over here and can be taken away just like that. In the blink of an eye, you know, you get hit with something and you know, you're gone. You're no more. And now your family has to deal with that.
GUTIERREZ: At 23, this is Anthony's third deployment. His second to a combat zone. He says his life is forever changed by Iraq.
A. JIMENEZ: It's a big wake-up call to what's going on over here. I remember watching it on the news, seeing what's going on. And you know, man, I'm glad I'm not there. But you know, now I am here, and I see what's going on.
GUTIERREZ: His experience has given him a new perspective on the Iraqis.
A. JIMENEZ: Most of the people that, you know, want to work for us and want us here are very nice people. And they - and you know, there's just some that don't agree with us being here and want to blame us for all their hardships.
GUTIERREZ (on camera): What do you see for your future?
A. JIMENEZ: Family, kids, a good education and you know, where I don't have to worry about money and I don't have - and my kids don't have to worry about war. I'll gladly fight the war so my kids don't have to.
R. JIMENEZ: He'll be in tomorrow around 9:45.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Back in Georgia, a Christmas celebration awaits the son, now a soldier, who has always been the center of Rachel's life. Physically and emotionally spent, Anthony and the others fly home. It takes a day and a half. Most sleep the whole way.
A. JIMENEZ: It's Georgia out there. It's so pretty.
GUTIERREZ: Home never looked so good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's American freaking soil out there. And it's green. And there's buildings out there that aren't crumbling.
GUTIERREZ: As we're about to land in Georgia, they tell me they look forward to the simple things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A real fork instead of plastic.
GUTIERREZ: From here, many soldiers will fly on to their hometowns. But Anthony is home. His mother, father, and girlfriend anxiously await in the terminal. As we make our way toward them, Anthony tells me he has butterflies in his stomach.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There he is.
A. JIMENEZ: It's OK. I'm home now. It's all right.
GUTIERREZ: If only for two weeks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: That's the moment, isn't it?
KAGAN: That is.
HARRIS: That's the moment. Oh, my goodness.
Coming up in the next hour, we will have two live reunions with soldiers in Iraq and their families. And one of those, a pregnant wife, has traveled hundreds of miles for a studio reunion.
And please join us again tomorrow, Christmas morning, for a CNN special, "Military Family Reunions: The Injured, and the Heroes from the Mosul Attack" airs at 8:00 a.m. Eastern.
KAGAN: All right, so mascara and those stories are not a good combination.
HARRIS: You held up. You held up. It was a struggle, though.
KAGAN: Yes, a little makeup touchup on the break. OK, so yes, he has...
HARRIS: Oh, look at you, oh.
KAGAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) after the show.
HARRIS: No, no, no, no. This moment -- look at that. Oh, she did. She teared up. Oh, it was good. It was great.
KAGAN: We're going to be crying though at the mall.
HARRIS: Yes, getting bumped and jostled. And something tells me I won't be alone.
KAGAN: No, Allan Chernoff is already out there.
Hey, Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You certainly would have plenty of company here at the mall at Short Hills in New Jersey. The place is hopping. And we'll have details on last-minute shopping coming straight ahead.
KAGAN: Plus, it is a jungle out there in the malls. And the parking lots, still to come, what do you do to get the perfect parking spot?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: So did I sell you out telling America you're going to the mall after the show?
HARRIS: I can't -- you know what? I just can't help myself. I've done a bunch of the shopping. But I can't -- it's just that last day, to get jostled and elbowed. Boy, it just feels like Christmas when that happens, doesn't it?
KAGAN: Got to love the holiday spirit. Whatever.
Allan Chernoff is at a mall to give you an advanced look if are people finding bargains or...
HARRIS: Let's hope so.
KAGAN: ...what are they doing out there -- Allan?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's down to the wire for holiday shoppers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I usually try to have everything done before Thanksgiving. But this year, I missed that target. And so I'm out last minute shopping.
CHERNOFF: But for retailers, the holiday season is not nearly finished, not even close. A growing number of shoppers are planning to spend heavily after Christmas. Over 20 percent of their holiday budget, according to one survey. The quest is to get more for their money.
SCOTT KRUGMAN, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION: Post Christmas shopping now is more important than it's ever been in the history of retail. The main factor here is gift cards.
CHERNOFF: Gift cards, an easy solution at the last minute, are extending the shopping season. No longer perceived as the lazy man's gift, Americans are buying a record number of gift cards. It's especially important for retailers, since gift cards don't count as sales until they're cashed in.
TARA WEINER, DELOITTE & TOUCHE: A significant percentage, up to 30 percent, spend twice the face value of the gift card, a tremendous opportunity for retailers to focus on.
CHERNOFF: It's a second chance for retailers, many of whom have had a challenging holiday season. Discounters in particular. Wal- Mart has said it expects sales in December may rise only one percent from the year ago period.
Some of the money shoppers might have spent on gifts this year instead has gone to fill the gas tank. 20 percent more expensive than last year.
KEN HICKS, JCPENNEY PRESIDENT: It could take as much as $10 out of each customer's pocket per week for every car that they have. And that has an impact on what they have available to spend for Christmas gifts.
CHERNOFF: JCPenney is doing better than most department stores, some of which have been struggling to meet modest sales targets of gains in the low single digits.
But upscale stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Saks, whose customers barely feel the pinch of higher gas prices, are filled with the cheer of ringing cash registers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF: Among the hot items this season, wide screen televisions, cashmere sweaters, and, yes, Apple's Ipod. The Apple store here is packed. And yes, they still do have plenty of Ipods in stock.
HARRIS: Got that.
KAGAN: That was my question. I heard you can't find them out there. But I guess at that mall, you can. Thank you, Allan. Happy holidays.
CHERNOFF: You, too.
KAGAN: And before we pull out of the mall, you might want to look very closely at this picture.
HARRIS: OK.
KAGAN: Tell me if you see any stalkers.
HARRIS: Yes.
KAGAN: Search and destroyers perhaps. HARRIS: Hmm, all right I'm looking. A Connecticut based insurance company has come up with labels for mall parkers. Search and destroyers, prowl for the perfect spot close to the entrance, the lay and wait parkers, stop at the end of an aisle, and wait for a space to open up.
KAGAN: And the stalkers slowly tail shoppers walking back to their car. While drivers in the see it and take it category grab the first spot they see, no matter how far away.
HARRIS: I think that's who I am.
KAGAN: You are? Well, put up the categories. There you are. Tony...
HARRIS: Hey, wait, wait, wait. What's with that picture? Come on.
KAGAN: You're search...
HARRIS: Christian, why'd you do this to me?
KAGAN: You're see it and take it?
HARRIS: Well, here's the thing. I'd like to park. It doesn't matter to me how far away I need to park. I just want -- I don't want to get jostled. I don't want to get bumped. I don't want to get the car all bumped up, because you've got to pay for that stuff. You got to get those little dings knocked out of there.
KAGAN: So you see it and you take...
HARRIS: All right, Daryn, let's see what we did with you here.
KAGAN: I have a unique thing. Oh, cute.
HARRIS: Oh, with a halo?
KAGAN: Well, and you know why? Because this is what I do.
HARRIS: This is outrageous.
KAGAN: My sister...
HARRIS: Yes.
KAGAN: ...has the best parking space luck of anybody. She's my parking angel. So I'm in a parking lot like that, I just channel my sister Calen.
HARRIS: Is that what you do?
KAGAN: Space shows that.
HARRIS: And it just...
KAGAN: Yes, have a little zen moment. Calen send me a space and there it is.
HARRIS: Telepathy, wish you could send some of that over here.
KAGAN: You might need it this afternoon.
HARRIS: Yes, I might need it this afternoon. Very good, very good.
KAGAN: It is the countdown to Christmas. After waiting all year just hours away with a very busy Santa taking a few minutes. Oh, see, Santa's here. The kids are here.
HARRIS: Oh, the second hour of CNN LIVE TODAY begins right now.
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