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CNN Live Saturday
Seven Former POWs Expected to Come Home Today
Aired April 19, 2003 - 12:06 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.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: A joyful homecoming is just hours away for the seven former American prisoners of war in Iraq. They're in the air right now headed to Fort, Bliss, Texas, after leaving Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. With us now with more on that, from Landstuhl, Germany, is CNN's Matthew Chance.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Jonathan. It is the last leg of what's been a long and arduous journey for those seven freed U.S. prisoners of war, from captivity inside Iraq, to freedom, to very emotional scenes at the U.S. Air Force Base in Ramstein, a short distance from where I'm talking to you right now.
Today, as those prisoners of war boarded the C-17 military transport aircraft, a small crowd of Americans, of families of other U.S. servicemen, with their children, gathered at that airport to show their support for the seven individuals they regard thoroughly as heroes. It is the end of an ordeal for those seven. They waved and smiled as they boarded that plane. Shoshana Johnson was carried on a stretcher; she's the most severely injured of the seven, having been shot through both ankles by an Iraqi bullet.
But remember, they were all taken into captivity after two separate incidents inside Iraq. They were paraded on Iraqi television. We now know they were moved from prison to prison and from house to house before U.S. forces in the region managed to track them down, rescue them, bring them to the relative safety and to medical and psychological care, first in Kuwait, then here in Germany. So they'll be very happy indeed to finally get home. Jonathan?
KARL: Matthew, incredible story. And Shoshana Johnson, actually, even though she's confined to the wheelchair, was helped up to bid farewell, right?
CHANCE: Yes, that was the scene yesterday. The seven of them came out on to the balcony of their hospital in Landstuhl, Germany; it's the biggest U.S. medical facility outside of the United States.
Shoshana Johnson was confined to her wheelchair. Everybody else was standing. So two of her comrades, either side of her, lifted her out of a chair so that she could see the crowd that had gathered, and that the crowd could see her too. So quite an emotional scene there.
There was a short speech from one of the former prisoners of war, Warrant Officer Williams, who said that he was very grateful for the medical attention had he been receiving and that all their prayers were for the U.S. soldiers still on operation inside Iraq. As I say, they're regard very much as heroes by the U.S. community here in Germany and are expecting a big heroes' welcome, as well as 30 days leave, starting tomorrow when they get back to the States.
KARL: Well, Matthew, that is a very well earned 30 days leave. Thank you very much.
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 April 19, 2003 - 12:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: A joyful homecoming is just hours away for the seven former American prisoners of war in Iraq. They're in the air right now headed to Fort, Bliss, Texas, after leaving Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. With us now with more on that, from Landstuhl, Germany, is CNN's Matthew Chance.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Jonathan. It is the last leg of what's been a long and arduous journey for those seven freed U.S. prisoners of war, from captivity inside Iraq, to freedom, to very emotional scenes at the U.S. Air Force Base in Ramstein, a short distance from where I'm talking to you right now.
Today, as those prisoners of war boarded the C-17 military transport aircraft, a small crowd of Americans, of families of other U.S. servicemen, with their children, gathered at that airport to show their support for the seven individuals they regard thoroughly as heroes. It is the end of an ordeal for those seven. They waved and smiled as they boarded that plane. Shoshana Johnson was carried on a stretcher; she's the most severely injured of the seven, having been shot through both ankles by an Iraqi bullet.
But remember, they were all taken into captivity after two separate incidents inside Iraq. They were paraded on Iraqi television. We now know they were moved from prison to prison and from house to house before U.S. forces in the region managed to track them down, rescue them, bring them to the relative safety and to medical and psychological care, first in Kuwait, then here in Germany. So they'll be very happy indeed to finally get home. Jonathan?
KARL: Matthew, incredible story. And Shoshana Johnson, actually, even though she's confined to the wheelchair, was helped up to bid farewell, right?
CHANCE: Yes, that was the scene yesterday. The seven of them came out on to the balcony of their hospital in Landstuhl, Germany; it's the biggest U.S. medical facility outside of the United States.
Shoshana Johnson was confined to her wheelchair. Everybody else was standing. So two of her comrades, either side of her, lifted her out of a chair so that she could see the crowd that had gathered, and that the crowd could see her too. So quite an emotional scene there.
There was a short speech from one of the former prisoners of war, Warrant Officer Williams, who said that he was very grateful for the medical attention had he been receiving and that all their prayers were for the U.S. soldiers still on operation inside Iraq. As I say, they're regard very much as heroes by the U.S. community here in Germany and are expecting a big heroes' welcome, as well as 30 days leave, starting tomorrow when they get back to the States.
KARL: Well, Matthew, that is a very well earned 30 days leave. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
