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CNN Live Saturday
Ex-POWs Expected to Arrive in Texas Today
Aired April 19, 2003 - 13:04 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: All right, seven Americans captured in Iraq during the first week of the war, on their way home. The former POW's are expected to land tonight at an army base in Texas aboard a plane that departed from Germany.
CNN's Matthew Chance watched the plane take off from the U.S. base at Ramstein. He joins us from there live now -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Jonathan. And still got a good nine hours in the air to go before they touchdown in Texas. But even though that's a long journey ahead of them, they still must be relieved, as you can imagine, to be on the last leg of a journey that's been extremely long and extremely arduous; a journey from captivity inside of Iraq to freedom at last.
Remember, these seven were taken into Iraqi hands after two separate incidents inside Iraq. They were paraded on Iraqi television before being rescued and located and rescued by U.S. forces in the region.
There were quite emotional scenes at the U.S. Ramstein Air Force Base earlier today, as they were seen off by crowds of Americans who gathered at that air force base in Germany to see them onto the plane. All of them looking very relaxed very happy, almost skipping on to the back of that C-17 transport aircraft. Except of course for show Shoshana Johnson, the individual of the 507 Maintenance Company who was most, seriously of all of them; shot through both her ankles by an Iraqi bullet. She was carried on by stretcher, but still had enough energy to wave and put on a big grin for the cameras. So they'll be heading back now.
The flight's a long one, as we've mentioned, so long in fact that it's longer than the range of those C-17 aircraft. So there will, we're told, be a midair refueling process somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean. But when they touched down onto Fort Bliss and then off to Fort Hood, there will of course, be a big, big, heroes' welcome for them all -- Jonathan.
KARL: That picture of show Shoshana Johnson waving good-bye is really one of the most memorable ought of this whole experience, one of the most positive. Thank you, Matthew.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Really a tough cookie.
As we said, the former POW's are expected tonight at an army base in Texas, Fort Bliss, to be specific and CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is standing by there to tell us what awaits them.
Hi, Thelma.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there Andrea. Well, a spokeswoman for the base told us that they are expecting thousands of people to attend the homecoming celebration later tonight. That that celebration is expected to begin somewhere around 6:00 to 8:00 local time, depending on when that plane arrives. The organizers told us that they invited the entire community of El Paso to join in with the family and friends in that celebration.
Earlier this morning, all seven of the former POW's boarded an aircraft at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany and began their very long journey home. They are expected to arrive here at Fort Bliss between 6:00 and 8:00 PM local time tonight. When they arrive, they are sure to receive a heroes' welcome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN OFFUTT, FT. BLISS PUBLIC AFFAIRS: This is going to be a happy day for a lot of people, not only the families. It'll be a celebration for the entire El Paso-Fort Bliss community. We're going to welcome them home in style with bands and we've invited the public out to see them come home. And we've asked everyone to bring their flags.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTIERREZ: Twenty-year-old Shoshana Johnson is not only based here at Fort Bliss but she's also a resident of El Paso. She graduated from high school here. Her friends and family spoke with he and she told them that she's very, very anxious to be reunited with her 2-year-old daughter Janelle (ph).
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THERESA ROWLAND, JOHNSON'S FRIEND: She wrote that after all of this was over and she came back home that she wanted just her and Janelle (ph) time alone and she wanted to take her daughter to Disney world so they could just get to know each other once again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTIERREZ: Now, after a very public celebration tonight, the spokesperson for the base told us that they will allow the families to have quiet time tomorrow for Easter Sunday -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: I don't think they'd be able to keep those families apart after so much trials and tribulations.
Thelma, I am just wondering -- you were talking about Shoshana, she was a cook, is that correct, and part of that caravan sort of driving through the desert when she and the others were kidnapped, right?
GUTIERREZ: Yes, that's exactly right, Andrea. In fact, she was a cook with the 507 Maintenance Company, and in fact, when they were ambushed near Nasiriya, her family had raised questions as to why she was on the front lines. But you're right. She is the cook. She suffered two injuries. She was shot through both of her ankles but her family says that they talked to her. She's in very high spirits and again very, very anxious to be reunited with her 2-year-old daughter.
KOPPEL: Well, we are so happy for Shoshana and all of the others and all of the family members. It couldn't be a better timing for an Easter weekend.
Thelma Gutierrez, thank you so 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 - 13:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: All right, seven Americans captured in Iraq during the first week of the war, on their way home. The former POW's are expected to land tonight at an army base in Texas aboard a plane that departed from Germany.
CNN's Matthew Chance watched the plane take off from the U.S. base at Ramstein. He joins us from there live now -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Jonathan. And still got a good nine hours in the air to go before they touchdown in Texas. But even though that's a long journey ahead of them, they still must be relieved, as you can imagine, to be on the last leg of a journey that's been extremely long and extremely arduous; a journey from captivity inside of Iraq to freedom at last.
Remember, these seven were taken into Iraqi hands after two separate incidents inside Iraq. They were paraded on Iraqi television before being rescued and located and rescued by U.S. forces in the region.
There were quite emotional scenes at the U.S. Ramstein Air Force Base earlier today, as they were seen off by crowds of Americans who gathered at that air force base in Germany to see them onto the plane. All of them looking very relaxed very happy, almost skipping on to the back of that C-17 transport aircraft. Except of course for show Shoshana Johnson, the individual of the 507 Maintenance Company who was most, seriously of all of them; shot through both her ankles by an Iraqi bullet. She was carried on by stretcher, but still had enough energy to wave and put on a big grin for the cameras. So they'll be heading back now.
The flight's a long one, as we've mentioned, so long in fact that it's longer than the range of those C-17 aircraft. So there will, we're told, be a midair refueling process somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean. But when they touched down onto Fort Bliss and then off to Fort Hood, there will of course, be a big, big, heroes' welcome for them all -- Jonathan.
KARL: That picture of show Shoshana Johnson waving good-bye is really one of the most memorable ought of this whole experience, one of the most positive. Thank you, Matthew.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Really a tough cookie.
As we said, the former POW's are expected tonight at an army base in Texas, Fort Bliss, to be specific and CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is standing by there to tell us what awaits them.
Hi, Thelma.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there Andrea. Well, a spokeswoman for the base told us that they are expecting thousands of people to attend the homecoming celebration later tonight. That that celebration is expected to begin somewhere around 6:00 to 8:00 local time, depending on when that plane arrives. The organizers told us that they invited the entire community of El Paso to join in with the family and friends in that celebration.
Earlier this morning, all seven of the former POW's boarded an aircraft at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany and began their very long journey home. They are expected to arrive here at Fort Bliss between 6:00 and 8:00 PM local time tonight. When they arrive, they are sure to receive a heroes' welcome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN OFFUTT, FT. BLISS PUBLIC AFFAIRS: This is going to be a happy day for a lot of people, not only the families. It'll be a celebration for the entire El Paso-Fort Bliss community. We're going to welcome them home in style with bands and we've invited the public out to see them come home. And we've asked everyone to bring their flags.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTIERREZ: Twenty-year-old Shoshana Johnson is not only based here at Fort Bliss but she's also a resident of El Paso. She graduated from high school here. Her friends and family spoke with he and she told them that she's very, very anxious to be reunited with her 2-year-old daughter Janelle (ph).
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THERESA ROWLAND, JOHNSON'S FRIEND: She wrote that after all of this was over and she came back home that she wanted just her and Janelle (ph) time alone and she wanted to take her daughter to Disney world so they could just get to know each other once again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTIERREZ: Now, after a very public celebration tonight, the spokesperson for the base told us that they will allow the families to have quiet time tomorrow for Easter Sunday -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: I don't think they'd be able to keep those families apart after so much trials and tribulations.
Thelma, I am just wondering -- you were talking about Shoshana, she was a cook, is that correct, and part of that caravan sort of driving through the desert when she and the others were kidnapped, right?
GUTIERREZ: Yes, that's exactly right, Andrea. In fact, she was a cook with the 507 Maintenance Company, and in fact, when they were ambushed near Nasiriya, her family had raised questions as to why she was on the front lines. But you're right. She is the cook. She suffered two injuries. She was shot through both of her ankles but her family says that they talked to her. She's in very high spirits and again very, very anxious to be reunited with her 2-year-old daughter.
KOPPEL: Well, we are so happy for Shoshana and all of the others and all of the family members. It couldn't be a better timing for an Easter weekend.
Thelma Gutierrez, thank you so 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
