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CNN Live Saturday
American POWs Are Coming Home
Aired April 19, 2003 - 18:07 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Our Susan Candiotti is awaiting the POWs' arrival at Fort Hood, and Ed Lavandera is covering the homecoming in the making at Fort Bliss. And let's begin with Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. On a very windy day here at Fort Hood, Texas, we traveled here this day with the family of pilot Ronald Young, while my colleague, Jaime Colby, has been staying in touch throughout these past three weeks with the wife of pilot David Williams. That's Michele Williams.
Now, the Youngs flew in this day from Atlanta, Georgia. His parents, his two brothers, and two sisters, and the spouses all anxious for that reunion, just as the Williams family is looking forward to it. Both families know each other and have since before the war started. This ordeal, clearly, has brought them together.
Now, both pilots are said to be fit and in good spirits. Certainly they were as they left Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany this day. Ronald Young waving the American flag and a colonel there saying that all of the former POWs have been catching up on the news and movies, of all things.
Now, the Youngs have not yet had a chance to see that videotape of Ronald Young waving the American flag but, of course, they will probably have an opportunity to do so now that they arrived here at Fort Hood. I think it's a good bet that Michele Williams has seen it by now.
The families' joy is obvious. Yet, they never seem to miss a chance whenever they speak before the microphone to remember the pain of those who will not be seeing their sons and daughters, those who won't be coming home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD YOUNG, SR., FATHER OF FORMER POW: We are praying for those boys that are missing in action right now. And for all the soldiers that we have out there, I would just like to see no more lives lost in this thing and everybody be able to come on back home and let that company get on with its business like it's supposed to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: And Michele Williams, of course, is waiting for her husband. They have two children. It was her husband, you will recall, who was the one who stuck his head out of a window in Iraq and caught the attention of the Marines, who might possibly have missed the rescue, if it were not for him.
Now, just an interesting note also. On Sunday, tomorrow morning, President Bush will be traveling here to Fort Hood, Texas. He will be attending and Easter Sunday morning service. It is possible he will be meeting with some of the troops, including the pilots, although there is no official word on that as yet.
One more interesting note here. It was because of the generosity of Delta Airlines that flew the Young family out here, they were able to fly for free. Unfortunately, they will have to pay for their accommodations here at the Army base, although at a reduced rate. They will have to pay for their rooms here.
Now, for what is happening with the -- as the Fort Bliss awaits the former POWs who will be arriving there first, let's join my colleague, Ed Lavandera at Fort Bliss.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Susan. Well, here if Fort Bliss today, what you see behind me is the tarmac where the C-17 will be landing with the seven former prisoners of war.
And there will also be here in a short while another aircraft that will pick up the two Apache pilots and fly them from Fort Bliss to Fort Hood later on this evening after the five soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company are dropped off here.
At some point later on this evening, we are anticipating that the flight will be arriving here at Fort Bliss sometime between 6:00 and 8:00 Mountain time. That's between 8:00 and 10:00 Eastern time, but we were told just a little while ago that that appears more likely around the 8:00 Mountain time hour, so 10:00 Eastern for everyone, and we will be bringing those pictures to you liver here.
The aircraft will land in the area you see behind me, and then the soldiers will be brought in across this tarmac area. Normally over there in the distance where you see officials putting up the barriers, the public here in El Paso has been invited to attend this brief ceremony -- understated ceremony -- welcoming home the soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company. We are told they are expecting about 1,000 people to turn out.
And, of course, many of those people that will be turning out here are the wives and spouses of the other soldiers in the 507th Maintenance Company. This unit is still overseas in Iraq doing their jobs. And so many of the families still have not been able to see their spouses. These are the only soldiers that are coming home since they were prisoners of war.
So, a lot of support coming from those family members to welcome home the soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company. And we understand there will be a band here.
But officials here at this base say they are reserving perhaps the more grandiose homecoming for when all of the soldiers from the 507th Maintenance Company are able to return home from the Middle East. That's the story here from Fort Bliss. Now back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Lavandera, thank you very much and Susan Candiotti as well.
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 - 18:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Our Susan Candiotti is awaiting the POWs' arrival at Fort Hood, and Ed Lavandera is covering the homecoming in the making at Fort Bliss. And let's begin with Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. On a very windy day here at Fort Hood, Texas, we traveled here this day with the family of pilot Ronald Young, while my colleague, Jaime Colby, has been staying in touch throughout these past three weeks with the wife of pilot David Williams. That's Michele Williams.
Now, the Youngs flew in this day from Atlanta, Georgia. His parents, his two brothers, and two sisters, and the spouses all anxious for that reunion, just as the Williams family is looking forward to it. Both families know each other and have since before the war started. This ordeal, clearly, has brought them together.
Now, both pilots are said to be fit and in good spirits. Certainly they were as they left Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany this day. Ronald Young waving the American flag and a colonel there saying that all of the former POWs have been catching up on the news and movies, of all things.
Now, the Youngs have not yet had a chance to see that videotape of Ronald Young waving the American flag but, of course, they will probably have an opportunity to do so now that they arrived here at Fort Hood. I think it's a good bet that Michele Williams has seen it by now.
The families' joy is obvious. Yet, they never seem to miss a chance whenever they speak before the microphone to remember the pain of those who will not be seeing their sons and daughters, those who won't be coming home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD YOUNG, SR., FATHER OF FORMER POW: We are praying for those boys that are missing in action right now. And for all the soldiers that we have out there, I would just like to see no more lives lost in this thing and everybody be able to come on back home and let that company get on with its business like it's supposed to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: And Michele Williams, of course, is waiting for her husband. They have two children. It was her husband, you will recall, who was the one who stuck his head out of a window in Iraq and caught the attention of the Marines, who might possibly have missed the rescue, if it were not for him.
Now, just an interesting note also. On Sunday, tomorrow morning, President Bush will be traveling here to Fort Hood, Texas. He will be attending and Easter Sunday morning service. It is possible he will be meeting with some of the troops, including the pilots, although there is no official word on that as yet.
One more interesting note here. It was because of the generosity of Delta Airlines that flew the Young family out here, they were able to fly for free. Unfortunately, they will have to pay for their accommodations here at the Army base, although at a reduced rate. They will have to pay for their rooms here.
Now, for what is happening with the -- as the Fort Bliss awaits the former POWs who will be arriving there first, let's join my colleague, Ed Lavandera at Fort Bliss.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Susan. Well, here if Fort Bliss today, what you see behind me is the tarmac where the C-17 will be landing with the seven former prisoners of war.
And there will also be here in a short while another aircraft that will pick up the two Apache pilots and fly them from Fort Bliss to Fort Hood later on this evening after the five soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company are dropped off here.
At some point later on this evening, we are anticipating that the flight will be arriving here at Fort Bliss sometime between 6:00 and 8:00 Mountain time. That's between 8:00 and 10:00 Eastern time, but we were told just a little while ago that that appears more likely around the 8:00 Mountain time hour, so 10:00 Eastern for everyone, and we will be bringing those pictures to you liver here.
The aircraft will land in the area you see behind me, and then the soldiers will be brought in across this tarmac area. Normally over there in the distance where you see officials putting up the barriers, the public here in El Paso has been invited to attend this brief ceremony -- understated ceremony -- welcoming home the soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company. We are told they are expecting about 1,000 people to turn out.
And, of course, many of those people that will be turning out here are the wives and spouses of the other soldiers in the 507th Maintenance Company. This unit is still overseas in Iraq doing their jobs. And so many of the families still have not been able to see their spouses. These are the only soldiers that are coming home since they were prisoners of war.
So, a lot of support coming from those family members to welcome home the soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company. And we understand there will be a band here.
But officials here at this base say they are reserving perhaps the more grandiose homecoming for when all of the soldiers from the 507th Maintenance Company are able to return home from the Middle East. That's the story here from Fort Bliss. Now back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Lavandera, thank you very much and Susan Candiotti as well.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
