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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Josh King, Malia King

Aired May 03, 2003 - 18:52   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The USS Abraham Lincoln is heading toward its home port in Everett, Washington after service in the Iraq war. And aboard the Navy carrier about 3,000 sailors eager -- you can hardly imagine how eager to see their loved ones after nearly 10 months at sea. Also, on board we find our own Frank Buckley -- Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Anderson. Especially eager in light of the fact that yesterday they got to see so many of the reunions of the air wing, the air wing getting off of the aircraft carrier yesterday in San Diego.

Right now, you can take a look at the flight deck. It is virtually empty. There is a lone aircraft out there, but that's really just for training purposes. The air wing itself is gone. The flight deck is nowhere near the active place that it is during flight operations, during wartime. Right now, this is just a cruise ship, in a sense, with these 3,000 or so sailors cruising up the West Coast, California right now, and heading toward Washington state, heading toward Everett, Washington, specifically.

Among those headed that way, Lieutenant Junior Grade Josh King. Josh, this is a cruise that's taken you some 10 months -- nearly 10 months -- the longest carried deployment since the Vietnam era. Tell me how it's been for you as a lieutenant junior grade on this cruise.

LT. J.G. JOSH KING, U.S. NAVY: It's a lot of learning. It's a very large learning process. Come in as an ensign only a few month ago, very new ensign, checking aboard, never been at sea, you know, hardly at all. It's just been a -- it's been a tremendous learning process, what you -- You gradually move up, so learned a lot, feel a little salty now, but ready to go home.

BUCKLEY: Well, we've got at home, in Everett, Washington, we've got your wife Malia joining us right now. And Malia, I wanted to ask you, as you are watching us here on the ship, when you got married to this guy, did you know that he'll be away -- the two years that you've been married, that he'll be away at sea for 10 months on this deployment, another three of four months of workups. He's been gone more than he's been home.

MALIA KING, WIFE: No, no, we didn't realize he'd be away this long, but he's well worth the wait, so I'm very excited to have him come home.

BUCKLEY: Well, he is here right now, and Josh, is there anything that you want to say to Malia right now? J. KING: Hi, honey, I wish I could fast forward three days from now, but it's probably the best Saturday I've had in a long time, so we are going as fast as we can. We'll be home soon.

M. KING: Well, baby, we're real excited...

BUCKLEY: Malia, anything you want to say to this guy?

M. KING: I just want to let him know, we are really excited for him to come home. We spent all day getting ready for them to hurry home on Tuesday, so everything is ready and in place and all we need now is that carrier to make it home safe.

BUCKLEY: And Malia, what are you going to do that's special when Josh gets home? I don't want to give away any surprises, but what are some of the things that you guys will be doing?

M. KING: Well, Josh has never actually been to his new home. When he left, we lived in Everett, and now we live in downtown Seattle, so -- I'll be introducing him to his new home and showing him how to get home from the base. And other than that, we are just going to be looking forward to doing some mariners games and spending some time together.

BUCKLEY: How does she look? And anything that you'd like to say about your new house or your wife there?

J. KING: She looks great, just like I left her, beautiful as always. I think that the mariners games and all, you know, fun, relaxing for a bit, and then time to start a family, I think. I think that's the next phase in our lives, so we are really looking forward to that.

BUCKLEY: You are ready for that, Malia? He says that he is ready to make you a mom?

M. KING: Yes, we are ready, we are going to be very busy when he gets home.

BUCKLEY: All right, well, thank you both very much. We really appreciate your time. Josh, thanks for your service and for letting us intrude.

KING: Thank you. I'll see you soon, Malia, bye.

M. KING: You are very welcome. Bye.

BUCKLEY: All right there, Anderson, just one of the many reunions that are taking place on the air here. And soon they'll be able to see each other in person at Everett, Washington. That's Tuesday morning -- Anderson.

COOPER: Frank, I'm glad you have ended it when you did. I was starting to blush there, you know. Afraid where this thing was going. Thanks 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 May 3, 2003 - 18:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The USS Abraham Lincoln is heading toward its home port in Everett, Washington after service in the Iraq war. And aboard the Navy carrier about 3,000 sailors eager -- you can hardly imagine how eager to see their loved ones after nearly 10 months at sea. Also, on board we find our own Frank Buckley -- Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Anderson. Especially eager in light of the fact that yesterday they got to see so many of the reunions of the air wing, the air wing getting off of the aircraft carrier yesterday in San Diego.

Right now, you can take a look at the flight deck. It is virtually empty. There is a lone aircraft out there, but that's really just for training purposes. The air wing itself is gone. The flight deck is nowhere near the active place that it is during flight operations, during wartime. Right now, this is just a cruise ship, in a sense, with these 3,000 or so sailors cruising up the West Coast, California right now, and heading toward Washington state, heading toward Everett, Washington, specifically.

Among those headed that way, Lieutenant Junior Grade Josh King. Josh, this is a cruise that's taken you some 10 months -- nearly 10 months -- the longest carried deployment since the Vietnam era. Tell me how it's been for you as a lieutenant junior grade on this cruise.

LT. J.G. JOSH KING, U.S. NAVY: It's a lot of learning. It's a very large learning process. Come in as an ensign only a few month ago, very new ensign, checking aboard, never been at sea, you know, hardly at all. It's just been a -- it's been a tremendous learning process, what you -- You gradually move up, so learned a lot, feel a little salty now, but ready to go home.

BUCKLEY: Well, we've got at home, in Everett, Washington, we've got your wife Malia joining us right now. And Malia, I wanted to ask you, as you are watching us here on the ship, when you got married to this guy, did you know that he'll be away -- the two years that you've been married, that he'll be away at sea for 10 months on this deployment, another three of four months of workups. He's been gone more than he's been home.

MALIA KING, WIFE: No, no, we didn't realize he'd be away this long, but he's well worth the wait, so I'm very excited to have him come home.

BUCKLEY: Well, he is here right now, and Josh, is there anything that you want to say to Malia right now? J. KING: Hi, honey, I wish I could fast forward three days from now, but it's probably the best Saturday I've had in a long time, so we are going as fast as we can. We'll be home soon.

M. KING: Well, baby, we're real excited...

BUCKLEY: Malia, anything you want to say to this guy?

M. KING: I just want to let him know, we are really excited for him to come home. We spent all day getting ready for them to hurry home on Tuesday, so everything is ready and in place and all we need now is that carrier to make it home safe.

BUCKLEY: And Malia, what are you going to do that's special when Josh gets home? I don't want to give away any surprises, but what are some of the things that you guys will be doing?

M. KING: Well, Josh has never actually been to his new home. When he left, we lived in Everett, and now we live in downtown Seattle, so -- I'll be introducing him to his new home and showing him how to get home from the base. And other than that, we are just going to be looking forward to doing some mariners games and spending some time together.

BUCKLEY: How does she look? And anything that you'd like to say about your new house or your wife there?

J. KING: She looks great, just like I left her, beautiful as always. I think that the mariners games and all, you know, fun, relaxing for a bit, and then time to start a family, I think. I think that's the next phase in our lives, so we are really looking forward to that.

BUCKLEY: You are ready for that, Malia? He says that he is ready to make you a mom?

M. KING: Yes, we are ready, we are going to be very busy when he gets home.

BUCKLEY: All right, well, thank you both very much. We really appreciate your time. Josh, thanks for your service and for letting us intrude.

KING: Thank you. I'll see you soon, Malia, bye.

M. KING: You are very welcome. Bye.

BUCKLEY: All right there, Anderson, just one of the many reunions that are taking place on the air here. And soon they'll be able to see each other in person at Everett, Washington. That's Tuesday morning -- Anderson.

COOPER: Frank, I'm glad you have ended it when you did. I was starting to blush there, you know. Afraid where this thing was going. Thanks 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