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CNN Live Saturday
Interview With Ronald Young Jr.
Aired July 05, 2003 - 12:52 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.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: The Fourth of July weekend, and one US solder certainly knows, and respects the value of freedom. Former P.O.W. Ron Young Jr. was thrust in the national spotlight after he returned from Iraq. Now Young has become the personification of American courage and valor, and richly deserved too. And he joins us live hear at Atlanta with more on his newfound fame in the days of capture in Iraq. Now you're a local boy.
RONALD YOUNG JR., FORMER P.O.W.: Absolutely.
CALLEBS: Not to far from here. Your back home for the July 4 weekend. Has it been a big red, white, and blue weekend for you?
YOUNG: It really has. It's been the best Fourth of July of my life. And of course I'm a lot more patriotic than I've ever been in my life you know? After going something -- through something like that, but it was great.
CALLEBS: Grand Martial?
YOUNG: Yes, of the Douglasville parade. Them came out to Atlanta and Grand Martial of the Atlanta parade. I mean just unbelievable. It was an unbelievable day for me. One I'll never forget.
CALLEBS: How are you coping? Are you doing OK?
YOUNG: I'm doing great. Really I haven't had the nightmares. Some of the folks are still having nightmares and stuff like that. Usually I'm so tired by the time I go to bed I don't dream about anything. But I've actually been fairly well. Not any problems.
CALLEBS: Your putting in the miles. You're routing Utah for what is a huge vestibule. You were out there a little bit before the July Fourth, but tell us about that.
YOUNG: It was really a great time. I got to spend some time around there, and see some of the sights in Salt Lake City. And really beautiful area, it's great. I received a freedom award on behalf of a military serviceman (UNINTELLIGIBLE) stuff. And it was for contributing to freedom in a certain way. And of course we freed and liberated a country over there. So that's why we received it.
But it was special. It really was.
CALLEBS: You have been in a whirlwind, since you got back. Have you had time to just get by yourself, and think about what all this has meant? Your time in captivity, you talked about the respect you have for the birth of our nation.
YOUNG: Absolutely. I've had a little time. You know of course I really don't like being around by myself like that much anymore. Because you find you start reflecting on a lot of stuff that happened to you over there. And sometimes it makes you pretty deeply saddened about what happened, and what you went through. And you know what guys are still going through. So I tend to try to keep myself more busy actually.
CALLEBS: Now pilots I know, go through extensive training, because being taken prisoner is a possibility. Putting yourself in harms way. But a number of the other troops who were also taken prisoner, they were mechanics; one was even a cook, so they didn't go through that training. How did they hold up in captivity, and were you able to help them in any way?
YOUNG: They did extremely well. We were absolutely very proud of them. Me and Dave had both been through Sear (ph) school.
CALLEBS: I bet that takes you back, that picture there.
YOUNG: That was the greatest day of my life.
CALLEBS: So you were able to help them?
YOUNG: We were. It's survival (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and resistance training that we received from the military because we are air crews, and you know, there is a possibility that we could be taken captive. And you know, we're actually prepared for that. And that's just part of our job.
For them it wasn't really part of their job description. And something that would even likely happen to them. So they ended up in prison with us, and they handled it very well. We tried to talk to them as much as we could. Tell them the things that we're going to -- you know, keep their minds at ease. And I helped them deal with it. And each one of them ultimately has a very patriotic spirit, so they just came through it really well. I was very very very proud of them.
CALLEBS: Ron, quickly, what's the future hold? Are you going to leave Fort Hood soon, and how does it feel to be -- all the women have been asking us about this -- one of the top 25 hottest bachelors in the nation? That's got to be quite a monicker you like to carry around now.
YOUNG: It really is. It's -- it was surprising. It really was.
CALLEBS: Look at this southern boy charm, oh shucks. It was a big deal to you.
YOUNG: It really -- it was a big deal, let me tell you. It's just something that any guy would be very honored if it happened to them. They just called me and asked me if I would do it. And of course I told them yes. And I really didn't think much about it -- think it would actually happen. And then it materialized, and it was a lot of fun. It's been really interesting.
CALLEBS: Well good for you. Ron Young, a hero and patriot, thanks very much for taking the time this holiday weekend.
YOUNG: Thank you.
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 July 5, 2003 - 12:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: The Fourth of July weekend, and one US solder certainly knows, and respects the value of freedom. Former P.O.W. Ron Young Jr. was thrust in the national spotlight after he returned from Iraq. Now Young has become the personification of American courage and valor, and richly deserved too. And he joins us live hear at Atlanta with more on his newfound fame in the days of capture in Iraq. Now you're a local boy.
RONALD YOUNG JR., FORMER P.O.W.: Absolutely.
CALLEBS: Not to far from here. Your back home for the July 4 weekend. Has it been a big red, white, and blue weekend for you?
YOUNG: It really has. It's been the best Fourth of July of my life. And of course I'm a lot more patriotic than I've ever been in my life you know? After going something -- through something like that, but it was great.
CALLEBS: Grand Martial?
YOUNG: Yes, of the Douglasville parade. Them came out to Atlanta and Grand Martial of the Atlanta parade. I mean just unbelievable. It was an unbelievable day for me. One I'll never forget.
CALLEBS: How are you coping? Are you doing OK?
YOUNG: I'm doing great. Really I haven't had the nightmares. Some of the folks are still having nightmares and stuff like that. Usually I'm so tired by the time I go to bed I don't dream about anything. But I've actually been fairly well. Not any problems.
CALLEBS: Your putting in the miles. You're routing Utah for what is a huge vestibule. You were out there a little bit before the July Fourth, but tell us about that.
YOUNG: It was really a great time. I got to spend some time around there, and see some of the sights in Salt Lake City. And really beautiful area, it's great. I received a freedom award on behalf of a military serviceman (UNINTELLIGIBLE) stuff. And it was for contributing to freedom in a certain way. And of course we freed and liberated a country over there. So that's why we received it.
But it was special. It really was.
CALLEBS: You have been in a whirlwind, since you got back. Have you had time to just get by yourself, and think about what all this has meant? Your time in captivity, you talked about the respect you have for the birth of our nation.
YOUNG: Absolutely. I've had a little time. You know of course I really don't like being around by myself like that much anymore. Because you find you start reflecting on a lot of stuff that happened to you over there. And sometimes it makes you pretty deeply saddened about what happened, and what you went through. And you know what guys are still going through. So I tend to try to keep myself more busy actually.
CALLEBS: Now pilots I know, go through extensive training, because being taken prisoner is a possibility. Putting yourself in harms way. But a number of the other troops who were also taken prisoner, they were mechanics; one was even a cook, so they didn't go through that training. How did they hold up in captivity, and were you able to help them in any way?
YOUNG: They did extremely well. We were absolutely very proud of them. Me and Dave had both been through Sear (ph) school.
CALLEBS: I bet that takes you back, that picture there.
YOUNG: That was the greatest day of my life.
CALLEBS: So you were able to help them?
YOUNG: We were. It's survival (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and resistance training that we received from the military because we are air crews, and you know, there is a possibility that we could be taken captive. And you know, we're actually prepared for that. And that's just part of our job.
For them it wasn't really part of their job description. And something that would even likely happen to them. So they ended up in prison with us, and they handled it very well. We tried to talk to them as much as we could. Tell them the things that we're going to -- you know, keep their minds at ease. And I helped them deal with it. And each one of them ultimately has a very patriotic spirit, so they just came through it really well. I was very very very proud of them.
CALLEBS: Ron, quickly, what's the future hold? Are you going to leave Fort Hood soon, and how does it feel to be -- all the women have been asking us about this -- one of the top 25 hottest bachelors in the nation? That's got to be quite a monicker you like to carry around now.
YOUNG: It really is. It's -- it was surprising. It really was.
CALLEBS: Look at this southern boy charm, oh shucks. It was a big deal to you.
YOUNG: It really -- it was a big deal, let me tell you. It's just something that any guy would be very honored if it happened to them. They just called me and asked me if I would do it. And of course I told them yes. And I really didn't think much about it -- think it would actually happen. And then it materialized, and it was a lot of fun. It's been really interesting.
CALLEBS: Well good for you. Ron Young, a hero and patriot, thanks very much for taking the time this holiday weekend.
YOUNG: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
