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CNN Live Saturday
USS Ronald Reagan "Comes Alive"
Aired July 12, 2003 - 14:01 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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY REAGAN, FORMER FIRST LADY: Man the ship and bring her alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RHONDA SCHAEFFLER, CNN ANCHOR: There it is America's newest aircraft carrier and the first ever named for a living president. President Ronald Reagan is credited by many with rebuilding the American military during the 1980's. Today a newly built state-of-the- art aircraft carrier bearing his name was commissioned in Virginia. CNN Kathleen Koch was on hand for the ceremony. She joins us live from Norfolk's Navel Station. Hi, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Rhonda. As you can see it's a beautiful sunny day and we had a crowd of roughly 15,000 gathered here for all this military pomp and ceremony. We had a 19-gun salute. We had F-18 flying overhead. And of course all of this to honor the great president that this aircraft carrier is named after. Our 40th president Ronald Reagan.
There was a lot of talk today about his record as a leader, a staunch supporter of the U.S. military, really building up the Navy fleet during the eight years that he was in office. Vice President Dick Cheney gave the primary address today and he spoke about the 40th president and his legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today the USS Ronald Reagan becomes the newest member of the greatest Navy ever assembled. I want to congratulate everyone who helped build this ship, everyone who will sail in it, and everyone who will help make it worthy of its great name.
The Navy we have today is in many ways a monument to the vision and the conviction of Ronald Reagan. He came to the presidency with a clear understanding of the tools our Navy would need to protect the American people and to defend our interest, to honor our commitments to allies, and to maintain command of the seas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: First lady Nancy Reagan, former first lady was on hand. She played largely a ceremony roll giving the ship its first orders, telling the sailors to man the ship and bring her alive. At which point they certainly did, hundreds of them racing up on the deck and took their posts.
The first lady came on board the ship rather informally yesterday for a tour and had chance to talk to the sailors, and said she was overwhelmed at how beautiful the ship was and said that certainly President Ronald Reagan, now 92 years old and suffering from Alzheimer's, is aware of what's happening today and he's watching it on television. Again a great day for many in the U.S. Navy, and a great ship, they say, really does incorporate the all latest technology, all the bells and whistles -- Rhonda.
SCHAFFLER: CNN's Kathleen Koch, impressive ceremony. Thanks Kathleen
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 12, 2003 - 14:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY REAGAN, FORMER FIRST LADY: Man the ship and bring her alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RHONDA SCHAEFFLER, CNN ANCHOR: There it is America's newest aircraft carrier and the first ever named for a living president. President Ronald Reagan is credited by many with rebuilding the American military during the 1980's. Today a newly built state-of-the- art aircraft carrier bearing his name was commissioned in Virginia. CNN Kathleen Koch was on hand for the ceremony. She joins us live from Norfolk's Navel Station. Hi, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Rhonda. As you can see it's a beautiful sunny day and we had a crowd of roughly 15,000 gathered here for all this military pomp and ceremony. We had a 19-gun salute. We had F-18 flying overhead. And of course all of this to honor the great president that this aircraft carrier is named after. Our 40th president Ronald Reagan.
There was a lot of talk today about his record as a leader, a staunch supporter of the U.S. military, really building up the Navy fleet during the eight years that he was in office. Vice President Dick Cheney gave the primary address today and he spoke about the 40th president and his legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today the USS Ronald Reagan becomes the newest member of the greatest Navy ever assembled. I want to congratulate everyone who helped build this ship, everyone who will sail in it, and everyone who will help make it worthy of its great name.
The Navy we have today is in many ways a monument to the vision and the conviction of Ronald Reagan. He came to the presidency with a clear understanding of the tools our Navy would need to protect the American people and to defend our interest, to honor our commitments to allies, and to maintain command of the seas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: First lady Nancy Reagan, former first lady was on hand. She played largely a ceremony roll giving the ship its first orders, telling the sailors to man the ship and bring her alive. At which point they certainly did, hundreds of them racing up on the deck and took their posts.
The first lady came on board the ship rather informally yesterday for a tour and had chance to talk to the sailors, and said she was overwhelmed at how beautiful the ship was and said that certainly President Ronald Reagan, now 92 years old and suffering from Alzheimer's, is aware of what's happening today and he's watching it on television. Again a great day for many in the U.S. Navy, and a great ship, they say, really does incorporate the all latest technology, all the bells and whistles -- Rhonda.
SCHAFFLER: CNN's Kathleen Koch, impressive ceremony. Thanks Kathleen
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
