Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

101st Airborne Coming Home

Aired January 10, 2004 - 12:31   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, ANCHOR: The first wave of soldiers from the 101st Airborne has begun coming home from war in Iraq.
CNN's Elaine Quijano is near their home base at Fort Campbell, Kentucky -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Fredricka.

Well, his homecoming was yesterday. But as you can see behind me here, the signs are still up here at the home of Sergeant Mark Gower, outside of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

And I can tell you, they are gearing up for a big welcome home/Tennessee Titans playoff party inside later tonight. It's a scene that is certainly being repeated over and over again throughout this area as families' anxieties turn to joy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): Tammy Gower was a nervous wreck.

TAMMY GOWER, SOLDIER'S WIFE: Oh, God.

QUIJANO: Happy, excited and scared all at once.

GOWER: Why scared? Because we've been apart for so long, and he's been in a war. I'm hoping it hasn't changed him at all.

QUIJANO: Sergeant Mark Gower is Tammy's high school sweetheart, husband and father to their daughter, Ashlee.

For ten months he helped keep supplies flowing to U.S. troops in Iraq. Now it was his turn to fill up on what he missed out on for almost a year.

Later when he finally pulled into his driveway, it was official. Sergeant Gower had come home.

SGT. MARK GOWER, 101ST AIRBORNE: I'm just happy, you know. Just to finally it have over with. I've been thinking -- my wife and my daughter have been on my mind the whole time I'm there. I just wanted to get home.

QUIJANO: Eleven-year-old Ashlee all missed her dad and doing something they both enjoy.

ASHLEE GOWER, DAUGHTER: I miss him, because there's no fun jumping on the trampoline any more.

QUIJANO: Sergeant Gower says he tried not to dwell on missing his family or get discouraged when his obvious return date got pushed back. He believes he was mentally prepared for whatever he encountered. But...

M. GOWER: You can't say you're fully 100 percent ready, because no one knows if they're going be 100 percent ready until that moment hits.

QUIJANO: And back home, Tammy tried to brace herself for all possibilities. For almost 10 months, she refused to remove her husband's dog tag.

T. GOWER: Gets me through sometimes when I need the extra help. Now that he's home, he's safe, he's back where he needs to be, it will come off.

QUIJANO: There was one more greeting for Sergeant Gower, one he wasn't expecting. His oldest brother Scott traveled from New York. And Sergeant Mark Gower's homecoming was complete.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, thousands of soldiers from the 101st still remain in Iraq. Fifty-seven soldiers from that division have been killed. Now, that is a fact that is not lost on the family of sergeant Mark Gower here today -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Elaine, thank you 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 January 10, 2004 - 12:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR: The first wave of soldiers from the 101st Airborne has begun coming home from war in Iraq.
CNN's Elaine Quijano is near their home base at Fort Campbell, Kentucky -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Fredricka.

Well, his homecoming was yesterday. But as you can see behind me here, the signs are still up here at the home of Sergeant Mark Gower, outside of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

And I can tell you, they are gearing up for a big welcome home/Tennessee Titans playoff party inside later tonight. It's a scene that is certainly being repeated over and over again throughout this area as families' anxieties turn to joy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice-over): Tammy Gower was a nervous wreck.

TAMMY GOWER, SOLDIER'S WIFE: Oh, God.

QUIJANO: Happy, excited and scared all at once.

GOWER: Why scared? Because we've been apart for so long, and he's been in a war. I'm hoping it hasn't changed him at all.

QUIJANO: Sergeant Mark Gower is Tammy's high school sweetheart, husband and father to their daughter, Ashlee.

For ten months he helped keep supplies flowing to U.S. troops in Iraq. Now it was his turn to fill up on what he missed out on for almost a year.

Later when he finally pulled into his driveway, it was official. Sergeant Gower had come home.

SGT. MARK GOWER, 101ST AIRBORNE: I'm just happy, you know. Just to finally it have over with. I've been thinking -- my wife and my daughter have been on my mind the whole time I'm there. I just wanted to get home.

QUIJANO: Eleven-year-old Ashlee all missed her dad and doing something they both enjoy.

ASHLEE GOWER, DAUGHTER: I miss him, because there's no fun jumping on the trampoline any more.

QUIJANO: Sergeant Gower says he tried not to dwell on missing his family or get discouraged when his obvious return date got pushed back. He believes he was mentally prepared for whatever he encountered. But...

M. GOWER: You can't say you're fully 100 percent ready, because no one knows if they're going be 100 percent ready until that moment hits.

QUIJANO: And back home, Tammy tried to brace herself for all possibilities. For almost 10 months, she refused to remove her husband's dog tag.

T. GOWER: Gets me through sometimes when I need the extra help. Now that he's home, he's safe, he's back where he needs to be, it will come off.

QUIJANO: There was one more greeting for Sergeant Gower, one he wasn't expecting. His oldest brother Scott traveled from New York. And Sergeant Mark Gower's homecoming was complete.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, thousands of soldiers from the 101st still remain in Iraq. Fifty-seven soldiers from that division have been killed. Now, that is a fact that is not lost on the family of sergeant Mark Gower here today -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Elaine, thank you 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