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Interview with "Jarhead" Author Anthony Swofford

Aired March 19, 2003 - 15:35   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us today to talk a little bit more about what is going through those young men and women's minds at this hour, as that deadline approaches, is Anthony Swofford, who is out with a book that is perhaps one of the more eloquent chronicles of life of a soldier in wartime. "Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles," now number five on "The New York Times" best seller list, deservedly so.
Anthony Swofford joining us from Portland, Oregon. Good to have you with us.

ANTHONY SWOFFORD, AUTHOR, "JARHEAD": Thanks, Miles.

O'BRIEN: I don't know if you had a chance to hear that piece, but I assume that the sentiments of fear in a very palpable way take you right back to '91.

SWOFFORD: Yes, they sure do. We can be assured that there are plenty of Palankos (ph) over there right now today.

O'BRIEN: What does go through your mind at this time? Can you recall your thoughts?

SWOFFORD: Yes. At the same point in the movement toward war, my unit was deployed at the berm between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. And we were making sure our gear was together, but also, you know, thinking about home and trying to write letters home. And trying to stay focused on what was forthcoming.

O'BRIEN: I suppose this time you fall back on your training quite a bit, drill and re-drill and check your weapon again and again and again. But that doesn't really take your mind off the reality of what may lie ahead, does it?

SWOFFORD: No, not at all. The practical training is something that you have to have some faith in. But the actual -- the psychological reaction to the actual combat moment is unknown.

O'BRIEN: Is there any -- are there any light moments at this time, or is it all business for Marines?

SWOFFORD: There are probably some light moments. You know guys are still kidding each other. And soldiers use laughter to keep the fear away sometimes, to deal with the fear, really.

O'BRIEN: Did you recall any candid conversations with your fellow Marines where you got the sense that they were truly frightened?

SWOFFORD: Well, yes. You know a few days -- or actually a few hours before we went across the border, one of my fellow Marines -- we were probably writing letters and hanging out and he said, hey, let's give each other hugs because this might be it for physical contact. And of course you know we were tough young Marines, so at first we kidded him. But eventually we were sharing hugs, and it was a special moment and a human moment for us before we went forward with that mission.

O'BRIEN: You know predominantly teenage men, some women, of course, but predominantly teenage men not the kind of people who express emotions and share emotions very candidly or freely.

SWOFFORD: Right. And the intensity of the experience that was right in front of us caused us to open up a little. And we were really a tight group of men who knew each other very, very closely for a year or more.

O'BRIEN: I asked you earlier if you'd read a brief passage from your book that would be apropos of our discussion. Why don't you share that with us.

SWOFFORD: Oh, sure. "Once the air campaign begins, I never sleep through the night. If a scud alert doesn't interrupt our sleep, someone screaming from a nightmare or wide-awake anger and fear will awaken the entire hooch. Doc John (ph) passes out sleeping pills to those who want them, but I'm afraid of sleeping through a valid alert. And, anyway, the guys who take the pills wake up just like those who don't."

"The synthetic chemical for sleep is not as strong as the naturally occurring chemical called fear. I try to sleep, but I can't. I think of everything and nothing, living and dying, and I know that the answers to all of the questions I'm afraid to ask are located to the north, along with the Iraqi minefield and obstacle belts, in the enemy bunkers where Iraqi soldiers are at this moment being bombed by our planes."

O'BRIEN: The book is "Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles." The author is Anthony Swofford. Thank you for sharing that with us, Anthony.

SWOFFORD: Thank you, Miles.

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 March 19, 2003 - 15:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us today to talk a little bit more about what is going through those young men and women's minds at this hour, as that deadline approaches, is Anthony Swofford, who is out with a book that is perhaps one of the more eloquent chronicles of life of a soldier in wartime. "Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles," now number five on "The New York Times" best seller list, deservedly so.
Anthony Swofford joining us from Portland, Oregon. Good to have you with us.

ANTHONY SWOFFORD, AUTHOR, "JARHEAD": Thanks, Miles.

O'BRIEN: I don't know if you had a chance to hear that piece, but I assume that the sentiments of fear in a very palpable way take you right back to '91.

SWOFFORD: Yes, they sure do. We can be assured that there are plenty of Palankos (ph) over there right now today.

O'BRIEN: What does go through your mind at this time? Can you recall your thoughts?

SWOFFORD: Yes. At the same point in the movement toward war, my unit was deployed at the berm between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. And we were making sure our gear was together, but also, you know, thinking about home and trying to write letters home. And trying to stay focused on what was forthcoming.

O'BRIEN: I suppose this time you fall back on your training quite a bit, drill and re-drill and check your weapon again and again and again. But that doesn't really take your mind off the reality of what may lie ahead, does it?

SWOFFORD: No, not at all. The practical training is something that you have to have some faith in. But the actual -- the psychological reaction to the actual combat moment is unknown.

O'BRIEN: Is there any -- are there any light moments at this time, or is it all business for Marines?

SWOFFORD: There are probably some light moments. You know guys are still kidding each other. And soldiers use laughter to keep the fear away sometimes, to deal with the fear, really.

O'BRIEN: Did you recall any candid conversations with your fellow Marines where you got the sense that they were truly frightened?

SWOFFORD: Well, yes. You know a few days -- or actually a few hours before we went across the border, one of my fellow Marines -- we were probably writing letters and hanging out and he said, hey, let's give each other hugs because this might be it for physical contact. And of course you know we were tough young Marines, so at first we kidded him. But eventually we were sharing hugs, and it was a special moment and a human moment for us before we went forward with that mission.

O'BRIEN: You know predominantly teenage men, some women, of course, but predominantly teenage men not the kind of people who express emotions and share emotions very candidly or freely.

SWOFFORD: Right. And the intensity of the experience that was right in front of us caused us to open up a little. And we were really a tight group of men who knew each other very, very closely for a year or more.

O'BRIEN: I asked you earlier if you'd read a brief passage from your book that would be apropos of our discussion. Why don't you share that with us.

SWOFFORD: Oh, sure. "Once the air campaign begins, I never sleep through the night. If a scud alert doesn't interrupt our sleep, someone screaming from a nightmare or wide-awake anger and fear will awaken the entire hooch. Doc John (ph) passes out sleeping pills to those who want them, but I'm afraid of sleeping through a valid alert. And, anyway, the guys who take the pills wake up just like those who don't."

"The synthetic chemical for sleep is not as strong as the naturally occurring chemical called fear. I try to sleep, but I can't. I think of everything and nothing, living and dying, and I know that the answers to all of the questions I'm afraid to ask are located to the north, along with the Iraqi minefield and obstacle belts, in the enemy bunkers where Iraqi soldiers are at this moment being bombed by our planes."

O'BRIEN: The book is "Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles." The author is Anthony Swofford. Thank you for sharing that with us, Anthony.

SWOFFORD: Thank you, Miles.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com