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Talk with PFC Deanna Kline
Aired March 31, 2003 - 13:36 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: If you can imagine, stranded for seven days in southern Iraq. It happened to two soldiers with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. They were found safe, fortunately, on Friday. Joining us is the wife of one of them. She is a soldier herself. She is private first class Deanna Kline.
Miss Kline, let me just ask you, when did you talk to your husband?
PFC DEANNA KLINE, WIFE OF SPEC. JEFFREY KLEIN: Actually I got the opportunity to speak to him a couple of minutes ago.
WOODRUFF: And how did he sound?
KLINE: He sounded great. He was -- you could tell he was rested. You could tell that he was amped about this war still, just ready to -- ready to go.
WOODRUFF: We're looking at some wedding pictures of the two of you. You have only been married, what, about six month or so?
KLINE: Yes, six months. It'll be six months the 5th of April.
WOODRUFF: And you're already pregnant with the first child.
KLINE: Yes, we are.
WOODRUFF: Well, we're -- best wishes for that. Tell us what your husband said about his experience.
KLINE: He just said that, you know, it was -- it was a fearful experience, which if anyone was to go through it, it would be a fearful experience. As far as I know, he was pulling shifts. They were stranded -- it's not really the -- it's not really the unit's fault; it's just how procedures go. He was guarding himself against Iraqis. I mean, that's basically it. There's not a whole lot to it. He broke down.
WOODRUFF: I'm sorry, he was asked to go repair -- help repair a vehicle or rescue a vehicle, and then what happened?
KLINE: And then, to my knowledge, his vehicle broke down itself. The clutch went out, I believe. And then from then they had to get a repair for that vehicle. As they did so, that's where they were stranded.
WOODRUFF: Were they ever -- were there any close calls during those six or seven days?
KLINE: I don't know that information ma'am. I mean, I really don't. I wasn't there.
WOODRUFF: Is he -- how are you feeling about all of this?
KLINE: It's nerve wracking. I mean, this is something that you don't -- you don't think would ever happen to you. You see it happen to people around you. But you don't think it's going to happen to you, you really don't. So it's nerve wracking. It makes me more aware. I mean, of course, you always have that knowledge in your mind that anything could happen at any time. But you don't know for sure, you know. You know, it's never settled into your mind until it happens.
WOODRUFF: How closely are you following the war right now?
KLINE: I'm following it pretty closely, as closely as I can. Watching CNN, you know, every other news station that's broadcasted here in the United States.
WOODRUFF: And how often do you think you're going to be able to talk to your husband from now on? Is he rejoining his unit?
KLINE: As far as I know, that is an option. That is a serious option. Like I said, I don't know. He doesn't -- when we do speak, it's just mainly how we're feeling and how we're doing and debriefing him about the baby, or he's tell me he's OK, or I'm forwarding calls to his parents in Kentucky. We're trying to make sure personally we're okay. But returning to the unit is a big possibility.
WOODRUFF: Well, Private First Class Deanna Klein, we thank you for talking with us. And we're certainly grateful, as you are, that your husband and the other soldier he was with were found safe.
Let me just finally ask you, how are the other families who have loved ones in Iraq doing right now at Ft. Stewart?
KLINE: First of all, I'd like to just say that we're all sticking together here. We're trying to make due with what we can, with our soldiers being over there. Of course, there's mourning, because you are going to miss your loved one, your spouse. But we're doing the best we can to stay happy, keep strong. We have to hold down the fort back here, while our soldiers over there are doing what they have to do.
WOODRUFF: Private First Class Deanna Klein, whose husband, Jeffrey Klein, was found along with another soldier just on Friday after being stranded for seven days in the desert in southern Iraq.
Thanks again. We really appreciate your talking with us.
KLINE: Thank you.
WOODRUFF: That's a story with a happy ending, and we can never have enough of those.
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 31, 2003 - 13:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: If you can imagine, stranded for seven days in southern Iraq. It happened to two soldiers with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. They were found safe, fortunately, on Friday. Joining us is the wife of one of them. She is a soldier herself. She is private first class Deanna Kline.
Miss Kline, let me just ask you, when did you talk to your husband?
PFC DEANNA KLINE, WIFE OF SPEC. JEFFREY KLEIN: Actually I got the opportunity to speak to him a couple of minutes ago.
WOODRUFF: And how did he sound?
KLINE: He sounded great. He was -- you could tell he was rested. You could tell that he was amped about this war still, just ready to -- ready to go.
WOODRUFF: We're looking at some wedding pictures of the two of you. You have only been married, what, about six month or so?
KLINE: Yes, six months. It'll be six months the 5th of April.
WOODRUFF: And you're already pregnant with the first child.
KLINE: Yes, we are.
WOODRUFF: Well, we're -- best wishes for that. Tell us what your husband said about his experience.
KLINE: He just said that, you know, it was -- it was a fearful experience, which if anyone was to go through it, it would be a fearful experience. As far as I know, he was pulling shifts. They were stranded -- it's not really the -- it's not really the unit's fault; it's just how procedures go. He was guarding himself against Iraqis. I mean, that's basically it. There's not a whole lot to it. He broke down.
WOODRUFF: I'm sorry, he was asked to go repair -- help repair a vehicle or rescue a vehicle, and then what happened?
KLINE: And then, to my knowledge, his vehicle broke down itself. The clutch went out, I believe. And then from then they had to get a repair for that vehicle. As they did so, that's where they were stranded.
WOODRUFF: Were they ever -- were there any close calls during those six or seven days?
KLINE: I don't know that information ma'am. I mean, I really don't. I wasn't there.
WOODRUFF: Is he -- how are you feeling about all of this?
KLINE: It's nerve wracking. I mean, this is something that you don't -- you don't think would ever happen to you. You see it happen to people around you. But you don't think it's going to happen to you, you really don't. So it's nerve wracking. It makes me more aware. I mean, of course, you always have that knowledge in your mind that anything could happen at any time. But you don't know for sure, you know. You know, it's never settled into your mind until it happens.
WOODRUFF: How closely are you following the war right now?
KLINE: I'm following it pretty closely, as closely as I can. Watching CNN, you know, every other news station that's broadcasted here in the United States.
WOODRUFF: And how often do you think you're going to be able to talk to your husband from now on? Is he rejoining his unit?
KLINE: As far as I know, that is an option. That is a serious option. Like I said, I don't know. He doesn't -- when we do speak, it's just mainly how we're feeling and how we're doing and debriefing him about the baby, or he's tell me he's OK, or I'm forwarding calls to his parents in Kentucky. We're trying to make sure personally we're okay. But returning to the unit is a big possibility.
WOODRUFF: Well, Private First Class Deanna Klein, we thank you for talking with us. And we're certainly grateful, as you are, that your husband and the other soldier he was with were found safe.
Let me just finally ask you, how are the other families who have loved ones in Iraq doing right now at Ft. Stewart?
KLINE: First of all, I'd like to just say that we're all sticking together here. We're trying to make due with what we can, with our soldiers being over there. Of course, there's mourning, because you are going to miss your loved one, your spouse. But we're doing the best we can to stay happy, keep strong. We have to hold down the fort back here, while our soldiers over there are doing what they have to do.
WOODRUFF: Private First Class Deanna Klein, whose husband, Jeffrey Klein, was found along with another soldier just on Friday after being stranded for seven days in the desert in southern Iraq.
Thanks again. We really appreciate your talking with us.
KLINE: Thank you.
WOODRUFF: That's a story with a happy ending, and we can never have enough of those.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
