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Greetings From Home: Desert Mail Call
Aired April 07, 2003 - 12:53 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Even in the middle of the war, even in the middle of desert, mom's care package often has a way of making its way to U.S. Marines.
Our Jason Bellini has a look at what's being called mail call.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the best of times and the worst of times for the mail to arrive. The best because the Marines could benefit from a morale boost. The worst because the cookies, candy, magazines and shaving supplies will only weigh down their packs further, just at the next mission, likely involving long, hard humps, awaits them.
Corporal Nathan Floyd (ph) of North Vernon, Indiana...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Diggin it, diggin it, diggin it ...
BELLINI: ...probably has the most to give away, receiving goody boxes from his mom, his wife and a woman he doesn't even know who sent Girl Scout cookies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Girl scouting is about caring.
BELLINI: Mail call is about talking with one another about home, about finding a few minutes alone, about making sure no one feels left out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I haven't got mail at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's nice everybody shares.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Every body gets something, you know? You need some body else -- makes them feel better.
BELLINI: Not in spite of, but because of his family, Lance Corporal Joseph Wilcheck (ph) is in Iraq on the brink of likely combat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: September 11, my -- I lost two of my relatives in the bombing. And my sister was out wandering around the city that day. And I couldn't get in touch with my sister for, like, a week so I really freaked out about that.
BELLINI: Today he opens an envelope from his mom, Rosemary (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joseph, letters might not be so frequent, but always remember we are very proud of what you are doing for our country. Love, mom. I needed this.
BELLINI (on camera): Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I haven't gotten letters -- I haven't got a letter from my mom since I have been out here. This -- this really just makes my day a lot better right now. Lets me know that she still loves me and that she supports everything we're doing out here.
BELLINI (voice-over): He says he'll keep his mom's note in his pocket while he and the rest of Gulf Company, to use a phrase often you heard in Marines' letters home, "do what we've got to do."
Jason Bellini, CNN, embedded with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: So the bottom line, if you have a loved one serving here in the Persian Gulf -- serving and fighting in this war keep those cards and letters and those packages oncoming. They'll be warmly received, I am sure.
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 April 7, 2003 - 12:53 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Even in the middle of the war, even in the middle of desert, mom's care package often has a way of making its way to U.S. Marines.
Our Jason Bellini has a look at what's being called mail call.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the best of times and the worst of times for the mail to arrive. The best because the Marines could benefit from a morale boost. The worst because the cookies, candy, magazines and shaving supplies will only weigh down their packs further, just at the next mission, likely involving long, hard humps, awaits them.
Corporal Nathan Floyd (ph) of North Vernon, Indiana...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Diggin it, diggin it, diggin it ...
BELLINI: ...probably has the most to give away, receiving goody boxes from his mom, his wife and a woman he doesn't even know who sent Girl Scout cookies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Girl scouting is about caring.
BELLINI: Mail call is about talking with one another about home, about finding a few minutes alone, about making sure no one feels left out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I haven't got mail at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's nice everybody shares.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Every body gets something, you know? You need some body else -- makes them feel better.
BELLINI: Not in spite of, but because of his family, Lance Corporal Joseph Wilcheck (ph) is in Iraq on the brink of likely combat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: September 11, my -- I lost two of my relatives in the bombing. And my sister was out wandering around the city that day. And I couldn't get in touch with my sister for, like, a week so I really freaked out about that.
BELLINI: Today he opens an envelope from his mom, Rosemary (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joseph, letters might not be so frequent, but always remember we are very proud of what you are doing for our country. Love, mom. I needed this.
BELLINI (on camera): Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I haven't gotten letters -- I haven't got a letter from my mom since I have been out here. This -- this really just makes my day a lot better right now. Lets me know that she still loves me and that she supports everything we're doing out here.
BELLINI (voice-over): He says he'll keep his mom's note in his pocket while he and the rest of Gulf Company, to use a phrase often you heard in Marines' letters home, "do what we've got to do."
Jason Bellini, CNN, embedded with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: So the bottom line, if you have a loved one serving here in the Persian Gulf -- serving and fighting in this war keep those cards and letters and those packages oncoming. They'll be warmly received, I am sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
