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Families of Recovered POWs Await Homecomings
Aired April 14, 2003 - 13:19 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: We want to turn to the seven U.S. POWs who were rescued over the weekend. The ambushed soldiers, five of them, were members of the now famous 507th Maintenance company based at Fort Bliss, Texas. As you can imagine family members are ecstatic. The mother of one of the freed soldiers says she is so happy she's going to have a heart attack, she said. CNN, Thelma Gutierrez, is at Fort Bliss, and joins me live.
Thelma, we hope that's not going to be true, but we know they're excited.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They sure are excited, Judy. Out of the five POWs here from Fort Bliss, only one actually called El Paso home, she is 30-year-old Shoshania Johnson. She graduated from high school here in El Paso. She lives with her 2- year-old daughter, and she was a cook in the 507th Maintenance Company which is based here.
Now, yesterday, in front of the Johnson home where her parents live, it was a scene of celebration. An old army friend of her father's apparently learned that she was alive and well, he drove up in his big rig yesterday. He called out Shoshania's name, grabbed her mother and would not let her go. All of this, after she and the other POWs were seen escorted by Marines on to a C-130 transport plane to be taken to safety to Kuwait City. Now, all of the POWs had been released by Iraqi soldiers yesterday. Shoshania's sister, Nicki, also in the army told Ed Lavandera the family found out she was alive, and well at 8:00 in the morning, but they were not able to make contact with her until 3:00 in the afternoon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Do you think when you had the chance to speak with her sister, do you think Shoshania understands how much attention she has been getting and her unit's been getting?
NIKKI JOHNSON, SHOSHANIA'S SISTER: I don't think she fully realizes because at the moment you're thinking, thank god. You know, you're kind of focused on yourself, you know, as, you know, a couple days go by she'll be like, man. When she called she couldn't get through. She was all upset, like where were you? You know, we're like, people were calling! You know, so probably, you know, it will start sink in, especially when she gets here, and the phone won't start ringing. This is like what we had to deal with.
(END VIDEO CLIP) GUTIERREZ: The family receives hundreds of calls all day yesterday and that's why she couldn't get through, calls from relatives, and friends and, of course, reporters. They say they are prepared to go to Germany if in fact that is where Shoshania ends up getting her medical treatment.
Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: And Thelma, how quickly do they think they're going get to see their daughter?
GUTIERREZ: Well, they're hoping it'll happen as soon as possible. They're not quite sure. They have not been told exactly what the game plan is. But they say as soon as they found out, they're ready to move out of here.
WOODRUFF: All right. Thelma Gutierrez, reporting from Fort Bliss, where as we said, the five POWs who were part of the 507th Maintenance Company were based.
There were also big celebrations today at Fort Hood, Texas, home base to two other POWs, Army Chief Officers David Williams (ph) and Ronald Young (ph). Those pilots were captured on March 24th, after their apache helicopter went down in Iraqi territory. And today, their families are learning new and actually harrowing details about the days after their capture.
CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti is with the Young family in Georgia. Jamie Cole by at Fort Hood, Texas, where she spoke to Williams' wife Michelle (ph).
Susan, why don't we start with you?
SUSAN CANDIOTI, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Judy. Well, during a brief phone call with their son from Kuwait on Sunday, the army asked the Young family not to get into any specific details about what happened during their son's capture and release. However, the family did get in a company of questions about how he was treated. They learned he lost 20 pounds and also their son told them that in the last few days of his capture, things weren't so bad but that they were very rough in the beginning.
Now they are learning more details that their son in fact was kicked and beaten after his capture, and that his fellow pilot David Williams had a knife held to his throat immediately after an his capture. That according to an interview their son was allowed to conduct with "The Washington Post", who flew with him into Kuwait. Their son is said to be in very good spirits now and back here in Georgia, after three weeks of not knowing exactly what had happened to him, finally, for the very first time in three weeks, the Young family members got some sleep last night for the first time in a long time. Well, at least some family members did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD YOUNG SR. FATHER OF POW: She slept pretty good. I'm not kidding.
(LAUGHTER)
YOUNG: I came home, she was in bed, I laid on the couch for a couple of hours. I walked around like a (UNINTELLIGIBLE), man I'm going to sleep tonight, I really am. And I got in there, laid down -- she must have took a pill or something. Sounded like a saw mill going on next to me. Back on the couch again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, I was tired. And besides, it was relief, you know? I could finally sleep and know everything was okay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTI: Well, of course, pictures and videotape and a phone call is one thing. But seeing their son in person is quite another. And they are, of course, hoping that will happen very soon. Young's mother says, when she sees her son, she plans on hugging him for a good solid half hour.
Back to you -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: At least, we would think, that's the case. All right, Susan, thanks very much.
Now, let's turn to Jamie Colby she's at Fort Hood, Texas, where she's been talking with the family of Chief Warrant Officer David Williams. For them, Jamie, given what we just heard about the knife at his throat, they must be incredibly relieved.
JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Judy, they have been learning more and more as the day goes on. But the focus is clearly not on their treatment or their capture but their freedom. I was on the phone with Michelle Williams yesterday, when she saw those first pictures on CNN of her husband, and she shrieked with delight, you can imagine. For three weeks she's watched and waited for some news. The only other pictures was his abandoned helicopter. She knew instantly when she saw it, because of the 1st Cavalry Emblem on the side, and also special markings it was his. It's been a long three weeks. Today is date is truely the day she was waiting for. I had a chance as well to spend some time with her yesterday. And this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" she told us about what her reaction was when she saw those first pictures of her husband free.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE WILLIAMS, WIFE OF POW: I was so happy. He -- I knew -- I never lost hope that he was alive. And just seeing him and being able to see his eyes and his reaction to his rescue just took a huge load off my shoulders.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLBY: Incredible support from military spouses, but this is a true love story. The two met, Michelle and David in flight school at Fort Rutger. They'd been at Fort Hood for a short time. Both are pilots. Michelle is a Blackhawk helicopter pilot. They have two beautiful children. 2-year-old Jason (ph) who spoke to his father when he called yesterday saying, hi, Daddy. And 6-month-old Madison (ph). Because Michelle is a helicopter pilot, she wasn't able to talk to the media, but today at a press conference she also said she had a message for her husband and hoped he could hear her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: The relief that I felt yesterday was just awesome. The first thing I want to say is to my husband, you can see me, I want you to knee that I love you and that I support you and I'm so, so proud of you, and that never changed. The moment you left, and I'm still very proud of you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLBY: No word yet when the couple will be reunited. But surely it won't be soon enough -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Jamie, a heartwarming story, this one. I'm sure they are focusing on the fact that he is alive and well and coming home. All right, Jamie Colby, Susan Candiotti in Georgia, thanks to you both.
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 14, 2003 - 13:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn to the seven U.S. POWs who were rescued over the weekend. The ambushed soldiers, five of them, were members of the now famous 507th Maintenance company based at Fort Bliss, Texas. As you can imagine family members are ecstatic. The mother of one of the freed soldiers says she is so happy she's going to have a heart attack, she said. CNN, Thelma Gutierrez, is at Fort Bliss, and joins me live.
Thelma, we hope that's not going to be true, but we know they're excited.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They sure are excited, Judy. Out of the five POWs here from Fort Bliss, only one actually called El Paso home, she is 30-year-old Shoshania Johnson. She graduated from high school here in El Paso. She lives with her 2- year-old daughter, and she was a cook in the 507th Maintenance Company which is based here.
Now, yesterday, in front of the Johnson home where her parents live, it was a scene of celebration. An old army friend of her father's apparently learned that she was alive and well, he drove up in his big rig yesterday. He called out Shoshania's name, grabbed her mother and would not let her go. All of this, after she and the other POWs were seen escorted by Marines on to a C-130 transport plane to be taken to safety to Kuwait City. Now, all of the POWs had been released by Iraqi soldiers yesterday. Shoshania's sister, Nicki, also in the army told Ed Lavandera the family found out she was alive, and well at 8:00 in the morning, but they were not able to make contact with her until 3:00 in the afternoon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Do you think when you had the chance to speak with her sister, do you think Shoshania understands how much attention she has been getting and her unit's been getting?
NIKKI JOHNSON, SHOSHANIA'S SISTER: I don't think she fully realizes because at the moment you're thinking, thank god. You know, you're kind of focused on yourself, you know, as, you know, a couple days go by she'll be like, man. When she called she couldn't get through. She was all upset, like where were you? You know, we're like, people were calling! You know, so probably, you know, it will start sink in, especially when she gets here, and the phone won't start ringing. This is like what we had to deal with.
(END VIDEO CLIP) GUTIERREZ: The family receives hundreds of calls all day yesterday and that's why she couldn't get through, calls from relatives, and friends and, of course, reporters. They say they are prepared to go to Germany if in fact that is where Shoshania ends up getting her medical treatment.
Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: And Thelma, how quickly do they think they're going get to see their daughter?
GUTIERREZ: Well, they're hoping it'll happen as soon as possible. They're not quite sure. They have not been told exactly what the game plan is. But they say as soon as they found out, they're ready to move out of here.
WOODRUFF: All right. Thelma Gutierrez, reporting from Fort Bliss, where as we said, the five POWs who were part of the 507th Maintenance Company were based.
There were also big celebrations today at Fort Hood, Texas, home base to two other POWs, Army Chief Officers David Williams (ph) and Ronald Young (ph). Those pilots were captured on March 24th, after their apache helicopter went down in Iraqi territory. And today, their families are learning new and actually harrowing details about the days after their capture.
CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti is with the Young family in Georgia. Jamie Cole by at Fort Hood, Texas, where she spoke to Williams' wife Michelle (ph).
Susan, why don't we start with you?
SUSAN CANDIOTI, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Judy. Well, during a brief phone call with their son from Kuwait on Sunday, the army asked the Young family not to get into any specific details about what happened during their son's capture and release. However, the family did get in a company of questions about how he was treated. They learned he lost 20 pounds and also their son told them that in the last few days of his capture, things weren't so bad but that they were very rough in the beginning.
Now they are learning more details that their son in fact was kicked and beaten after his capture, and that his fellow pilot David Williams had a knife held to his throat immediately after an his capture. That according to an interview their son was allowed to conduct with "The Washington Post", who flew with him into Kuwait. Their son is said to be in very good spirits now and back here in Georgia, after three weeks of not knowing exactly what had happened to him, finally, for the very first time in three weeks, the Young family members got some sleep last night for the first time in a long time. Well, at least some family members did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD YOUNG SR. FATHER OF POW: She slept pretty good. I'm not kidding.
(LAUGHTER)
YOUNG: I came home, she was in bed, I laid on the couch for a couple of hours. I walked around like a (UNINTELLIGIBLE), man I'm going to sleep tonight, I really am. And I got in there, laid down -- she must have took a pill or something. Sounded like a saw mill going on next to me. Back on the couch again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, I was tired. And besides, it was relief, you know? I could finally sleep and know everything was okay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTI: Well, of course, pictures and videotape and a phone call is one thing. But seeing their son in person is quite another. And they are, of course, hoping that will happen very soon. Young's mother says, when she sees her son, she plans on hugging him for a good solid half hour.
Back to you -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: At least, we would think, that's the case. All right, Susan, thanks very much.
Now, let's turn to Jamie Colby she's at Fort Hood, Texas, where she's been talking with the family of Chief Warrant Officer David Williams. For them, Jamie, given what we just heard about the knife at his throat, they must be incredibly relieved.
JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Judy, they have been learning more and more as the day goes on. But the focus is clearly not on their treatment or their capture but their freedom. I was on the phone with Michelle Williams yesterday, when she saw those first pictures on CNN of her husband, and she shrieked with delight, you can imagine. For three weeks she's watched and waited for some news. The only other pictures was his abandoned helicopter. She knew instantly when she saw it, because of the 1st Cavalry Emblem on the side, and also special markings it was his. It's been a long three weeks. Today is date is truely the day she was waiting for. I had a chance as well to spend some time with her yesterday. And this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" she told us about what her reaction was when she saw those first pictures of her husband free.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE WILLIAMS, WIFE OF POW: I was so happy. He -- I knew -- I never lost hope that he was alive. And just seeing him and being able to see his eyes and his reaction to his rescue just took a huge load off my shoulders.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLBY: Incredible support from military spouses, but this is a true love story. The two met, Michelle and David in flight school at Fort Rutger. They'd been at Fort Hood for a short time. Both are pilots. Michelle is a Blackhawk helicopter pilot. They have two beautiful children. 2-year-old Jason (ph) who spoke to his father when he called yesterday saying, hi, Daddy. And 6-month-old Madison (ph). Because Michelle is a helicopter pilot, she wasn't able to talk to the media, but today at a press conference she also said she had a message for her husband and hoped he could hear her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: The relief that I felt yesterday was just awesome. The first thing I want to say is to my husband, you can see me, I want you to knee that I love you and that I support you and I'm so, so proud of you, and that never changed. The moment you left, and I'm still very proud of you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLBY: No word yet when the couple will be reunited. But surely it won't be soon enough -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: Jamie, a heartwarming story, this one. I'm sure they are focusing on the fact that he is alive and well and coming home. All right, Jamie Colby, Susan Candiotti in Georgia, thanks to you both.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
