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Update on Families of Three Rescued POWs
Aired April 14, 2003 - 14:16 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: Now we want to turn to the former prisoners of war. They are saying they were treated fairly well, although left in constant fear for their lives during the three weeks they were in captivity.
The seven GIs are in Kuwait City today preparing for the journey home. They were discovered yesterday when an Iraqi policeman near the city of Tikrit led U.S. Marines to a building where the prisoners were being held. They described their ordeal to a "Washington Post" reporter who accompanied them on the flight to Kuwait City.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER BAKER, "WASHINGTON POST" CORRESPONDENT: The days were, you know, filled with endless speculation and anxiety. They were fed two or three times a day with sort of the same, you know, unappetizing portions of rice and pita bread and maybe a little chicken and so forth. They weren't allowed outside to exercise. They couldn't shower. They wore the same grungy pajama-like prison clothes 21 days on end without any change. It was a fairly, you know, dingy and dirty existence.
And then at night, the bombing seemed to get closer and closer, they just sat there and listened. They could hear the bombs as they got closer. One of them said they could even hear the shells of the A-10 Warthog on the roof of the building they were in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: Five of the Americans were captured in an ambush near Nasiriya. The other two were taken prisoner after their Apache helicopter went down behind Iraqi lines.
Well, the families of the POWs are learning even more details about what happened to them during their three weeks in captivity. Joining us this hour, CNN's Susan Candiotti, who is with Apache pilot Ronald Young's family in Lithia Springs, Georgia.
Jamie Colby has been with the wife of Chief Warrant Officer David Williams, the other pilot on that downed Apache in Fort Hood, Texas.
And Jeff Flock is in Valley Center, Kansas with the family of Private 1st Class Patrick Miller.
And, Susan, let's begin with you. SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Judy. I'm joined now by Samantha Gerow, she is the youngest of the Young children. And very close in age, only a couple of years apart from your brother Ronald Young.
First of all, as you hear some of these frightening new details about what happened to your son (sic) -- knife to his colleague's throat, he was kicked and beaten in the beginning, what goes through your mind?
SAMANTHA GEROW, YOUNG'S SISTER: I really hate that he got beaten, but I know it could have been a lot worse. So I'm just so glad he's back and I can't wait to see him, give him a big hug. I'm just -- I'm glad that it could have been worse.
CANDIOTTI: Samantha, one of the things I know that's been helping your family is that you received all kinds of memorabilia, all kinds cards and letters from people. And one of them we have right here, an example of one of them. You must have half a dozen of these that you put together.
GEROW: We do. We have about five in the house this thick and we still have buckets full of mail we haven't even gone through yet and been able to open. So we have a lot.
CANDIOTTI: You'll be busy in the weeks and months to come. But this one that you've put together includes some letters from children, I know. And we preselected a couple of them because there are so many that I know you wanted to share with us. Here's an example of one of them. Why don't you go ahead and read that to us.
GEROW: OK. It says, "You may not know how your son is being treated but don't listen to your mind. Listen to your heart. Your heart should know that your son is going to be OK." The she comes down and she says, "I have three cats, a brother and a mom," then she says, "Anyway, I have to go. Bye."
CANDIOTTI: Very cute. This is someone from one of the local elementary schools, I think.
And then we turn to this one. So many of them so colorful. In fact, this one features "To the family of Ron Young." Got the American flag, a map of the USA and that could be Ron down there on the bottom.
GEROW: Yes, that's Ron.
CANDIOTTI: And what does the student write?
GEROW: "We are thinking. We are loving you. We are so sad for you. We thank you so much for fighting for us. Ron, we love you."
CANDIOTTI: And there are more and more like these. Look at all the flags, the letters, all kinds of things.
Tell me, as you go through all this material, what has this meant to your family?
GEROW: A lot. It has helped us out, it gives us something to do during the day. We have a house full of flowers. We have food for lunch, dinner, breakfast. So it means so much.
CANDIOTTI: Now, have you ever stopped and thought, being so close in age to your brother, what if his experience -- what if that had happened to me? Can you possibly put yourself in his shoes?
GEROW: No. He's way braver than I am. I wouldn't have been able to do it at all. The whole Army thing, the flying the Apache, nothing. So I really -- I'm very proud of him.
CANDIOTTI;; Would you like to see him fly again?
GEROW: Oh, yes.
CANDIOTTI: And when you see him, have you already gone through your mind what you'd love to say to him?
GEROW: Not yet. I have a little bit more thinking to do.
CANDIOTTI: You do indeed.
GEROW: I want to say the right thing.
CANDIOTTI: I'm sure you will, whatever it is.
In any case, the family will be hearing more from the Army as soon as tomorrow when they'll have a meeting with them. And hopefully at that time they'll learn exactly when they'll be seeing Ron Young again.
Back to you, Judy.
WOODRUFF: Thanks, Susan. I'm sure that support from the community and the schoolchildren has meant so much to the Ron Young family.
Well now we want to go to Jamie Colby. She's at Fort Hood, Texas where she's been talking with the wife of Chief Warrant Officer David Williams. Hello, Jamie.
JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, good afternoon.
You know, Michelle Williams says she also doesn't know what she'll say to her husband David when she sees him for the first time in so long. But everyone here says they have a lot to love and prayers and they can't wait for him to get back to Killeen.
The two meant in pilot school at Fort Rucker and they had been at Fort Hood a short time when David was deployed. It's a real love story. And for the first time she was able to talk to us, Judy, because she's a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. The military had advised her it would be best not to go to the media after her husband was captured because they felt that those who were holding him may use against him the fact that his wife was also in the military.
But this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" she talked about seeing those pictures of him released for the first time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE WILLIAMS, WIFE OF RESCUED POW: I was -- 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: And Michelle is an incredibly strong woman, but she is also a soldier. She said that was one of the most challenging things through this period of time, to separate being the wife of a soldier and remaining a soldier.
High emotions here today. A very happy day for everyone at the base. She had a message for her husband today that, Dave, if you are listening -- she had a press event earlier after we had spoken to her -- saying, "I love you. I'm proud of you." And truly she never lost faith that her husband would be strong and hang in and get home. And she can't wait -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Jamie. That's another heart-warming story. Thank you very much. Jamie Colby reporting from Fort Hood, Texas.
Finally and now in this trilogy, we want to go to Jeff Flock. He is at Valley Center, Kansas where he's with the family of Private 1st Class Patrick Miller. Hello, Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Judy. And perhaps as you see the yellow ribbons remained tied around the old oak trees and the rest here in Valley Center, Kansas even though hometown hero Patrick Miller has now done his time and is on his way home.
I spoke to his brother -- or one of his brothers just a short time ago, who told me that his joy about all of this is somewhat tempered by the fact that even though these seven POWs are now accounted for and are now free, others remain unaccounted for. And he's also thinking about those who will not be coming back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANE PARKER, MILLER'S HALF-BROTHER: I'm ready to see him. I hope everybody that's still over there can make it back safe. I mean, our prayers are still going out to the families that they're still missing people or that are still captured.
FLOCK: I know, I've heard your family say, you know, don't take the yellow ribbons down...
PARKER: Leave the ribbons up. I mean, They're not just for Pat. I mean they're for everybody that's over there. (END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK And now of course, Judy, the question is what is to come in terms of the family. I talked to the minister who married Pat Miller and his wife, Jesa (ph), about what the next step will be. What she is being told by the military right now is that there are a lot of plans out there.
One for a presidential luncheon to take place at sometime within the next couple of weeks for all the POW families. In terms of the short term, she's being told he'll be overseas for at least another day. And then what will happen is the families will fly from wherever they are in the U.S. somewhere out to the East Coast, to a military base on the East Coast. It's been talked about that perhaps it's Walter Reed because some of the folks are going to need continued medical attention.
But somewhere at this point undetermined they'll all come together and the great reunion will all take place with all of them there. And then at some later point they get leave and come on back to their individual hometown.
So however it all plays out, certainly some exciting days to come in the next few days. That's it from here in Valley Center, Kansas. Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: Thanks, Jeff. It sounds like some of these POW families may be making their way to Washington for that lunch with the president. Thanks a lot to you, Jeff, and to Jamie and to Susan Candiotti.
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 - 14:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Now we want to turn to the former prisoners of war. They are saying they were treated fairly well, although left in constant fear for their lives during the three weeks they were in captivity.
The seven GIs are in Kuwait City today preparing for the journey home. They were discovered yesterday when an Iraqi policeman near the city of Tikrit led U.S. Marines to a building where the prisoners were being held. They described their ordeal to a "Washington Post" reporter who accompanied them on the flight to Kuwait City.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER BAKER, "WASHINGTON POST" CORRESPONDENT: The days were, you know, filled with endless speculation and anxiety. They were fed two or three times a day with sort of the same, you know, unappetizing portions of rice and pita bread and maybe a little chicken and so forth. They weren't allowed outside to exercise. They couldn't shower. They wore the same grungy pajama-like prison clothes 21 days on end without any change. It was a fairly, you know, dingy and dirty existence.
And then at night, the bombing seemed to get closer and closer, they just sat there and listened. They could hear the bombs as they got closer. One of them said they could even hear the shells of the A-10 Warthog on the roof of the building they were in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOODRUFF: Five of the Americans were captured in an ambush near Nasiriya. The other two were taken prisoner after their Apache helicopter went down behind Iraqi lines.
Well, the families of the POWs are learning even more details about what happened to them during their three weeks in captivity. Joining us this hour, CNN's Susan Candiotti, who is with Apache pilot Ronald Young's family in Lithia Springs, Georgia.
Jamie Colby has been with the wife of Chief Warrant Officer David Williams, the other pilot on that downed Apache in Fort Hood, Texas.
And Jeff Flock is in Valley Center, Kansas with the family of Private 1st Class Patrick Miller.
And, Susan, let's begin with you. SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Judy. I'm joined now by Samantha Gerow, she is the youngest of the Young children. And very close in age, only a couple of years apart from your brother Ronald Young.
First of all, as you hear some of these frightening new details about what happened to your son (sic) -- knife to his colleague's throat, he was kicked and beaten in the beginning, what goes through your mind?
SAMANTHA GEROW, YOUNG'S SISTER: I really hate that he got beaten, but I know it could have been a lot worse. So I'm just so glad he's back and I can't wait to see him, give him a big hug. I'm just -- I'm glad that it could have been worse.
CANDIOTTI: Samantha, one of the things I know that's been helping your family is that you received all kinds of memorabilia, all kinds cards and letters from people. And one of them we have right here, an example of one of them. You must have half a dozen of these that you put together.
GEROW: We do. We have about five in the house this thick and we still have buckets full of mail we haven't even gone through yet and been able to open. So we have a lot.
CANDIOTTI: You'll be busy in the weeks and months to come. But this one that you've put together includes some letters from children, I know. And we preselected a couple of them because there are so many that I know you wanted to share with us. Here's an example of one of them. Why don't you go ahead and read that to us.
GEROW: OK. It says, "You may not know how your son is being treated but don't listen to your mind. Listen to your heart. Your heart should know that your son is going to be OK." The she comes down and she says, "I have three cats, a brother and a mom," then she says, "Anyway, I have to go. Bye."
CANDIOTTI: Very cute. This is someone from one of the local elementary schools, I think.
And then we turn to this one. So many of them so colorful. In fact, this one features "To the family of Ron Young." Got the American flag, a map of the USA and that could be Ron down there on the bottom.
GEROW: Yes, that's Ron.
CANDIOTTI: And what does the student write?
GEROW: "We are thinking. We are loving you. We are so sad for you. We thank you so much for fighting for us. Ron, we love you."
CANDIOTTI: And there are more and more like these. Look at all the flags, the letters, all kinds of things.
Tell me, as you go through all this material, what has this meant to your family?
GEROW: A lot. It has helped us out, it gives us something to do during the day. We have a house full of flowers. We have food for lunch, dinner, breakfast. So it means so much.
CANDIOTTI: Now, have you ever stopped and thought, being so close in age to your brother, what if his experience -- what if that had happened to me? Can you possibly put yourself in his shoes?
GEROW: No. He's way braver than I am. I wouldn't have been able to do it at all. The whole Army thing, the flying the Apache, nothing. So I really -- I'm very proud of him.
CANDIOTTI;; Would you like to see him fly again?
GEROW: Oh, yes.
CANDIOTTI: And when you see him, have you already gone through your mind what you'd love to say to him?
GEROW: Not yet. I have a little bit more thinking to do.
CANDIOTTI: You do indeed.
GEROW: I want to say the right thing.
CANDIOTTI: I'm sure you will, whatever it is.
In any case, the family will be hearing more from the Army as soon as tomorrow when they'll have a meeting with them. And hopefully at that time they'll learn exactly when they'll be seeing Ron Young again.
Back to you, Judy.
WOODRUFF: Thanks, Susan. I'm sure that support from the community and the schoolchildren has meant so much to the Ron Young family.
Well now we want to go to Jamie Colby. She's at Fort Hood, Texas where she's been talking with the wife of Chief Warrant Officer David Williams. Hello, Jamie.
JAMIE COLBY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, good afternoon.
You know, Michelle Williams says she also doesn't know what she'll say to her husband David when she sees him for the first time in so long. But everyone here says they have a lot to love and prayers and they can't wait for him to get back to Killeen.
The two meant in pilot school at Fort Rucker and they had been at Fort Hood a short time when David was deployed. It's a real love story. And for the first time she was able to talk to us, Judy, because she's a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. The military had advised her it would be best not to go to the media after her husband was captured because they felt that those who were holding him may use against him the fact that his wife was also in the military.
But this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING" she talked about seeing those pictures of him released for the first time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE WILLIAMS, WIFE OF RESCUED POW: I was -- 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: And Michelle is an incredibly strong woman, but she is also a soldier. She said that was one of the most challenging things through this period of time, to separate being the wife of a soldier and remaining a soldier.
High emotions here today. A very happy day for everyone at the base. She had a message for her husband today that, Dave, if you are listening -- she had a press event earlier after we had spoken to her -- saying, "I love you. I'm proud of you." And truly she never lost faith that her husband would be strong and hang in and get home. And she can't wait -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Jamie. That's another heart-warming story. Thank you very much. Jamie Colby reporting from Fort Hood, Texas.
Finally and now in this trilogy, we want to go to Jeff Flock. He is at Valley Center, Kansas where he's with the family of Private 1st Class Patrick Miller. Hello, Jeff.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Judy. And perhaps as you see the yellow ribbons remained tied around the old oak trees and the rest here in Valley Center, Kansas even though hometown hero Patrick Miller has now done his time and is on his way home.
I spoke to his brother -- or one of his brothers just a short time ago, who told me that his joy about all of this is somewhat tempered by the fact that even though these seven POWs are now accounted for and are now free, others remain unaccounted for. And he's also thinking about those who will not be coming back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANE PARKER, MILLER'S HALF-BROTHER: I'm ready to see him. I hope everybody that's still over there can make it back safe. I mean, our prayers are still going out to the families that they're still missing people or that are still captured.
FLOCK: I know, I've heard your family say, you know, don't take the yellow ribbons down...
PARKER: Leave the ribbons up. I mean, They're not just for Pat. I mean they're for everybody that's over there. (END VIDEO CLIP)
FLOCK And now of course, Judy, the question is what is to come in terms of the family. I talked to the minister who married Pat Miller and his wife, Jesa (ph), about what the next step will be. What she is being told by the military right now is that there are a lot of plans out there.
One for a presidential luncheon to take place at sometime within the next couple of weeks for all the POW families. In terms of the short term, she's being told he'll be overseas for at least another day. And then what will happen is the families will fly from wherever they are in the U.S. somewhere out to the East Coast, to a military base on the East Coast. It's been talked about that perhaps it's Walter Reed because some of the folks are going to need continued medical attention.
But somewhere at this point undetermined they'll all come together and the great reunion will all take place with all of them there. And then at some later point they get leave and come on back to their individual hometown.
So however it all plays out, certainly some exciting days to come in the next few days. That's it from here in Valley Center, Kansas. Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: Thanks, Jeff. It sounds like some of these POW families may be making their way to Washington for that lunch with the president. Thanks a lot to you, Jeff, and to Jamie and to Susan Candiotti.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
