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Shoshana Johnson to Return Home as Fellow Soldier is Laid to Rest
Aired April 14, 2003 - 15:18 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: Five of the seven former American POWs are members of the Army's 507th Maintenance Company. That unit's home base is Fort Bliss, Texas. And that is where we find CNN's Thelma Gutierrez. Hello again, Thelma.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Judy. A day of joy and sorrow here at Fort Bliss. While many of the POW families celebrate as we've seen today, the family of 18-year-old private Reuben Estrera is burying their son right here at the Fort Bliss national cemetery.
Now the family of Shoshana Johnson told us that it is difficult, they say, to plan parties while so many others mourn. They say that they spoke with her yesterday and she was told -- she's especially eager to see her 2-year-old daughter, Janelle (ph).
Now yesterday, the family has learned that she was alive and well about 8:00 in the morning. But it wasn't until 3:00 in the afternoon that Shoshana was actually able to get through on the telephone because the family received so many calls and their lines were plugged up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think that when you had the chance to speak with your sister, do you think Shoshana understands just how much attention she's been getting and her unit's been getting?
NIKKI JOHNSON, SISTER OF RESCUED POW: I don't think she fully realizes, you know, because at the moment you're thinking thank God, here come the -- oh, thank God. You know, you're focused on yourself, you know.
As, you know, a couple days go by, she'll probably be like, man, you know. And when she called she couldn't get through, she was upset, like where were you? You know? And we're like people were calling, you know.
So probably, you know, it'll start to sink in, especially when she gets here and the phone won't stop ringing. We're like this is what we had to deal with.
(END VIDEO CLIP) GUTIERREZ: Now, Shoshana Johnson's family is anxiously awaiting something kind of a reunion, though they say that at this point, they have no clue as to when that might take place, though they say that they are willing to go to Germany if she should arrive there anytime soon. Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: All right, Thelma. We know a lot of celebrating go on there. At the same time they are mourning the loss of yet another soldier based at Fort Bliss. Thelma Gutierrez, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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Aired April 14, 2003 - 15:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Five of the seven former American POWs are members of the Army's 507th Maintenance Company. That unit's home base is Fort Bliss, Texas. And that is where we find CNN's Thelma Gutierrez. Hello again, Thelma.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Judy. A day of joy and sorrow here at Fort Bliss. While many of the POW families celebrate as we've seen today, the family of 18-year-old private Reuben Estrera is burying their son right here at the Fort Bliss national cemetery.
Now the family of Shoshana Johnson told us that it is difficult, they say, to plan parties while so many others mourn. They say that they spoke with her yesterday and she was told -- she's especially eager to see her 2-year-old daughter, Janelle (ph).
Now yesterday, the family has learned that she was alive and well about 8:00 in the morning. But it wasn't until 3:00 in the afternoon that Shoshana was actually able to get through on the telephone because the family received so many calls and their lines were plugged up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think that when you had the chance to speak with your sister, do you think Shoshana understands just how much attention she's been getting and her unit's been getting?
NIKKI JOHNSON, SISTER OF RESCUED POW: I don't think she fully realizes, you know, because at the moment you're thinking thank God, here come the -- oh, thank God. You know, you're focused on yourself, you know.
As, you know, a couple days go by, she'll probably be like, man, you know. And when she called she couldn't get through, she was upset, like where were you? You know? And we're like people were calling, you know.
So probably, you know, it'll start to sink in, especially when she gets here and the phone won't stop ringing. We're like this is what we had to deal with.
(END VIDEO CLIP) GUTIERREZ: Now, Shoshana Johnson's family is anxiously awaiting something kind of a reunion, though they say that at this point, they have no clue as to when that might take place, though they say that they are willing to go to Germany if she should arrive there anytime soon. Judy, back to you.
WOODRUFF: All right, Thelma. We know a lot of celebrating go on there. At the same time they are mourning the loss of yet another soldier based at Fort Bliss. Thelma Gutierrez, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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