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Interview With Claude Johnson

Aired April 15, 2003 - 12:39   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: One of the great stories, one of the happy stories of this war, the rescue, the recovery of those seven American POWs, two Apache helicopter pilots, seven (sic) members of the 507th Maintenance Company in Texas. One of them Shoshana Johnson.
Joining us now live, Shoshana Johnson's father, Claude Johnson. Mr. Johnson, congratulations to you. You're joining us from El Paso. When was the last time, sir, you spoke with your daughter?

CLAUDE JOHNSON, FATHER OF FORMER POW: I spoke to her on Sunday -- Sunday afternoon.

BLITZER: How did she sound?

JOHNSON: She sounded great. First she went to tears, and later on she turned to happiness and joy because she was able to speak to the entire family, and her daughter, of course.

BLITZER: She obviously was thrilled, and you must have been thrilled, obviously, your whole family. Did she say anything about her ordeal during those three weeks in Iraqi captivity?

JOHNSON: No, she didn't. She didn't say anything about her ordeal. All she mentioned was that the fact that she had gotten shot, and that they were taking pictures of her, and her hair was not done.

BLITZER: Did she say she was treated for that gunshot wound by Iraqis?

JOHNSON: Yes. She said that they had first given her first aid for the gunshot wound, but she didn't go anything beyond that.

BLITZER: And what about her physical condition now? Did she say she was feeling OK? What have you heard from Army representatives, from the doctors in the Army?

JOHNSON: She said that she was physically OK, other than the gunshot wounds. And that -- I spoke to the doctor, who told me that they were going to do surgery on her -- her ankle. It was just because of some infection that they had known was in there, they just wanted to clean that up.

BLITZER: Because all of us remember that picture on Iraqi television when we saw her. We saw that bandage on her ankle. I'm sure you remember that very, very visibly. Your family went through what must have been a roller coaster of emotions during those three weeks. Did you ever give up on Shoshana? JOHNSON: Never did. Never did. The entire family never did give up on her. We had faith, and we knew that she would have faith, and she would be tough. It was visible, if you had the opportunity to see the -- any of the tapes since she was brought back, you'd see that she had a lot of enthusiasm.

BLITZER: Did you get any indication when this joyous reunion, you and your daughter and the rest of the family might take place?

JOHNSON: No. We don't have a timeline, but hopefully it will be very soon. We're very, very anxious.

BLITZER: You want to just touch her and hug her and give her a big kiss, and make sure she's OK. That's totally understandable. Has anybody said to you anything about flying, perhaps, to Washington, D.C. for that reunion? Any plans in the works?

JOHNSON: Well, as soon as they let us know where she's going, how long she's going to be there, I'm quite sure that we will make the appropriate plans to be over there. Let there be no doubt that we're going wherever she's at. First opportunity we get, we are going to be right there.

BLITZER: I'm sure every father in the world would be reacting exactly the same way as you are. You just want to be with your daughter at a time like this. After you see her, do you have any idea, have you spoken to her at all about what she's planning on doing, about going back into the Army, finishing up her tour of duty? Does she want to take a break? Did you get a sense? Did you have a chance to discuss that at all with her?

JOHNSON: No. We just spoke to her once, and we didn't have the opportunity and -- of course, that's going to be her decision, and we're going to support her regardless of what her decision is.

BLITZER: And one final question -- is there anything special you want to bring her, or make for her when you see her, some sort of item beside her daughter, obviously, that she wants to have more than anything else, based on your knowledge of what she loves?

JOHNSON: We haven't made -- we haven't made that determination yet, but whatever she wants, she can rest assured that we'll be taking it with us or making sure it's available for her.

BLITZER: Mr. Johnson, congratulations to you. Congratulations to your whole family. We will look forward to speaking with Shoshana Johnson at the appropriate moment. I know that you're just waiting anxiously. But let me reassure you, she's fine. They're taking good care of her. She'll be home pretty -- pretty soon. Claude Johnson, the father of Shoshana Johnson, member of the 507th Maintenance Company, a former POW now freed, getting ready to come home.

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 15, 2003 - 12:39   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: One of the great stories, one of the happy stories of this war, the rescue, the recovery of those seven American POWs, two Apache helicopter pilots, seven (sic) members of the 507th Maintenance Company in Texas. One of them Shoshana Johnson.
Joining us now live, Shoshana Johnson's father, Claude Johnson. Mr. Johnson, congratulations to you. You're joining us from El Paso. When was the last time, sir, you spoke with your daughter?

CLAUDE JOHNSON, FATHER OF FORMER POW: I spoke to her on Sunday -- Sunday afternoon.

BLITZER: How did she sound?

JOHNSON: She sounded great. First she went to tears, and later on she turned to happiness and joy because she was able to speak to the entire family, and her daughter, of course.

BLITZER: She obviously was thrilled, and you must have been thrilled, obviously, your whole family. Did she say anything about her ordeal during those three weeks in Iraqi captivity?

JOHNSON: No, she didn't. She didn't say anything about her ordeal. All she mentioned was that the fact that she had gotten shot, and that they were taking pictures of her, and her hair was not done.

BLITZER: Did she say she was treated for that gunshot wound by Iraqis?

JOHNSON: Yes. She said that they had first given her first aid for the gunshot wound, but she didn't go anything beyond that.

BLITZER: And what about her physical condition now? Did she say she was feeling OK? What have you heard from Army representatives, from the doctors in the Army?

JOHNSON: She said that she was physically OK, other than the gunshot wounds. And that -- I spoke to the doctor, who told me that they were going to do surgery on her -- her ankle. It was just because of some infection that they had known was in there, they just wanted to clean that up.

BLITZER: Because all of us remember that picture on Iraqi television when we saw her. We saw that bandage on her ankle. I'm sure you remember that very, very visibly. Your family went through what must have been a roller coaster of emotions during those three weeks. Did you ever give up on Shoshana? JOHNSON: Never did. Never did. The entire family never did give up on her. We had faith, and we knew that she would have faith, and she would be tough. It was visible, if you had the opportunity to see the -- any of the tapes since she was brought back, you'd see that she had a lot of enthusiasm.

BLITZER: Did you get any indication when this joyous reunion, you and your daughter and the rest of the family might take place?

JOHNSON: No. We don't have a timeline, but hopefully it will be very soon. We're very, very anxious.

BLITZER: You want to just touch her and hug her and give her a big kiss, and make sure she's OK. That's totally understandable. Has anybody said to you anything about flying, perhaps, to Washington, D.C. for that reunion? Any plans in the works?

JOHNSON: Well, as soon as they let us know where she's going, how long she's going to be there, I'm quite sure that we will make the appropriate plans to be over there. Let there be no doubt that we're going wherever she's at. First opportunity we get, we are going to be right there.

BLITZER: I'm sure every father in the world would be reacting exactly the same way as you are. You just want to be with your daughter at a time like this. After you see her, do you have any idea, have you spoken to her at all about what she's planning on doing, about going back into the Army, finishing up her tour of duty? Does she want to take a break? Did you get a sense? Did you have a chance to discuss that at all with her?

JOHNSON: No. We just spoke to her once, and we didn't have the opportunity and -- of course, that's going to be her decision, and we're going to support her regardless of what her decision is.

BLITZER: And one final question -- is there anything special you want to bring her, or make for her when you see her, some sort of item beside her daughter, obviously, that she wants to have more than anything else, based on your knowledge of what she loves?

JOHNSON: We haven't made -- we haven't made that determination yet, but whatever she wants, she can rest assured that we'll be taking it with us or making sure it's available for her.

BLITZER: Mr. Johnson, congratulations to you. Congratulations to your whole family. We will look forward to speaking with Shoshana Johnson at the appropriate moment. I know that you're just waiting anxiously. But let me reassure you, she's fine. They're taking good care of her. She'll be home pretty -- pretty soon. Claude Johnson, the father of Shoshana Johnson, member of the 507th Maintenance Company, a former POW now freed, getting ready to come home.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com