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USS Abraham Lincoln Comes Home
Aired May 02, 2003 - 14:12 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: They are pumped up by the presidential visit, but that hardly compares with the excitement of getting home to wives, children, parents and sweethearts after nearly 10 months at sea. The aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln dropped anchor today at San Diego, bringing thousands of Navy personnel home from the Persian Gulf.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is covering that story live. And, Thelma, you know, these pictures that we've been seeing are just incredible, but I imagine they just don't do the real thing justice.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, Heidi, you're right. It didn't do it justice. Because when you are standing amongst thousands of people who are trying to hug each other, who are trying to talk to each other after such a very long separation, you almost felt as though you were a voyeur, you were sitting in on a very private moment.
But nonetheless, there were many tears, many hugs, lots of excitement here. Earlier today, there were thousands of people who were standing right behind me. But you can see that now most of them have left and those that do remain have been pushed back by military police with dogs across the street to await their loved ones.
Now in the past eight hours that we've been here, we've seen many hugs and tears, as I said, with family members reunited with loved ones after many months and in some cases up to a 10-month separation. Now, this is the longest deployment for any carrier group in the past three decades.
Joining me is Annelle Nevada (ph) and her family. Now Annelle (ph), welcome home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
GUTIERREZ: What was it like? You had a huge group that came to see you. What was it like when you finally saw your mother and father?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was great. It was a moment I've been looking forward to since we got extended pretty much and since we've been out there. It's just something that I've looked forward to every day. It was horrible. It was just aggravating, but we had to do it. We had to do it. And we did it and now we're back. It's just great. This is my father.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi.
GUTIERREZ: Hi. When you saw your daughter, when she finally left the ship, what did you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), I can't explain what is happening I mean it's too many like right here.
GUTIERREZ: You did -- lots of tears?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
GUTIERREZ: Good to see her home?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I'm very happy to be home finally after such a long deployment.
GUTIERREZ: Welcome home, Annelle Nevada (ph).
The other family that joins us is Patricia Tothmyer (ph). Patricia was away for many months as well. She's joined by her aunt and her cousin who came all the way here to see her. How does it feel to be back?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it's great. I haven't seen them in four years. So last time I saw them, he was still in her belly. So it's great to be back. Just to be with my family.
GUTIERREZ; When you were walking off that ship and you saw your family members, what did that feel like?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it was -- I just dropped everything and just started running. It was -- it was -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Screaming. You were screaming.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, screaming. I threw my hat off. It was -- it was -- it was great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got the picture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, all right.
GUTIERREZ: There was a lot of that going on today.
When you saw your niece, your thoughts?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cried. I was just happy to see her home. We're delighted; we're proud of her and glad they're all back.
GUTIERREZ: All right, thank you so much.
And, Heidi, that was pretty much the scene all day today as the men and women finally were able to leave the ship and run into the arms of their loved ones. Back to you.
COLLINS: Thelma, I know you've been talking to quite a few sailors and their families as well. What's the main thing that most of them tell you they are going to do first? Is it a great restaurant or what is it?
GUTIERREZ: Well, several of the couples said that they wanted private times together and that they just wanted to be left alone for the weekend and for the evening. Some of the fathers were asking their older teenagers if they would baby-sit the younger ones so that they could have time alone with their wives. I think it's probably time alone that's very well deserved.
COLLINS: Indeed. And we'll keep this a family friendly show. Thanks so much, Thelma Gutierrez aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
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 May 2, 2003 - 14:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: They are pumped up by the presidential visit, but that hardly compares with the excitement of getting home to wives, children, parents and sweethearts after nearly 10 months at sea. The aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln dropped anchor today at San Diego, bringing thousands of Navy personnel home from the Persian Gulf.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is covering that story live. And, Thelma, you know, these pictures that we've been seeing are just incredible, but I imagine they just don't do the real thing justice.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, Heidi, you're right. It didn't do it justice. Because when you are standing amongst thousands of people who are trying to hug each other, who are trying to talk to each other after such a very long separation, you almost felt as though you were a voyeur, you were sitting in on a very private moment.
But nonetheless, there were many tears, many hugs, lots of excitement here. Earlier today, there were thousands of people who were standing right behind me. But you can see that now most of them have left and those that do remain have been pushed back by military police with dogs across the street to await their loved ones.
Now in the past eight hours that we've been here, we've seen many hugs and tears, as I said, with family members reunited with loved ones after many months and in some cases up to a 10-month separation. Now, this is the longest deployment for any carrier group in the past three decades.
Joining me is Annelle Nevada (ph) and her family. Now Annelle (ph), welcome home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
GUTIERREZ: What was it like? You had a huge group that came to see you. What was it like when you finally saw your mother and father?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was great. It was a moment I've been looking forward to since we got extended pretty much and since we've been out there. It's just something that I've looked forward to every day. It was horrible. It was just aggravating, but we had to do it. We had to do it. And we did it and now we're back. It's just great. This is my father.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi.
GUTIERREZ: Hi. When you saw your daughter, when she finally left the ship, what did you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), I can't explain what is happening I mean it's too many like right here.
GUTIERREZ: You did -- lots of tears?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
GUTIERREZ: Good to see her home?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I'm very happy to be home finally after such a long deployment.
GUTIERREZ: Welcome home, Annelle Nevada (ph).
The other family that joins us is Patricia Tothmyer (ph). Patricia was away for many months as well. She's joined by her aunt and her cousin who came all the way here to see her. How does it feel to be back?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it's great. I haven't seen them in four years. So last time I saw them, he was still in her belly. So it's great to be back. Just to be with my family.
GUTIERREZ; When you were walking off that ship and you saw your family members, what did that feel like?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it was -- I just dropped everything and just started running. It was -- it was -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Screaming. You were screaming.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, screaming. I threw my hat off. It was -- it was -- it was great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got the picture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, all right.
GUTIERREZ: There was a lot of that going on today.
When you saw your niece, your thoughts?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cried. I was just happy to see her home. We're delighted; we're proud of her and glad they're all back.
GUTIERREZ: All right, thank you so much.
And, Heidi, that was pretty much the scene all day today as the men and women finally were able to leave the ship and run into the arms of their loved ones. Back to you.
COLLINS: Thelma, I know you've been talking to quite a few sailors and their families as well. What's the main thing that most of them tell you they are going to do first? Is it a great restaurant or what is it?
GUTIERREZ: Well, several of the couples said that they wanted private times together and that they just wanted to be left alone for the weekend and for the evening. Some of the fathers were asking their older teenagers if they would baby-sit the younger ones so that they could have time alone with their wives. I think it's probably time alone that's very well deserved.
COLLINS: Indeed. And we'll keep this a family friendly show. Thanks so much, Thelma Gutierrez aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
