Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Constellation Returns

Aired June 02, 2003 - 13:41   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.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, over the past few weeks it's a scene that has become rather familiar to us, family and friends gathering to welcome home troops or sailors. It's happening today in San Diego where the USS Constellation flat top is docking as we speak.
CNN's Frank Buckley is there, as he has been for so many of these reunions. Frank, you have logged quite a few of these, and this one is a little different in the sense that the Constellation isn't going to be headed out for active duty anymore. Is that making it a little more poignant for everybody involved?

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really does, Miles. And for me, personally, this was the ship that I was embedded on during the conflict in Iraq, so seeing a lot of the familiar faces coming down the brow (ph) here and it is an emotional thing for everybody on a lot of levels, but you're right, on the fact that this ship is decommissioning this summer is very emotional for a lot of folks.

It's a big day for the Hanna family, Sabrina, Lieutenant Raymond Hanna, we've got Raymond Jr. in the back, and we've got Anthony (ph) here and we've got this new one here, Antenae (ph). And when was Antenae (ph) born?

SABRINA HANNA, WIFE OF LIEUTENANT HANNA: January 7.

BUCKLEY: And so dad was not here for that?

S. HANNA: That's correct.

BUCKLEY: Lieutenant, how special is it to see your daughter?

LT. RAYMOND HANNA, U.S. NAVY: It's a blessing. It really is. The feelings you can't really put into words, but I'm very happy and feel very blessed.

BUCKLEY: You come home and you see this whole family of yours and you've got a new addition. The way you put it, that you can't put it into words, it must be an emotional thing for both of you.

What was it like to present this beautiful daughter to your son -- to your son -- to your husband?

S. HANNA: Oh, I was just really, really proud. I mean, she is beautiful and she is a wonderful baby, and I was just anxious to see his reaction to her.

BUCKLEY: Well, congratulations to you guys. We're really happy for you, and welcome home, Lieutenant.

R. HANNA: Thank you very much.

BUCKLEY: Thank you very much.

And you were talking about the historic nature of this. Lieutenant Hartley Postlethwaite, you are a pilot from the Red Griffins, and you did the final trap of the final cruise of the Connie (ph) with Fozzie (ph) Miller, the captain, the CO.

LT. HARTLEY POSTLETHWAITE, NAVY PILOT: Yes, I did.

BUCKLEY: Tell me what that moment was like for you knowing you were the last plane to land on this aircraft carrier ever.

POSTLETHWAITE: It was incredible. The way I felt is I just had chills up my spine as I was rolling around on the ball. It was probably more difficult than the normal night trap just because there's so much pressure to do it right and be part of that historic part of naval aviation. Connie (ph) has just been the workhorse of the Navy and America's flagship. It was quite an honor when my shipper asked me to do that, and flying with the captain of the ship was also a treat too.

BUCKLEY: And you were -- you and I were chatting earlier. You got to see some of the other squadrons flying off while you were coming back to the ship, and you had some communication with them. Tell me what that was like.

POSTLETHWAITE: Oh, that was neat. I could see the Snakes when they were flying back to Miramar. I could hear the Viggies (ph) and Falcons, the other two Hornet squadrons and you could see them as they would fly over the top of me in their formations, sets of four airplanes, and knowing that those were our war heroes coming back, it was just incredible. A few times on the radio, I even said, Hey, guys, you are heroes. Welcome home. Because I had had my homecoming the day before when we flew off, and it was their day to shine, and it was wonderful.

BUCKLEY: Thanks much. I appreciate it. I've got to introduce you to Rear Admiral Barry Costello, the battle group commander. Admiral, welcome home.

REAR ADM. BARRY COSTELLO, BATTLE GROUP COMMANDER: Thanks, Frank. It is good to see you again.

BUCKLEY: It is good to see you.

COSTELLO: I want to tell all of your viewers here, I know you don't want me to do this, but Frank was with us for over 30 days, along with his ace cameraman here, and he put up with all the challenges of ship-borne (ph) life, and became part of our team, and did a really outstanding job reporting from the carrier to deliver our story to America, and we played a tape with you on it last night, our last night in there, as you were interviewing Kay Fox (ph) when he (ph) came home. And I'm happy to be here. My lovely wife, Luanne (ph), back here in San Diego.

BUCKLEY: They're hollering at me, Admiral. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. There you go, Miles, some of the folks on board the Constellation -- back to you.

O'BRIEN: Frank Buckley. We'll resist the temptation to say that that particular interview was a plant, of course.

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 June 2, 2003 - 13:41   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, over the past few weeks it's a scene that has become rather familiar to us, family and friends gathering to welcome home troops or sailors. It's happening today in San Diego where the USS Constellation flat top is docking as we speak.
CNN's Frank Buckley is there, as he has been for so many of these reunions. Frank, you have logged quite a few of these, and this one is a little different in the sense that the Constellation isn't going to be headed out for active duty anymore. Is that making it a little more poignant for everybody involved?

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It really does, Miles. And for me, personally, this was the ship that I was embedded on during the conflict in Iraq, so seeing a lot of the familiar faces coming down the brow (ph) here and it is an emotional thing for everybody on a lot of levels, but you're right, on the fact that this ship is decommissioning this summer is very emotional for a lot of folks.

It's a big day for the Hanna family, Sabrina, Lieutenant Raymond Hanna, we've got Raymond Jr. in the back, and we've got Anthony (ph) here and we've got this new one here, Antenae (ph). And when was Antenae (ph) born?

SABRINA HANNA, WIFE OF LIEUTENANT HANNA: January 7.

BUCKLEY: And so dad was not here for that?

S. HANNA: That's correct.

BUCKLEY: Lieutenant, how special is it to see your daughter?

LT. RAYMOND HANNA, U.S. NAVY: It's a blessing. It really is. The feelings you can't really put into words, but I'm very happy and feel very blessed.

BUCKLEY: You come home and you see this whole family of yours and you've got a new addition. The way you put it, that you can't put it into words, it must be an emotional thing for both of you.

What was it like to present this beautiful daughter to your son -- to your son -- to your husband?

S. HANNA: Oh, I was just really, really proud. I mean, she is beautiful and she is a wonderful baby, and I was just anxious to see his reaction to her.

BUCKLEY: Well, congratulations to you guys. We're really happy for you, and welcome home, Lieutenant.

R. HANNA: Thank you very much.

BUCKLEY: Thank you very much.

And you were talking about the historic nature of this. Lieutenant Hartley Postlethwaite, you are a pilot from the Red Griffins, and you did the final trap of the final cruise of the Connie (ph) with Fozzie (ph) Miller, the captain, the CO.

LT. HARTLEY POSTLETHWAITE, NAVY PILOT: Yes, I did.

BUCKLEY: Tell me what that moment was like for you knowing you were the last plane to land on this aircraft carrier ever.

POSTLETHWAITE: It was incredible. The way I felt is I just had chills up my spine as I was rolling around on the ball. It was probably more difficult than the normal night trap just because there's so much pressure to do it right and be part of that historic part of naval aviation. Connie (ph) has just been the workhorse of the Navy and America's flagship. It was quite an honor when my shipper asked me to do that, and flying with the captain of the ship was also a treat too.

BUCKLEY: And you were -- you and I were chatting earlier. You got to see some of the other squadrons flying off while you were coming back to the ship, and you had some communication with them. Tell me what that was like.

POSTLETHWAITE: Oh, that was neat. I could see the Snakes when they were flying back to Miramar. I could hear the Viggies (ph) and Falcons, the other two Hornet squadrons and you could see them as they would fly over the top of me in their formations, sets of four airplanes, and knowing that those were our war heroes coming back, it was just incredible. A few times on the radio, I even said, Hey, guys, you are heroes. Welcome home. Because I had had my homecoming the day before when we flew off, and it was their day to shine, and it was wonderful.

BUCKLEY: Thanks much. I appreciate it. I've got to introduce you to Rear Admiral Barry Costello, the battle group commander. Admiral, welcome home.

REAR ADM. BARRY COSTELLO, BATTLE GROUP COMMANDER: Thanks, Frank. It is good to see you again.

BUCKLEY: It is good to see you.

COSTELLO: I want to tell all of your viewers here, I know you don't want me to do this, but Frank was with us for over 30 days, along with his ace cameraman here, and he put up with all the challenges of ship-borne (ph) life, and became part of our team, and did a really outstanding job reporting from the carrier to deliver our story to America, and we played a tape with you on it last night, our last night in there, as you were interviewing Kay Fox (ph) when he (ph) came home. And I'm happy to be here. My lovely wife, Luanne (ph), back here in San Diego.

BUCKLEY: They're hollering at me, Admiral. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. There you go, Miles, some of the folks on board the Constellation -- back to you.

O'BRIEN: Frank Buckley. We'll resist the temptation to say that that particular interview was a plant, of course.

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