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American Morning

Navy Pilot Shane Osborn Discusses Life After Being Detained by China

Aired July 04, 2001 - 10:04   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The diplomatic stand-off over the EP-3 reconnaissance plane began as a human drama. China initially detained the American crew members for 11 days, releasing them to freedom and a heroes' welcome back in the United States.

Receiving much of the praise and a distinguished flying cross for his heroism and leadership is Lieutenant Shane Osborn. He commanded the mission and the final frantic moments as he landed the plane.

Lieutenant Osborn is with us here in Atlanta.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: This is a Fourth of July you won't forget, for many reasons.

LT. SHANE OSBORN, U.S. NAVY: Yes, sure.

KAGAN: Where were you last Fourth of July?

OSBORN: I was is Bahrain in the Middle East. I spent the last couple Fourth of Julys in the Middle East. It's good to back in the United States, at home, to celebrate. We celebrated over there in our own way with the crew and whoever we were over there with. It's good to be back in the United States.

KAGAN: You could never know a year ago what was awaiting for you about six or seven months later.

OSBORN: No, Never imagined this would happen. It's been a great time.

KAGAN: You're here in Atlanta. Part of what has happened to your life after returning from China is celebrity has hit. You will be the grand marshal of the Fourth of July parade here in Atlanta.

KAGAN: It's pretty big honor to come down here. I love coming to Atlanta. I used to come here all the time when I was stationed in the South, in flight school. Once they asked, I said, sure, I will down. It's a good time.

KAGAN: We're running some video. I think this is the return after you guys got back from China. Is this a blur, looking at this moment, coming back?

OSBORN: I was pretty tired. I was getting about 1 1/2, 2 hours of sleep a night while I was over there. Then we debriefed for two days straight, with some long days. I hadn't had much sleep. I remember it, but not too much of it, not specifics -- but it was a great welcome home. Turn around and there's thousands of people standing there. I didn't know where to go.

KAGAN: A little overwhelming.

OSBORN: You can see there -- I'm, like, where am I at?

KAGAN: Did you have any idea -- you were going through such an incredibly stressful situation, given how you had to bring the plane down and what was happening in China -- the kind of coverage it was getting back here in the states?

KAGAN: No, General Sealock, who is representative that would visit us, told us, about day four, that we were in the news, because we didn't know if the public would know about this or not. He said we were in the news quite a bit. That made us feel good. We knew the American people would be behind us, and we'd just have to sit this out and wait until the diplomatic chain worked and got us home, and we got home quicker than I thought. So it was great.

KAGAN: The other news today is not just that you and the crew are back, but a big piece of the plane is making it's way in Hawaii.

OSBORN: What's left of it. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is back. It took awhile to get it out of there, but I'm glad to see we got it back, whether they put it back together or not.

The 24 people getting home alive is the important part. So we will see what happened.

KAGAN: The people more important than the parts.

OSBORN: I think so.

KAGAN: That big chunk of plane is making its way from Hawaii to not too far from here, in Atlanta, to Dobbins Air Force Base. Will you be there tomorrow when that part arrives?

OSBORN: I will not. I'll be doing other things here in Atlanta. Hopefully, they'll get it back up flying, and if they decide not to, that's OK also.

KAGAN: If and when they do put it together, it's not going to be the same plane. They're going to put some more modern parts...

OSBORN: Yes, we're constantly upgrading the gear we have in the back end of the aircraft. Yes, they have to do quite a bit to get it ready to go, put it all back together, and then the whole back end needs to be reinstalled, with new equipment -- so quite awhile.

KAGAN: So could it go into your career plans that you do fly that plane again?

OSBORN: I think I would probably be out a VQ-1. Maybe in the future quite a ways.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: VQ-1's my squadron, the World Watchers. I'm there until sometime next spring or summer. That's when I'm due to rotate out to another squadron. So if I come back, and they're flying it, then I will get a chance to. I'll still get to do the missions and go out there deployed overseas. I'm looking forward to it later this fall.

KAGAN: So you're going back?

OSBORN: Oh, yes.

KAGAN: And looking forward to that?

OSBORN: I would have liked to have gone out there sooner, but there's other engagements that have been taking up a lot of my time. I'm still getting to fly.

KAGAN: What has the Navy done with you since you've returned? Have you been doing this kind of publicity tour?

OSBORN: We've been laid off for awhile. The first couple of weeks were really busy, the first month. Then we got to meet the president, the vice president, and the chairmen of the joint chiefs of staff -- and the awards ceremony and go to the White House. That was a pretty big honor.

After that, they've kind of just tried to let us get back to normal life. We flew the aircraft out to that Andrews Air Force Base air show, the 24 of us. I'm going through the instructor syllabus at my squadron, to be an instructor pilot. It's kind of getting back to normal.

KAGAN: Before it does, I know you have the parade today and a book coming out in the fall. Actually, two books.

OSBORN: Two books: "Born to Fly" is the name of it. Just a story about a boy from Nebraska growing up.

KAGAN: Just a little story.

OSBORN: Then the children's book will be out, I think in the spring.

KAGAN: When these come out, you'll have to stop by again.

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