Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Veterans Who Served in World War II See Same American Resolve Now

Aired December 07, 2001 - 09:55   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Today marks 60 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor. It's an appropriate moment to contrast that date in history with the wounds still fresh from September 11th. Veterans who served in World War II find the same sense of vulnerability, following the two attacks separated by 60 years, and see the same American resolve that each time sends the country to war.

CNN's Mark Potter has more from Miami.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): December 7, 1941, who alive then could ever forget the date which will live in infamy? Who alive then could ever forget the years of war which followed?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the supreme moment of invasion -- this is frontal assault on an entrenched enemy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: So who alive today could ever forget the attacks of September 11th? Certainly not the surviving veterans of World War II.

WOODY SPROUL, WWII VETERAN: It's probably more horrible than Pearl Harbor was to me at that time. It never entered my mind that we would be attacked on our homefront with our own airplanes.

HARRY REIS, WWII VETERAN: I didn't think that they would attack us. We had oh the two oceans protecting us. But there was that realization that we're vulnerable.

JULIAN GOLDMAN, WWII VETERAN: It was terrible, seeing more people getting hurt and killed, and I didn't think it could happen. I really didn't think it could happen.

POTTER: Julian Goldman, Woody Sproul and Harry Reis served in the Army Air Corps in World War II after basic training on Miami Beach, and have come together at a reunion at the Edison Hotel. Goldman was a flight engineer serving in France and Germany. Sproul flew in Europe on C-47 troop carriers. Reis served with the Army Airwaves Communication Service. Today, they praise the United States for once again uniting in its defense.

REIS: I am so glad to see the flags flying on cars, stickers, all kinds of things.

SPROUL: This is amazing how this country turned around overnight, within hours, I guess.

GOLDMAN: It takes something like this to put the country together again, I think.

POTTER: The veterans warn the war on terrorism could be more difficult than their war of fronts and known enemies, but say the terrorists underestimated President Bush and the U.S. response to their attack.

SPROUL: It backfired on them.

POTTER (on camera): How badly?

SPROUL: Very, very bad.

REIS: But all they said, this is the end of the democracy, and we'll show them that it isn't.

POTTER (voice-over): All three say, if asked, they would proudly serve again.

Mark Potter, CNN, Miami Beach.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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