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American Morning
Getting Loved Ones Back Together for Christmas
Aired December 26, 2001 - 07:45 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: The past couple of days we've made an effort to get families separated by war back together for Christmas, at least via TV, kind of long distance. Bill Hemmer, our person in Kandahar helped deliver one quite touching message and Bill is here to give us a little reprise of it. You know we've been watching it a couple of times since. I can't - I can't watch it enough. It's just great to watch. It's a great moment.
BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh God, I can hear it in my hear and I saw him standing next to me. I'll tell you what happened - two days ago Corporal Timothy Bounce approached us with an idea. He wanted us to find his girlfriend Jenny back in Ohio. We found her, hooked them up yesterday - here's what happened.
You know what we've been doing here in Kandahar. We've been hooking up people with their families, their loved ones back home in the U.S. and your girlfriend Jenny is now with us. She's live in Columbus, Ohio courtesy of WBNS. Jenny, if you can hear us Merry Christmas to you. We've got your boyfriend here. He's doing a great job as always. And we're going to go ahead and let him initiate the conversation as we did with Master Sergeant Sizemore (ph) just a few moments ago. So with that, here's your boyfriend.
CORPORAL TIMOTHY BOUNCE: Hello Jenny.
JENNY: Hi, Tim. I love you.
BOUNCE: I love you too.
JENNY: Are you having a good Christmas?
BOUNCE: Yes I am. Are you?
JENNY: Yes. So far this is a pretty good present.
BOUNCE: I got some letters and some packages from you today, and I thank you for sending all that, but the one thing I wanted for Christmas can't come in a package. Jenny, I was wondering will you marry me?
JENNY: Yes, I definitely will. Oh my God.
BOUNCE: I love you.
JENNY: I love you too. I can't believe you arranged this. Oh my God. Do you know how many people are seeing this right now?
BOUNCE: Are you OK?
JENNY: Yes, I'm OK. I'm just really happy right now. Thank you.
BOUNCE: Are you going to be OK?
JENNY: Yes, I'm all right. I love you.
BOUNCE: I love you too.
JENNY: The whole ...
(CROSSTALK)
BOUNCE: Who all is there with you?
JENNY: ... staff is watching this right now. My family is up here with me. They said hi and Merry Christmas.
BOUNCE: Tell them I said hi too.
JENNY: OK.
HEMMER: Tell us how you met Corporal. By the way, we should say that's a long four seconds away and we were holding our breath back here in Kandahar.
BOUNCE: Well we met about a year and a half ago in Myrtle Beach. So it was kind of a weird situation as we were just sitting there - it started to rain, and I told my friend we were going to talk to the next car that drove up, and along came her car - I went up and knocked on the window and got a ride and went to go eat with her, and here we are.
HEMMER: All right, I think we (INAUDIBLE). Hey, how are you feeling back in Columbus?
JENNY: I'm really happy right now. This is a great present.
BOUNCE: Well thank you for giving me the present I wanted.
JENNY: You're welcome. Your mom said that she loves you and she misses you along with the rest of your family.
BOUNCE: Hi mom, I love you too.
JENNY: She said she was going to call everybody in your church and have them watch this. So, are you cold over there right now? Is it cold?
BOUNCE: It's not too bad - a little cold at night, but that's it.
JENNY: Yes. Did you like the stuff that ... BOUNCE: Yes.
JENNY: ... I sent you for Christmas?
BOUNCE: The cereal?
JENNY: Everything.
BOUNCE: I got the cereal and I got the other package too. So ...
JENNY: OK. Good. Did you tell Hamid (ph) that I saw him on TV?
BOUNCE: Yes I liked everything I got. Thank you.
JENNY: Good.
BOUNCE: Yes, I told him.
JENNY: You're saying this now.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Looks like you got your Christmas present you were looking for Corporal and you've shown - you've shown a lot of guts too by the way, stand in front of a - Tim, I don't know if you can swing around here, but we've got about 40 marines who were (INAUDIBLE) had to see this thing. So the deed has been done and Corporal (INAUDIBLE) Jenny (INAUDIBLE) congratulations and another quick greeting to your - I guess at this point fiancee here in Afghanistan.
BOUNCE: Thank you. I love you and I'll talk to you as soon as I can. Try to have a good Christmas.
JENNY: I love you too and I'll see you soon. I miss you.
BOUNCE: I miss you too.
HEMMER: By the way Jenny, you gave the right answer. Merry Christmas. Take care of yourself ...
JENNY: Merry ...
HEMMER: ... OK and thanks for - thanks for getting up early.
JENNY: Thank you. Merry Christmas.
HEMMER: Corporal Bounce, congratulations to you. (INAUDIBLE) brave man. All right.
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