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American Morning
Interview with Padelford Family
Aired December 25, 2002 - 08:04 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 ANCHOR: I have a way to kind of warm up some hearts out there. We are going to make some reunions happen all across the world.
The U.S. military buildup in the Middle East means that more American service men and women are a world away from their home this Christmas. Thousands of soldiers stationed in the Persian Gulf are celebrating in places like Qatar and Kuwait.
Army Private Julie Padelford is among them. This is her first Christmas away from her family. Julie is with us right now from Qatar while her family is joining us from San Antonio, Texas, and on the right part of the screen, you see her mom, that is Jackie, her dad Tim, and our special guest, her daughter, her 4-year-old daughter, Alauna.
Padelfords, good morning to all of you all around the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.
KAGAN: Julie, I know your family has been so anxious to hear and see you, so I am going to let you go first, and any kind of Christmas greetings you have, and anything, just kind of have at it.
JULIE PADELFORD, U.S. ARMY: Merry Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Julie. Merry Christmas to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Merry Christmas, Julie. Hi Momma (ph).
ALAUNA PADELFORD, DAUGHTER OF JULIE: Hi.
J. PADELFORD: Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, baby. We love you, we miss you.
J. PADELFORD: Hi baby. Merry Christmas. I love you guys, too. I miss you guys, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is a little tired.
KAGAN: Yes, we got the family up a little bit early in San Antonio to make this happen. Julie, I know you can hear the family, but you can't see the family. How hard is it for you to be away for your first Christmas this year? J. PADELFORD: It's very hard. I wish I could be home right now, but serving our country right now, so I'll be home soon, Alauna. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are very proud of you, Julie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're proud of you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we love you very much.
J. PADELFORD: Thank you.
KAGAN: Now, you come from a military family -- Tim, I understand you served in the military, so you can certainly understand your daughter's sacrifice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. In fact, I am still active duty. I am stationed in Maryland. I'm a radiation safety officer at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, and my wife is retired Navy.
KAGAN: So is it possible, Tim, that you could still get called up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that is possible, but they need me pretty much at the hospital there.
KAGAN: OK. I know Julie is feeling a little homesick, so not to make her feel worse, but to kind of give her the feeling of what she is missing at home, why don't you give her a feel of what you guys been doing on this Christmas Day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we decorated the Christmas tree, put all of the lights up, and the kids were helping. We had your daughter, Alauna, was putting all of the little bulbs on the tree and helping out with the lights and it was all special because she got to plug in all of the -- what do you call them? Rainbow lights, Alauna? That's right. Yes. So she was very excited about that, and your mother cooked a really wonderful home cooked meal, and you know how great that food is.
J. PADELFORD: I miss that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. So we're looking forward to having a great Christmas dinner this afternoon, and we will be thinking about you because we miss you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell your mommy what Santa got you. Tell your mommy what Santa brought you. Do you remember?
J. PADELFORD: What did you get for Christmas, Alauna?
A. PADELFORD: A computer.
KAGAN: A computer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And lots of...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A Gateway computer.
KAGAN: Big-time for a big girl! So has Santa already come to the Padelford home in San Antonio, since you had to get up so early?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In fact, he was there, and there was evidence that he was there. There were some cookies missing this morning, and some milk was also missing, and so we know he really enjoyed those home baked cookies.
KAGAN: Alauna, did Santa eat all of those snacks you left out for him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Say yes.
A. PADELFORD: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, he did.
KAGAN: Julie, right now it is not the kind of home Christmas that you would love to have, but why don't you give your family an idea of what you will be doing on this Christmas Day, or what you have done, since so much of the day has already gone by for you.
J. PADELFORD: Yes. I woke up late, I got to sleep in, and then I went to chow, went to the chow hall, and I had turkey, ham. They had stuffing, but not like mom's. It was good. It was very nice. We have our own Christmas tree in our bay with the females.
KAGAN: You're making the best of it.
J. PADELFORD: Have some gifts underneath the tree.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You look beautiful, honey.
KAGAN: That's nice. Yes, how is it, Padelfords, to get to see Julie? I know you've been able to talk with her, but to actually get to see her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is really great. We really want to thank CNN for making that possible for us, and our local station here also.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Well, it's fun to get to be part of this kind of Christmas present. And Julie, any last Christmas wishes for your daughter. I know, especially the single parent, it is so hard for you to be away on this Christmas Day.
J. PADELFORD: Yes. Alauna, mommy will be home soon, OK? I love you, baby.
A. PADELFORD: You too, mommy. J. PADELFORD: I'll call you tonight, OK.
A. PADELFORD: OK.
J. PADELFORD: Merry Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Merry Christmas. We love you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Merry Christmas, Julie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you have a special angel with you.
KAGAN: OK. No tears. No tears. We don't want that. Before we start running the mascara here on AMERICAN MORNING, we are going to say goodbye and wish you the best.
Julie Padelford in Qatar, and the Padelford family in San Antonio, Texas. Thanks for letting us be a little part of your Christmas today, and especially for bringing Alauna, and she looks so beautiful in her Christmas hat. Appreciate it. Thanks so much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Merry Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Merry Christmas.
KAGAN: Thank you. Thank you so much. I don't like it when they make me cry on those things, but...
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 December 25, 2002 - 08:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I have a way to kind of warm up some hearts out there. We are going to make some reunions happen all across the world.
The U.S. military buildup in the Middle East means that more American service men and women are a world away from their home this Christmas. Thousands of soldiers stationed in the Persian Gulf are celebrating in places like Qatar and Kuwait.
Army Private Julie Padelford is among them. This is her first Christmas away from her family. Julie is with us right now from Qatar while her family is joining us from San Antonio, Texas, and on the right part of the screen, you see her mom, that is Jackie, her dad Tim, and our special guest, her daughter, her 4-year-old daughter, Alauna.
Padelfords, good morning to all of you all around the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning.
KAGAN: Julie, I know your family has been so anxious to hear and see you, so I am going to let you go first, and any kind of Christmas greetings you have, and anything, just kind of have at it.
JULIE PADELFORD, U.S. ARMY: Merry Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Julie. Merry Christmas to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Merry Christmas, Julie. Hi Momma (ph).
ALAUNA PADELFORD, DAUGHTER OF JULIE: Hi.
J. PADELFORD: Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, baby. We love you, we miss you.
J. PADELFORD: Hi baby. Merry Christmas. I love you guys, too. I miss you guys, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is a little tired.
KAGAN: Yes, we got the family up a little bit early in San Antonio to make this happen. Julie, I know you can hear the family, but you can't see the family. How hard is it for you to be away for your first Christmas this year? J. PADELFORD: It's very hard. I wish I could be home right now, but serving our country right now, so I'll be home soon, Alauna. OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are very proud of you, Julie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're proud of you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we love you very much.
J. PADELFORD: Thank you.
KAGAN: Now, you come from a military family -- Tim, I understand you served in the military, so you can certainly understand your daughter's sacrifice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. In fact, I am still active duty. I am stationed in Maryland. I'm a radiation safety officer at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, and my wife is retired Navy.
KAGAN: So is it possible, Tim, that you could still get called up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that is possible, but they need me pretty much at the hospital there.
KAGAN: OK. I know Julie is feeling a little homesick, so not to make her feel worse, but to kind of give her the feeling of what she is missing at home, why don't you give her a feel of what you guys been doing on this Christmas Day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we decorated the Christmas tree, put all of the lights up, and the kids were helping. We had your daughter, Alauna, was putting all of the little bulbs on the tree and helping out with the lights and it was all special because she got to plug in all of the -- what do you call them? Rainbow lights, Alauna? That's right. Yes. So she was very excited about that, and your mother cooked a really wonderful home cooked meal, and you know how great that food is.
J. PADELFORD: I miss that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. So we're looking forward to having a great Christmas dinner this afternoon, and we will be thinking about you because we miss you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell your mommy what Santa got you. Tell your mommy what Santa brought you. Do you remember?
J. PADELFORD: What did you get for Christmas, Alauna?
A. PADELFORD: A computer.
KAGAN: A computer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And lots of...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A Gateway computer.
KAGAN: Big-time for a big girl! So has Santa already come to the Padelford home in San Antonio, since you had to get up so early?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In fact, he was there, and there was evidence that he was there. There were some cookies missing this morning, and some milk was also missing, and so we know he really enjoyed those home baked cookies.
KAGAN: Alauna, did Santa eat all of those snacks you left out for him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Say yes.
A. PADELFORD: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, he did.
KAGAN: Julie, right now it is not the kind of home Christmas that you would love to have, but why don't you give your family an idea of what you will be doing on this Christmas Day, or what you have done, since so much of the day has already gone by for you.
J. PADELFORD: Yes. I woke up late, I got to sleep in, and then I went to chow, went to the chow hall, and I had turkey, ham. They had stuffing, but not like mom's. It was good. It was very nice. We have our own Christmas tree in our bay with the females.
KAGAN: You're making the best of it.
J. PADELFORD: Have some gifts underneath the tree.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You look beautiful, honey.
KAGAN: That's nice. Yes, how is it, Padelfords, to get to see Julie? I know you've been able to talk with her, but to actually get to see her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is really great. We really want to thank CNN for making that possible for us, and our local station here also.
KAGAN: Absolutely. Well, it's fun to get to be part of this kind of Christmas present. And Julie, any last Christmas wishes for your daughter. I know, especially the single parent, it is so hard for you to be away on this Christmas Day.
J. PADELFORD: Yes. Alauna, mommy will be home soon, OK? I love you, baby.
A. PADELFORD: You too, mommy. J. PADELFORD: I'll call you tonight, OK.
A. PADELFORD: OK.
J. PADELFORD: Merry Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Merry Christmas. We love you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Merry Christmas, Julie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you have a special angel with you.
KAGAN: OK. No tears. No tears. We don't want that. Before we start running the mascara here on AMERICAN MORNING, we are going to say goodbye and wish you the best.
Julie Padelford in Qatar, and the Padelford family in San Antonio, Texas. Thanks for letting us be a little part of your Christmas today, and especially for bringing Alauna, and she looks so beautiful in her Christmas hat. Appreciate it. Thanks so much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Merry Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Merry Christmas.
KAGAN: Thank you. Thank you so much. I don't like it when they make me cry on those things, but...
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
