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American Morning

Interview with Gaskins Family

Aired December 25, 2002 - 09:34   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: This Christmas, tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel are celebrating the holiday overseas. They are deployed to the Persian Gulf region, but we're trying to bring together at least one family and hook up Army Private Michael Gaskins. He is joining us this morning from the Qatar base where he is stationed. He is on the left-hand part of your screen. And joining us from Tallahassee, Florida are his wife Melissa, his son Victor, and it looks like half of Tallahassee.
Good morning to you, Gaskin (sic) family. Thanks for joining us. And just so people at home understand, Michael can't -- he can hear the family, but he can't see them. But the family in Tallahassee hopefully can see Michael all the way in Qatar. Merry Christmas.

MICHAEL GASKINS, U.S. ARMY: Merry Christmas.

KAGAN: Why don't you have it. Michael, why don't you start with greetings for the family?

MICHAEL GASKINS: Hey, baby.

MELISSA GASKINS, WIFE OF MICHAEL: Hey -- how are you?

MICHAEL GASKINS: I'm good. How are you?

MELISSA GASKINS: Did you have a good Christmas?

MICHAEL GASKINS: Yes. How about -- have you started yet?

MELISSA GASKINS: No. We had to get up early this morning to come here.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Who's there with you?

MELISSA GASKINS: Your dad and Karen (ph) and Ed (ph) and my mom and Victor.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Hey, Dad.

MELISSA GASKINS: He said hello to you.

VICTOR GASKINS, SON OF MICHAEL: He said hey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. Merry Christmas.

KAGAN: I'm going to jump in for a just a second, Gaskins.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Merry Christmas, Dad.

KAGAN: It's always a little bit embarrassing because I feel like we're kind of eavesdropping on a family phone call, family satellite phone call, but I just want to jump in and ask a couple questions here.

Michael, let's first start with you. As I understand it, let's give people the back story on this. Some people run away with the circus, you kind of ran away and joined the Army without telling your wife. Why don't you tell us that story.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Yes, ma'am, I did.

KAGAN: How did that happen?

MICHAEL GASKINS: I decided one morning just to join the Army, little late in life.

KAGAN: At age 30, I think.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Joined the Army at 29 years old.

KAGAN: Yes, 29.

MICHAEL GASKINS: I was just fixing to turn 30 when I joined.

KAGAN: And Melissa, how did that go over when that news came home?

MELISSA GASKINS: Quite a shock. He just came home and said something drew him in, and he turned into the parking lot, and that was it. He signed the line.

KAGAN: This, of course, all after 9/11, and I think, Michael on a more serious note, you really kind of felt a call to serve your country?

MELISSA GASKINS: Well, I felt like I needed to do it. It was something I needed to do.

KAGAN: And so you find yourself overseas on this Christmas at home, Melissa, but your son, Victor -- Victor, you're 13?

V. GASKINS: Yes, ma'am.

KAGAN: And has Santa shown up yet? Any presents yet?

V. GASKINS: No, ma'am.

KAGAN: What's it like to have your dad away on Christmas? It can't be that easy.

V. GASKINS: It's not that easy. I mean, it's just showing that he's overseas protecting, so to me it's just like a whole 'nother present.

KAGAN: It is a present to just get to see him?

V. GASKINS: Yes.

KAGAN: That's pretty cool, because you must be pretty proud of your dad.

V. GASKINS: Yes, ma'am.

KAGAN: Well, as we've been doing this all day long, we have been trying to help families kind of explain how they're sharing Christmas. So, first, Michael, since most of the day is gone for you already in Qatar, why don't you tell the Gaskins back home in Tallahassee how you spent your day.

GASKINS: Well, I didn't get off work until about 4:00 this morning. So I was at work. And then, as a matter of fact, I just woke up in time to come here. So I haven't done a whole lot today.

KAGAN: So not feeling too Christmasy for you?

MICHAEL GASKINS: Well, we're having a Christmas party tonight, so us that are off get to go to that tonight. So, kind of looking forward to that.

KAGAN: Well, let's give you a taste of what you are going to miss back in Tallahassee. Melissa, besides getting up early to come and talk to us, what's in store for the Gaskin (sic) clan today?

MELISSA GASKINS: We've got gifts to open, and a huge dinner that we're cooking. So we have a pretty busy day planned ahead.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Thanks. I appreciate that.

KAGAN: We're not trying to make you homesick, there, Michael. We were just trying to maybe give you an image of -- they'll be thinking of you. I'm sure they'll keep your presents on hold until you get home.

And to the Gaskin (sic) family in Tallahassee and also to Michael, you in Qatar, a merry Christmas. We know it is not the one exactly that you planned on, but we appreciate your service to the U.S., both sides, the family sacrifice and Michael, you as well.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Thank you all.

KAGAN: Thank you so much.

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 - 09:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: This Christmas, tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel are celebrating the holiday overseas. They are deployed to the Persian Gulf region, but we're trying to bring together at least one family and hook up Army Private Michael Gaskins. He is joining us this morning from the Qatar base where he is stationed. He is on the left-hand part of your screen. And joining us from Tallahassee, Florida are his wife Melissa, his son Victor, and it looks like half of Tallahassee.
Good morning to you, Gaskin (sic) family. Thanks for joining us. And just so people at home understand, Michael can't -- he can hear the family, but he can't see them. But the family in Tallahassee hopefully can see Michael all the way in Qatar. Merry Christmas.

MICHAEL GASKINS, U.S. ARMY: Merry Christmas.

KAGAN: Why don't you have it. Michael, why don't you start with greetings for the family?

MICHAEL GASKINS: Hey, baby.

MELISSA GASKINS, WIFE OF MICHAEL: Hey -- how are you?

MICHAEL GASKINS: I'm good. How are you?

MELISSA GASKINS: Did you have a good Christmas?

MICHAEL GASKINS: Yes. How about -- have you started yet?

MELISSA GASKINS: No. We had to get up early this morning to come here.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Who's there with you?

MELISSA GASKINS: Your dad and Karen (ph) and Ed (ph) and my mom and Victor.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Hey, Dad.

MELISSA GASKINS: He said hello to you.

VICTOR GASKINS, SON OF MICHAEL: He said hey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. Merry Christmas.

KAGAN: I'm going to jump in for a just a second, Gaskins.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Merry Christmas, Dad.

KAGAN: It's always a little bit embarrassing because I feel like we're kind of eavesdropping on a family phone call, family satellite phone call, but I just want to jump in and ask a couple questions here.

Michael, let's first start with you. As I understand it, let's give people the back story on this. Some people run away with the circus, you kind of ran away and joined the Army without telling your wife. Why don't you tell us that story.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Yes, ma'am, I did.

KAGAN: How did that happen?

MICHAEL GASKINS: I decided one morning just to join the Army, little late in life.

KAGAN: At age 30, I think.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Joined the Army at 29 years old.

KAGAN: Yes, 29.

MICHAEL GASKINS: I was just fixing to turn 30 when I joined.

KAGAN: And Melissa, how did that go over when that news came home?

MELISSA GASKINS: Quite a shock. He just came home and said something drew him in, and he turned into the parking lot, and that was it. He signed the line.

KAGAN: This, of course, all after 9/11, and I think, Michael on a more serious note, you really kind of felt a call to serve your country?

MELISSA GASKINS: Well, I felt like I needed to do it. It was something I needed to do.

KAGAN: And so you find yourself overseas on this Christmas at home, Melissa, but your son, Victor -- Victor, you're 13?

V. GASKINS: Yes, ma'am.

KAGAN: And has Santa shown up yet? Any presents yet?

V. GASKINS: No, ma'am.

KAGAN: What's it like to have your dad away on Christmas? It can't be that easy.

V. GASKINS: It's not that easy. I mean, it's just showing that he's overseas protecting, so to me it's just like a whole 'nother present.

KAGAN: It is a present to just get to see him?

V. GASKINS: Yes.

KAGAN: That's pretty cool, because you must be pretty proud of your dad.

V. GASKINS: Yes, ma'am.

KAGAN: Well, as we've been doing this all day long, we have been trying to help families kind of explain how they're sharing Christmas. So, first, Michael, since most of the day is gone for you already in Qatar, why don't you tell the Gaskins back home in Tallahassee how you spent your day.

GASKINS: Well, I didn't get off work until about 4:00 this morning. So I was at work. And then, as a matter of fact, I just woke up in time to come here. So I haven't done a whole lot today.

KAGAN: So not feeling too Christmasy for you?

MICHAEL GASKINS: Well, we're having a Christmas party tonight, so us that are off get to go to that tonight. So, kind of looking forward to that.

KAGAN: Well, let's give you a taste of what you are going to miss back in Tallahassee. Melissa, besides getting up early to come and talk to us, what's in store for the Gaskin (sic) clan today?

MELISSA GASKINS: We've got gifts to open, and a huge dinner that we're cooking. So we have a pretty busy day planned ahead.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Thanks. I appreciate that.

KAGAN: We're not trying to make you homesick, there, Michael. We were just trying to maybe give you an image of -- they'll be thinking of you. I'm sure they'll keep your presents on hold until you get home.

And to the Gaskin (sic) family in Tallahassee and also to Michael, you in Qatar, a merry Christmas. We know it is not the one exactly that you planned on, but we appreciate your service to the U.S., both sides, the family sacrifice and Michael, you as well.

MICHAEL GASKINS: Thank you all.

KAGAN: Thank you so much.

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