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American Morning
Interview With Cousin, Aunt of Rescued POW
Aired April 14, 2003 - 09:06 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The families of the seven rescued prisoners of war say their prayers have now been answered in a big way. The prisoners' fate not known until yesterday when they were found near Tikrit, north of Baghdad.
Shoshana Johnson, who has a 2-year-old daughter, almost 3, we're told, was the only woman among the 7. She appeared to be in pretty good condition, despite gunshot wounds to both of her feet.
Joining us now in Miami to talk about her rescue, Shoshana's aunt, Margaret Thorn Henderson is there in Miami. And here in New York City is Shoshana's cousin, Tracy Thorn.
Good morning to you, Tracy.
TRACY THORNE, COUSIN OF RESCUED POW: Good morning.
HEMMER: How you feeling?
THORNE: Great.
HEMMER: Yes.
THORNE: Great.
HEMMER: You were with the family last night?
THORNE: I was with the family yesterday, through yesterday, I spent the weekend there and yesterday afternoon. So I was there with them when they got the confirmation that Shana was among the seven that were rescued.
HEMMER: What was that feeling like inside that home?
THORNE: It was beautiful. It was beautiful. I mean, we -- we just were very ecstatic.
HEMMER: Yes.
THORNE: We were very happy.
HEMMER: I don't know if you can hear the person in the background screaming with joy. Who was that?
THORNE: That was Shana's mom, my aunt. HEMMER: There was -- there was a man there as well do you know who that was?
THORNE: There that was Mr. Kruger (ph). That was a gentleman that apparently had served in the Gulf War with my Uncle Claude (ph). And he -- you know, he's a friend of the family and he came by in an 18-wheeler and he was just jumping up and down that neighborhood and he came in and they just hugged and jumped up and down. And it was just beautiful. A beautiful scene yesterday.
HEMMER: Want to get to Margaret now quickly in Miami. Margaret, if you could tell us -- I think the one image that all of us really remember is that first day of captivity when Iraqi TV had Shoshana's face with a microphone in her face and a camera in front of her and the look on her face was just so full of fright and fear. As you remember that feeling on March 23, that Sunday and come mare that to today, what are your thoughts?
MARGARET THORNE HENDERSON, JOHNSON'S AUNT: Well, I'll take a grimace over that look of terrifying, whatever that was for Shana. It was just a terrifying look. And I take the grimace, because I think grimace was from the pain in her leg. It almost looked like a smile to me and I was so happy to see her do that.
HEMMER: What did she tell her parents about the pain and gunshots and that phone call yesterday?
HENDERSON: I'm not aware that she told her parents anything about the pain or gunshot. I know that she did say, though, she was concerned about the look of her hair in the pictures being taken.
So that, to me, was good.
HEMMER: She didn't like the way she looked, is that right? A bad hair day? I mean, come on.
HENDERSON: Bad hair day...
HEMMER: Tracy, have you -- I'm sorry, go ahead, Margaret.
HENDERSON: I think that that kind of set her parents at ease. If that was the biggest thing going on in Shana's life at the moment -- you know, she was able to say that. Her parents felt really pleased about that.
HEMMER: What did she say, Tracy, about what got her along day to day? Was it the company of the others perhaps? Was it the thought of her -- her almost 3-year-old daughter or did she relay that?
THORNE: Well, she -- she didn't convey that as far as I know. I know she was very happy. I know that she did speak to Janelle (ph). And at the moment -- the moment when she spoke to her dad, then her mom and then to Janelle in that order, she just burst into tears.
HEMMER: Wow.
THORNE: You know? I guess from relief.
HEMMER: Yes. Margaret, were you or other members of the family surprised when Shoshana said that she felt she was treated better because she was a woman?
HENDERSON: I don't know that I was surprised, in -- in the sense that, Gee, they found out she was a woman, what do we do with her now -- among the guys. My fear, however, was because she was a woman that she would not have been treated well. I am pleased that she was.
HEMMER: Wow.
Well, we are told from her parents, weeks ago, that she always had an angel sitting on her shoulder. What do you think that angel's doing now, Margaret?
HENDERSON: I think that angel's got a smile.
HEMMER: Yes.
HENDERSON: That angel's wings are still outstretched, because there are so many other people that need that big old hug.
HEMMER: Tracy is shaking her head in agreement, too. It's a good Monday.
THRONE: Yes, it is.
HEMMER: Thank you, Tracy.
HENDERSON: It's a great Monday.
HEMMER: Thank you, Margaret. Enjoy it, OK?
HENDERSON: Thank you.
THORNE: Thank you.
HENDERSON: Thank you.
HEMMER: Tracy's got a huge smile on her face, by the way, Margaret. I can't see you very well, but I think you have the same (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HENDERSON: Well, I've got one too, ear to ear.
HEMMER: Talk to you later.
HENDERSON: Thank you.
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 April 14, 2003 - 09:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The families of the seven rescued prisoners of war say their prayers have now been answered in a big way. The prisoners' fate not known until yesterday when they were found near Tikrit, north of Baghdad.
Shoshana Johnson, who has a 2-year-old daughter, almost 3, we're told, was the only woman among the 7. She appeared to be in pretty good condition, despite gunshot wounds to both of her feet.
Joining us now in Miami to talk about her rescue, Shoshana's aunt, Margaret Thorn Henderson is there in Miami. And here in New York City is Shoshana's cousin, Tracy Thorn.
Good morning to you, Tracy.
TRACY THORNE, COUSIN OF RESCUED POW: Good morning.
HEMMER: How you feeling?
THORNE: Great.
HEMMER: Yes.
THORNE: Great.
HEMMER: You were with the family last night?
THORNE: I was with the family yesterday, through yesterday, I spent the weekend there and yesterday afternoon. So I was there with them when they got the confirmation that Shana was among the seven that were rescued.
HEMMER: What was that feeling like inside that home?
THORNE: It was beautiful. It was beautiful. I mean, we -- we just were very ecstatic.
HEMMER: Yes.
THORNE: We were very happy.
HEMMER: I don't know if you can hear the person in the background screaming with joy. Who was that?
THORNE: That was Shana's mom, my aunt. HEMMER: There was -- there was a man there as well do you know who that was?
THORNE: There that was Mr. Kruger (ph). That was a gentleman that apparently had served in the Gulf War with my Uncle Claude (ph). And he -- you know, he's a friend of the family and he came by in an 18-wheeler and he was just jumping up and down that neighborhood and he came in and they just hugged and jumped up and down. And it was just beautiful. A beautiful scene yesterday.
HEMMER: Want to get to Margaret now quickly in Miami. Margaret, if you could tell us -- I think the one image that all of us really remember is that first day of captivity when Iraqi TV had Shoshana's face with a microphone in her face and a camera in front of her and the look on her face was just so full of fright and fear. As you remember that feeling on March 23, that Sunday and come mare that to today, what are your thoughts?
MARGARET THORNE HENDERSON, JOHNSON'S AUNT: Well, I'll take a grimace over that look of terrifying, whatever that was for Shana. It was just a terrifying look. And I take the grimace, because I think grimace was from the pain in her leg. It almost looked like a smile to me and I was so happy to see her do that.
HEMMER: What did she tell her parents about the pain and gunshots and that phone call yesterday?
HENDERSON: I'm not aware that she told her parents anything about the pain or gunshot. I know that she did say, though, she was concerned about the look of her hair in the pictures being taken.
So that, to me, was good.
HEMMER: She didn't like the way she looked, is that right? A bad hair day? I mean, come on.
HENDERSON: Bad hair day...
HEMMER: Tracy, have you -- I'm sorry, go ahead, Margaret.
HENDERSON: I think that that kind of set her parents at ease. If that was the biggest thing going on in Shana's life at the moment -- you know, she was able to say that. Her parents felt really pleased about that.
HEMMER: What did she say, Tracy, about what got her along day to day? Was it the company of the others perhaps? Was it the thought of her -- her almost 3-year-old daughter or did she relay that?
THORNE: Well, she -- she didn't convey that as far as I know. I know she was very happy. I know that she did speak to Janelle (ph). And at the moment -- the moment when she spoke to her dad, then her mom and then to Janelle in that order, she just burst into tears.
HEMMER: Wow.
THORNE: You know? I guess from relief.
HEMMER: Yes. Margaret, were you or other members of the family surprised when Shoshana said that she felt she was treated better because she was a woman?
HENDERSON: I don't know that I was surprised, in -- in the sense that, Gee, they found out she was a woman, what do we do with her now -- among the guys. My fear, however, was because she was a woman that she would not have been treated well. I am pleased that she was.
HEMMER: Wow.
Well, we are told from her parents, weeks ago, that she always had an angel sitting on her shoulder. What do you think that angel's doing now, Margaret?
HENDERSON: I think that angel's got a smile.
HEMMER: Yes.
HENDERSON: That angel's wings are still outstretched, because there are so many other people that need that big old hug.
HEMMER: Tracy is shaking her head in agreement, too. It's a good Monday.
THRONE: Yes, it is.
HEMMER: Thank you, Tracy.
HENDERSON: It's a great Monday.
HEMMER: Thank you, Margaret. Enjoy it, OK?
HENDERSON: Thank you.
THORNE: Thank you.
HENDERSON: Thank you.
HEMMER: Tracy's got a huge smile on her face, by the way, Margaret. I can't see you very well, but I think you have the same (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HENDERSON: Well, I've got one too, ear to ear.
HEMMER: Talk to you later.
HENDERSON: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
