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American Morning

Coming Home

Aired April 28, 2003 - 08:57   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We've got great news today. It was really tough time, as you know, to be able to spend time with the admiral as he was in charge of running the war out here on the USS Abraham Lincoln. Well today, very special opportunity with Admiral John Kelly, his first live interview.
Sir, we thank you so much for your time and appreciate this.

REAR ADM. JOHN KELLY, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN: Kyra, thanks for the opportunity to be with you this morning.

PHILLIPS: Well, I've got to ask you, the most memorable moment for you during Operation Iraqi freedom?

KELLY: I think as we were gearing up and we had really bad dust storms. We were very aware that our ground forces were moving quickly forward, and we were working hard to keep our aircraft over top of them. So, we were flying through some pretty tough weather, and the magnificent air crew that we had the folks on deck, the tremendous sailors, who for mine months have met every single challenge. They kept the airplanes going, even they were taking off and landing sometimes when you could hardly see the end of the ship.

PHILLIPS: I remember that, and I remember the dust storms, and the rain, and how they were coming in just inches above the deck, and didn't know, OK, I hope I hit my line there on the deck.

KELLY: A lot of courage to be in an aircraft that is moving 150 -- over 150 miles an hour, breaking out two or three seconds before you have to land on the deck, and then actually be able to do that successfully.

But of course, behind each of those pilots in the aircraft were very young, but truly wonderful sailors, working up in the air control effort, with the radars guiding them in, being their eyes, as they brought the aircraft into the ships, and then all of the folks standing out on deck, 15-hour days, to handle the aircraft and to safely position them and get them back aboard.

PHILLIPS: And, sir, another memorable moment, yesterday, coming out of Pearl Harbor, I was so blown away by the ceremony, all of the sailors out on deck, saluting the Arizona memorial there in Pearl Harbor, remembering all these ships that were bombed that time we will never forget. A lot of emotion, a lot of same type of feelings that they felt during Operation Iraqi Freedom when I talked to these sailors. Tell me what that means for you, for everyone coming out at that moment after finishing up Operation Iraqi Freedom and then looking at this memorial?

KELLY: I think each of those sailors standing out on deck, especially after what they've been through now for nine months, appreciates the unique sacrifice that the folks on the Arizona, who are still there, made in the opening days of WWII. They appreciate what it means to have someone who has been standing shoulder to shoulder with you for a long time, who isn't coming back, and of course, we've lost folks in this conflict as well. And while it's wonderful for us to be headed home, we never want to forget the sacrifice of those families, and what those people have done for our country.

PHILLIPS: Admiral John Kelly, and we'll never forget what we got to witness and be a part of. And we thank you so much for you letting us be on your ship at that time.

KELLY: It was a great opportunity, and it helped show our families, which is the other half of our team. You know, we've got 7,000 folks here with us, and I couldn't be surrounded by more magnificent people. But behind each one of them is a family at home, the family that gave us that great sailor in the first place. And they have meant so much to us, and to continue doing for nine months now what we've been required to do.

PHILLIPS: Admiral John Kelly, thank you so much.

KELLY: Thanks, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well said.

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 28, 2003 - 08:57   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We've got great news today. It was really tough time, as you know, to be able to spend time with the admiral as he was in charge of running the war out here on the USS Abraham Lincoln. Well today, very special opportunity with Admiral John Kelly, his first live interview.
Sir, we thank you so much for your time and appreciate this.

REAR ADM. JOHN KELLY, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN: Kyra, thanks for the opportunity to be with you this morning.

PHILLIPS: Well, I've got to ask you, the most memorable moment for you during Operation Iraqi freedom?

KELLY: I think as we were gearing up and we had really bad dust storms. We were very aware that our ground forces were moving quickly forward, and we were working hard to keep our aircraft over top of them. So, we were flying through some pretty tough weather, and the magnificent air crew that we had the folks on deck, the tremendous sailors, who for mine months have met every single challenge. They kept the airplanes going, even they were taking off and landing sometimes when you could hardly see the end of the ship.

PHILLIPS: I remember that, and I remember the dust storms, and the rain, and how they were coming in just inches above the deck, and didn't know, OK, I hope I hit my line there on the deck.

KELLY: A lot of courage to be in an aircraft that is moving 150 -- over 150 miles an hour, breaking out two or three seconds before you have to land on the deck, and then actually be able to do that successfully.

But of course, behind each of those pilots in the aircraft were very young, but truly wonderful sailors, working up in the air control effort, with the radars guiding them in, being their eyes, as they brought the aircraft into the ships, and then all of the folks standing out on deck, 15-hour days, to handle the aircraft and to safely position them and get them back aboard.

PHILLIPS: And, sir, another memorable moment, yesterday, coming out of Pearl Harbor, I was so blown away by the ceremony, all of the sailors out on deck, saluting the Arizona memorial there in Pearl Harbor, remembering all these ships that were bombed that time we will never forget. A lot of emotion, a lot of same type of feelings that they felt during Operation Iraqi Freedom when I talked to these sailors. Tell me what that means for you, for everyone coming out at that moment after finishing up Operation Iraqi Freedom and then looking at this memorial?

KELLY: I think each of those sailors standing out on deck, especially after what they've been through now for nine months, appreciates the unique sacrifice that the folks on the Arizona, who are still there, made in the opening days of WWII. They appreciate what it means to have someone who has been standing shoulder to shoulder with you for a long time, who isn't coming back, and of course, we've lost folks in this conflict as well. And while it's wonderful for us to be headed home, we never want to forget the sacrifice of those families, and what those people have done for our country.

PHILLIPS: Admiral John Kelly, and we'll never forget what we got to witness and be a part of. And we thank you so much for you letting us be on your ship at that time.

KELLY: It was a great opportunity, and it helped show our families, which is the other half of our team. You know, we've got 7,000 folks here with us, and I couldn't be surrounded by more magnificent people. But behind each one of them is a family at home, the family that gave us that great sailor in the first place. And they have meant so much to us, and to continue doing for nine months now what we've been required to do.

PHILLIPS: Admiral John Kelly, thank you so much.

KELLY: Thanks, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well said.

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