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American Morning

Family Reunion

Aired May 02, 2003 - 09:33   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The USS Abraham Lincoln is not just a ship that played host for the president last night and today. This ship has been on an almost a 10-month tour of duty at sea, now just a few short hours away from port in San Diego before it goes home to its home state in Washington.
Navy technician Colette Waddington is on board.

Colette, how are you? Good morning to you.

COLETTE WADDINGTON, AVIATION ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN: Good morning. Very good.

HEMMER: Listen, you're so close, you can taste it, I'm certain. How does this feel right now?

WADDINGTON: It doesn't really feel like it's quite real yet. It just doesn't. I just think I've been out here so long, it's just kind of, you know, don't really know.

HEMMER: How long have you been away, Colette?

WADDINGTON: I've been out for the full 10 months.

HEMMER: The full ten months? Tell me what you have missed the most during that time.

WADDINGTON: I missed a lot of things, but especially just being around my husband and my son, I miss that a lot.

HEMMER: Tell me about your son.

WADDINGTON: His name is Dillon, and he's 4 years old. And I guess my husband tells me that he is a very rambunctious and ornery boy.

HEMMER: That is what your husband is telling you? Well, your husband is Wayne and your son is Dillon, and they're both with us live waiting on shore in Southern California.

How are you, Wayne? Good morning.

WAYNE WADDINGTON, HUSBAND: Good. How are you?

HEMMER: I'm doing great. Why don't you say hello to your wife and tell her the great things about your son.

W. WADDINGTON: Hi, Colette. How are you? Dillon is doing good. He's ornery, and growing up.

HEMMER: Hey, Colette, why don't you deliver a message to Dillon if you could for us, and say hello to Wayne.

C. WADDINGTON: Hi, Wayne, hi Dillon. I guess I just want to tell Dillon that mommy is almost home. And I love you.

HEMMER: Hey. listen, Colette, I don't think -- I don't think you can see your son, but he's fired up. Wayne, do you have a monitor there? Can Dillon see his mom?

W. WADDINGTON: Yes, he can see his mom. He's really excited.

HEMMER: Any chance Dillon wants to say something, or am I pushing it?

W. WADDINGTON: You want to say hi to mommy? Say hi, mommy. Say hi, mommy. Say it really loud. Yes.

Colette, I have a surprise for you, and your sister is here.

C. WADDINGTON: Cool. That's great.

HEMMER: This is Kendra Cassidy, Colette's sister, a surprise for her. Kendra, I know you can see your sister, and I talked to Colette about what she missed the most.

Check out Dillon. He is ornery, isn't he?

Hey, Kendra, tell us, and, Wayne, maybe when you can chip on this as well -- hang on, Dillon -- what did you miss the most? What was the hardest part for you for your sister, and, Wayne, your wife, being away at sea?

KENDRA CASSIDY, COLETTE'S SISTER: I think the hardest thing is has just been the lack of communication, obviously. And she's just somebody that I've always looked up to for a long time, and especially recently. And I just really would like to see her and talk with her and tell her how much I appreciate her.

HEMMER: How does that make you feel, Colette?

C. WADDINGTON: It makes me feel really good. I'm really excited and really glad to hear them.

HEMMER: We have heard from so many family members who have said how much pride they take right now in their own family members being away at sea, or in the Marines, or the Army, the Air Force, you name it, right now throughout this campaign.

Wayne, what is the first thing you're going to do when your wife gets home?

W. WADDINGTON: Give her a big hug and a kiss.

HEMMER: How is the weekend going to go? W. WADDINGTON: I don't know. I'm sure we have lots of reuniting to do.

HEMMER: You got a son to watch, too. He is cute. Hey, listen, Colette, thanks, and job well done, and hang on for the final few hours, OK?

W. WADDINGTON: Roger that, thank you.

C. WADDINGTON: Thank you.

HEMMER: Super. That's the Waddington family. Colette's onboard the Lincoln. Wayne and Dillon are back on shore, Kendra Cassidy the sister for Colette. Great looking family there, too.

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 May 2, 2003 - 09:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The USS Abraham Lincoln is not just a ship that played host for the president last night and today. This ship has been on an almost a 10-month tour of duty at sea, now just a few short hours away from port in San Diego before it goes home to its home state in Washington.
Navy technician Colette Waddington is on board.

Colette, how are you? Good morning to you.

COLETTE WADDINGTON, AVIATION ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN: Good morning. Very good.

HEMMER: Listen, you're so close, you can taste it, I'm certain. How does this feel right now?

WADDINGTON: It doesn't really feel like it's quite real yet. It just doesn't. I just think I've been out here so long, it's just kind of, you know, don't really know.

HEMMER: How long have you been away, Colette?

WADDINGTON: I've been out for the full 10 months.

HEMMER: The full ten months? Tell me what you have missed the most during that time.

WADDINGTON: I missed a lot of things, but especially just being around my husband and my son, I miss that a lot.

HEMMER: Tell me about your son.

WADDINGTON: His name is Dillon, and he's 4 years old. And I guess my husband tells me that he is a very rambunctious and ornery boy.

HEMMER: That is what your husband is telling you? Well, your husband is Wayne and your son is Dillon, and they're both with us live waiting on shore in Southern California.

How are you, Wayne? Good morning.

WAYNE WADDINGTON, HUSBAND: Good. How are you?

HEMMER: I'm doing great. Why don't you say hello to your wife and tell her the great things about your son.

W. WADDINGTON: Hi, Colette. How are you? Dillon is doing good. He's ornery, and growing up.

HEMMER: Hey, Colette, why don't you deliver a message to Dillon if you could for us, and say hello to Wayne.

C. WADDINGTON: Hi, Wayne, hi Dillon. I guess I just want to tell Dillon that mommy is almost home. And I love you.

HEMMER: Hey. listen, Colette, I don't think -- I don't think you can see your son, but he's fired up. Wayne, do you have a monitor there? Can Dillon see his mom?

W. WADDINGTON: Yes, he can see his mom. He's really excited.

HEMMER: Any chance Dillon wants to say something, or am I pushing it?

W. WADDINGTON: You want to say hi to mommy? Say hi, mommy. Say hi, mommy. Say it really loud. Yes.

Colette, I have a surprise for you, and your sister is here.

C. WADDINGTON: Cool. That's great.

HEMMER: This is Kendra Cassidy, Colette's sister, a surprise for her. Kendra, I know you can see your sister, and I talked to Colette about what she missed the most.

Check out Dillon. He is ornery, isn't he?

Hey, Kendra, tell us, and, Wayne, maybe when you can chip on this as well -- hang on, Dillon -- what did you miss the most? What was the hardest part for you for your sister, and, Wayne, your wife, being away at sea?

KENDRA CASSIDY, COLETTE'S SISTER: I think the hardest thing is has just been the lack of communication, obviously. And she's just somebody that I've always looked up to for a long time, and especially recently. And I just really would like to see her and talk with her and tell her how much I appreciate her.

HEMMER: How does that make you feel, Colette?

C. WADDINGTON: It makes me feel really good. I'm really excited and really glad to hear them.

HEMMER: We have heard from so many family members who have said how much pride they take right now in their own family members being away at sea, or in the Marines, or the Army, the Air Force, you name it, right now throughout this campaign.

Wayne, what is the first thing you're going to do when your wife gets home?

W. WADDINGTON: Give her a big hug and a kiss.

HEMMER: How is the weekend going to go? W. WADDINGTON: I don't know. I'm sure we have lots of reuniting to do.

HEMMER: You got a son to watch, too. He is cute. Hey, listen, Colette, thanks, and job well done, and hang on for the final few hours, OK?

W. WADDINGTON: Roger that, thank you.

C. WADDINGTON: Thank you.

HEMMER: Super. That's the Waddington family. Colette's onboard the Lincoln. Wayne and Dillon are back on shore, Kendra Cassidy the sister for Colette. Great looking family there, too.

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