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American Morning
Talk with Randy Kiehl
Aired July 10, 2003 - 08:15 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We've heard a lot about the heroism of PFC Lynch and her rescue, but until today, very little has emerged about the other soldiers who died in that torrent of fire.
Specialist James Kiehl was among the 11 who were killed.
His father, Randy Kiehl, joins us this morning as the report becomes public.
Mr. Kiehl, good morning, and I thank you for joining us.
RANDY KIEHL, FATHER OF SPECIALIST JAMES KIEHL: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: First and foremost, let us say that we are truly sorry for your loss and I know that this is something that's very difficult to talk about, so we appreciate your time.
The report details what happened on that day, March 23, with your son's division, the 507th Maintenance Company. They took a wrong turn, rolled essentially right into the hands of the enemy.
What's your reaction to the details in this report?
KIEHL: Having read the report -- my daughter-in-law mailed down a copy of it. We have yet to hear it from the military. But having read the report, it gives me some peace of mind that James did not -- was not executed, that he was trying to get out of the area, to possibly even turn around and help his fellow members of the 507th.
We have also got the initial autopsy report that tells us exactly how James died, and that's lent some peace of mind also, that he was not executed.
O'BRIEN: The details in the report, however, seem to underscore complete chaos. The report highlights navigational errors, a combination of pace of movement and acute fatigue and isolation and a harsh environment, all leading into what happened on that day.
In your mind, does this information settle questions for you or does it raise more questions?
KIEHL: Initially when Jill got her briefing on the 24 of June, I had sent up 12 questions to be presented to General Romberg (ph). Having read the report, some of those questions were answered and it rose even more questions -- their communication gear. Most of the vehicles had battery operated, handheld radios, which after 24 hours were dead. And a lot of these troops were going for 40 to 60 hours without sleep. That raises a lot of questions in the way things were handled.
O'BRIEN: And, in fact, the report highlights that rifles jammed; the radios, as you mentioned, failed; the individual soldiers lacked grenades.
Do you want some specific person held or persons held accountable? Who do you blame?
KIEHL: I don't blame anybody. Accountable, yes. And from the standpoint of we need to learn from this, accountable not from a punishment side, but from an operational side that these are the mistakes that were made, let's not make them again.
You mentioned hand grenades. According to the report, all the pyrotechnics, anti-tank rounds and pyrotechnics were consolidated and secured. So that rose another question is did they have access to them to defend themselves?
O'BRIEN: Your son and the ret of the 507th Maintenance personnel had all gone through basic training but they were not combat trained.
Did you ever talk to your son about the potential for combat? Did he ever express any fears to you?
KIEHL: James and I talked the Sunday before he left and he said, "Dad, I'm a computer repair technician. I should not be going towards anywhere near any of the fighting. I should be in the back behind the lines." And then to see him actually in up in one of the actual hot zones literally scared Janie and I to death. We did see the 507th's emblems and signs at Doha, Qatar and we thought that James was there. And several days later we found that James was actually en route up through and ending up at al-Nasiriya.
O'BRIEN: You mentioned a little bit earlier Jill, who is your daughter-in-law. Your son left behind a wife and also she just had a baby.
How is she coping?
KIEHL: Each day is taken a day at a time. She, just like Janie and I, Jill has her good days and she has her bad days. When the military presented the report to her on the 24 of June, it was extremely hard for her. And rather than have her recount it again, we asked that she just send it down to us so that we could read over it. And I finally got it the day before yesterday. And I got an actual opportunity to read the military's report.
We have yet to hear, as parents, we have yet to hear from the military. General Bromberg did promise he would call. That was last week. To this time, I have yet to hear from him.
O'BRIEN: The report highlighted the bravery of the soldiers in that unit.
As you learn more about what happened on that day, what do you think about that you will tell your grandson, your new grandson, Nathaniel, about his dad?
KIEHL: We have something rather unique. All of the videotapes that are being done, news broadcasts, we are preserving on VHS and then I'm duplicating them onto DVDrs to preserve them so that when Nathaniel is old enough, we can show him everything. We've had friends and family write letters not to James, but to Nathaniel. And they are also going to be preserved so that when he is old enough, he can read over what friends and families and outside associates thought of James and how James was.
O'BRIEN: Well, I'm sure Jill appreciates that, as well.
One final question for you. The reports also say that military officials have told families that they will improve their training so that they, the soldiers and the commanders will learn how to protect convoys.
Is that enough for you?
KIEHL: As I understand it, the United States Marine Corps sends all of their troops through -- and that's probably not the right word, but I hope nobody gets upset with that -- sends them through a basic training. Then they go to a three week combat training school and then onto their individual MOS training.
The United States Army sends their soldiers through basic training and on to their individual school.
I feel the military needs to ensure that each soldier is trained adequately to defend themselves and their unit. James was a computer repair technician. That's all the real formal schooling he had as far as the military went. They did do ground exercises, but nowhere near the training that they needed for al-Nasiriya.
O'BRIEN: Randy Kiehl, thank you for joining us this morning.
And our best, of course, to Jill and the baby, as well.
We appreciate your time.
KIEHL: 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 July 10, 2003 - 08:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We've heard a lot about the heroism of PFC Lynch and her rescue, but until today, very little has emerged about the other soldiers who died in that torrent of fire.
Specialist James Kiehl was among the 11 who were killed.
His father, Randy Kiehl, joins us this morning as the report becomes public.
Mr. Kiehl, good morning, and I thank you for joining us.
RANDY KIEHL, FATHER OF SPECIALIST JAMES KIEHL: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: First and foremost, let us say that we are truly sorry for your loss and I know that this is something that's very difficult to talk about, so we appreciate your time.
The report details what happened on that day, March 23, with your son's division, the 507th Maintenance Company. They took a wrong turn, rolled essentially right into the hands of the enemy.
What's your reaction to the details in this report?
KIEHL: Having read the report -- my daughter-in-law mailed down a copy of it. We have yet to hear it from the military. But having read the report, it gives me some peace of mind that James did not -- was not executed, that he was trying to get out of the area, to possibly even turn around and help his fellow members of the 507th.
We have also got the initial autopsy report that tells us exactly how James died, and that's lent some peace of mind also, that he was not executed.
O'BRIEN: The details in the report, however, seem to underscore complete chaos. The report highlights navigational errors, a combination of pace of movement and acute fatigue and isolation and a harsh environment, all leading into what happened on that day.
In your mind, does this information settle questions for you or does it raise more questions?
KIEHL: Initially when Jill got her briefing on the 24 of June, I had sent up 12 questions to be presented to General Romberg (ph). Having read the report, some of those questions were answered and it rose even more questions -- their communication gear. Most of the vehicles had battery operated, handheld radios, which after 24 hours were dead. And a lot of these troops were going for 40 to 60 hours without sleep. That raises a lot of questions in the way things were handled.
O'BRIEN: And, in fact, the report highlights that rifles jammed; the radios, as you mentioned, failed; the individual soldiers lacked grenades.
Do you want some specific person held or persons held accountable? Who do you blame?
KIEHL: I don't blame anybody. Accountable, yes. And from the standpoint of we need to learn from this, accountable not from a punishment side, but from an operational side that these are the mistakes that were made, let's not make them again.
You mentioned hand grenades. According to the report, all the pyrotechnics, anti-tank rounds and pyrotechnics were consolidated and secured. So that rose another question is did they have access to them to defend themselves?
O'BRIEN: Your son and the ret of the 507th Maintenance personnel had all gone through basic training but they were not combat trained.
Did you ever talk to your son about the potential for combat? Did he ever express any fears to you?
KIEHL: James and I talked the Sunday before he left and he said, "Dad, I'm a computer repair technician. I should not be going towards anywhere near any of the fighting. I should be in the back behind the lines." And then to see him actually in up in one of the actual hot zones literally scared Janie and I to death. We did see the 507th's emblems and signs at Doha, Qatar and we thought that James was there. And several days later we found that James was actually en route up through and ending up at al-Nasiriya.
O'BRIEN: You mentioned a little bit earlier Jill, who is your daughter-in-law. Your son left behind a wife and also she just had a baby.
How is she coping?
KIEHL: Each day is taken a day at a time. She, just like Janie and I, Jill has her good days and she has her bad days. When the military presented the report to her on the 24 of June, it was extremely hard for her. And rather than have her recount it again, we asked that she just send it down to us so that we could read over it. And I finally got it the day before yesterday. And I got an actual opportunity to read the military's report.
We have yet to hear, as parents, we have yet to hear from the military. General Bromberg did promise he would call. That was last week. To this time, I have yet to hear from him.
O'BRIEN: The report highlighted the bravery of the soldiers in that unit.
As you learn more about what happened on that day, what do you think about that you will tell your grandson, your new grandson, Nathaniel, about his dad?
KIEHL: We have something rather unique. All of the videotapes that are being done, news broadcasts, we are preserving on VHS and then I'm duplicating them onto DVDrs to preserve them so that when Nathaniel is old enough, we can show him everything. We've had friends and family write letters not to James, but to Nathaniel. And they are also going to be preserved so that when he is old enough, he can read over what friends and families and outside associates thought of James and how James was.
O'BRIEN: Well, I'm sure Jill appreciates that, as well.
One final question for you. The reports also say that military officials have told families that they will improve their training so that they, the soldiers and the commanders will learn how to protect convoys.
Is that enough for you?
KIEHL: As I understand it, the United States Marine Corps sends all of their troops through -- and that's probably not the right word, but I hope nobody gets upset with that -- sends them through a basic training. Then they go to a three week combat training school and then onto their individual MOS training.
The United States Army sends their soldiers through basic training and on to their individual school.
I feel the military needs to ensure that each soldier is trained adequately to defend themselves and their unit. James was a computer repair technician. That's all the real formal schooling he had as far as the military went. They did do ground exercises, but nowhere near the training that they needed for al-Nasiriya.
O'BRIEN: Randy Kiehl, thank you for joining us this morning.
And our best, of course, to Jill and the baby, as well.
We appreciate your time.
KIEHL: 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
