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American Morning

Interview With Family of Downed Helicopter Pilot

Aired November 04, 2003 - 07:04   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: There was more violence in Iraq this morning. Another soldier was killed, the second in as many days. The soldier was killed after an improvised explosive device, or an IED, exploded in Baghdad. Another U.S. soldier was wounded in that blast.
The attacks followed Sunday's downing of a U.S. helicopter near Fallujah, the deadliest single attack on U.S. forces since the invasion. According to eyewitnesses, the second of two shoulder- launched missiles hit the CH-47 Chinook, as it flew just a few hundred feet above the ground. The missile struck the rear engine and started a chain reaction that caused the helicopter to crash.

Most of the soldiers were heading out to begin a two-week leave when the chopper was shot down. Sixteen soldiers were killed, and among them was the pilot, First Lieutenant Brian Slavenas, a member of the National Guard from Peoria, Illinois.

A little earlier today, I spoke to his family about their loss.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Mr. Slavenas, if I can begin with you. Brian actually could have avoided deployment, but he chose not to. Tell me why.

RONALD SLAVENAS, FATHER OF CHINOOK PILOT: Well, that's the kind of person he is. He's a responsible person, and he took on something and he brought it to completion. That's the nature of Brian. He may not like the idea, but he followed it through, and I've got to do it, and he did it.

O'BRIEN: I read that he felt obliged to serve his country. He was a helicopter pilot in the National Guard.

Marcus, why don't you tell me a little bit about your brother, the person, not necessarily the military man?

MARCUS SLAVENAS, BROTHER OF CHINOOK PILOT: Not just because he was my brother, but he was really one of the best people I've ever known. Very clean living, very dedicated to what he did. If he decided to do something he did it. He focused on it and did it until he was excellent at it. He was very kind to people. He was a good person. It was not based on some rules. It wasn't based on religion. It's just the way he was. He cared about those around him and tried hard always to do his best.

O'BRIEN: Tell me -- I know that he recently finished school. He'd gone to school for engineering. Give me a sense of what his plans were and his dreams were further down the road.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we felt that Brian was probably going to get out of the military and pursue a career in engineering. He had a very promising career ahead of him. He did well in his field. I know there were a lot of companies that wanted to interview him. So, we were hoping and we all felt that he was going to continue on with the engineering.

O'BRIEN: Mr. Slavenas, when you first saw the reports -- I have to imagine you saw the reports before you heard the news that it was Brian who was actually piloting this chopper. What was your reaction to this? And I've got to ask you, did you think after a certain amount of time that it was indeed your son who was among the lost?

R. SLAVENAS: Well, it crossed my mind. I thought he was further west of the area of where it happened, but he's been flying around all over Iraq, I guess, to Kuwait and back and forth. The Chinook is like a shuttle service for different units. He was flying support for different outfits. The last one for the 3rd Armored Calvary, and I thought he was further west. So, that was my kind of hope that maybe that wasn't Brian, but then later on we found the news that it was Brian, actually.

O'BRIEN: You served in the military, sir, and your three sons all served in the military as well. What are your thoughts about the U.S. involvement in Iraq and the occupation of Iraq right now?

R. SLAVENAS: Well, now that we're in, we have to stay the course. We just can't pull out. If we pull out, we'll have pandemonium. They have so many different factions in Iraq -- the Sunnis, the Shiites, the Kurds, and what have you. And if we pull out now without stabilizing the situation, we'll have, as I said before, pandemonium. It would be a revolution. That's my feeling.

So, we have to keep a stabilizing cap over it and hopefully getting more help from other nations and other sources.

O'BRIEN: Marcus, you served in the military as well, and I know you have strong opinions on this.

M. SLAVENAS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: What's your take on the U.S. involvement in Iraq right now?

M. SLAVENAS: I don't believe we need to be there. I wish the Iraqis well, and I hope they can figure out their problems, but I don't want this to happen at the expense of our boys. I would like to see them come home. And as far as the troops go, while they're still there, I'm fully behind them. Fight as hard as you can. Destroy the enemy and keep yourselves alive and come back home. But as far as the government is concerned, please try to get out of that business and bring them back home as soon as possible.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: The family of Brian Slavenas talking with us this morning.

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 November 4, 2003 - 07:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: There was more violence in Iraq this morning. Another soldier was killed, the second in as many days. The soldier was killed after an improvised explosive device, or an IED, exploded in Baghdad. Another U.S. soldier was wounded in that blast.
The attacks followed Sunday's downing of a U.S. helicopter near Fallujah, the deadliest single attack on U.S. forces since the invasion. According to eyewitnesses, the second of two shoulder- launched missiles hit the CH-47 Chinook, as it flew just a few hundred feet above the ground. The missile struck the rear engine and started a chain reaction that caused the helicopter to crash.

Most of the soldiers were heading out to begin a two-week leave when the chopper was shot down. Sixteen soldiers were killed, and among them was the pilot, First Lieutenant Brian Slavenas, a member of the National Guard from Peoria, Illinois.

A little earlier today, I spoke to his family about their loss.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

Mr. Slavenas, if I can begin with you. Brian actually could have avoided deployment, but he chose not to. Tell me why.

RONALD SLAVENAS, FATHER OF CHINOOK PILOT: Well, that's the kind of person he is. He's a responsible person, and he took on something and he brought it to completion. That's the nature of Brian. He may not like the idea, but he followed it through, and I've got to do it, and he did it.

O'BRIEN: I read that he felt obliged to serve his country. He was a helicopter pilot in the National Guard.

Marcus, why don't you tell me a little bit about your brother, the person, not necessarily the military man?

MARCUS SLAVENAS, BROTHER OF CHINOOK PILOT: Not just because he was my brother, but he was really one of the best people I've ever known. Very clean living, very dedicated to what he did. If he decided to do something he did it. He focused on it and did it until he was excellent at it. He was very kind to people. He was a good person. It was not based on some rules. It wasn't based on religion. It's just the way he was. He cared about those around him and tried hard always to do his best.

O'BRIEN: Tell me -- I know that he recently finished school. He'd gone to school for engineering. Give me a sense of what his plans were and his dreams were further down the road.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we felt that Brian was probably going to get out of the military and pursue a career in engineering. He had a very promising career ahead of him. He did well in his field. I know there were a lot of companies that wanted to interview him. So, we were hoping and we all felt that he was going to continue on with the engineering.

O'BRIEN: Mr. Slavenas, when you first saw the reports -- I have to imagine you saw the reports before you heard the news that it was Brian who was actually piloting this chopper. What was your reaction to this? And I've got to ask you, did you think after a certain amount of time that it was indeed your son who was among the lost?

R. SLAVENAS: Well, it crossed my mind. I thought he was further west of the area of where it happened, but he's been flying around all over Iraq, I guess, to Kuwait and back and forth. The Chinook is like a shuttle service for different units. He was flying support for different outfits. The last one for the 3rd Armored Calvary, and I thought he was further west. So, that was my kind of hope that maybe that wasn't Brian, but then later on we found the news that it was Brian, actually.

O'BRIEN: You served in the military, sir, and your three sons all served in the military as well. What are your thoughts about the U.S. involvement in Iraq and the occupation of Iraq right now?

R. SLAVENAS: Well, now that we're in, we have to stay the course. We just can't pull out. If we pull out, we'll have pandemonium. They have so many different factions in Iraq -- the Sunnis, the Shiites, the Kurds, and what have you. And if we pull out now without stabilizing the situation, we'll have, as I said before, pandemonium. It would be a revolution. That's my feeling.

So, we have to keep a stabilizing cap over it and hopefully getting more help from other nations and other sources.

O'BRIEN: Marcus, you served in the military as well, and I know you have strong opinions on this.

M. SLAVENAS: Yes.

O'BRIEN: What's your take on the U.S. involvement in Iraq right now?

M. SLAVENAS: I don't believe we need to be there. I wish the Iraqis well, and I hope they can figure out their problems, but I don't want this to happen at the expense of our boys. I would like to see them come home. And as far as the troops go, while they're still there, I'm fully behind them. Fight as hard as you can. Destroy the enemy and keep yourselves alive and come back home. But as far as the government is concerned, please try to get out of that business and bring them back home as soon as possible.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: The family of Brian Slavenas talking with us this morning.

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