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American Morning
Some U.S. Troops Returning to Iraq Today
Aired November 27, 2003 - 09:02 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: Also today, for some lucky U.S. troops, Thanksgiving means the start of two weeks of statewide R&R, arriving in the U.S. today after leaving Baghdad. Also, though, a sad time for some of the troops who have to leave their loved ones yet again and go back to the war zone.
Gary Tuchman at the airport in Atlanta with more there.
Gary, good morning.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning to you.
About 500 American servicemen and women are coming home today, 270 of them here at the Atlanta airport. Now the plane is late. It's all part of the rest and recuperation program. It was supposed to come at 7:00 Eastern time. It looks like it's going to come at 10:00 Eastern Time, and that three hours makes a huge difference when you're only coming home for 15 days. That's what the program is. And it's Thanksgiving. What a special day to come home.
But on the other hand, there are others going out today, and that's a very tough time to leave. Right now, troops are lining the halls of the airport, getting ready for a flight to fly back to the war zone in Iraq.
And with us right now, one of the men who is flying back today. This is Army Specialist James Clemons with his wife Brandi (ph), and with his 4-year-old son Ashton (ph), who is a little shy.
So I'm going to ask you, on Thanksgiving Day, how does it feel to be leaving this beautiful family?
SPC. JAMES CLEMMONS, U.S. ARMY: I really don't want to go, but I have to. I have people depending on me there, just like they depend on me here.
TUCHMAN: How has it been being home for these 15 days with your wife and child?
CLEMMONS: Great.
TUCHMAN: What was the most special part of it?
CLEMMONS: All of it.
TUCHMAN: When you came home, I was talking to you about this before, did your son look different to you, a little boy, you've been away for six months. You have another six months there. What was it like seeing him when you came home?
CLEMMONS: He was huge. He grew up.
TUCHMAN: Brandi, I want to ask you, what's harder, not having him here, and having to take care of your son by yourself or worrying about him there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Worrying about him there, definitely.
TUCHMAN: How hard has that been for you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been real hard. He keeps me, you know, updated as much as he can. But other than that, it's been kind of hard with him being gone.
TUCHMAN: How hard is this on Thanksgiving, having to leave again?
CLEMMONS: It's been really hard. But luckily, you know, with him leaving on Thanksgiving, at least I can go back to my family where they're having their dinner and be with them.
TUCHMAN: Thank you, all of you. Good luck, be safe and happy Thanksgiving.
As part of Thanksgiving, the USO knows it's a very tough time for a lot of families who have loved ones leaving. They're providing turkey dinners inside the airport.
Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: All right, Gary, thanks.
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 27, 2003 - 09:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also today, for some lucky U.S. troops, Thanksgiving means the start of two weeks of statewide R&R, arriving in the U.S. today after leaving Baghdad. Also, though, a sad time for some of the troops who have to leave their loved ones yet again and go back to the war zone.
Gary Tuchman at the airport in Atlanta with more there.
Gary, good morning.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning to you.
About 500 American servicemen and women are coming home today, 270 of them here at the Atlanta airport. Now the plane is late. It's all part of the rest and recuperation program. It was supposed to come at 7:00 Eastern time. It looks like it's going to come at 10:00 Eastern Time, and that three hours makes a huge difference when you're only coming home for 15 days. That's what the program is. And it's Thanksgiving. What a special day to come home.
But on the other hand, there are others going out today, and that's a very tough time to leave. Right now, troops are lining the halls of the airport, getting ready for a flight to fly back to the war zone in Iraq.
And with us right now, one of the men who is flying back today. This is Army Specialist James Clemons with his wife Brandi (ph), and with his 4-year-old son Ashton (ph), who is a little shy.
So I'm going to ask you, on Thanksgiving Day, how does it feel to be leaving this beautiful family?
SPC. JAMES CLEMMONS, U.S. ARMY: I really don't want to go, but I have to. I have people depending on me there, just like they depend on me here.
TUCHMAN: How has it been being home for these 15 days with your wife and child?
CLEMMONS: Great.
TUCHMAN: What was the most special part of it?
CLEMMONS: All of it.
TUCHMAN: When you came home, I was talking to you about this before, did your son look different to you, a little boy, you've been away for six months. You have another six months there. What was it like seeing him when you came home?
CLEMMONS: He was huge. He grew up.
TUCHMAN: Brandi, I want to ask you, what's harder, not having him here, and having to take care of your son by yourself or worrying about him there?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Worrying about him there, definitely.
TUCHMAN: How hard has that been for you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been real hard. He keeps me, you know, updated as much as he can. But other than that, it's been kind of hard with him being gone.
TUCHMAN: How hard is this on Thanksgiving, having to leave again?
CLEMMONS: It's been really hard. But luckily, you know, with him leaving on Thanksgiving, at least I can go back to my family where they're having their dinner and be with them.
TUCHMAN: Thank you, all of you. Good luck, be safe and happy Thanksgiving.
As part of Thanksgiving, the USO knows it's a very tough time for a lot of families who have loved ones leaving. They're providing turkey dinners inside the airport.
Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: All right, Gary, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
