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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Angela Gerszewski, Michael Irwin

Aired May 04, 2003 - 10:47   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.


ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are counting the hours until they are home again. After nearly 10 months at sea, that ship is barreling towards its home port of Everett, Washington. CNN's Frank Buckley is along for the ride as well. When are they due, Frank?
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, how are you doing, Robin? We are, in fact, barreling toward Everett, Washington, steaming up the West Coast, here, going roughly 30 naughts in the water and the wind coming across the deck here significantly faster than that. In fact, they were telling us just a moment ago, we heard from the air boss office that they would like us to get off the flight deck because it is so windy here.

This is not the sight that you would normally see on this flight deck. Normally busy with aircraft, taking off and landing they have some 12,000 flights off this carrier deck during the nearly 10 month long deployment. It's not the same, the normal scene downstairs in the hanger bay, either. Right now they've got a climbing wall and basketball courts all set up there for some activities today. It's a very strange and different place than the normal aircraft carrier is during a wartime situation.

Joining me right now are a couple of sailors who are eager to go home. Thanks for braving the wind and the cold out here. First, tell me your name and what do you do on the aircraft carrier.

AIRMAN ANGELA GERSZEWSKI, U.S. NAVY: My name is Angela Gerszewski, and basically what I do on here is I make sure that fuel is safely transported up to deck so the planes can take off and do their job.

BUCKLEY: And you are Michael Irwin, and you are also in the same department, right?

AIRMAN MICHAEL IRWIN, U.S. NAVY: Right.

BUCKLEY: Tell me how you are feeling about going home?

GERSZEWSKI: Oh, it is great. After being out here for so long, but all we did was our job and we're just looking forward to going home now.

BUCKLEY: Michael, you were saying that your family is going to be meeting you in Everett, Washington. Who is going to be there to greet you and what do you hope to say to them. IRWIN: My dad and my girlfriend. I'll be proud to see them again and serving the country is the best I have ever done.

BUCKLEY: When you are at sea for so long, there must be some things that you hope for and wish for and think about a lot. Is there anything that you have been hoping for, like a cheeseburger or a milkshake or anything like that?

GERSZEWSKI: Basically just getting back to the normal American food.

BUCKLEY: The mess hall food is not good enough for you?

GERSZEWSKI: Oh, I don't know, but American, you can't beat it, so.

BUCKLEY: Michael, what about you. Is there anything that you've been thinking about a lot. What gets you through all of this long time? What do you think about that helps you?

IRWIN: I have been thinking about what I would do at home and I'll go home and see my girl, spend a lot of time with her, get her to know how much I love her. It will be great to see my family again.

BUCKLEY: Is it strange for you guys to see this flight deck so empty like this.

GERSZEWSKI: Oh, yes. I'm used to it being packed up and everything, so.

BUCKLEY: Seventy aircraft on this aircraft carrier most of the time. Now, there is nothing. It's a pretty strange place, isn't it?

GERSZEWSKI: Yes, it is very empty. It is quiet now and not as hectic.

BUCKLEY: Well, thank you both very much for talking to us and let's enjoy the rest of the trip home. Good luck to you.

All right, Robin. I'm here from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. It's pretty windy and cold. We're going to go downstairs. Back to you.

MEADE: Frank, I'm going to ask you a question. I don't know if you can hear me with all that wind, but I am going to give it a try here.

BUCKLEY: I can hear you.

MEADE: Some of the crew members got off at San Diego, so how many folks do you think are left on the USS Abraham Lincoln right now.

BUCKLEY: The ship normally has roughly 5,000, a little bit more than 5,000. They dropped off roughly half. There is about -- upwards of 3,000 people on the ship right now headed home to Everett, Washington. The air wing got off at San Diego. All the aircraft got off and it is a strange feeling. It really almost feels like a tanker, a container ship or something like that, because there are no flight operations going on at all. We are just steaming up the west coast. Kind of like a cruise.

MEADE: I'll bet. In a different kind of way. Frank, thank you so much.

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 4, 2003 - 10:47   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are counting the hours until they are home again. After nearly 10 months at sea, that ship is barreling towards its home port of Everett, Washington. CNN's Frank Buckley is along for the ride as well. When are they due, Frank?
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, how are you doing, Robin? We are, in fact, barreling toward Everett, Washington, steaming up the West Coast, here, going roughly 30 naughts in the water and the wind coming across the deck here significantly faster than that. In fact, they were telling us just a moment ago, we heard from the air boss office that they would like us to get off the flight deck because it is so windy here.

This is not the sight that you would normally see on this flight deck. Normally busy with aircraft, taking off and landing they have some 12,000 flights off this carrier deck during the nearly 10 month long deployment. It's not the same, the normal scene downstairs in the hanger bay, either. Right now they've got a climbing wall and basketball courts all set up there for some activities today. It's a very strange and different place than the normal aircraft carrier is during a wartime situation.

Joining me right now are a couple of sailors who are eager to go home. Thanks for braving the wind and the cold out here. First, tell me your name and what do you do on the aircraft carrier.

AIRMAN ANGELA GERSZEWSKI, U.S. NAVY: My name is Angela Gerszewski, and basically what I do on here is I make sure that fuel is safely transported up to deck so the planes can take off and do their job.

BUCKLEY: And you are Michael Irwin, and you are also in the same department, right?

AIRMAN MICHAEL IRWIN, U.S. NAVY: Right.

BUCKLEY: Tell me how you are feeling about going home?

GERSZEWSKI: Oh, it is great. After being out here for so long, but all we did was our job and we're just looking forward to going home now.

BUCKLEY: Michael, you were saying that your family is going to be meeting you in Everett, Washington. Who is going to be there to greet you and what do you hope to say to them. IRWIN: My dad and my girlfriend. I'll be proud to see them again and serving the country is the best I have ever done.

BUCKLEY: When you are at sea for so long, there must be some things that you hope for and wish for and think about a lot. Is there anything that you have been hoping for, like a cheeseburger or a milkshake or anything like that?

GERSZEWSKI: Basically just getting back to the normal American food.

BUCKLEY: The mess hall food is not good enough for you?

GERSZEWSKI: Oh, I don't know, but American, you can't beat it, so.

BUCKLEY: Michael, what about you. Is there anything that you've been thinking about a lot. What gets you through all of this long time? What do you think about that helps you?

IRWIN: I have been thinking about what I would do at home and I'll go home and see my girl, spend a lot of time with her, get her to know how much I love her. It will be great to see my family again.

BUCKLEY: Is it strange for you guys to see this flight deck so empty like this.

GERSZEWSKI: Oh, yes. I'm used to it being packed up and everything, so.

BUCKLEY: Seventy aircraft on this aircraft carrier most of the time. Now, there is nothing. It's a pretty strange place, isn't it?

GERSZEWSKI: Yes, it is very empty. It is quiet now and not as hectic.

BUCKLEY: Well, thank you both very much for talking to us and let's enjoy the rest of the trip home. Good luck to you.

All right, Robin. I'm here from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. It's pretty windy and cold. We're going to go downstairs. Back to you.

MEADE: Frank, I'm going to ask you a question. I don't know if you can hear me with all that wind, but I am going to give it a try here.

BUCKLEY: I can hear you.

MEADE: Some of the crew members got off at San Diego, so how many folks do you think are left on the USS Abraham Lincoln right now.

BUCKLEY: The ship normally has roughly 5,000, a little bit more than 5,000. They dropped off roughly half. There is about -- upwards of 3,000 people on the ship right now headed home to Everett, Washington. The air wing got off at San Diego. All the aircraft got off and it is a strange feeling. It really almost feels like a tanker, a container ship or something like that, because there are no flight operations going on at all. We are just steaming up the west coast. Kind of like a cruise.

MEADE: I'll bet. In a different kind of way. Frank, thank you so much.

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