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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Joe Pascall

Aired May 25, 2003 - 10:35   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: This Memorial Day weekend is bittersweet for some U.S. troops returning home from war. Sailors aboard the USS Nassau lost one of their own in a freak accident. CNN's Frank Buckley is live aboard the USS Nassau, and our Gary Tuchman is at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina where Marines aboard the ship will be returning home as early as tomorrow morning. We'll start with you, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the accident you were talking about happened on Friday, just a few days before the Marines and the sailors get home. The sailor in question, 23-year-old Dwayne Williams, was a third class petty officer. We've got a photo of him. And I was just talking to a sailor a few moments ago who knew him who said that that photo really doesn't even reflect who this Dwayne Williams was, because he said Dwayne Williams was so well liked and had a smile on his face all the time. You can see in the photo that he is not smiling, but this is someone who was known for a bright smile for anyone who met him on the ship.

It happened at a really an innocuous moment and in a tragic circumstance. He was on the flight deck of this amphibious assault ship. People had a football, and he asked according to the captain, for someone to throw him the football. They did. He chased after the ball on the flight deck, because it was going over the edge. He went to try to retrieve it, and as he was going for the ball he tripped and fell overboard.

We are told that the ship immediately initiated man overboard procedures. They could actually see Dwayne in the water, but they could not get to him in time. It's believed that he went underwater. They searched for nine hours in 64-degree water temperature, where life expectancy is approximately two and a half hours. They looked and they looked, and they couldn't find him.

Still, the captain has said that they want this homecoming, this upcoming to be a special moment for the sailors. They say the homecoming is the most significant moment in a sailor or Marine's life. So the homecoming festivities are taking place, and among those who are going to be headed home is Major Joe Pascall. Joe, you're headed home. How are you feeling?

MAJOR JOE PASCALL, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I'm feeling like I'm ready to get home. It's been a long nine months, and it's been fairly eventful. It's been a pretty good adventure for the whole nine months, but now it's about time to get home. BUCKLEY: You've got your wife Sue and your three kids at home who have been waiting for you for a long time, and I want to tell you that my colleague Gary Tuchman has them onshore there at Camp Lejeune, and they can see you right now. Let me throw it to Gary and you can just look into the camera so they can see the face that they've been wanting to see for nine months. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) have you talk to the family right now.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, guys, how are you doing? Joe, we want to introduce everyone to you -- reintroduce everyone. You remember Sue? You left her nine months ago and your three kids? They're right here, they're looking at you right now. So what would you like to say to them at this point in time?

JOE PASCALL: I think I remember. I'll be glad to get home tomorrow. It's been a long nine months. I missed all of little Joe's first school year and missed them, missed a whole lot of thing. I missed every major holiday, every birthday and anniversary in there, so I am probably in the little bit of a dog house and have some making up to do.

TUCHMAN: If you'd permit me to introduce your kids to the world right now, right down here we have Chrissy. Chrissy's 5 years old. And Joe, who you were just referring to is 7 years old, and this is Boo (ph) right here. Boo (ph) is two and a half years old. And this is Sue. Why don't you talk to your husband?

SUE PASCALL, WIFE: Hi, Joe. We're very excited to get you home tomorrow. It's been a long year, but we're very proud of you and we can't wait to have you back. The kids are excited. We have a lot of things to show you and things to catch you up on. We love you. And just another 24 hours or less. We'll see you.

JOE PASCALL: Yes, I love you guys, too. Is someone crying there? I thought I heard one of them crying.

S. PASCALL: That would be Boo (ph), who is very hot in the sun right now and is ready to take a nap, so she says. So.

(CROSSTALK)

TUCHMAN: What we'd like to do is have your two older kids, Joe and Chrissy say something. Joseph, what would you like to say to your dad?

JOSEPH PASCALL, SON: I love you.

TUCHMAN: And what do you want to do with him when he gets home?

JOSEPH PASCALL: Go to the beach and the pool.

TUCHMAN: And Chrissy, what would you like to say to your dad right now?

CHRISSY PASCALL, DAUGHTER: I love you and I hope you come home soon. TUCHMAN: And that, he will be home tomorrow. I know you can't see them right now, Joe, but what would you like to say to your kids? It's hard for them to hear you so I'll have to relay it. But what would you like to say to your kids right now?

JOE PASCALL: I love you guys, and I think the pool is opening up this weekend. Actually, I think the last thing that I did with them was took them to the pool, because when we left it was still open last year. So we'll hit the pool pretty soon, take you guys swimming.

TUCHMAN: Your dad just said he loves you and he knows the pool is open. When he left nine months ago, it was open. He is going to take you to the pool the second he gets home. How do you feel about that?

JOSEPH PASCALL: Oh, cool!

TUCHMAN: There you go. It's 75 degrees and sunny here in North Carolina. Perfect beach weather. It's going to be a wonderful homecoming; 2,300 Marines will be back here at Camp Lejeune tomorrow.

Fredricka, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. I know those reunions are going to be so great. Thanks very much, Gary Tuchman, for helping to make one reunion take place rather early. A bit prematurely. But they'll be arriving back in North Carolina tomorrow 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 May 25, 2003 - 10:35   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: This Memorial Day weekend is bittersweet for some U.S. troops returning home from war. Sailors aboard the USS Nassau lost one of their own in a freak accident. CNN's Frank Buckley is live aboard the USS Nassau, and our Gary Tuchman is at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina where Marines aboard the ship will be returning home as early as tomorrow morning. We'll start with you, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the accident you were talking about happened on Friday, just a few days before the Marines and the sailors get home. The sailor in question, 23-year-old Dwayne Williams, was a third class petty officer. We've got a photo of him. And I was just talking to a sailor a few moments ago who knew him who said that that photo really doesn't even reflect who this Dwayne Williams was, because he said Dwayne Williams was so well liked and had a smile on his face all the time. You can see in the photo that he is not smiling, but this is someone who was known for a bright smile for anyone who met him on the ship.

It happened at a really an innocuous moment and in a tragic circumstance. He was on the flight deck of this amphibious assault ship. People had a football, and he asked according to the captain, for someone to throw him the football. They did. He chased after the ball on the flight deck, because it was going over the edge. He went to try to retrieve it, and as he was going for the ball he tripped and fell overboard.

We are told that the ship immediately initiated man overboard procedures. They could actually see Dwayne in the water, but they could not get to him in time. It's believed that he went underwater. They searched for nine hours in 64-degree water temperature, where life expectancy is approximately two and a half hours. They looked and they looked, and they couldn't find him.

Still, the captain has said that they want this homecoming, this upcoming to be a special moment for the sailors. They say the homecoming is the most significant moment in a sailor or Marine's life. So the homecoming festivities are taking place, and among those who are going to be headed home is Major Joe Pascall. Joe, you're headed home. How are you feeling?

MAJOR JOE PASCALL, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I'm feeling like I'm ready to get home. It's been a long nine months, and it's been fairly eventful. It's been a pretty good adventure for the whole nine months, but now it's about time to get home. BUCKLEY: You've got your wife Sue and your three kids at home who have been waiting for you for a long time, and I want to tell you that my colleague Gary Tuchman has them onshore there at Camp Lejeune, and they can see you right now. Let me throw it to Gary and you can just look into the camera so they can see the face that they've been wanting to see for nine months. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) have you talk to the family right now.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, guys, how are you doing? Joe, we want to introduce everyone to you -- reintroduce everyone. You remember Sue? You left her nine months ago and your three kids? They're right here, they're looking at you right now. So what would you like to say to them at this point in time?

JOE PASCALL: I think I remember. I'll be glad to get home tomorrow. It's been a long nine months. I missed all of little Joe's first school year and missed them, missed a whole lot of thing. I missed every major holiday, every birthday and anniversary in there, so I am probably in the little bit of a dog house and have some making up to do.

TUCHMAN: If you'd permit me to introduce your kids to the world right now, right down here we have Chrissy. Chrissy's 5 years old. And Joe, who you were just referring to is 7 years old, and this is Boo (ph) right here. Boo (ph) is two and a half years old. And this is Sue. Why don't you talk to your husband?

SUE PASCALL, WIFE: Hi, Joe. We're very excited to get you home tomorrow. It's been a long year, but we're very proud of you and we can't wait to have you back. The kids are excited. We have a lot of things to show you and things to catch you up on. We love you. And just another 24 hours or less. We'll see you.

JOE PASCALL: Yes, I love you guys, too. Is someone crying there? I thought I heard one of them crying.

S. PASCALL: That would be Boo (ph), who is very hot in the sun right now and is ready to take a nap, so she says. So.

(CROSSTALK)

TUCHMAN: What we'd like to do is have your two older kids, Joe and Chrissy say something. Joseph, what would you like to say to your dad?

JOSEPH PASCALL, SON: I love you.

TUCHMAN: And what do you want to do with him when he gets home?

JOSEPH PASCALL: Go to the beach and the pool.

TUCHMAN: And Chrissy, what would you like to say to your dad right now?

CHRISSY PASCALL, DAUGHTER: I love you and I hope you come home soon. TUCHMAN: And that, he will be home tomorrow. I know you can't see them right now, Joe, but what would you like to say to your kids? It's hard for them to hear you so I'll have to relay it. But what would you like to say to your kids right now?

JOE PASCALL: I love you guys, and I think the pool is opening up this weekend. Actually, I think the last thing that I did with them was took them to the pool, because when we left it was still open last year. So we'll hit the pool pretty soon, take you guys swimming.

TUCHMAN: Your dad just said he loves you and he knows the pool is open. When he left nine months ago, it was open. He is going to take you to the pool the second he gets home. How do you feel about that?

JOSEPH PASCALL: Oh, cool!

TUCHMAN: There you go. It's 75 degrees and sunny here in North Carolina. Perfect beach weather. It's going to be a wonderful homecoming; 2,300 Marines will be back here at Camp Lejeune tomorrow.

Fredricka, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. I know those reunions are going to be so great. Thanks very much, Gary Tuchman, for helping to make one reunion take place rather early. A bit prematurely. But they'll be arriving back in North Carolina tomorrow 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