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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Jeff Sisto, Elizabeth Sisto
Aired May 25, 2003 - 11:07 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, the crew of the USS Nassau is heading home from war. CNN's Frank Buckley is live aboard the "USS Nassau," and CNN's Gary Tuchman is at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where Marines aboard the ship will be returning tomorrow. Let's start with you, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, some 4,000 Marines and sailors are spread out across the amphibious ship, heading home.
Also alongside is the USS Austin. All these ships participating in "Operation Iraqi Freedom," and now headed home after the Marines spent a month in-country in Iraq.
Among those Marines who are very excited about heading home is Corporal Jeff Sisto. Jeff, it's been a long time for you. Tell me in terms of personal sacrifice, you guys are gone for so long. You've missed so many events. Nine months of your life. You have been away from your family. Tell me, what's that like for you folks on this float?
JEFF SISTO, CORPORAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It's definitely a trying time for everybody. You know, we -- nine months is a long time to be away from anybody. So we're definitely are looking forward to getting home.
BUCKLEY: And you are a combat cameraman, which means you go in whenever your fellow Marines go in, you're on the front lines with them. Gives your wife a lot to worry about. How do you try to reassure her when you're in a wartime situation?
J. SISTO: Well, it's our job. My job as a combat photographer is to document what our mission does. So anything we do -- we use it for operational, intelligence purposes, but also to tell the story.
BUCKLEY: And you were able to come back, in March, think it was, as part of the advance party, because you were supposed to rotate back a couple months ago. You were able to come back home and see your wife Elizabeth, and then you had to be torn away from her a few days later to go back, knowing that you were going to Iraq. Tell me what that was like.
J. SISTO: Well, it was definitely a privilege to get home. I was part of the advance party to get back. But it was tough to tear away again, because she knew what I was going back for. BUCKLEY: We've got your wife Elizabeth on shore with my colleague Gary Tuchman. Gary, I'd like you to introduce Elizabeth to everyone.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We will. First of all, Frank, we want to tell the corporal, through Elizabeth, we've learned a lot about the corporal.
We've learned he's from Massachusetts, and he's a Red Sox fan. And once again, they're going to be defeated by the Yankees this year. So I just wanted to let you know, while you were gone, the Red Sox fell 20 games behind the Yankees in the standings. Just a joke, corporal, they're actually in first place.
Right, Liz? Say hello to your husband.
ELIZABETH SISTO, WIFE OF CORPORAL JEFF SISTO: Hi, honey.
J. SISTO: Thanks for reminding us.
TUCHMAN: Let me ask -- I'm going to ask your wife, corporal...
J. SISTO: Definitely want to get some of those seats on the green monster.
TUCHMAN: That's right, they just put up...
E. SISTO: It's in the works already.
TUCHMAN: They just put up seats on top of the green monster for the first time in the 91-year history at Fenway park. We're looking at a monitor right now. We see you, corporal.
Tell me how it feels. You've been married for 18 month, he's been gone for almost half your marriage. How does it feel to see him on TV and know he's coming home, here tomorrow, to North Carolina.
E. SISTO: It's wonderful to see him. It's been a long road. We're just really looking forward to having a normal marriage. Trying to spend some time together, get to know each other again, and go back home and see the Red Sox.
TUCHMAN: Keeping in mind we're on television now, you're talking to millions of people, why don't you tell him what the plans are when he comes home?
E. SISTO: Well, his first request was pizza. So I'll be making pizza the first night. We'll probably try to go out for our first anniversary that we missed in December, so he owes me a dinner. And we'll be going home shortly after that, so.
TUCHMAN: Corporal, tell me, when you get here to beaches of North Carolina, to Camp Lejeune tomorrow, what will it feel like when you see your wife in person instead of on television?
J. SISTO: It will definitely feel great. I don't care what you say, Liz, I'm buying that recliner. I've been waiting for that for a long time.
E. SISTO: We'll talk about that when you get home.
TUCHMAN: Liz and corporal, thank you very much for joining us. It will be a great day here tomorrow. We want to tell you that this is the first major contingent of Marine ground forces to come home from the war. Fredricka, back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, Gary Tuchman, thank you. Congratulations to all of them and their reunion, expected tomorrow. And Frank Buckley, on board the "USS Nassau." It will be good to see him back home, too.
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 - 11:07 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, the crew of the USS Nassau is heading home from war. CNN's Frank Buckley is live aboard the "USS Nassau," and CNN's Gary Tuchman is at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where Marines aboard the ship will be returning tomorrow. Let's start with you, Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, some 4,000 Marines and sailors are spread out across the amphibious ship, heading home.
Also alongside is the USS Austin. All these ships participating in "Operation Iraqi Freedom," and now headed home after the Marines spent a month in-country in Iraq.
Among those Marines who are very excited about heading home is Corporal Jeff Sisto. Jeff, it's been a long time for you. Tell me in terms of personal sacrifice, you guys are gone for so long. You've missed so many events. Nine months of your life. You have been away from your family. Tell me, what's that like for you folks on this float?
JEFF SISTO, CORPORAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It's definitely a trying time for everybody. You know, we -- nine months is a long time to be away from anybody. So we're definitely are looking forward to getting home.
BUCKLEY: And you are a combat cameraman, which means you go in whenever your fellow Marines go in, you're on the front lines with them. Gives your wife a lot to worry about. How do you try to reassure her when you're in a wartime situation?
J. SISTO: Well, it's our job. My job as a combat photographer is to document what our mission does. So anything we do -- we use it for operational, intelligence purposes, but also to tell the story.
BUCKLEY: And you were able to come back, in March, think it was, as part of the advance party, because you were supposed to rotate back a couple months ago. You were able to come back home and see your wife Elizabeth, and then you had to be torn away from her a few days later to go back, knowing that you were going to Iraq. Tell me what that was like.
J. SISTO: Well, it was definitely a privilege to get home. I was part of the advance party to get back. But it was tough to tear away again, because she knew what I was going back for. BUCKLEY: We've got your wife Elizabeth on shore with my colleague Gary Tuchman. Gary, I'd like you to introduce Elizabeth to everyone.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We will. First of all, Frank, we want to tell the corporal, through Elizabeth, we've learned a lot about the corporal.
We've learned he's from Massachusetts, and he's a Red Sox fan. And once again, they're going to be defeated by the Yankees this year. So I just wanted to let you know, while you were gone, the Red Sox fell 20 games behind the Yankees in the standings. Just a joke, corporal, they're actually in first place.
Right, Liz? Say hello to your husband.
ELIZABETH SISTO, WIFE OF CORPORAL JEFF SISTO: Hi, honey.
J. SISTO: Thanks for reminding us.
TUCHMAN: Let me ask -- I'm going to ask your wife, corporal...
J. SISTO: Definitely want to get some of those seats on the green monster.
TUCHMAN: That's right, they just put up...
E. SISTO: It's in the works already.
TUCHMAN: They just put up seats on top of the green monster for the first time in the 91-year history at Fenway park. We're looking at a monitor right now. We see you, corporal.
Tell me how it feels. You've been married for 18 month, he's been gone for almost half your marriage. How does it feel to see him on TV and know he's coming home, here tomorrow, to North Carolina.
E. SISTO: It's wonderful to see him. It's been a long road. We're just really looking forward to having a normal marriage. Trying to spend some time together, get to know each other again, and go back home and see the Red Sox.
TUCHMAN: Keeping in mind we're on television now, you're talking to millions of people, why don't you tell him what the plans are when he comes home?
E. SISTO: Well, his first request was pizza. So I'll be making pizza the first night. We'll probably try to go out for our first anniversary that we missed in December, so he owes me a dinner. And we'll be going home shortly after that, so.
TUCHMAN: Corporal, tell me, when you get here to beaches of North Carolina, to Camp Lejeune tomorrow, what will it feel like when you see your wife in person instead of on television?
J. SISTO: It will definitely feel great. I don't care what you say, Liz, I'm buying that recliner. I've been waiting for that for a long time.
E. SISTO: We'll talk about that when you get home.
TUCHMAN: Liz and corporal, thank you very much for joining us. It will be a great day here tomorrow. We want to tell you that this is the first major contingent of Marine ground forces to come home from the war. Fredricka, back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, Gary Tuchman, thank you. Congratulations to all of them and their reunion, expected tomorrow. And Frank Buckley, on board the "USS Nassau." It will be good to see him back home, too.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
