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CNN Saturday Morning News
USS Enterprise Celebrates Homecoming
Aired November 10, 2001 - 09:12 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In Norfolk, Virginia, it's homecoming day for the sailors aboard the USS Enterprise. The aircraft carrier was the first to report for combat duty in the war in Afghanistan.
And our Jeanne Meserve is one of the first individuals to welcome all these guys back, men and women. Their family members and friends also surrounding her right now.
Jeanne, tell us about this party. What's happening right now?
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, it's wild. The band is about to strike up. And there you see the ship. And look at all those men and women. Listen to the cheers.
(CHEERING)
MESERVE: They are home, and boy, they're happy. We've been watching American flags wave in the crowd all day, now we're seeing them up there on the ship. It looks like every sailor's been given a flag, and they're waving them hard.
A few minutes ago, they started chanting, "U.S.A., U.S.A.!" and the crowd did it right back to them. What a moment.
I can tell you that when I was on board the ship, one of the sailors told me about on a previous deployment, how he and his wife made an agreement that she'd have a certain kind of balloon down here on the dock so he'd be able to see her. He said when they came in, there were so many balloons, there was no help of them finding one another.
I think today, if anybody wanted an American flag to be a symbol, they wouldn't have any luck finding one another, because they are just studding this crowd, this crowd of several thousand people. They expect this to be the biggest homecoming since Desert Storm.
I want to talk to a couple of young men here who I've been keeping my eye on. What's your name?
TYLER: Tyler.
MESERVE: And what's your name?
KINDELL: Kindell (ph). MESERVE: Now, are you two here to meet your dad?
TYLER: Yes.
KINDELL: Yes.
MESERVE: He's been away for seven months. Has it been hard?
TYLER: Yes.
KINDELL: Yes.
MESERVE: Yes?
KINDELL: Yes.
MESERVE: Tell me a little bit about how hard it's been.
KINDELL: It's been, like, I don't know.
MESERVE: What are you going to say to...
KINDELL: I was going to say, Welcome home, Dad, and me and my mom got him a present. And we got -- made him a "Welcome Home, Dad" card at home where his present is. I don't know...
MESERVE: Well, that's great. How about you? What are you going to say and do when you see your dad?
TYLER: I'm going to hug him and say I love him.
MESERVE: Have you really missed him a lot?
TYLER: Yes...
(CROSSTALK)
MESERVE: ... right. And this is your big sister behind you? What's your name?
LAUREN: Lauren.
MESERVE: Lauren, how about you? How's it been?
LAUREN: We've missed him a lot, and we can't wait till he comes home.
MESERVE: And I bet you have hugs and kisses for him, don't you? Dads are always missed.
So there it is once again, the U.S.S. "Enterprise" back in port. It's been away for almost seven months. It was on its way home September 9 when the terrorist strikes took place. It turned around, went back to the Persian Gulf, some of the first air strikes on Afghanistan took place off the decks of this ship. It's a four-and-a-half acre flight deck. It's simply enormous. And it's been ringed by these sailors who stood at attention as the ship came in. But there's no hope of keeping them that disciplined at this point. They are obviously so excited at seeing their families here.
Back to you.
PHILLIPS: Jeanne, I know you've gotten to know a lot of those sailors. What have they told you that they missed the most after going away for such a long period of time?
MESERVE: I'll tell you, food was right at the top of the list. They all said they wanted home-cooked food. Each one of them had a different menu in mind. Some said steak with a beer, some said Mom's spaghetti, some said stuffed peppers. But I'll tell you, every single one of them had some particular food that they wanted to eat when they got home.
Apart from that, what they really want to see are their families. They miss their moms, their dads, their spouses, their kids. It has been a long seven months. They really never expected to see combat when they went out. They did. That has to have been a trial.
Now, they've been able to keep in touch with their families via e-mail. Occasionally they've been able to call. But you know there's nothing like seeing someone in person. And those one-on-one reunions are going to take place in just a few minutes' time.
Back to you.
PHILLIPS: Ah, just imagine the stories they'll have to tell. Our Jeanne Meserve, thanks so much. We'll check in with you again pretty soon.
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