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CNN Saturday Morning News

USS Princeton, Antietam Return to U.S.

Aired January 19, 2002 - 11:34   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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Military families are cheering the arrival this morning of hundreds of sailors and officers from the USS Princeton and the USS Antietam. The Princeton sailed into its home port in San Diego just moments ago. It spend the last six months deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

That's where we find CNN's Frank Buckley who's there for the docking.

Frank, a happy homecoming.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh boy, this is the best day of any Navy family, when the ship comes home. This cruiser here just pulled in and the families are waiting in eager anticipation.

No one more so here than Sara Van (ph) whose boyfriend, Jeff Kirkpatrick (ph), we just saw. Is he still there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, he's not.

BUCKLEY: I've lost him. Well, he was just standing over her shoulder just a second ago, but here's what he's going to get to see when he comes home. This is Jayden (ph), who was just born two weeks ago, on January 5 and there he goes. He's giving us a little smile I think that is. Jeff hasn't seen him. Just born two weeks ago. Tell me what this day is like, Sara.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm really excited and I know he is too because this is his first child, even though he wasn't here for the whole pregnancy. But I know he's really excited to see his first son.

BUCKLEY: And you and I were chatting earlier, it's a difficult time to go through a pregnancy and to go through childbirth. It's a difficult time to go through a cruise with your loved one at sea. But then it was also a wartime situation. On top of that, you have this baby. He wasn't here. How tough was that for you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was really hard. I know it's probably just as hard for him. But it was really hard for me, him not being here to go through all the emotional times that I was going through. But I know that he's excited to see him. So, I'm really excited for him to see him.

BUCKLEY: Okay, Sara, thanks very much. Good luck to you guys. Have a good day.

Also here with us is Savannah Mejia (ph) and little Christian (ph). Christian who is six years old and we're going to talk to you in a second, Christian. But first, I want to ask you, Savannah, we've brought you here because you won the lottery to get the first kiss of any of these sailors coming off. How did that come about?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, every month the wives from the ship, we meet together. It's a support group and we get our name put in the lottery, and I'm just lucky to be the one and proud.

BUCKLEY: Tell me what it's been like for you these last six months?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's been a hard time. I'm also military, so I'm thinking about if I had to go. Thank goodness I didn't have to, but we made it.

BUCKLEY: How are you feeling about that first kiss?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't wait.

BUCKLEY: Thanks a lot. Let me talk to Christian. Hey Christian, buddy you're six years old and dad has been at sea for a long time. What are you going to do when you see your dad?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Hug him.

BUCKLEY: Hug him. That's a perfect thing to do. And what are you guys going to do later, do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Oh, I think he's watching TV on the ship. But maybe he's really not -- he might know this. If he was watching TV, he would go the Channel 7 and see us. And then after that, he'll hear us say that we're going to a restaurant.

BUCKLEY: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Have a surprise party.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just told the whole civilized world.

BUCKLEY: All right. Well, have fun at the surprise dinner. Thanks buddy.

There you get a sense of some of the excitement and emotion here at pier three in San Diego.

Back to you.

CALLAWAY: Frank, that was so great. He's so excited. He's jumping up and down. I guess everyone there feels like jumping up and down. They're coming home. Thank you so much for bringing that to us.

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