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CNN Live Sunday
Body of U.S. Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Arrives in Germany
Aired December 22, 2002 - 18:20 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The body of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan arrived in Germany today. Sergeant Steven Checo died Saturday after Taliban and al Qaeda forces opened fire on Checo and other troops in his unit. CNN's Jason Bellini is live with more on the first U.S. combat death in Afghanistan since August. Jason, I understand you got a chance to talk with some of the people who knew him best.
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We did indeed. His mother didn't want to speak to the press but other people visited his house to pay their respects, to give their condolences and friends, some family members, and the picture that emerges of Steven Checo, he was 22 years old, is a young man who really loved his job. He was in the military because that's where he wanted to be. CNN obtained an interview with him in September and you'll see in the sound, Carol that he really is a young man who appeared very serious and proud of what he did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SGT. STEVEN CHECO: It's my first time working out in the desert and if you're not physically fit, basically it's really hard, so just being physically fit and the environment wears you out real quick compared to how we train back in the states.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELLINI: Checo, he was -- the last contact his family had with him was through a letter that he wrote to his cousin just a few weeks ago, and in that letter he described how he was proud of what he was doing. The only complaint he had was about the food but he wanted to stay there and he was also looking forward to returning home in February. We also spoke with his uncle and his uncle again reiterated just how proud his nephew was of his work in the army.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Proud to be in the military?
GILBERT CHECO, UNCLE: That was his life. That was his life. He loved it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?
G. CHECO: He loved being in the service.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?
G. CHECO: Why? That you would have to ask him and it's too late.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELLINI: Carol, too late for us to know where his dreams, where his career in the army take him.
LIN: Yes, Jason, that's sad indeed what happened to him. Do officials know any more about exactly what happened, why he was hit, who was firing at the time?
BELLINI: All we know is that he was on a patrol and after they spotted seven guerrilla soldiers, they were shot upon and he was wounded. He was taken to a military hospital where he died during surgery -- Carol.
LIN: All right, and it just happened to be by coincidence that CNN got that interview with him last fall?
BELLINI: Indeed, a CNN producer had visited him not long after he had arrived in Afghanistan and was talking to him about the exercises that they were involved in and after hearing of his death we found the tape and those remarkable words from a young man who obviously loved the work that he did.
LIN: Yes and just you could tell by the tape he was so young, just 22 years old.
BELLINI: He was 22 years old.
LIN: Oh, all right thank you very much Jason Bellini reporting live from New York.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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Aired December 22, 2002 - 18:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The body of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan arrived in Germany today. Sergeant Steven Checo died Saturday after Taliban and al Qaeda forces opened fire on Checo and other troops in his unit. CNN's Jason Bellini is live with more on the first U.S. combat death in Afghanistan since August. Jason, I understand you got a chance to talk with some of the people who knew him best.
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We did indeed. His mother didn't want to speak to the press but other people visited his house to pay their respects, to give their condolences and friends, some family members, and the picture that emerges of Steven Checo, he was 22 years old, is a young man who really loved his job. He was in the military because that's where he wanted to be. CNN obtained an interview with him in September and you'll see in the sound, Carol that he really is a young man who appeared very serious and proud of what he did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SGT. STEVEN CHECO: It's my first time working out in the desert and if you're not physically fit, basically it's really hard, so just being physically fit and the environment wears you out real quick compared to how we train back in the states.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELLINI: Checo, he was -- the last contact his family had with him was through a letter that he wrote to his cousin just a few weeks ago, and in that letter he described how he was proud of what he was doing. The only complaint he had was about the food but he wanted to stay there and he was also looking forward to returning home in February. We also spoke with his uncle and his uncle again reiterated just how proud his nephew was of his work in the army.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Proud to be in the military?
GILBERT CHECO, UNCLE: That was his life. That was his life. He loved it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?
G. CHECO: He loved being in the service.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?
G. CHECO: Why? That you would have to ask him and it's too late.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELLINI: Carol, too late for us to know where his dreams, where his career in the army take him.
LIN: Yes, Jason, that's sad indeed what happened to him. Do officials know any more about exactly what happened, why he was hit, who was firing at the time?
BELLINI: All we know is that he was on a patrol and after they spotted seven guerrilla soldiers, they were shot upon and he was wounded. He was taken to a military hospital where he died during surgery -- Carol.
LIN: All right, and it just happened to be by coincidence that CNN got that interview with him last fall?
BELLINI: Indeed, a CNN producer had visited him not long after he had arrived in Afghanistan and was talking to him about the exercises that they were involved in and after hearing of his death we found the tape and those remarkable words from a young man who obviously loved the work that he did.
LIN: Yes and just you could tell by the tape he was so young, just 22 years old.
BELLINI: He was 22 years old.
LIN: Oh, all right thank you very much Jason Bellini reporting live from New York.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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