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CNN Live Sunday

Bush Meets With 2 Ex-POWs

Aired April 20, 2003 - 16:14   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.


SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: The two former POWs President Bush met with at Ft. Hood, and the other five at Ft. Bliss are having an Easter they could barely imagine over a week ago. CNN's Ed Lavandera joins us live from Ft. Bliss with more on that -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Sophia. Well, a much quieter day here at Ft. Bliss. The last night when the five POWs of the 507th Maintenance Company and the former two former POWs from Ft. Hood, Texas, arrived here, it was amazing scene. About 1,000 people turned out here at Ft. Bliss to welcome those soldiers home.

This morning we have had a chance to speak off camera with two of those families of those former prisoners of war. Joseph Hudson's family tells us that he's been spending time with his family as well. We also ran into Patrick Miller. Those were the two men that popped out of the top of the C17 transport aircraft that brought them back to Ft. Bliss. Miller waving the American flag and Hudson waving to the crowd wildly. I asked Miller what he imagined when he was touching down and he said he had no idea that that many people would be showing up here to welcome them home. Hudson's in-laws also tell us the same thing. That he was amazed at the number of people who had turned out the welcome these soldiers home. So it was quite an amazing evening.

Well, as I said, things much quieter here today as the focus turned, on base here at least, to Easter services. Many people attending the services here. The sunrise services as well as regular church services that were held here on base this morning. Also on the minds of many of these church goers this morning, the thoughts and the images of what transpired here last night and also the soldiers that weren't able to make it home that were part of this 507th maintenance company.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to bring some closure, especially this time of the year for the families.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's exciting that they come home, but I'm reminded that so many people don't have their loved ones home yet. So when everyone is home and everybody can put their arms around their loved ones, that will be wonderful. But in the back of your head, you always have to keep in mind that some people's loved ones didn't come home and aren't coming home. That's really hard to deal with, but they're in our prayers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the nation is thinking about our soldiers out there that are down there and hopefully they'll understand that, you know, they will be home pretty soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Now, the five former prisoners of war here, the 507th Maintenance Company spending today their families. We also understand that starting tomorrow they'll continue to go -- undergo more medical tests to make sure that everything is okay with them. Also, they have been instructed not to speak with the news media at least for the time being about what transpired and what happened to them while they were in Iraq. But of course the main focus here is spending time with their family and at least some of the families we're able to speak with this morning says beyond what might happen in the next couple of days it's not clear on what their schedule will look like in the coming weeks. Sophia, back to you.

CHOI: OK, Ed, thank you so much for that.

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 April 20, 2003 - 16:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: The two former POWs President Bush met with at Ft. Hood, and the other five at Ft. Bliss are having an Easter they could barely imagine over a week ago. CNN's Ed Lavandera joins us live from Ft. Bliss with more on that -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Sophia. Well, a much quieter day here at Ft. Bliss. The last night when the five POWs of the 507th Maintenance Company and the former two former POWs from Ft. Hood, Texas, arrived here, it was amazing scene. About 1,000 people turned out here at Ft. Bliss to welcome those soldiers home.

This morning we have had a chance to speak off camera with two of those families of those former prisoners of war. Joseph Hudson's family tells us that he's been spending time with his family as well. We also ran into Patrick Miller. Those were the two men that popped out of the top of the C17 transport aircraft that brought them back to Ft. Bliss. Miller waving the American flag and Hudson waving to the crowd wildly. I asked Miller what he imagined when he was touching down and he said he had no idea that that many people would be showing up here to welcome them home. Hudson's in-laws also tell us the same thing. That he was amazed at the number of people who had turned out the welcome these soldiers home. So it was quite an amazing evening.

Well, as I said, things much quieter here today as the focus turned, on base here at least, to Easter services. Many people attending the services here. The sunrise services as well as regular church services that were held here on base this morning. Also on the minds of many of these church goers this morning, the thoughts and the images of what transpired here last night and also the soldiers that weren't able to make it home that were part of this 507th maintenance company.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to bring some closure, especially this time of the year for the families.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's exciting that they come home, but I'm reminded that so many people don't have their loved ones home yet. So when everyone is home and everybody can put their arms around their loved ones, that will be wonderful. But in the back of your head, you always have to keep in mind that some people's loved ones didn't come home and aren't coming home. That's really hard to deal with, but they're in our prayers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the nation is thinking about our soldiers out there that are down there and hopefully they'll understand that, you know, they will be home pretty soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Now, the five former prisoners of war here, the 507th Maintenance Company spending today their families. We also understand that starting tomorrow they'll continue to go -- undergo more medical tests to make sure that everything is okay with them. Also, they have been instructed not to speak with the news media at least for the time being about what transpired and what happened to them while they were in Iraq. But of course the main focus here is spending time with their family and at least some of the families we're able to speak with this morning says beyond what might happen in the next couple of days it's not clear on what their schedule will look like in the coming weeks. Sophia, back to you.

CHOI: OK, Ed, thank you so much for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com