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CNN Live Sunday
USS Abraham Lincoln en Route to San Diego
Aired April 27, 2003 - 16:04 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hundreds of U.S. sailors are enjoying their first full day back home from the war in Iraq. For others, the journey is not yet over, however. Hawaii was first stop for a couple of ships in the Abraham Lincoln carrier group. The aircraft carrier is now heading to San Diego, California, and our Kyra Phillips is abroad and she joins us by phone. Kyra?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Anderson. You talk about an emotional moment. The USS Abraham Lincoln just pulled out of the port here in Pearl Harbor, and I wasn't expecting this. A lot of us weren't expecting this but all the sailors are lined up on the edge of the carrier. And as it passed the Arizona Memorial, the exact site where the bombing for Pearl Harbor took place and took down a number of those U.S. ships, they all came to attention and they saluted the memorial, and held it there for at least 20 minutes, as it slowly moved past the memorial. Just an amazing moment to watch. Very quiet here on the flight deck. It is a very respectful time, an honorable time for them.
I talked to some of the sailors after we passed the memorial, and they were just saying it puts everything in perspective. They think of lives lost not only in Operation Iraqi Freedom but also remembering how history in many ways has repeated itself and looking back at what happened during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Now, you can probably hear the communications over the phone line here, but we are moving out of the port, headed toward the San Diego area. There is going to be a tremendous fly off of the entire air wing that will be coming up in the next couple of days, and also as you know, the president of the United States will be coming aboard, spending the night here on the USS Abraham Lincoln, congratulating these sailors on a mission well done and officially announcing to them they're headed home and that this war is over. Anderson?
COOPER: And their final port of call, their home base is where?
PHILLIPS: Everett, Washington. That is the final stop.
COOPER: I'm sure there are a lot of people on board that, and as well as waiting in Everett, Washington eager to see them home. How many sailors are aboard the USS Lincoln?
PHILLIPS: Fifty-five hundred, Anderson. So you can just imagine there are a lot of excited young sailors and a number of officers ready to hit these various ports. Ready to fly off this carrier, go home and see their families and tell them all about the Operation Iraqi Freedom and how they participated.
COOPER: And when are they expected home?
PHILLIPS: By May 5. Keep your fingers crossed.
COOPER: We will do that. Kyra Phillips, thanks very much.
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 27, 2003 - 16:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hundreds of U.S. sailors are enjoying their first full day back home from the war in Iraq. For others, the journey is not yet over, however. Hawaii was first stop for a couple of ships in the Abraham Lincoln carrier group. The aircraft carrier is now heading to San Diego, California, and our Kyra Phillips is abroad and she joins us by phone. Kyra?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Anderson. You talk about an emotional moment. The USS Abraham Lincoln just pulled out of the port here in Pearl Harbor, and I wasn't expecting this. A lot of us weren't expecting this but all the sailors are lined up on the edge of the carrier. And as it passed the Arizona Memorial, the exact site where the bombing for Pearl Harbor took place and took down a number of those U.S. ships, they all came to attention and they saluted the memorial, and held it there for at least 20 minutes, as it slowly moved past the memorial. Just an amazing moment to watch. Very quiet here on the flight deck. It is a very respectful time, an honorable time for them.
I talked to some of the sailors after we passed the memorial, and they were just saying it puts everything in perspective. They think of lives lost not only in Operation Iraqi Freedom but also remembering how history in many ways has repeated itself and looking back at what happened during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Now, you can probably hear the communications over the phone line here, but we are moving out of the port, headed toward the San Diego area. There is going to be a tremendous fly off of the entire air wing that will be coming up in the next couple of days, and also as you know, the president of the United States will be coming aboard, spending the night here on the USS Abraham Lincoln, congratulating these sailors on a mission well done and officially announcing to them they're headed home and that this war is over. Anderson?
COOPER: And their final port of call, their home base is where?
PHILLIPS: Everett, Washington. That is the final stop.
COOPER: I'm sure there are a lot of people on board that, and as well as waiting in Everett, Washington eager to see them home. How many sailors are aboard the USS Lincoln?
PHILLIPS: Fifty-five hundred, Anderson. So you can just imagine there are a lot of excited young sailors and a number of officers ready to hit these various ports. Ready to fly off this carrier, go home and see their families and tell them all about the Operation Iraqi Freedom and how they participated.
COOPER: And when are they expected home?
PHILLIPS: By May 5. Keep your fingers crossed.
COOPER: We will do that. Kyra Phillips, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
