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CNN Live Sunday

Interview With Earl Houston, Frankie Houston

Aired May 04, 2003 - 16:39   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the countdown is on. Two more days before the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln pulls in to its home port of Everett, Washington, after making a pit stop, so to speak, in San Diego last week.
On board, some 3,000 sailors, and among them, Chief Petty Officer Earl Houston, and thanks to satellite and sophisticated technology, we are hoping to bring him and his wife Frankie here together on air. Frankie is in Everett, Washington. Good to see both of you. Glad we were able to help make this happen. Let me begin with you, Chief Petty Officer Houston. You must have butterflies knowing that just a few hours, a few days away of being reunited after a very lengthy journey, a ten-months deployment. Can he hear me OK? Chief Petty Officer?

CHIEF PETTY OFFICER EARL HOUSTON, U.S. NAVY: Hello.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Can you hear me talking to you? All right. I'm wondering if you have got butterflies.

E. HOUSTON: Yes. I can hear you.

WHITFIELD: OK. Good. You got two days to go before you're going to be back at home port. Do you have butterflies?

E. HOUSTON: Oh, yes, I do. I have butterflies but it'll be good to get back home and reunite with the family.

WHITFIELD: Well, you have done this before, at least been deployed time and time again. Given that you have been in the service now for 22 years. And, you and Frankie have been married 25 years, nearly 25 years. You have done this before but why is this time a bit different, this deployment and this return home?

E. HOUSTON: Well, this deployment will be different because of the extended stay, but it was a very challenging deployment. But it's good to get back home. It's good to have the support of your shipmates that could see you through this, and to see my wife on the camera will -- makes me happier than anything in the world.

WHITFIELD: That's so sweet. And Frankie, let me bring you in on this. Have you guys been able to communicate while he was away for ten months, and if so how were you able to communicate?

FRANKIE HOUSTON, WIFE: Yes. We communicated through e-mail and phone calls when we could get them. WHITFIELD: And your husband said that this has been perhaps one of the most challenging deployments for him, given it was for ten months, and during this conflict. How about for you? You've been through this before. How does this rank for the other deployments? Is it tougher for you and the family?

F. HOUSTON: Actually, it was because we came here in June. He left in July. I was expecting him to be gone for six months. Instead, it was almost ten months, so I'm just glad he's coming home.

WHITFIELD: How, if at all, can you try to make it easier for yourself or for the family when the deployment is extended just like it was?

F. HOUSTON: How do I make it easier?

WHITFIELD: Yes. How do you get through it?

F. HOUSTON: Well, actually, it wasn't so bad for us because my daughter is grown and we don't -- I didn't have the responsibility of the kids and all that stuff, so it was fairly easy for me, and I had co-workers -- the backbone of my church. The chapel here on base.

WHITFIELD: And Frankie, speaking of kids, you guys are now about to celebrate your first grandchild. At least you got a chance perhaps, to be part of that experience -- Oh, very cute -- grandson there. But Chief Petty Officer Houston, this will be the first time, I suppose, you're going to get a chance to see him. Right? Frankie, why don't I ask you...

E. HOUSTON: Yes. It was a -- it will be my first time seeing him. The pictures that I am viewing right now, I have a copy of that and just to see him for the first time will be a great, great, great pleasure.

WHITFIELD: Wow, and this is your first grandchild, right? I see that they made a great effort of wrapping your grandson in an American flag there, we saw.

E. HOUSTON: Oh, that's -- that's pretty patriotic that they got the grandson wrapped in a flag. Everything looks good. And, what I want to add is -- and my wife just went through surgery, and with the support of the chaplain on board, which is Chaplain Slow (ph), and the chaplain on base that kept us closely informed, I couldn't made the rest of the trip without their support and the support of the Lincoln crew here.

WHITFIELD: I'm going to jump out for a moment and let you talk amongst yourselves if you don't mind. If you guys have a message to one another, go right to it.

F. HOUSTON: Hurry home!

WHITFIELD: Chief Petty Officer, do you have any thoughts -- direct thoughts to your wife? E. HOUSTON: Well, we communicate through e-mail and, also, we communicate through the telephone. But it's going to be a great pleasure to get to hug her and kiss her again, and that's going to be the big welcome right there when I get back to Everett.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, Chief Petty Officer Earl Houston and Frankie Houston, thanks very much for joining us. The chief petty officer from the USS Abraham Lincoln, and Frankie from Everett, Washington, and congratulations on your return home. And, thanks on behalf of everyone for a job well done out there, and good luck to both of you. Congratulations on you being reunited with your grandson.

E. HOUSTON: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: Thanks for joining us.

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 May 4, 2003 - 16:39   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the countdown is on. Two more days before the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln pulls in to its home port of Everett, Washington, after making a pit stop, so to speak, in San Diego last week.
On board, some 3,000 sailors, and among them, Chief Petty Officer Earl Houston, and thanks to satellite and sophisticated technology, we are hoping to bring him and his wife Frankie here together on air. Frankie is in Everett, Washington. Good to see both of you. Glad we were able to help make this happen. Let me begin with you, Chief Petty Officer Houston. You must have butterflies knowing that just a few hours, a few days away of being reunited after a very lengthy journey, a ten-months deployment. Can he hear me OK? Chief Petty Officer?

CHIEF PETTY OFFICER EARL HOUSTON, U.S. NAVY: Hello.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Can you hear me talking to you? All right. I'm wondering if you have got butterflies.

E. HOUSTON: Yes. I can hear you.

WHITFIELD: OK. Good. You got two days to go before you're going to be back at home port. Do you have butterflies?

E. HOUSTON: Oh, yes, I do. I have butterflies but it'll be good to get back home and reunite with the family.

WHITFIELD: Well, you have done this before, at least been deployed time and time again. Given that you have been in the service now for 22 years. And, you and Frankie have been married 25 years, nearly 25 years. You have done this before but why is this time a bit different, this deployment and this return home?

E. HOUSTON: Well, this deployment will be different because of the extended stay, but it was a very challenging deployment. But it's good to get back home. It's good to have the support of your shipmates that could see you through this, and to see my wife on the camera will -- makes me happier than anything in the world.

WHITFIELD: That's so sweet. And Frankie, let me bring you in on this. Have you guys been able to communicate while he was away for ten months, and if so how were you able to communicate?

FRANKIE HOUSTON, WIFE: Yes. We communicated through e-mail and phone calls when we could get them. WHITFIELD: And your husband said that this has been perhaps one of the most challenging deployments for him, given it was for ten months, and during this conflict. How about for you? You've been through this before. How does this rank for the other deployments? Is it tougher for you and the family?

F. HOUSTON: Actually, it was because we came here in June. He left in July. I was expecting him to be gone for six months. Instead, it was almost ten months, so I'm just glad he's coming home.

WHITFIELD: How, if at all, can you try to make it easier for yourself or for the family when the deployment is extended just like it was?

F. HOUSTON: How do I make it easier?

WHITFIELD: Yes. How do you get through it?

F. HOUSTON: Well, actually, it wasn't so bad for us because my daughter is grown and we don't -- I didn't have the responsibility of the kids and all that stuff, so it was fairly easy for me, and I had co-workers -- the backbone of my church. The chapel here on base.

WHITFIELD: And Frankie, speaking of kids, you guys are now about to celebrate your first grandchild. At least you got a chance perhaps, to be part of that experience -- Oh, very cute -- grandson there. But Chief Petty Officer Houston, this will be the first time, I suppose, you're going to get a chance to see him. Right? Frankie, why don't I ask you...

E. HOUSTON: Yes. It was a -- it will be my first time seeing him. The pictures that I am viewing right now, I have a copy of that and just to see him for the first time will be a great, great, great pleasure.

WHITFIELD: Wow, and this is your first grandchild, right? I see that they made a great effort of wrapping your grandson in an American flag there, we saw.

E. HOUSTON: Oh, that's -- that's pretty patriotic that they got the grandson wrapped in a flag. Everything looks good. And, what I want to add is -- and my wife just went through surgery, and with the support of the chaplain on board, which is Chaplain Slow (ph), and the chaplain on base that kept us closely informed, I couldn't made the rest of the trip without their support and the support of the Lincoln crew here.

WHITFIELD: I'm going to jump out for a moment and let you talk amongst yourselves if you don't mind. If you guys have a message to one another, go right to it.

F. HOUSTON: Hurry home!

WHITFIELD: Chief Petty Officer, do you have any thoughts -- direct thoughts to your wife? E. HOUSTON: Well, we communicate through e-mail and, also, we communicate through the telephone. But it's going to be a great pleasure to get to hug her and kiss her again, and that's going to be the big welcome right there when I get back to Everett.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, Chief Petty Officer Earl Houston and Frankie Houston, thanks very much for joining us. The chief petty officer from the USS Abraham Lincoln, and Frankie from Everett, Washington, and congratulations on your return home. And, thanks on behalf of everyone for a job well done out there, and good luck to both of you. Congratulations on you being reunited with your grandson.

E. HOUSTON: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: Thanks for joining us.

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