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CNN Live Sunday

Interview With the Bonner Family

Aired May 25, 2003 - 18:06   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: Memorial Day weekend is homecoming weekend for hundreds of U.S. Marines returning from the war in Iraq. They're less than 24 hours away from reuniting with loved ones. But, for a few, the celebration has already begun.
CNN's Gary Tuchman joins us now from Cherry Point, North Carolina with anxious family members who have already reunited with a few of those Marines -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

We covered the tearful departures before the war. We covered the nerve-racking times during the war. It's a lot easier to cover the happy reunions after the war is over.

Less than one hour ago, five Harrier planes flew above up in the skies here in eastern North Carolina. It was the return of five pilots here to the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. Their family members, friends were waiting for them to come.

This is the beginning of a very festive weekend here in North Carolina. A total of 2,300, roughly, Marines are returning to here, to Cherry Point and also to Camp Lejeune.

And, right now, with us, one of the pilots who just landed here minutes ago. His name is Captain Jeff Bonner. His call sign is Bones. That's what he uses when he flies.

With him right now, his wife, Cara. And these are parents, in- laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and one little baby, who Captain Bonner has never seen before...

CAP. JEFF BONNER, U.S. MARINE CORPS: That's right.

TUCHMAN: ... because he was away for nine months.

BONNER: That's right.

TUCHMAN: How do you feel about being back?

BONNER: It's great to be back. Nine months is a long time. It's great to be back. We got 2,300 more Marines coming in tomorrow. It's going to be a great Memorial Day.

TUCHMAN: Now these are the five Harrier jets behind us. Captain Bonner is the number 54. You can see that, the second to last one right now. When you were flying over this airfield -- and I know you looked over there, saw your family -- you may not have been able to make them out, but you saw the people there -- what were you thinking?

BONNER: A lot of emotions go through your mind. You know, it's been a long time. Nine months is a long time. We've done some great work. We're real proud of the Marines, what they've done, and all that kind of comes back here. Seeing the family is really what it's all about.

TUCHMAN: Cara, I want to ask you, when you saw him come off that plane, what was going through your mind?

CARA BONNER, PILOT'S WIFE: I just want to run out and hug him. I'm just so happy he's home. I'm very proud of him.

TUCHMAN: And what's the first thing you guys do when you get home? What kind of celebration are you going to have?

CARA BONNER: Just lots of food, good family, company, you know, just enjoy having him back home.

TUCHMAN: Oh, you'll be with lots of good family. One more person we want to talk to, and that's Mom. Your mom.

BONNER: All right.

TUCHMAN: OK. Because she's very emotional, as a mom should be. Now that you see him in the flesh...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't he pretty?

TUCHMAN: How are you feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, wonderful. Wonderful. It's a great feeling to have him home finally. Finally.

TUCHMAN: Captain Bonner, you have a fan club here.

BONNER: I do.

TUCHMAN: They're going to take good care of you while you're home.

BONNER: Yes, they will. I have no doubt.

TUCHMAN: Appreciate you talk to us.

BONNER: Thank you very much.

TUCHMAN: As we said, tomorrow, 2,300 more Marines are coming back. We're expecting about 10,000 people to be participating, greeting those Marines who come back to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That's...

TUCHMAN: Back to you, Fredricka. WHITFIELD: That's an incredible number, Gary, and it's not that far away from where you are there at Cherry Point. Do you know any kind of preparations that have been put into place in order to accommodate those 10,000 people and those 2,300 Marines that are on their way home?

TUCHMAN: Well, they're kind of used to this because that's what we were saying at the beginning, Fredricka. They had thousands of people to say good-bye to these folks when they left nine months ago.

Normally, the members of this Expeditionary Unit go on six-month journeys. This ended up being nine months. They were sent to the Iraq war after being in places like Kosovo and after being in Kenya.

So it was a very sad good-bye when they left. They were gone for much longer than expected, and they've been preparing here for a long time for this happy homecoming.

WHITFIELD: Great. Well, it's right here and right in the present. Thanks very much.

Gary Tuchman.

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 25, 2003 - 18:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Memorial Day weekend is homecoming weekend for hundreds of U.S. Marines returning from the war in Iraq. They're less than 24 hours away from reuniting with loved ones. But, for a few, the celebration has already begun.
CNN's Gary Tuchman joins us now from Cherry Point, North Carolina with anxious family members who have already reunited with a few of those Marines -- Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

We covered the tearful departures before the war. We covered the nerve-racking times during the war. It's a lot easier to cover the happy reunions after the war is over.

Less than one hour ago, five Harrier planes flew above up in the skies here in eastern North Carolina. It was the return of five pilots here to the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. Their family members, friends were waiting for them to come.

This is the beginning of a very festive weekend here in North Carolina. A total of 2,300, roughly, Marines are returning to here, to Cherry Point and also to Camp Lejeune.

And, right now, with us, one of the pilots who just landed here minutes ago. His name is Captain Jeff Bonner. His call sign is Bones. That's what he uses when he flies.

With him right now, his wife, Cara. And these are parents, in- laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and one little baby, who Captain Bonner has never seen before...

CAP. JEFF BONNER, U.S. MARINE CORPS: That's right.

TUCHMAN: ... because he was away for nine months.

BONNER: That's right.

TUCHMAN: How do you feel about being back?

BONNER: It's great to be back. Nine months is a long time. It's great to be back. We got 2,300 more Marines coming in tomorrow. It's going to be a great Memorial Day.

TUCHMAN: Now these are the five Harrier jets behind us. Captain Bonner is the number 54. You can see that, the second to last one right now. When you were flying over this airfield -- and I know you looked over there, saw your family -- you may not have been able to make them out, but you saw the people there -- what were you thinking?

BONNER: A lot of emotions go through your mind. You know, it's been a long time. Nine months is a long time. We've done some great work. We're real proud of the Marines, what they've done, and all that kind of comes back here. Seeing the family is really what it's all about.

TUCHMAN: Cara, I want to ask you, when you saw him come off that plane, what was going through your mind?

CARA BONNER, PILOT'S WIFE: I just want to run out and hug him. I'm just so happy he's home. I'm very proud of him.

TUCHMAN: And what's the first thing you guys do when you get home? What kind of celebration are you going to have?

CARA BONNER: Just lots of food, good family, company, you know, just enjoy having him back home.

TUCHMAN: Oh, you'll be with lots of good family. One more person we want to talk to, and that's Mom. Your mom.

BONNER: All right.

TUCHMAN: OK. Because she's very emotional, as a mom should be. Now that you see him in the flesh...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't he pretty?

TUCHMAN: How are you feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, wonderful. Wonderful. It's a great feeling to have him home finally. Finally.

TUCHMAN: Captain Bonner, you have a fan club here.

BONNER: I do.

TUCHMAN: They're going to take good care of you while you're home.

BONNER: Yes, they will. I have no doubt.

TUCHMAN: Appreciate you talk to us.

BONNER: Thank you very much.

TUCHMAN: As we said, tomorrow, 2,300 more Marines are coming back. We're expecting about 10,000 people to be participating, greeting those Marines who come back to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That's...

TUCHMAN: Back to you, Fredricka. WHITFIELD: That's an incredible number, Gary, and it's not that far away from where you are there at Cherry Point. Do you know any kind of preparations that have been put into place in order to accommodate those 10,000 people and those 2,300 Marines that are on their way home?

TUCHMAN: Well, they're kind of used to this because that's what we were saying at the beginning, Fredricka. They had thousands of people to say good-bye to these folks when they left nine months ago.

Normally, the members of this Expeditionary Unit go on six-month journeys. This ended up being nine months. They were sent to the Iraq war after being in places like Kosovo and after being in Kenya.

So it was a very sad good-bye when they left. They were gone for much longer than expected, and they've been preparing here for a long time for this happy homecoming.

WHITFIELD: Great. Well, it's right here and right in the present. Thanks very much.

Gary Tuchman.

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