Marine Corps Corporal Talks to Family from Kandahar
Aired December 24, 2001 - 07:16 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. MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's time now for Operation Happy Holiday on this Christmas Eve.
We want to take you, now, live to Kandahar, Afghanistan. That's where we find CNN's Bill Hemmer. He's with the Marine encampment there. He's got a special treat for one leather neck and his family back in the States.
Hello, Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN NEWS, KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN: Sure do, Miles, thanks. We're going to give this a shot, anyway, with that massive satellite delay. We're going to see how this thing works.
Corporal Steven Fox is with me, U.S. Marines almost four years running, from Havelock, North Carolina, right, the eastern edge of North Carolina.
Good afternoon to you, and Merry Christmas to you.
CPL. STEVEN FOX, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Merry Christmas.
HEMMER: How are things going so far in your mission here?
CPL. FOX: Going pretty good. I'm having a good time so far.
HEMMER: Yeah, you said it was the best time you've had just yet, since you've been in the Marines.
CPL. FOX: Yes, it has.
HEMMER: Yeah. Well, listen, we're going to try and work this thing out, here. Your parents, Steven and Carol Fox, are standing by live in Havelock, North Carolina.
You say you haven't seen them in how long?
CPL. FOX: About five months, now.
HEMMER: About five months. OK, we're going to give this a shot.
And to Mr. and Mrs. Fox, if you can hear me, I've talked to your son a short time ago, and he tells me that he wants you to have the first word, or the first question, so go ahead and fire away from there in North Carolina.
CAROL FOX, MOTHER: Go ahead.
STEVEN FOX, FATHER: Hey, son, how are you doing? You look tired.
S. FOX: Merry Christmas, son. We're all doing well. Everybody sends their love. Looks kind of cold over there. It's nice and warm here.
CPL. FOX: Yeah, it's really cold.
C. FOX: Well, we want you to know that we've talked to Abby in Ohio, and she wants you to know that she's very happy to see you this morning, and that you're doing well.
And she wants to send her love and Merry Christmas from her and her family out there.
CPL. FOX: OK. Let her know that I love her, and tell her family I said hello, and that I'll be home soon hopefully.
C. FOX: OK.
HEMMER: Wait a minute, who's Abby?
CPL. FOX: That's ...
HEMMER: Where is she?
CPL. FOX: ... that's my fiancee. She's out in Lancaster, Ohio.
HEMMER: When are you going to get married?
CPL. FOX: Hopefully, as soon as we get back.
HEMMER: Holy cow. Well, congratulations to you. Didn't mean to interrupt. Carry on.
C. FOX: OK, and then of course, Jennifer and Josh and your nephew down in Florida, and all the families both in Nebraska and Colorado and Pennsylvania, all over, have -- are watching, hopefully, this morning. And they, too, want to know, to issue to you Merry Christmas greetings. So, all the grandparents and aunts and uncles are watching.
CPL. FOX: OK. Tell them all I said "hi," and thanks for all the presents they sent, and all the gifts and packages to -- just received your guys' today. Thanks for the cards and the...
C. FOX: Oh, you did, OK, good.
CPL. FOX: ... the candy.
S. FOX: What'd you have for, let's see, ...
C. FOX: Christmas Eve.
S. FOX: ... Christmas dinner over there?
CPL. FOX: I haven't eaten dinner yet. I'm just not hungry. I haven't been eating that much.
S. FOX: Well, you got to eat something, keep up your strength, son.
CPL. FOX: I will.
C. FOX: What are you doing over there now? As you driving ...
CPL. FOX: Right now we're on ...
C. FOX: ... driving? Or are you working?
CPL. FOX: ... working on building our defense up. And I'm working -- digging, mainly -- digging our tight hole, sandbagging, camouflaging.
S. FOX: The base where you're digging in, you're right there at the airport, then.
CPL. FOX: Yeah, we're around the outskirts of it.
C. FOX: Is all of your unit safely in Kandahar now?
CPL. FOX: I'm not really sure if they're all here. I know our whole company's here, and I've seen members of Kilo company.
C. FOX: OK. Is it different being on land now, instead of being on the ship for the five months that you've been there so far?
CPL. FOX: Oh, yes. It's very different. I was getting used to doing one stuff every day, and now we get out here and we don't know what we're going to do in seasickness and all that other stuff.
S. FOX: Yeah, but, since you're off ship, you can stretch your legs a little bit more and do -- you have a little bit more room to move around instead of aboard ship.
CPL. FOX: Oh, yeah, a whole lot. It's like being in a shoe box on the ship. And then get out here, and big yards, trees and that sort of thing, very quiet ...
C. FOX: I know you're surprised. We're taping this from our house. We were asked yesterday to have the cameras come here instead of Camp Lajeune.
Can you see the tree behind us?
CPL. FOX: Yeah, I can see it. It looks really good, Mom and Dad, as usual.
C. FOX: Yeah.
CPL. FOX: Where's my presents at?
(LAUGHTER)
S. FOX: I've got one question. How'd you get selected out of all your company?
HEMMER: Yeah, how is that?
CPL. FOX: I'm not sure. They just told me to come up and see the Sergeant Major, and they told me I was to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with this. One of the lucky ones, I guess.
HEMMER: It's an absolute pleasure to have you for (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of Steven Fox in Havelock, North Carolina. And I hope that your parents back in Havelock, Carol and Steve, thanks for taking time with us today. We really appreciate it. Thanks for being patient with us today.
That long delay that we're working with, as well, absolutely. Merry Christmas to guys back in North Carolina.
Corporal, you've got to get back to work.
CPL. FOX: Yes, I do.
HEMMER: All right. Those MRE's aren't too bad, though.
HEMMER: All right. Merry Christmas. Thanks, again, ...
CPL. FOX: Yes, sir.
HEMMER: ... OK. We will do this throughout the day here, Miles. We have many more lined up throughout the hour.
We'll also let you know what's happening around this airbase, here. It's quite amazing what the Marines have done thus far.
And we'll take you on a big tour throughout the day, a little sight-seeing throughout the day, here. Back to Atlanta, now, Miles, ... O'BRIEN: All right. That ...
HEMMER: ... and CNN ...
O'BRIEN: ... doesn't matter who they are or where they are. They can be a Marine in Kandahar. Mom and Dad still want to know if they're eating right, for sure.
All right. We'll see you a little bit later, Bill.
HEMMER: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: Check in with you then.
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