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CNN SHOWDOWN: IRAQ
Jessica Lynch Hears From Family Before She Heads Into Surgery
Aired April 3, 2003 - 12:27 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: You are looking at live pictures of downtown Baghdad. This city now without electricity, no lights. They've turned off the lights --someone's turned off the lights in the Iraqi capital.
We do know this: it followed 15 minutes of explosions, presumably -- presumably U.S. bombs and missiles. We don't know for sure why the lights are off in Baghdad. We do know this is the first time that since the -- since this war started two weeks ago that there's no electricity in the Iraqi capital.
We're continuing to monitor that. We'll get back to it as soon as we get some more information. We might be getting that in about 15 minutes or so at a Pentagon briefing. CNN of course will have live coverage.
In the meantime, the family of former Iraqi POW Jessica Lynch hears from her family once again before she heads into surgery. The family spokesman says the private first class has a fractured disc in her back. She's also being treated for gunshot wounds and broken bones suffered before her dramatic rescue late Tuesday.
One of those who escorted Jessica Lynch on her flight out of Iraq says she told a rescued POW how honored she was to be there for her.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have had a military family and I have thought about that. But I never really thought of it as a reality for myself until I did see her on the news where we were and realize that possibly could happen. But, yes, it's definitely a little bit of a reality check. And I would hope I would be as brave and endure like she did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: CNN's Patty Davis is joining us now from Elizabeth, West Virginia, a community rejoicing that Jessica will be coming home hopefully soon. Patty, give us the sense of what's happening over there.
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, first of all, Jessica made that second phone call to her parents this morning about 3:30 a.m., waking them up. And what she told them was, in addition to the broken arm, the broken leg that she has, she has that fractured disc in her back. And she's in that German hospital where she has been undergoing surgery. And the family hopes to hear more later today.
We have new pictures of the rescue operation that took place a couple of nights ago. Those U.S. troops moving in, plucking her from an Iraqi hospital where she had been held as a prisoner of war. Now her brother told me today that in that telephone call to her parents that she sounded much stronger than she did yesterday.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday she was feeling very weak and tired. She was hungry as well. And you could tell by her voice that she definitely was weak. It sounded real groggy and low. And my mom said this morning when she called she was real high spirited, she was able to talk a little louder and she was excited.
She was asking about home and she was mentioning that -- my mom was telling her how she was a hero and she was making the news, and she asked if she made the local paper. And my mom said, "Yes, you made the local paper and a lot more." So she has no idea what kind of stir she's raised right now.
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DAVIS: I'm in front of the county courthouse near where Jessica's family lives. You can see it's all decked out. The banner just put up yesterday or today "Jessie (ph) is found."
Also we've got a tree down here with black flowers on it. Now those are for the people who remain missing in action. You can see on this pine tree over here that we've got yellow ribbons, yellow flowers. That is support the troops. That is something you see in this entire town, yellow ribbons all over.
Now we're joined by Debbie Hennen, who is the tax assessor. You have been getting flooded with telephone calls. Where are they coming from? What do people say to you?
DEBBIE HENNEN, TAX ASSESSOR: They're coming from all over the country, all over the world. They are wanting to help, they're want to donate. They're wanting to send cards.
DAVIS: What have they given you?
HENNEN: Cars and hospital beds if she needs it, and money for the Jessica Lynch Fund over at (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Just everything and anything you can think of, you know. They are offering their services when she comes home to play -- you know bands are offering to come and play.
DAVIS: What are you going to do when she comes home? What's the plan? I know it's under discussion.
HENNEN: It's under discussion. They've talked about the football field. They've talked about Camp (UNINTELLIGIBLE), which is a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) camp. And I said, "Considering the amount of people that may turn out, it may be from the football field to Camp (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the celebration." There will be a parade, just a joyous return of Jessica.
DAVIS: Just an overwhelming response here in the community.
HENNEN: Absolutely.
DAVIS: And a run on yellow ribbons you were telling me.
HENNEN: Yes. There are no yellow ribbons to be found in probably about 25-mile radius. We've used yellow trash bags as flowers on the tree, yellow shower curtains cut up to make ribbons. And it's just been phenomenal. There's no yellow to be found.
DAVIS: All right. Thanks, Debbie Hennen, a tax assessor.
An overwhelming response from this county. And right now, a group from the Pentagon which is helping them to deal with her injuries when she comes back, to deal with the issues that she'll be facing as a former POW. So they're undergoing a briefing for the next several hours, and we hope to hear from them perhaps some time later today -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Patty Davis in a very happy community in West Virginia. Thanks, Patty, very much.
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