ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, as we have been talking about all morning, seven former POWs on board. The military plane just took off seconds ago from the United States -- for the United States from Ramstein Air Base. Let's check in just briefly with CNN's Matthew Chance at Ramstein -- Matthew.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you very much, Anderson. And their ordeal in Iraq now must be nothing more, at most, than a painful memory, because they are heading back to what we all expect to be a heroes' welcome back at their home bases in Texas. Just a few moments ago, that C-17 U.S. military transport aircraft took off from this, the U.S. Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany. On board, all seven of those freed U.S. prisoners of war. Six of them almost skipped from the bus onto the back of that aircraft. Only one of them, Shoshana Johnson, who is, of course, the most seriously injured of them, having been shot with a bullet through both of her ankles, was carried onto the back of that aircraft on a stretcher, but even she managed to get a wave out and a grin as she was carried on there. The aircraft taxied along the runway to its position with one of we assume to be one of the prisoners of war sticking his head out of the top of the plane, along with a U.S. flag. That was a scene here that raised cheers from the crowd of American citizens who were gathered at this, the U.S. Air Force base in Ramstein, to take part in the little ceremony here, the impromptu sending-away party, which, we all expect, will be matched and redoubled once they get to the States, Anderson.</s>COOPER: All right, Matthew Chance live at Ramstein, 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
Rescued American POWs En Route to Texas