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CNN SATURDAY
Dominican Community in New York Hard Hit by Crash of American Airlines Flight 587
Aired November 17, 2001 - 17:21 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A community of Dominicans in New York especially hard hit by the crash of American Airlines Flight 587.
Jay Dow of our affiliate NY 1 reporting now on the death of one victim who had been prepared to give his life in a very different way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAY DOW, NY1 CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His relatives describe him as a treasure, to his family and his country.
FELIPE RODRIGUEZ, VICTIM'S BROTHER: He could be (UNINTELLIGIBLE) officer.
DOW: So proud was 32-year-old Ruben Rodriguez, his family recalls the Second Class Petty Officer and seven-year Navy veteran boasting about his service at every opportunity, including this one aboard his last assignment, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.
This is the last photograph he would ever take with a relative before boarding American Airlines Flight 587 bound for his native Dominican Republic.
RODRIGUEZ: After seven months at sea, he was granted two weeks vacation time, so he wanted to go home and spend time with his wife and his kid, because they went ahead before for a couple days before him.
DOW: That welcome home celebration in New York was short-lived, lasting just two and a half days. Only now is Ruben's Spanish- speaking mother Adella (ph) strong enough to talk about those precious hours before he left for the Dominican Republic.
"One of the reasons Ruben was successful in the Navy is because of his family's faith in God," Adella Rodriguez (ph) said.
(on camera): Like so many other grieving relatives, Ruben Rodriguez' mother and siblings are relying on one another as they mourn his death, but at least they can fall back on years of good memories spent with the baby of the family.
That's not the case for Ruben's three young children, the youngest of whom is just seven months old. (voice-over): Putting in his own two cents through the news conference, young Omar (ph) will never remember his first eleven days on this earth, the only time he ever spent with his father, who boarded the USS Enterprise bound for service in the war against terrorism.
RODRIGUEZ: He was serving and he was proud. He survived four wars. He survived Bosnia. He survived Somalia. He survived Haiti. He survived Afghanistan, and unfortunately that (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
DOW: In Manhattan, Jay Dow, NY1.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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