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CNN 20: Larry Register, On Assignment During the Gulf War

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Have a look at the "CNN 20" report on this day, when the news people become the news.

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LARRY REGISTER, ON ASSIGNMENT DURING THE GULF WAR: It was a very strange scene, you know, we were all working, we knew these SCUD missiles were on their way, we didn't know where they were going to land. We had gone through training of what to do when missiles came.

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REGISTER: When the needle comes out of this end, then if you could follow me down Andrei (ph), you put a tourniquet around your leg and stick it in.

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REGISTER: So we were all issued gas masks and told what to do in the event of an attack. The events unfolded, the missiles landed. We had people in Tel Aviv, we had people in Jerusalem, and it was a very hectic scene, you know, running around trying to gather news, trying to make sure most importantly that all your people were OK, because, again, we didn't know where the missiles were landing or what they were carrying.

Originally, I wasn't wearing a gas mask, but the people in Atlanta were really wigging out. They thought, you know, you have got to put that gas mask on because it's really, really dangerous.

So I put it on, and I have to be frank, it was not a very pleasant experience to be trying to gather news with a gas mask on. It's not pleasant period to put a gas mask on. It was difficult to breathe, it was really squeezing your face, so it made it difficult to do anything.

Physically it was uncomfortable, but I think emotional it just really was not a pleasant experience.

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