First Lady Michelle Obama Appears on The Oprah Show
George Burns © Harpo, Inc./All Rights Reserved
CHICAGO, IL — On Thursday's episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, first lady Michelle Obama and legendary journalists Tom Brokaw and Bob Woodward join Oprah to honor some of the bravest military families in America. For nearly a decade, as American men and women have served our country to fight for freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan, their families at home have stepped up in selfless ways to offer their support. Obama, Brokaw and Woodward share powerful stories about the strength of these families' spirits and salute their resilience, as well as encourage everyday Americans to lend a helping hand.
Interview highlights from The Oprah Winfrey Show:
Winfrey: What has impressed you the most about military families?
Obama: Their strength. Their pride. Their courage. Their willingness to sacrifice without complaint moves me every single time. Whenever I'm feeling bad, feeling sorry for myself, I suck it up because of these families.
Winfrey: One of the things I read you were so impressed with is the sense of resiliency of military families.
Obama: Absolutely. Part of the challenge of getting the message out about military families is they never ask for help. They never ask for help because you don't do that when you're in the military. You get it done. That's how you're trained. That's what you're taught.
Brokaw: In this war, less than 1 percent of the American population is bearing 100 percent of the burden of battle. And even those who are not wounded come home as different men and women than when they left. They leave behind their families for extended tours, two and three tours at a time, who have to live with anxiety and depression and kids who are uncertain about their parents.
Winfrey: And the first time we've had this many women serving.
Brokaw: And a lot of other people and they're going back from reserve units and National Guard units. Most of them are working class families from small towns across America.
Woodward: You have to ask yourself what do we owe these people? And if you think about it, everything.
Winfrey: Everything, yes.
Woodward: What are we giving them? Not enough.
The Oprah Winfrey Show: The Bravest Families In America With First Lady Michelle Obama, Tom Brokaw, Bob Woodward airs on Thursday, January 27 (check local listings).
About The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show has remained the number one talk show for 24 consecutive seasons, winning every sweep since its debut in 1986.** It is produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions, Inc. and syndicated to 215 domestic stations by CBS Television Distribution and to 145 countries by CBS Studios International.
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Interview highlights from The Oprah Winfrey Show:
Winfrey: What has impressed you the most about military families?
Obama: Their strength. Their pride. Their courage. Their willingness to sacrifice without complaint moves me every single time. Whenever I'm feeling bad, feeling sorry for myself, I suck it up because of these families.
Winfrey: One of the things I read you were so impressed with is the sense of resiliency of military families.
Obama: Absolutely. Part of the challenge of getting the message out about military families is they never ask for help. They never ask for help because you don't do that when you're in the military. You get it done. That's how you're trained. That's what you're taught.
Brokaw: In this war, less than 1 percent of the American population is bearing 100 percent of the burden of battle. And even those who are not wounded come home as different men and women than when they left. They leave behind their families for extended tours, two and three tours at a time, who have to live with anxiety and depression and kids who are uncertain about their parents.
Winfrey: And the first time we've had this many women serving.
Brokaw: And a lot of other people and they're going back from reserve units and National Guard units. Most of them are working class families from small towns across America.
Woodward: You have to ask yourself what do we owe these people? And if you think about it, everything.
Winfrey: Everything, yes.
Woodward: What are we giving them? Not enough.
The Oprah Winfrey Show: The Bravest Families In America With First Lady Michelle Obama, Tom Brokaw, Bob Woodward airs on Thursday, January 27 (check local listings).
About The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show has remained the number one talk show for 24 consecutive seasons, winning every sweep since its debut in 1986.** It is produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions, Inc. and syndicated to 215 domestic stations by CBS Television Distribution and to 145 countries by CBS Studios International.
More about The Oprah Winfrey Show in the news
The latest news from The Oprah Winfrey Show
# # #
Follow Oprah on Twitter
Follow The Oprah Show on Twitter
Become a fan of The Oprah Winfrey Show on Facebook
Watch behind-the-scenes videos on Oprah's YouTube channel
Visit Oprah's MySpace page
Sources:
**Nielsen Cassandra Ranking Report - Nov '86 to May '99 and Wrap Sweeps, Nov '99 to May '10, major sweeps only. Wtd Avg DMA HH Rtg, Primary Telecasts Only.
**Nielsen Cassandra Ranking Report - Nov '86 to May '99 and Wrap Sweeps, Nov '99 to May '10, major sweeps only. Wtd Avg DMA HH Rtg, Primary Telecasts Only.
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