Robert Delabar Discusses Friendship With Al Gore During Vietnam Service
LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: Now for a little more insight into Al Gore the man, we're joined by Robert Delabar, who served in Vietnam with the vice president. He knows Gore as both a soldier and a friend. Al Gore said of you that you were one of his best buddies in Vietnam. Now, you know that there is an image problem, or it's been said there's an image problem, with Al Gore the campaigner and Al Gore the man. What's the difference as far as you see it?</s>ROBERT DELABAR, FRIEND OF AL GORE: I don't see much of a difference at all, as a matter of fact. I've known Al for about 30 years now. Are you referring to...</s>WATERS: Well, we're going to -- you're in rehearsals now to tell the public tonight about who Al Gore is. We had his daughter last night making -- delivering a speech, telling us who Al Gore is. You would think after being vice president for eight years, in the Senate, in the Congress, we would know who Al Gore is, but apparently we do not.</s>DELABAR: I don't know why you don't because he's certainly been on television enough and written about enough and discussed enough to know as much as there is to know about him, I think.</s>WATERS: Well, is he different in private than he is on television? When you turn -- from what you know about him as a private man and you see him on television, how do you -- do you connect the dots? How do you see it?</s>DELABAR: Well, of course, I think a lot about the person that I knew back in the Army a long time ago, and of course I've spoken to him several time -- you know, quite a few times since he's been out, or since he's been in public life. I don't know how to explain that or what to say about that. I -- when I see him on TV, I see the person that I know.</s>WATERS: What are you going to do tonight? What kind of Al Gore story are you going to tell tonight?</s>DELABAR: I want to tell the story that he was in the service, that he served his country in Vietnam, that I think he's an exceptional man who has a great sense of humor, very strong sense of commitment, and he's been a great friend.</s>WATERS: Do you think it is important to the public to know that he was in Vietnam?</s>DELABAR: I think so. If they're interested in knowing about that, he was a regular guy in the Army. I think that he saw his commitment clearly, his -- and he chose to stand beside all of us who maybe didn't have that much of a choice about our lives in that period of time.</s>WATERS: There are those words again, "regular guy." I think that's what folks are trying to get across at this convention, that Al Gore's a regular guy. What was regular about this regular guy?</s>DELABAR: Well, he certainly didn't expect or receive any special privilege, as far as I know, at least when we were in the service together. He enjoyed doing the things that all the rest of us did. You know, he was typical Army soldier, buddy, friend.</s>WATERS: Well, good luck at the convention tonight and your performance before a national audience.</s>DELABAR: Thank you.</s>WATERS: Robert Delabar.