Woodruff visits ABC newsroom

Injured ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff made his first visit back to the newsroom Tuesday since he was wounded in a roadside explosion in Iraq in January, drawing a round of applause from the emotional staff in New York.

Woodruff, who suffered shrapnel wounds to his head and a broken shoulder, among other injuries, has largely healed, but is now immersed in intensive cognitive rehabilitation.

His visit marked the first time many of his ABC colleagues had seen him since the attack.

“There was barely a dry eye,” executive producer Jon Banner wrote on the “World News Tonight” blog. “It was Bob who did most the talking. He cracked a few jokes and there were a lot of laughs. He talked about his rehabilitation, his desire to get back to work, and how wonderful it is to be able spend more time with his four children.”

Last month, ABC replaced Woodruff and co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas with Charles Gibson, citing the need for stability on the evening newscast, but executives stressed that Woodruff has a place on the broadcast when he is ready to return.

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Matea Gold