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And now they 'belong to eternity'

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By PETER SLEVIN

The Washington Post

Published: November 11, 2009

FORT HOOD, Texas - President Barack Obama told a sea of mourners Tuesday that the lives of 13 people who died at the hands of a gunman here last week affirm the nation's "core values" in a time of war and selfishness.

"In an age of selfishness, they embody responsibility," Obama said at a memorial service attended by thousands of soldiers and civilians.

"In an era of division, they call upon us to come together. In a time of cynicism, they remind us of who we are as Americans."

Obama said a "twisted logic" drove the gunman to open fire inside a Fort Hood medical facility.

"No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts. No just and loving god looks upon them with favor."

"For what he has done," Obama said, "we know that the killer will be met with justice - in this world and the next."

The accused gunman, Maj. Nidal Hasan, was shot four times by civilian police. He is in custody, hospitalized and in stable condition.

In front of the dais as Obama spoke were 13 pairs of combat boots, and in front of each pair was a photo of one of the victims.

Relatives of the dead walked down stone stairs, many red-eyed, some gripping one another's arms. Many wore ribbons.

Obama mentioned each of the dead in turn, saying a word about service and the families left behind.

Pfc. Michael Pearson "could create songs on the spot."

Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow was "an optimist, a mentor and a loving husband and father."

"Their lives speak to the strength, the dignity, the decency of those who serve," Obama said, "and that's how they will be remembered."

After the service, Obama and his wife, Michelle, walked along the line of photos of the 12 soldiers and one civilian who died, pausing at each one, the president placing a commander in chief's coin on each display.

Senior officers and family members followed, with the uniformed soldiers giving a final salute before each memorial display.

The president and first lady then visited San Antonio's Darnall Army Medical Center to meet with soldiers wounded in the attack Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, the post commander, also spoke. He said one trait the victims had in common was their decision to volunteer to serve their country.

He said it is easier to accept casualties on foreign soil, where Fort Hood has lost 545 soldiers in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, "but we never expected to pay such a high price at home."

The victims ranged in age from 19 to 62. Ten were men; three were women. Among them they had 19 children, with another on the way.

"It was a kick in the gut," said Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff. He vowed that the Army would persevere. "Grieve with us," he said. "Don't grieve for us."

He said the responses to the shooting have been uplifting.

Senior Army officers have expressed concern about a backlash against Muslim soldiers, but Obama simply noted the diversity of the military.

"They are," he said, "man and woman; white, black and brown; of all faiths and stations - all Americans, serving together to protect our people, while giving others half a world away the chance to lead a better life."

The Army says there are 1,977 soldiers in the active-duty service who identify themselves as Muslims, out of a total of 553,000.

There probably are many more Muslims in uniform who do not disclose their religion, experts say.

At least some in the community surrounding Fort Hood said they wanted Obama to address whether the incident was tied to terrorism.

"If this was a Muslim terrorist thing, to not call it that is an insult to people who know different," said Randy Wallace, pastor of First Baptist Church in Killeen, Texas.

Anthony Power, a retired sergeant who served for 27 years and fought in Vietnam, said he liked Obama's speech, but "there were some issues that I would have hoped he would he have addressed. I think he got away from speaking about Muslims or terrorism because of the occasion and the ongoing investigation."

Chief Warrant Officer Byron Dixon, who wore his traditional cavalry hat in honor of the dead, called it "a very wonderful, heartfelt speech which has inspired me to keep moving."

He added, though, that he hoped Obama would not stop paying attention to what happened.

"He should address security on military installations here and abroad on future occasions," Dixon said.

Hours before the memorial service, hundreds of ordinary guests drove slowly through the Fort Hood gates.

They said they came to mourn the dead, embrace the living and find a measure of peace for themselves.

Samuel Fleming Jr., who lives in nearby Killeen, said he showed up "to reflect, to mourn with them a little bit today."

"You're losing people who had their whole lives ahead of them. They were randomly gunned down," Fleming, 45, said as he waited in the parking lot of a post bowling alley called Ghost Warrior Lanes. "That hurts. They were the best of the best."

In the audience on the nation's largest military post were Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry and the state's two Republican senators.

Also present were some of the nation's senior military brass, including Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

During the service, Obama said the life's work of the fallen "is our security and the freedom that we too often take for granted."

"Neither this country," he said, "nor the values that we were founded upon could exist without men and women like these 13 Americans. And that is why we must pay tribute to their stories.

"So we say goodbye to those who now belong to eternity," Obama said. "We press ahead in pursuit of the peace that guided their service."

After he spoke, a female soldier sang "Amazing Grace."

Information from The New York Times was used in this report.

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