Mourners grieve for soldiers killed at Fort Hood

KIEL, Wis. (AP) — The hundreds of people who lined the main street of a small Indiana city Saturday fell solemnly silent as a white hearse passed by on its way to the church. Mourners streamed into a Wisconsin gymnasium to remember a soldier who once promised to take down Osama bin Laden.

Jim Rider

The funeral procession of Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow makes its way through downtown Plymouth, Ind., Saturday on the way to Plymouth Wesleyan Church for his funeral service. Staff Sgt. DeCrow was killed during last week's massacre at Fort Hood, Texas. (AP Photo/South Bend Tribune, Jim Rider)

Michael Pearson
Paul Beaty

Bolingbrook firefighters salute as the hearse carrying Army Pfc Michael Pearson passes Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook Il., Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. Pearson was a shooting victim at Fort Hood Army Base in Texas. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Across the country, many stood before several flag-draped coffins during funeral services for several of the 13 victims of the Nov. 5 shootings in Fort Hood, Texas.

In Plymouth, Ind. Sheila Ellabarger had placed two foot-high American flags in the grass where she watched the procession for Army Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow. She said her children went to school with DeCrow and his wife — his high school sweetheart — and she knew other members of his family.

"He was killed by a terrorist in my mind but he was still killed in the line of duty. We owe him a debt of gratitude, him and his family and the other soldiers. We owe them our lives, our freedom," Ellabarger said.

During services in Norman, Okla., snapshots from U.S. Army Spc. Jason Dean Hunt's recent wedding were projected near his casket. The 22-year-old was described as a loving husband and family man as well as a soldier who left a legacy of selflessness and service.

"We may never find out the reason for what occurred on that fateful day at Fort Hood, Texas," said Ross Ridge, the deputy commanding general at Fort Sill, Okla. "The military community are all grieving here today over the loss of this dedicated soldier."

The high school gymnasium in Kiel, Wis. was filled Saturday for Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger's funeral. A visitation had been held there Friday where the 29-year-old was remembered as a determined, energetic young woman.

She joined the U.S. Army Reserves after the 2001 terrorist attacks and vowed to hunt down bin Laden. When her mother said she couldn't do it alone, the soldier defiantly told her, "Watch me."

Krueger was to deploy to Afghanistan for a second time in December and had recently been sent for training at Fort Hood, where authorities allege Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire at a processing center.

Krueger had been studying psychology at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and was a mental health specialist who wanted to help soldiers cope with combat stress.

"Her smile would light up any room, her energy would envelope all of those around her," her parents, Jeri Krueger and David Diem, said in a statement. "It is that smile and that energy that keeps us going throughout this difficult time."

She was what they call "Army Proud." Krueger always wore a U.S. Army hat or shirt around town and sported a tattoo that had a tattered American flag and read: "All gave some. Some gave all. Sacrifice."

In Utah, among those crowded into a Mormon chapel were Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah and U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Lt. Col. Lisa Olsen, Utah National Guard spokesman.

They joined the family and friends of Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka for the funeral honoring the 19-year-old.

Nemelka, of West Jordan, Utah, joined the Army a little more than a year ago and was preparing to deploy to Iraq. He was trained to defuse bombs and relatives say he was planning to ask his girlfriend to marry him in December during a visit home.

Other funerals on Saturday were for Capt. John Gaffaney, 56, a psychiatric nurse who worked for San Diego County, Calif. and Pfc. Michael Pearson, 22, of Bolingbrook, Ill.

Pearson was remembered as a quiet observer and naturally talented musician who liked to share his love of the guitar.

During his service, a lone electric guitarist played a mournful rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

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Mike04938's picture

. ...War = folly ?

. ...War = folly ?

dandee84's picture
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Yesterday the first of the

Yesterday the first of the thirteen funerals where held for the thirteen American men and women gunned down by a mualim terrorist on Ameican soil at Ft. Hood Texas. Another 42 American men and women will live with the physical wonds they received that day at the hands of this terrorist and countless others will be psychologically effected. In addition to those directly effected are the families left behind, the families caring for the wounded and the psychie of the American people. We are strong however, and as in the case of 9/11 we will rally, we will remain a compassionate, loving, caring people ready and willing to come to the aid of our human brothers and sisters or whatever nationay, religion, or greed, because that is what we are about.
We are not stupid however and this is something Obama seems to think we are. He is planning to bring three of the key players of 9/11 from Gitmo to New York City for trial. (The remainder of the Gitmo terrorists he plans to move to Illinois.) This is something even the survivors and victims families are opposed to and for good reason. No one can possibly believe that these terrorists will be coming to American soil alone nor can their be any expectation that once any these terrorists and there associates arrive to behave or to ever leave and forget about our government keeping track of them. Remember the highjackers where here training and staying illegally under the Clinton Administration for years preparing on expired visas and such.
When the 9/11 three and the other Gitmo prisoners come to US soil, their families, friends, associates. radical clerics, media and "diplomates" will come right along with theom, the floodgates will have been opened for every radical Muslim terrorist from Iraq, Aphganistan and the rest of the world and once in they will disappear among the masses of US citizens to plot, plan and implament terrorists acts that will dwarf 9/11 and they will be countless, unpredictable and throughout our great nation.. That is why these terrorists must remain at Gitmo and most be tried by military tribunal and not in US Courts on US soil.
If we could only return to common sense...

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