From cheers to tears near Fort Hood
Posted: Thursday, November 12, 2009 3:01 PM
By Mark Potter, NBC News Correspondent
KILLEEN, Texas – On a bright sunny morning, the day after the mournful memorial service for the shooting victims at Fort Hood, the mood here seemed to lift a bit, especially in downtown Killeen.
Along a parade route that ran past stores, homes and churches, cheering residents waved American flags in celebration of Veterans Day. High school marching bands, children's groups, veterans organizations, motorcycle clubs and active Army units basked in the adoration from the crowd and stepped lively to the music and rhythms of the national holiday, which is always a major event here in the city that supports Fort Hood.
But even in this crowd, it was clear that emotions are still raw just below the surface and that the sorrowful events at the base have hit home and hit hard. Most everyone we interviewed struggled with their feelings as they explained why they wanted to attend the parade to show their support. Tears flowed and voices quavered almost every time someone was nice enough to talk with us.
While speaking about the soldiers and civilian first responders at Fort Hood who cared for the shooting victims, Judy Reider, the wife of a military veteran, had to pause to compose herself. "It showed they were well trained. I've cried all week," she said. "My husband was a soldier for a long time. I've always been proud of that, but I've never had to see what we saw here."
Standing along the curb as the parade passed by, Henry Almaguer and his family waved their flags and cheered. For Almaguer, the tragedy has made for a tough week. "It's very emotional and it's never happened there and we're going to support them every day."
Then Almaguer explained why he was particularly upset: "My daughter was there."
April Almaguer, who was watching with her father and mother, is a clerical worker at Fort Hood. She was actually in the Soldier Readiness Processing Center when the gunman opened fire on the crowd there. She wasn't injured, but she said she now feels even more kinship with members of the U.S. Army. "Just after what happened, going through that, you really realize what they go through and it's very important to show your support," she said.
With that, she then turned back to parade, raised her arm and waved the flag she was holding.
A few blocks away, Darla Darsey, who is a teacher at a church child development center, sat on the grass and watched the parade with a group of children. She, too, felt an emotional tug. "We support our troops and we always have and we always will," she said.
When the parade was over, residents and neighbors walked back to their cars, having enjoyed a respite from the barrage of sad news.
