This Veterans Day I have not been able to get the events that happened in Fort Hood out of my mind. We love flying our flags here in Texas and all these flags at half mast are a somber reminder of what happened at Fort Hood this last Thursday. The picture I have posted is from the entrance to our subdivision and as I drive by my heart just cringes for the loved ones who were left behind.
As most of you know our son just got out of the Army this last May. While in the Army he was an Intelligence Analyst and did two tours of Iraq. His first tour he was based out of a base in Germany but the second tour he was based at Fort Hood. We weren't able to go to the welcome home ceremony when he got back from his 1st tour so we were thrilled that he was based close enough that we could attend the welcome home ceremony from his second tour. I have included the video I shot so you can see the excitement when the plane lands on US soil. We were in a large reception area which I think might have been where this all happened. The Army knows how to welcome their soldier's home and it was a day I will always remember. (I think the Welcome home - To Texas 4th Infantry post is probably my favorite post of all time). I am one the lucky ones and feel blessed to have our son home safe and sound and now a college student after serving his country for almost 5 years. (He was supposed to be in the Army for 4 years but was in for almost 5 because of getting the stop lost.)
As a former military Mom I can't imagine the horror of thinking your son or daughter is safely back in the USA and then having them killed by a terrorist on their own base. YES I said terrorist; I see this as an act of terror within our own borders. These 13 people were killed by someone that shared the uniform but did not share the ideology or the values. It boggles my mind to think this happened right here in Texas. I see him as no better than a suicide bomber. The main difference is that a suicide bomber takes themselves out but in this case this guy is an Army hospital getting the best care we can provide and talking to his attorney.
It seems to me that we have become so politically correct we are afraid to take a stand for fear of hurting someone's feelings. I'm sorry when it comes to protecting our brave men and women in our Armed services I say feelings can be hurt. I've been listening to the news and it sounds like there was a LOT of warning signs that were not heeded. I hope that we learn from this disaster but my fear is that it will quickly be swept under the table and we will go on as before.
I don't know what the answer is but I do know the one thing we can all be doing is to pray for all of our men and women in uniform whom are protecting us day and night. Freedom is not FREE! We need to remember them every day of the year not just on Veterans Day.
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Copyright © 2009 Marchel Peterson, All Rights Reserved.*Veterans Day 2009 - My thoughts on the Fort Hood massacre! *
Marchel--You know the ironic thing is when I heard of the tragedy, I thought of you and your son. Maybe it was just the TX connection but I knew you would write something about this. In MN our welcome home to soldiers are no less welcoming. We appreciate their service and celebrate their return as I am certain every other state does too. Thank you for sharing your moment.
I agree with everything you have said here. It is time we stop being so PC about everything and make certain those who protect us are equally protected.
I say amen to everything. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own life we forget some things that are just as important.
Marchel, I told my husband the same. So many warning signs went to waste. I feel for those parents who had their kids back only to lose them due to terrorism at home. Thanks for sharing Marchel. Kate
Marchel
I am so disusted and ashamed of those that call this terrible atrocity anything but a terrorist act. As far as I am concerned all terrorists have "mental conditions" which seems to be the catch phrase to excuse saying "terrorist"
Howdy there Marchel
Your 100 % right, he is a Terrorist, and a Trader to our Country, our Flag, and the U.S. Army! Being a Vet, I sure do hope they hang him.
God Bless America!!
Marchel, It saddens me that this administration was more outraged when an abortion doctor was killed. We forget that there were 14 victims. One unborn child died as well.
Nothing short of terrorist. I hope the justice is swift.
TERI, Thanks for stopping by. I wasn't really planning on writing anything but all those flags at half mast just kept giving me a visual reminder of what happened at Fort Hood. I hope now that Veterans Day is over we don't forget.
CARL & CEIL, It is so easy to get caught in our lives and forget!
KATE, I can't even imagine what those family members are going through. How very very sad!
DIANE, You have a way of getting right to the crux of the matter.
I'll buy the rope. It is so sad to hear stories like this. I'm sure the Army will spin it in some direction that will make it less than a terrorist act but I won't believe it.
TREY, I have been amazed at how our political correctness has gone wild!
DALE, I can't disagree with you.
BONNIE, When you look at the governments reaction between the two cases it does make you realize where their priorities are.
Marchel, My family called Fort Hood home for 5 years. What happened there breaks my heart. This is the worst terrorist attack on our soil since 9-11 and it saddens me to think this president felt it more fitting to take 2 mins of shout outs to his buddies before he mentioned this in his address to the nation. He certainly has his priorities ass-backwards.
Marchel, this is an unfathomable act. I just don't understand how the military didn't see it coming. Such sadness and so unnecessary. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Marchel,
It frightens me how "political correctness" overrules common sense--this practice is destroying our wonderful nation!
Marchel- What a nightmare. A terrorist, plain ans simple!
Marcel,
Like Teri, you and your family are the first ones I thought of after hearing of this Terrorist act here on our own soil.
There are people who you know this act would terrorize even more. Because you have seen and felt the sights, sounds and emotions that go into welcoming home family, I instantly began praying for you and your Son.
We are in very scary times and it is up to us to Question with Boldness, Hold to the Truth and Speak without Fear.
Praying for each other will be what brings us together and brings God into our suffering. Speaking out will be what wakes up Americans. Thank you for doing your part in saving our Great Country.
Peace is not the absence of Trouble, Peace is the Presence of God!!
You and your son and all of your family continue to be in my thoughts and prayers!! Blessings are abundant!!
AliceWow. They make you wait in a room rather than let you be out to see the plane land? Things have changed since I was an army wife. Yep, it was a tragedy, travesty, rediculous event that I doubt will ever happen again here in our state. Not anytime soon anyway.
Marchel, You could feel the excitement in that room to have our men and women home again. I wish they all were safely back and no, freedom is certainly NOT free. Of course it was an act of terrorism but they had "looked into it" and closed the books. I will always wonder what they're reasoning will be for that....
Marchel, it is terribly wrong when a man is conducting himself as this man was and nobody does anything about it. That is not politically correct, it is reckless.
Marchel,
Our John McCain agrees with you.
Mike in Tucson
Marchel - I am also a military mom. My son is U.S. Navy Retired after 20 years service. I agree with everything you are saying. The events at Fort Hood, should not have been allowed to occur. In our efforts to go beyond measure in political correctness, tragedy was given room to maneuver. We need to think about that more.
BOB, I can't disagree with you. I was watching when Fox broke in and said the President was going to be talking about the incident at Fort Hood. When he started out I was thinking maybe they were confused and he wasn't talking about it as he started with that shout out. HOW VERY SAD!
KATE, I agree but we live in such a politically correct society. It seems we have forgotten the lessons of 9-11.
CYNTHIA, It is destroying our nation from with which is very scary. I keep thinking about how the Roman empire fell (from within) and it makes what is happening frightening.
KEVIN, He is a terrorist, plain and simple!
ALICE, Thank you and thank you for sending me the email shortly after this happened!
PATRICIA, you are right we can't forget what they do for us. That is why we can be right here blogging now.
CHERI', they must change things with the time. Margaret Woda remembered waiting in a gymnasium when her husband was getting out of Vietnam. I hope that you are right and it doesn't happen again but to be honest I'm fearful that it will.
CAROLE, I wish they were all home also. I wish we would either send enough troops over to finish the job or take them out. Our son's first tour was at a small base when the insurgents were coming in to Iraq. They were mortared the entire 13 months that he was there. I have heard about these small bases in Afghanistan and I fear that it is the same.
SHARON, Reckless is a good word to describe what we are seeing.
MIKE, I wish those that agree would squeak a little louder.
KAREN, I'm tired of political correctness. It seems like we dance around certain terms like TERRORIST!
MYRL, My fear is that we will not learn from this.
TERAL, As a military wife I'm sure that you do understand the sacrifices. I pray this will not happen on our soil again.
Marchel,
Thank you for posting this and for the video link. My nephew did a tour in Iraq and all you do is think about your loved one and pray for their safety, and to think this happened within our own military base here in the U.S. I do hope the US Army and the Obama Administration have the courage to let all the facts out and let the military do their job when a potential security risk is identified.
I am so glad that your son finished his tours safely and that he is on his way to a new career.