Veterans Day Tributes to Fort Hood Soldiers

By BJ Austin, KERA News

Dallas, TX –

This Veterans Day, hundreds of people lined the downtown streets of Dallas and Fort Worth today - waving flags and cheering. KERA's BJ Austin reports.

Don Guthrie stood on the curb of Main Street in downtown Dallas, waving a flag, cheering passing troops and high school marching bands. His father was a career officer in the Air Force a Lt. Col. Guthrie says he wanted to make a special effort to honor veterans this year - after last week's shooting at Fort Hood.

Guthrie: In honor of our veterans, and certainly with the recent events that have happened, I just felt it was extremely important to show our support for the men who have sacrificed so much for us.

Prior to the start of the ceremonies and parade, 100 military recruits took the oath of enlistment. Dallas State Senator Royce West says that was very impressive.

West: It's real clear as we were standing there watching more than 100 people being sworn in a man of 57 years old looking at those young people, they looked like little babies. They looked like little babies being sworn in. And those young people are the ones that are going to be basically our first line of defense. So, as we celebrate Veterans Day today, I hope everyone will pause and recognize the sacrifices that are being made in order for us to be able to enjoy the freedom and the privileges that we have.

At the reviewing stand on City Hall Plaza, veterans in full dress uniform - chests full of medals - stood to salute each passing American flag in nearly two hour long parade. The parade units paused for a flyover of vintage World War II planes, announced by Master of Ceremonies Bill Melton.

Melton: T-6 Texas, from the commemorative Air Force in a V shaped formation

Then one of the planes peeled away from the others the missing man formation .

The largest applause was reserved for the marching band and troops of the First Cavalry Division from Fort Hood.

Twelve Fort Hood soldiers and one civilian here gunned down last week. Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan the alleged shooter remains hospitalized as investigators sort out motive and work to determine the extent of Hasan's links to a radical Muslim factions. Senator John McCain of Arizona, at a Veteran's Day event, called the Fort Hood shootings an "act of terror." Dallas-area Republican Congressman Jeb Hensarling says he's not ready to call it terrorism yet.

Hensarling: As they come out little by little, it certainly creates that impression. Certainly all of our hearts are pained by what has happened: to think that our fighters on our home soil could have their lives taken in such a heinous act. Clearly there is a lot of information that makes Americans wonder. It's critical that all the facts be known, but certainly at this point in the investigation, it certainly creates that impression.

Democratic State Representative Rafael Anchia says the sorrow and shadow of the Fort Hood tragedy was palpable along the parade route, but he says he takes heart in the promise of the new recruits who took their oath to defend and serve this Veterans Day.

Anchia: I have nothing but a heart full of pride for this state, this country, and these young men and women.

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