Massacre Strikes Fort Hood Texas

As some of you know, Waco Texas has been my home since 1983 and only 30 miles away from Waco is the largest military base in the world called Fort Hood. This afternoon while I was at work, I heard the news break on the radio that a mass shooting had taken place on Fort Hood. As the hours of continuing news coverage on both radio and television in this area continued, it became clear that a dozen people were killed by a single gunman on Fort Hood this afternoon and at least 30 others are in area hospitals being treated for their injuries. It is always terrible when one of these mass shooting occur, but it is always just a little bit worse when it takes place so close to home and involves brave young troops that were soon to depart for Iraq and Afghanistan to fight for our freedom.

Late word came tonight, that the alleged shooter did not die as was first reported this afternoon - but he is instead being treated at a hospital in Temple with non life threatening injuries. My first thoughts this afternoon when news broke that a mass shooting had taken place on Fort Hood was that it was either a low level Army solder that was likely involved or a terrorist cell had attacked the United States on one of our own military bases. Sadly, both of my first observations were incorrect as it was later revealed that the lone gunman at Fort Hood today was not only an Army officer, but he was a medical doctor as well. The gunman responsible for today's Fort Hood shootings is receiving the best medical care this great nation can offer him - even after he destroy the lives of almost 50 people today.

On a personal note, I remember back years ago when another mass shooting took place in the Killeen, Texas area. That shooting did not take place on the Fort Hood military base right next door - but it happened at a Luby's Restaurant inside the city limits of Killeen. It's amazing how the human mind works when news of a mass shooting is learned. In my mind, I instantly remembered the Killeen Luby's shooting more than a decade ago - the minute I heard that there was another reported massacre on base at Fort Hood. If other Americans feel the same as I do tonight, they are angry at how this special Army officer treated his fellow soldiers today, when he entered a base health care facility on Fort Hood and starting killing everyone in sight.

While there is nothing that can be said that will ease the pain of the families that lost loved ones at Fort Hood Army base this afternoon, I would like to suggest that the U.S. Army, President Obama and Congress create some kind of military honor for them to help their families know that they were all hero's even though they were not killed at war in Iraq or Afghanistan. Fort Hood is the largest military base in the world, which mean that thousands of young soldiers and their families pass through there every single year. Here in Central Texas, people are lining up by the hundreds to offer their blood donations to help the wounded that are recovering in local hospitals. For everyone else around the world that might be reading this blog post, please say a prayer for everyone that was effected by this senseless mass murder at Fort Hood today.