Obama Honors 13 Fort Hood Victims

President Denounces "Twisted Logic" of Tragedy, Says Legacy of the Fallen Rests in U.S.'s Security, Freedom

(CBS/AP)  Updated at 3:58 p.m. EST

One by one, President Barack Obama spoke the names and told the stories Tuesday of the 13 people slain in the Fort Hood shooting rampage, honoring their memories even as he denounced the "twisted logic" that led to their deaths.

"No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor," Mr. Obama told the crowd on a steamy Texas afternoon. "And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice - in this world and the next."

He did not name Maj. Nidal Hasan, the military psychiatrist accused of the killings.

As for the victims and the soldiers who rushed to help them, Mr. Obama said, "We need not look to the past for greatness, because it is before our very eyes." He spoke at a memorial service before a crowd estimated at 15,000 on this enormous Army post.

"Their life’s work is our security, and the freedom that we too often take for granted. Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - that is their legacy," Mr. Obama said.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Fort Hood Massacre

The president and first lady Michelle Obama began an afternoon of consolation by meeting privately with family members of those killed last week and with those wounded in the attack and their families. Mr. Obama used his public remarks to put a human face on those who perished, victims ranging in age from 19 to 62. He also used his platform to speak directly to questions about whether the alleged shooter had ties to extremist Islamic ideology.

Thousands upon thousands of people, many of them soldiers dressed in camouflage, gathered to pay their respects and hear the president. The shooting killed 12 soldiers and 1 civilian, injured 29 others and left a nation stunned and searching for answers.

Below the stage where Mr. Obama spoke was a somber tribute to the fallen - 13 pairs of combat boots, each with an inverted rifle topped with a helmet. A picture of each person rested below the boots.

Even as Mr. Obama honored the dead, there was government finger-pointing over what had been known about shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan's background and whether he should have been investigated further.

More Coverage of the Tragedy at Fort Hood:

Obama: No Faith Justifies "Craven" Acts at Fort Hood
FBI Searches for Missed Clues on Hasan
Hasan Warned Army about Muslim GI Morale
Senate Panel to Investigate Ft. Hood Massacre
Fort Hood Suspect Awake, Army Says
Counseling for Trauma, Grief at Ft. Hood
Ft. Hood Shooting: Composure Under Fire
List of Fort Hood Dead, Wounded

U.S. officials said a Pentagon worker on a terrorism task force had looked into Hasan's background months ago and had concluded he did not merit further investigation. Two officials said the group had been notified of communications between Hasan and a radical Islamist imam overseas and the information had been turned over to a Defense Criminal Investigative Service employee assigned to the task force. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.

Mr. Obama remembered the slain not as shooting victims but as husbands and fathers, immigrants and scholars, optimists and veterans of the war in Iraq. He cited one woman who was pregnant when she was gunned down.

The president spoke to loved ones left behind, saying: "Here is what you must also know: Your loved ones endure through the life of our nation."

"Every evening that the sun sets on a tranquil town; every dawn that a flag is unfurled; every moment that an American enjoys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - that is their legacy," he said.

He named and described each victim, including Chief Warrant Officer Michael Cahill, a physician's assistant back at work just weeks after having a heart attack; Maj. Libardo Eduardo Caraveo, who spoke little English when he arrived in the United States from Mexico but earned a Ph. D and helped combat units cope with the stress of deployment; Pfc. Aaron Nemelka, an Eagle Scout who signed up "to do one of the most dangerous jobs in the service - defuse bombs."

Later, the president and first lady went to a military hospital to meet with those still recovering from wounds incurred during the attack.

The ceremony unfolded in a field at the headquarters of the massive post, cordoned off with walls of steel shipping containers. Many soldiers in the crowd listened intently to Obama's speech, standing stoically, some with heads bowed.

Sheila Wormuth, whose husband is stationed at Fort Hood, brought her 3-year-old daughter to the memorial service to show their support. While her husband wasn't at the shooting site, she said, "what happens to my husband's brothers and sisters happens to us."

It was Mr. Obama's moment to take on the job of consoler-in-chief, a role that can help to shape a presidency at a time of national tragedy.

The president has tried to strike a balanced tone: He has promised a full investigation of the Fort Hood shootings but has said little about it as investigators search for a motive. He said Tuesday it was "hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy."

It wasn't even two weeks ago that Mr. Obama stood in the dark of night at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, honoring the remains of 18 troops killed in Afghanistan. Now he leads the mourning for 13 men and women who were working in the one place, as Mr. Obama put it, that "our soldiers ought to feel most safe."

When Mr. Obama returns to Washington, the cost of war will still be with him.

His agenda Wednesday: another war council meeting on Afghanistan, and laying a Veterans Day wreath at Arlington National Cemetery.

[wdh3007]

All while Eric Holder the U.S. Attorney General has a planned speech this week with CAIR or the Council on Islamic Relations. Perfect timming when we just had a terrorist attack from a muslim terrorist the largest attack ever on a U.S. millitary base. This just goes to show you that this gang in the white house could give a rats behind about protecting America and it's interests.

[50BMS13]

Indeed. The Whitehouse is more concerned that they curry favor with muslims and look presidential while doing it. We have no president yet since George Bush. Obama (real nice guy and all....very smooth and presidential looking) fails to take leadership and make those gut wrenching difficult decisions a CIC has to. We need another Reagan in the Whitehouse to clean up this muslim loving mess.

[hangmann747]

Hello All,

Not a political comment, just a fact. Everyone keeps saying there were 13 victims. The truth is there were 14 victims. One of the brave fallen was pregnant!

As Always, Thanks to all for being involved, Many Blessings, Shane (Hangmann747)

www.federalistfred.blogspot.com

[dennisall77]

Thank God we have a lucid, intelligent, well-spoken president who can give a moving, magnificent speech that truly honors the fallen.

[bubbadubba]

The Defense attorney must be a Republican because he is already trashing the President for showing his support of our troops at Fort Hood.
He sounds just like the Limbetts and Hannitones.
I bet the defense attorney is a huge fan of Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck.

[retm-w]

bubbadubba Just couldn't keep politics out of this memorial to our Brave fallen soldiers could you. You must not have any respect for our service members.

[amazedd]

How despicable can you get? This guy will go down in infamy for eternity!
If he really wanted to kill people that badly he could at least have waited 'til he got to Afghanistan.

[flreason]

Don't use this as a launch-pad for a partisan diatribe. I watched the President's face as he looked at each picture at the end of the ceremony. It was clear that he was moved. I think anyone who listened or watched could not help but be moved.

This tragedy should be an occasion when we rise above politics. Do you know the politics of any of the slain? You might be surprised by the diversity of political opinions and religious beliefs among members of the military. As the mother of a veteran of the current conflicts, I speak with some authority. Love of country isn't in the sole possession of any group, and a citizen who condones the abuse of power by those entrusted with the responsibility to protect our freedoms is no patriot. Service, whether in the military or political office, is both a privilege and a responsibility. I think every citizen should have to serve their country...no deferments. I'm convinced the result would be less partisan bickering and more focus on what serves the common good.

[thepeacemaker45]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

[stillwaters6]

The true way to honor the victims is to acknowledge their sacrifice without political rhetoric.

And don't forget...it's Muslim interpreters in the Armya that help our non-Arabic speking soldiers survive in the desert.

[skyk-2009]

stillwaters6, you are so right. I am alive today because a Black Muslim from the South Side of Chicago had my back in Nam! He didn't make it back and I didn't even know what his religion was until I came home and visited his Parents.

[sandy19731]

Very true!