Small crowd has vigil for shooting victims
Posted On: Thursday, Nov. 12 2009 05:30 AM
By Rebecca LaFlure
Killeen Daily HeraldOne by one, a veteran set a white candle in front of Fort Hood's East Gate Wednesday night in remembrance of the 13 people killed during the mass shooting on post one week ago.
They stood in silent solidarity. The only sounds were zooming cars and an occasional honk in support.
"This gave some kind of closure for me," said Crystal Colon-Ferren, a former sergeant at Fort Hood who was in California during the time of the shooting. "I wasn't imagining it. It happened."
About a dozen active-duty soldiers and veterans marched single-file from College Street to Fort Hood's East Gate, where another dozen supporters joined them in quiet reflection.
The Iraq Veterans Against the War and Under the Hood Café, a local refuge for soldiers, organized the procession to support a community in recovery.
"People think we're a bunch of hippies and anti-war activists, that we don't care about soldiers," said Pfc. Michael Kern, who helped organize the event. "I know everyone here cares about what happened this past Thursday. It's the first step toward something better we could do."
Earlier that day, The Warrior Writers Project held a workshop outside Under the Hood that encouraged veterans to cope with the stress of war through writing.
"In my skin and then I'm not. They're talking again about flags and coffins, contracts and coffins. And I'm angry. In my skin and then I'm not," read Malachi Muncy, a former specialist at Fort Hood.
IVAW sent a mental health professional to Killeen Wednesday to provide support to the local military community in the wake of the killings.
Johanna Buwalda, a licensed clinical counselor who's worked with war survivors for 20 years, will offer free counseling at Under the Hood this week for any soldiers who need it.
Cindy Thomas, the manger at Under the Hood, said the atmosphere around Killeen has been sober. Thomas said she hopes last Thursday's events will raise awareness of, what she says is, a lack of mental health care on post.
"Just because he (the alleged shooter) was never deployed does not mean he wasn't affected by this war," she said.
In front of the East Gate welcome sign, veterans and supporters reflected on the Fort Hood tragedy.
Then, almost in unison, each grabbed a white candle and walked away, in a row of flickering lights.
"I'm just letting the grief process go on its own," Colon-Ferren said. "You can't really stop it."
Contact Rebecca LaFlure at
rlaflure@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7548.