When time stops, we recall events

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November 12, 2009

By JAMES BROWN The Glasgow Daily Times Thu Nov 12, 2009, 04:19 PM CST

GLASGOW — A week ago today, I sat in an orthodontist’s office waiting for my son who was having work done. A seat over to my left sat Lt. Col. Kent Keen with the Glasgow Police Department. He was waiting for one of his children to finish an appointment.

I don’t recall how, but we were on the topic of Fort Hood, Texas, which was where I was stationed while serving in the 2nd Armored Division of the U.S. Army. It was around 1:30 p.m. I had not heard the news of the shooting at the world’s largest military base. I’m not sure if Keen had either. If so, he didn’t say so.

I was reminiscing about some of my commanders while serving in the 1/67th Battalion. The good ones and the other ones.

A lot has changed in the 19 years since I was at the base in east central Texas, such as the base itself.

To make a long military realignment story short, the 2nd Armored Division was folded into the 1st Cavalry Division shortly after I left Fort Hood.

Thursday afternoon, Keen’s child was finished with her appointment before mine and they left. I settled in to read the Sports Illustrated NBA preview. On television was the Disney Channel.

A few minutes later, my son’s work was done. We established our appointment for his next visit and headed for the car.

I turned on the radio to listen to NPR. There was a story about what I don’t recall. But then there was a break and a statement from the on-air personality saying they would have more information shortly regarding the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.

I listened intently to the radio for as long as we were in the car and there wasn’t another report. It was irony, it struck me, having just discussed the military base with Keen.

Back at the office, I looked for information online and learned the alleged shooters last name was Hasan. There was a knee-jerk reaction on my part to the name.

It was reported the shooting happened at a deployment readiness center.

When I was in the Army, we prepared to deploy for a training exercise in Germany in a gym. Our duffle bags were tagged and spread neatly in rows waiting for the truck to come and collect them. We worked our way in groups around to stations where we had to fill out paperwork and get any vaccination shots we needed.

It was stressful preparing to go overseas to a friendly country where no one would be shooting at us with live ammunition.

I have a hard time imagining what type of stress level there is for people, even though they are professional soldiers, who are trying to prepare themselves to head into an overseas combat zone.

Then, without warning, the combat zone comes to them.

I imagine a 32-year-old staff sergeant focused on helping his wife and children understand the need for him to go to Afghanistan.

I imagine a 19-year-old with worried parents and his being strong for them. I’m sure they had considered their own mortality, but I doubt they were doing so when they were mortally wounded.

They never saw it coming in that place and at that moment.

But someone may have. And if so, that someone must be held accountable.

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