[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 8, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S2206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           FORT HOOD SHOOTING

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, last week the men and women at the Fort 
Hood Army post in Killeen, TX, witnessed a shocking act of violence as 
a gunman suddenly and inexplicably opened fire, killing 3 fellow 
soldiers and wounding 16 others. Yet, even as our attention has focused 
on the horror of this event, I think it is also important to talk about 
the very best of humanity demonstrated during this time of tragedy and 
crisis.
  The men and women at Fort Hood saw the very best of humanity in the 
military police officer who confronted the shooter, for example.
  They saw it in Private Jacob Sanders, who risked his own life in the 
hopes of saving one of the victims.
  They saw it in SGT Jonathan Westbrook, who was shot and wounded by 
the gunman but still managed to radio Fort Hood officials and sound the 
alert so that others might be protected and safe.
  They also saw it in SFC Danny Ferguson, who served a combat tour in 
Iraq and had recently gotten home from a second one in Afghanistan. 
Last Wednesday Sergeant Ferguson used his own body to prevent the 
shooter from entering a crowded room. He gave his life so that his 
fellow soldiers could keep theirs. He showed the kind of heroism that 
few of us could even imagine, the kind of heroism that defines our men 
and women in uniform.
  So even as we mourn the terrible loss of Sergeant Ferguson, we want 
to also take a moment to celebrate his wonderful example and his 
wonderful life, just as we celebrate the remarkable lives of SGT 
Timothy Owens and SSG Carlos Lazaney-Rodriguez.
  Sergeant Owens served his country in Iraq and in Kuwait. He also 
served as a counselor at Fort Hood. According to his mother, he 
counseled literally ``hundreds of people.'' His brother Darrell 
described him as someone who ``would help anybody who needed help.''
  Sergeant Lazaney-Rodriguez was a native of Puerto Rico, and he served 
multiple combat tours in Iraq. He too made a distinct impression on his 
friends and fellow soldiers at Fort Hood. One of them described him as 
``the epitome of what you want a leader to be in the Army.''
  As I mentioned a moment ago, as we mourn the loss of Sergeant 
Ferguson, Sergeant Owens, and Sergeant Lazaney-Rodriguez, we should 
take a moment to celebrate their lives and their service. All three of 
these men chose--they volunteered--to devote their lives to a noble 
cause--the defense of our country--and our memories of their work and 
their sacrifice will live forever.
  Before I conclude, I wish to say one more word about Fort Hood, where 
I will be traveling to tomorrow with the President. Fort Hood is also 
known as The Great Place. They call it The Great Place. I had the honor 
of visiting the post last Thursday, and I will do so again tomorrow for 
the memorial, as I said. As we all remember, Fort Hood was also the 
scene of an earlier mass shooting in November of 2009. That was yet 
another day where we saw both the worst and the best of humanity. We 
saw the very best of humanity in people such as Michael Cahill, a 
civilian physician's assistant and retired soldier, and Army CPT John 
Gaffaney, both of whom charged the gunman--MAJ Nidal Hasan--and gave 
their lives in order to save the lives of others around them.
  Over the last 13 years, the Fort Hood community has made enormous 
contributions to America's missions in Iraq and in Afghanistan, where 
more than 550 of their soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice. In 
fact, the last combat brigade to leave Iraq was a Fort Hood brigade--
the Third Brigade of the storied 1st Cavalry Division.
  I sometimes think about the fact that most Americans probably don't 
have a close friend or relative who has served in the Armed Forces. So 
in some ways the American people have become isolated to some degree 
from the realities of war and national security. For them the war in 
Afghanistan is something they read about in the newspaper or they hear 
about on TV, but it is not very real to them unless they have a family 
member or a loved one or a friend who has served.
  For the families at Fort Hood and in the surrounding Texas 
communities of Belton, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Killeen, and 
Temple, it is something much different, something much more personal 
because it is a family member, it is a loved one, it is a friend who 
has served, and many of them have lost their lives in the process 
because they believed that keeping the American people safe was more 
important than their own personal security and safety.
  I wish to take this moment to let the families and friends of the 
victims at Fort Hood know that--and, indeed, to tell all the good 
people at Fort Hood--your fellow Americans are thinking about you, we 
are praying for you and keeping you close in our hearts during this 
difficult time.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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