Fort Bliss Mourns Fallen Soldiers

F O R T   B L I S S, Texas, April 11 -- As the glow of a brilliant Texas sun rose over Fort Bliss, the American flag at the center of the sprawling Army base waved at half-staff.

Fort Bliss is the second-largest Army base in the country, but not one of its soldiers had died in combat since Vietnam — until the war in Iraq. Today, the base held a memorial service, including a 21-gun salute and a somber bagpipe procession, for its fallen comrades.

Speaking to a group of about 1,000 mourners, Col. Robert Wood Jr. urged friends and family to remember the happy moments from the lives of the nine slain soldiers from the 507th Maintenance Company. And he described their profound contribution.

"When a nation goes to war the saying 'All gave some but some gave all' becomes very real," he said.

Randy Kiehl's son, 22-year-old Army Spc. James Kiehl, was among the nine soldiers who were killed in an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq, on March 23. The father said he is turning to his faith for strength.

"We know that James is safe with the arms of the Lord protecting him," Randy Kiehl said on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America.

The ceremony was held at the center of the Army field, at a new facility, where the troops deploy and return. Inside, a Purple Heart clings to each of the photos of those killed in action. Their boots and dog tags were displayed as sad symbols of soldiers no longer present.

"Yesterday we all saw the news in Baghdad — the amazing, wonderful success of our soldiers to this point," said Chaplain Col. Fred Hudson, who presided over the ceremony. "Your soldier is a part of that success."

Grief and Uncertainty

From the outside, Fort Bliss is a sprawling base, but a closer look reveals a tightly knit family reaching out to one another during this time of both grief and uncertainty.

"There has been an overwhelming sadness, however, there is still a sense of unknown," said Peggy Brown, a family assistance center officer at Fort Bliss. "The community is coming together to honor and assist the families."