Haunting Fort Hood Memorial With Empty Boots, 21 Gun Salute, Taps

Nov. 10, 2009 — -- The bark of a 21-gun salute and a mournful "Taps" puncutated the silence today as several thousand soldiers, family members and survivors gave an emotional farewell to the 13 victims of the Fort Hood massacre.

The service, which included President Obama and the first lady, was rich in grim Army traditions. The ceremony was centered around a haunting row of framed pictures of the dead in front of a traditional Army salute to fallen soldiers: a rifle jutting out of empty boots with the soldiers' helmets on top.

At the conclusion of "Taps" and the singing of "Amazing Grace" by an Army sergeant, Obama and his wife silently stopped in front of each photograph and left a commander's "challenge coin," another military tradition intended to honor a soldier's achievement.

Some of the injured followed the president to the 13 memorials, many breaking down in tears.

Click here to view a slideshow of the Fort Hood memorial service.

And just before the conclusion of the ceremony, a master sergeant conducted a roll call, including the names of the dead, the silence echoing across the post as the names of the fallen victims went unanswered.

Twelve of the dead were members of the Army while the 13th victim was a retired soldier.

Obama told the thousands gathered for the service, "It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy. But this much we do know -- no faith justifies these murderous and craven acts. ... And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice -- in this world, and the next."

While never mentioning accused shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan or his Muslilm faith, Obama made several references to the ongoing wars against Islamic militants in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This is a time of war. And yet these Americans did not die on a foreign field of battle," Obama said. "They were killed here, on American soil, in the heart of this great American community. It is this fact that makes the tragedy even more painful and even more incomprehensible."