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Planning Begins For Memorial To Fort Hood Massacre Victims
Supporters of an effort to create a living memorial to the 13 who were killed in the Fort Hood shooting rampage have started planning the project, although there’s still disagreement over where the memorial should be.
Reporter: david.williams@kwtx.com |
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9 Comments 
KILLEEN (March 5, 2010)—The more than century-old fraternal order SPJST is leading the effort to create a living memorial to the 13 victims of the deadly Nov. 5 shooting rampage at Fort Hood’s Soldier Readiness Center, but there’s some disagreement about exactly where the memorial should be.
The SPJST, which held a public planning on the project Friday, wants to create a memorial between the Killeen Civic and Conference Center and the Shilo Inn that will include 13 trees in memory of the victims as well as a memorial garden with quite places for reflection.
"What we're trying to establish is a memorial that pays dutiful respect to those individuals who were killed,” said SPJST President Brian Vanicek.
But the Tri-City Lodgers Association, in letters sent to city officials this week, objects to that location and says the memorial should be placed downtown.
The group’s president, Bill Stoinoff, told the Killeen Daily Herald that the association doesn’t oppose the memorial, but thinks it offers “a beautiful chance to do something downtown with some outside money.”
Ultimately, it will be up to the Killeen City Council where to place the memorial, and Killeen Mayor Timothy Hancock said Friday the council wants the community engaged in every step of the process.
"We want to get the community involved by what we're doing now,” he said
“By having meetings with the various committees that will continue to have public hearings and get information and bring it back and we'll move forward with it,” he said.
Leila Hunt-Willingham’s brother, Spc. Jason Dean Hunt, 22, was among the 13 victims of the shooting.
She joined two-dozen community and business leaders Friday for the first of the series of public meetings on the memorial project.
"When you think about a cemetery or gravesite, it's a lot of negative emotions and grief and sadness, she said Friday.
“A place like this is the opposite. It promises hope and reflection and some uplifting emotions so it means a lot to me that they're proposing a place like this."
"To have a tree that lives in their place is inspirational. It means something to me. Just a quiet place to reflect and maybe bring my family down so we can be together and think about my brother's life and out life without him,” she said.
Latest Comments
i think that planning all of this is an awesome i dea i also agree with Dan down there because maybe they should include the families of the soldiers who passed away and consider some of thier ideas if they have any to bring to the table you know? bt the one with the tree is a great idea to me because planting that represents them(the soldiers) and that they are still here with us deeply rooted and never forgotten
I think that this is really just about the Lodger's Assn. worried about losing money for their pockets. They are just thinking about all that land being used for a memorial instead of a hotel etc, since that is a prime location for another one. I don't think that it's because they want to help beautify our downtown district. There is way too much revitilization that needs to be done there, and it will take many years to do it. This proposed land is available NOW and in a good location, so why not go with that? It would be a shame and embarrasing for our city if people/tourists go and get mugged or bothered by hookers or transients in the process of trying to pay their respects!!! The Lodger's Assn wouldn't dream of building a hotel downtown the way it is now, so why should we put a memorial or tribute there?
The soldiers and vets should have the final say not the politicians!
