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Fort Hood Memorial Moves Forward But Still Needs Money

November 5, 2009 Ft. Hood Memorial
An artist's rendering of the pavilion at a memorial remembering the shootings at Fort Hood in 2009.

People trying to build a memorial for victims of the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood hope a ground breaking ceremony they held Tuesday will help raise the last amount of cash they need to complete the project. 

It's been almost five years since Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan opened fire at the Army post, killing 13 people and wounding more than 30. Hasan, 43, was sentenced to death last year by a military jury.

One of Hasan's victims was Mike Cahill. His widow, Joleen Cahill, is among those helping to raise money for the memorial. She hopes the ground breaking ceremony will build momentum to raise the remaining $90,000 needed to finish the site. The total cost is $402,530, according to an estimate on the organization's website. 

"This memorial is unique," Cahill says. "It is about those who there. Those we lost. Those who were saved. Lives count. People count, and we need to honor those soldiers and all the civilians who were there."

The memorial includes a pavilion and bronze sculptures that represent each of the thirteen people killed. Donations are accepted on their website

Here's a video of the ground breaking ceremony from the Killeen Daily Herald, which includes artist Troy Kelley explaining how he conceptualized the bronze sculptures. "It was truly a labor of love," he says. 

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.
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