Nov. 5, 2009 Fort Hood Shooting Memorial breaks ground

By Sgt. Ken ScarApril 10, 2015

Surviror, widow of Nov. 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting participate in memorial groundbreaking
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Joleen Cahill, widow of Chief Warrant Officer 2 (Retired) Michael G. Cahill, who was killed in the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting on Fort Hood, embraces Staff Sgt. Chad Davis, who was shot in the back during the shooting, at the groundbreaking ceremony for th... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Heartbreak in Bronze
2 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A tear falls from Scooby Doo's eye in a sculpture that honors Nov. 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting victim Pvt. 1st Class Francheska Velez, July 22, 2014. "This one is tough," said artist Troy Kelley, who was commissioned to design the November 5, 2009 Fo... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Hood shooting memorial breaks ground
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Spc. Jason D. Hunt's favorite dog plays a prominent role in a sculpture created by artist Troy Kelley to honor him, July 22, 2014. Hunt was with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, when he was killed ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Hood shooting memorial breaks ground
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Chad Davis, who was shot in the back during the Nov. 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting, escorts Joleen Cahill, widow of Chief Warrant Officer 2 (Ret.) Michael G. Cahill, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the November 5, 2009 Fort Hood ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Hood shooting memorial breaks ground
5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Senior Sgt. Mark Todd, of the Killeen Police Department, takes a moment to reflect on the memorial sculpture for U.S. Army Capt. Russell G. Seager, of the 467th Medical Detachment, who was killed in the Nov. 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting, July 22, 2014.... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Hood shooting memorial breaks ground
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Senior Sgt. Mark Todd, of the Killeen Police Department, touches a sculpture honoring U.S. Army Spc. Frederick Z. Greene, of the 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, who was killed in the Nov. 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting, July 22, 2014. Tod... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HOOD, Texas (July 24, 2015) -- Ground was broken in Killeen this week for a memorial to the victims of the November 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting that left 13 dead and 31 wounded.

Troy Kelley, an artist from Salado, Texas, designed the memorial, which will be built next to the Killeen Civic and Event Center. Kelley created a sculpture to honor each of the 13 killed in the shooting, using objects and symbols that were dear to them. The sculptures will be placed on black granite columns around the perimeter of the memorial, which will also feature a pyramid in its center with an American flag flown from its peak.

Esteemed guests at the event included III Corps and Fort Hood Deputy Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Kendall P. Cox, the current and former mayors of Killeen, survivors of the shooting, families of the lost, and first responders.

"The November 5, 2009 shooting was a violent act of terror," said Joleen Cahill, widow of Chief Warrant Officer 2 (Ret.) Michael G. Cahill, who was killed while trying to stop the shooter.

"It will be placed in American history alongside the Oklahoma City Bombing and 9/11. This memorial will honor the 13 fallen, our 31 wounded, and all who were there at the [soldier readiness processing center] that day - from the staff to the first responders to the crime scene investigators. This is a tragedy that this country must remember."

"It's been a labor of love," said Kelley. "Each sculpture represents an individual. Please go ahead and touch them. Eventually, the favorite places to be touched on the objects will become shiny."

Organizers hope to have construction of the memorial completed by the end of the year.