Ceremony honors mother of fallen Fort Hood Soldier

By Ms. Kara Wall, AMC Public AffairsMay 5, 2015

Ceremony honors mother of fallen Fort Hood Soldier
Brig. Gen. Edward M. Daly, Army Materiel Command deputy chief of staff, presents Karen Nourse, the mother of fallen Spc. Frederick Greene, with the Purple Heart on the grounds of the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tenn., May 1,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

MOUNTAIN HOME, Tenn. (May 4, 2015) -- The mother of a fallen Soldier accepted her son's Purple Heart in the same location, where they shared a picnic before he left for basic training seven years ago.

Brig. Gen. Edward M. Daly, Army Materiel Command deputy chief of staff, presented the Purple Heart to Karen Nourse, mother of Spc. Frederick Greene, during a May 1 ceremony on the grounds of the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee.

Greene was one of 13 people killed during a mass shooting inside the Fort Hood, Texas Soldier Readiness Center, Nov. 5, 2009.

"Spc. Greene demonstrated Army values - loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage - when he took heroic actions to charge the shooter during the attack," Daly said. "We all know here today, that Spc. Greene is and will always remain a hero."

The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration and was created as a badge of military merit by Gen. George Washington. Congress recently expanded the eligibility criteria for the Purple Heart to include victims of an attack inspired or motivated by a U.S. State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization.

Retired Sgt. 1st Class Alan Bair, the family's original casualty assistance officer, presented Nourse and her husband, Robert Nouse, with Gold Star lapel pins.

While he did not know him personally, Bair said Greene's family was like his own after he was assigned as their casualty assistance officer in November 2009.

"Karen told me that enlisting in the Army was always his dream - way back to when he started playing with Army men as a little boy," said Bair while addressing friends and Family attending the ceremony. "I want to say a special thank you to Fred for touching so many lives while he was here, for being such a great Soldier, a wonderful son, and a wonderful husband and father. We will never forget you. The world has a lost an amazing hero. And, a true hero he was."

The Gold Star lapel pin was created by Congress at the conclusion of World War II to provide an appropriate means of identifying Families of military members, who lost their lives in the defense of democracy and freedom.

The Army Materiel Command's Yellahammer Brass Quintet played a musical tribute of Greene's two favorite songs, Amazing Grace and Whispering Hope.

The ceremony concluded with a standing audience rendering honors with the playing of Taps.

Greene's wife, Cristie Greene, was presented the Purple Heart during an April 10 ceremony on Fort Hood.

Related Links:

Army.mil: Human Interest News