Fort Hood to say farewell to victims

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The memorial service for the 13 people who died in the Fort Hood, Texas, massacre is part of the grieving and healing phase, the fort's commander said Monday.

"This ceremony is focused ... on the Fort Hood community," Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, commanding general, said of Tuesday's scheduled memorial.

President Barack Obama was to attend the service as were the families of the 12 service members and one civilian and the families of those injured last Thursday, Cone said.

Investigators allege that Army Maj. Nidal M Hasan opened fire in Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers prepare to be deployed.

Dewey Mitchell, a spokesman for Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, told CNN Monday Hasan -- listed in critical but stable condition after being shot several times after the attack at Fort Hood -- has begun talking after being removed from a ventilator. Mitchell was unable to tell reporters whether Hasan has been speaking with Army investigators.

Cone said Army officials were working to ensure counselors were available for the families of the victims and the injured.

"The thing you need to understand is that they have had some degree of stress training previously," Cone said, which is why several of them returned to active duty so quickly.

The real issue was to help other people -- civilians, families and children -- who haven't had exposure to any type of stress training. Also, "other soldiers who have had behavioral problems in the past -- I don't know what impact of this will have on them," Cone said.

Urging against a rush to judgment until the investigation is complete, Cone stressed that "Hasan was a soldier. We have other soldiers that might have some of the stress and indicators. (It's our) responsibility to make sure we're taking care of our own."

Cone said the Army also is working with its Muslim personnel, being "vigilant to any action that might take place. They're a part of our team."