Krueger honored on Veterans Day

KIEL - Nearly 1,300 miles away from the tragic scene at Fort Hood, hundreds packed the gymnasium at Kiel High School. Chief Warrant Officer Daryl Hamel made every step of that trip, with a soldier who could not.

"It was an emotional roller coaster for me," said Hamel. "It was a hard fence to border as a professional but also as a family member."

Hamel is not only Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger's cousin-in law but he was also at Fort Hood as a fellow soldier and was about 10 blocks away from where Krueger was shot and killed last Thursday.

"It was absolutely horrifying," said Hamel. "I talked with my family and something so simple as I'm not getting texts, I'm not getting voicemails or something like that. It was horrifying."

Hamel escorted his fallen cousin home Tuesday, landing in Milwaukee and moving in procession back to Kiel.

"I did what Amy told me to do in my heart and that was to take care of the honor of her as a soldier," said Hamel.

Hamel sat in the high school gym for a Veterans Day program that happens every year, but never like this day.

"You see her friends and family and you hear mention of her, especially after yesterday when they brought her back to Kiel, it was very difficult," said Kiel High School Principal, Dario Talerico. "I think there was a lot more emotion involved in this years program."

An empty chair was left in the packed house in honor of Krueger.

"It makes me a little stronger because Amy's kicking my butt everyday saying, 'go forward with the army, carry that flag,'" said Hamel. "That's exactly what I'm going to do."