Obama: 'May God bless those we lost'

KILLEEN, Texas (KXAN) - Flags were flying at half-staff during a somber service remembering the lives of those who were killed at Fort Hood during a mass shooting on Thursday.

Commander Sergeant Major Donald Felt called out the names of the fallen and wounded soldiers during the memorial service's roll call. After the names of the killed soldiers were read, a long, saddening silence rang out.

Below is a short video of soldiers waiting for the memorial service:

Fort Hood is described as being a sanctuary for warriors. People did not carry weapons, so the shootings on Nov. 5 were a huge shock in two ways. The soldiers call each other family.

"You come and feel each other's pain, the tears, you move on," said Donald Cleveland, who is attending the memorial service.

It may take a lifetime for the physical and mental wounds to heal.

"It's devastating; we expect that overseas, but here on base, it's unheard of," said Melissa Langley, while waiting in line to get into the memorial service. "We are here to show our support and respect."

The biggest question during this service is "Why did someone in our own uniform turn?" One soldier injured in Iraq, wondered "How can someone who's supposed to be treating me turn the gun on someone here who will have to be treated with PTSD possibly in the future?"

At any one time, one-third of the soldiers at Ft. Hood must be able to deploy on a moment's notice.

The prelude concert by the 1st Calvary Division Band started around 12:45 p.m. They played "Danny Boy" and "America the Beautiful." About 15,000 people watched as families of the victims walked down the steps, each with a military escort. A young woman dressed in purple walked over to a photo of her slain relative and took a picture of it.

The Army flew in all 13 families of the fallen soldiers and the civilian staffer from Thursday's mass shooting at Fort Hood. Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said the families of the wounded soldiers also attended.

The wounded soldiers "processed out" at 1:30 p.m. to attend the service. President Barack Obama walked into the service around 1:40 p.m. to begin the service.

The flag behind the podium waved slightly in the warm Tuesday afternoon breeze during the playing of the National Anthem.

The opening prayer started at 1:43 p.m. Chaplain (Col.) Michael Lembke, III Corps Chaplain slowly listed all those who were killed. Their names echoed.

"Draw us to you, O Lord, as we draw close to one another," prayed Chaplain Lembke.

Lt. Gen Robert W. Cone walked slowly up to the podium, head held up high, but his eyes looked tired and distraught.

"Today, we gather to mourn the loss of 13 American heroes, drawn from different states," said Lt. Gen. Cone. "They ranged in age from 19 to 62, three of them were women and 10 of them were men. The biggest trait they had in common was to volunteer to be something bigger than themselves and serve our great nation. I want every family member to know that our Army family deeply mourns the loss of your loved ones.

"We will never be accustomed to losing one of our own, but can more easily accept it when it's on foreign soil against a known enemy. Even so, soldiers do what soldiers do best: They take care of each other in times of need. Were not for their remarkable abilities, this incident could have been worse. Many had never met prior to that day, but became forever linked by this tragedy. Our soldiers live, work and fight as teams. The currency of our profession is a deep sense of trust.

"We will always remember the brave and committed action of the first responders at the crime scene. There were donations of food and lodging to families traveling out of state. These are just a few examples of the generosity of our friends and neighbors. From this on, we must renew our resolve and commitment to our mission. [The surviving soldiers in the Army] are determined to provide enduring service to our nation. May our service be a continuing tribute to each of [the fallen.]"

Lt. Gen. Cone invited Commanding General III Corps and Fort Hood Gen. George W. Casey Jr. up to the podium to talk about the tragedy and how heroic these fallen men and women are.

"It's a tradition in our special operations unit to go to the Book of Isaiah when eulogizing fallen comrades," said Gen. Casey. " At the funeral, they read, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking 'whom shall I send and who will go for us?' Then I said 'Here I am. Send me.'

"The passage conveys the sentiment that applies to every soldier in our Army. The violence that led to the death and wounding of others was unimaginable and it was a kick in the gut. Their loss left 19 children, spouses, parents and untold loved ones. What happened this past Thursday will impact the Army [forever.] The calm leadership of the command and the overwhelming outpour in support from the community; their responses in the aftermath of the tragedy have been uplifting, if not heroic.

"I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat