He did not name Major Nidal Hasan, the military psychiatrist accused of the killings.
As for the victims and the soldiers who rushed to help them, Obama said, “We need not look to the past for greatness, because it is before our very eyes.’’
The president and his wife, Michelle Obama, began an afternoon of consolation by meeting privately with family members of those killed last week and with those wounded in the attack and their families, and after his speech went to a military hospital to meet with those still recovering from wounds.
Obama used his public remarks at the outdoor memorial service to put a face on those who perished, ranging in age from 19 to 62, as husbands and fathers, immigrants and scholars, optimists and veterans of the war in Iraq. The president spoke to loved ones left behind, saying: “Here is what you must also know: Your loved ones endure through the life of our nation.’’
Below the stage where Obama spoke was a somber tribute to the fallen - 13 pairs of combat boots, each with an inverted rifle topped with a helmet. A picture of each person rested below the boots. After the ceremony, Obama walked solemnly along the row of boots, placing a commander in chief’s “challenge coin,’’ a traditional military keepsake, next to each victim’s photo in tribute.
Then soldiers and loved ones traced the same path to remember those lost and give a final salute, one woman nearly collapsing with grief.
It was Obama’s moment to take on the job of consoler-in-chief, a role that can help to shape a presidency at a time of national tragedy. The president has tried to strike a balanced tone: He has promised a full investigation of the Fort Hood shootings but has said little about it as investigators search for a motive.
Even as Obama honored the dead, there was government finger-pointing over what had been known about Hasan and whether he should have been investigated further.
