By ERIC TUCKER

Associated Press
WASHINGTON Ameri-
cans from Washington to
California marked Memorial
Day with parades, barbecues
and somber reflection in a
holiday infused with fresh
meaning by the approaching
10th anniversary of the Sept.
11 terrorist attacks.
The National Memorial
Day Parade in Washington
honored veterans and Ameri-
cas war dead but also fea-
tured special tributes to Sept.
11 first responders, victims
and their families. The holi-
day comes less than a month
after U.S. Navy SEALs shot
and killed Osama bin Laden,
who masterminded the
attacks.
Elsewhere, military jets
thundered through the sky
above New York after a
wreath-laying ceremony
aboard an aircraft carrier
thats been turned into a muse-
um, while hundreds of volun-
teers put small flags on the
25,000 grav 0 g 0 g es at a sprawling
military cemetery near Las
Vegas. U.S. troops fighti fig fig ng in
Afghan Afg Afg istan also took time out
to remember fallen comrades.
Along the parade route in
Washington, children sat on
parents shoulders and thr-
ongs cheered as high march-
ing bands and flo d f d f ats passed.
Special guests included Medal
of Honor recipients, astro-
naut and Korean War veteran
Buzz Aldrin and actor Gary
Sinise, a veterans advocate
who played Lt. Dan in the film
Forrest Gump.
Hamilton Peterson, who
lost his father and stepmother
when the hijacked United
Airlines 93 crashed into a fie o a f o a f ld
in Shanksville, Pa., said the
looming anniversary of the
terror attacks should inspire
Americans to be vigilant.
Obviously, bin Ladens
death is a highlight of the 10th
anniversary. However, we
recognize that future attacks
are imminent and that, absent
using 9/11 as a model for how
to respond, all Americans
need to get involved. It cant
just be the military, the
51-year-old said.
Sgt. James Patrick McMich-
ael of the Arlington County,
Va., sheriff if if s offic ff ff e was part of
a team of first responders to
the Pentagon. He said that
even though the looming anni-
versary was dredging up pain-
ful memories, it was still criti-
cal that the public remember
what occurred.
A commercial jet crashed
into the Pentagon on Sept. 11,
killing 184 people at the
sprawling Defense Depart-
ment headquarters.
Reliving the event is not
something that I look for k f k f ward
to, but I dont think it should
be something thats not
brought up to the public,
said McMichael, who attend-
ed the parade in Washington.
I dont think people should
forget about what occurred.
President Barack Obama
participated in a wreath-lay-
ing ceremony at the Tomb of
the Unknowns at Arlington
National Cemetery.
Our nation owes a debt to
its fallen heroes that we can
never fully repay, but we can
honor their sacrifice, Obama
said at a Memorial Day serv-
ice at the cemetery. And we
must.
Meanwhile, U.S. troops
fighting in Afghanistan
paused for Memorial Day
services, with some praying
and holding flag-raising cer-
emonies to recognize the
more than 1,400 who have
been killed in combat there
since the war began a decade
ago.
Obama plans to draw down
U.S. troops in Afghanistan
beginning in July, while
NATO has committed to
handing over control of secu-
rity in the country to Afghans
by 2014. For now, though, the
war continues.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 The Eagle theeagle.com A5
News/Obituaries
Memorial Day honors veterans, 9/11
AP photo
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen (left) Secretary off
Defense Robert Gates and President Barack Obama stand during taps at the
Memorial Day service in the amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery in
Ar Arlington, Va., on Monday.
Terris fathers, grandfathers and great-
grandfathers all served in the military.
But instead of joining as a young man,
Huffman accelerated his college studies.
At the age of 24, he interned as a doctor
at Saint Francis Hospital in Peoria, Ill.
The compassion Huffman exhibited for
his patients drew the attention of
27-year-old nurse Terri McLaughlin.
He was very caring and concerned,
she said. His patients came first.
They fell in love and Terri
McLaughlin became Terri Huffman. In
1983, Jeff Huffman was selected for the
top cancer research fel h f h f lowship in the
country and the couple moved to New
York City with three small children.
We had to walk everywhere because
you couldnt have a car because there
was no place to park it, Terri said.
The Huffm uf uf ans moved to La Jolla and
eventually Los Angeles, where Jeff
taught at the University of Southern
California. After 9/11, Jeff felt moved to
join the Air Force.
Our kids were all older and out of
the house so I thought it was my time,
he said. [Joining the military] was
something I wanted to do for a long
time. I think its an inherent need to
provide service to our country.
Huffman was stationed at the Joint
Base Balad in Iraq, where he served as a
trauma surgeon. He said the increased
tempo of work was immediately notice-
able.
Youre on your toes at all times, he
said. You get engulfed in your work
and time goes by really fast.
He said the staff at the base made
working there bearable, despite the
stresses placed on a war-time hospital
in a combat zone.
You never heard any whining or
moaning, he said. Everyone really
had a can-do attitude.
Huffman still extended the compas-
sion for his patients that he did as an
intern. He said he always thought about
the families and well-being of his
patients after they left.
Its a very powerful feeling because
you witness all the death and destruc-
tion, he said.
Huffman said he enjoys staying in
contact with his patients and seeing
that they do well. In 2009, he saw a for a f a f -
mer patient who was 21 and had lost
both of his legs on television with
Tiger Woods.
That was special seeing that he sur-
vived even through his disabilities,
Huffman said. Huffman moved to
College Station to be closer to two of his
children, who live in Austin. He works
at College Station Medical Center and
finds the atmosphere similar to the one
he experienced at USC.
Theres a really wonderful energy and
spirit here at College Station, he said.
DOCTOR: Said war-time hospital was intense
Continued from A1
morning.
The destruction was far
beyond what he expected.
Ive seen tornadoes before,
but it was bigger and worse
than anything Ive ever seen,
Yeager said. It really impact-
ed the main part of the town
and destroyed everything it
went through.
The team, along with three
search and rescue dogs, per-
formed about 15 missions
while in Joplin. Usual work-
days began at 7 a.m. and didnt
end until about 7:30 at night.
We searched every place
we were asked to search,
Yeager said. Housing areas,
an AT&T, Pizza Hut, Sonic, an
office building ... just about
every place you would be at
on a Sunday about 5:41 [p.m.],
we were assigned to.
Training at Disaster City, a
facility used by agencies
preparing for operations like
tornado or hurricane after-
maths, proved invaluable for
the team in Joplin, as nothing
was too difficult for them,
Yeager said.
Teens and young adults
from the surrounding com-
munity offered those working
hot food and cold drink every
half hour while the team was
there a simple gesture that
went a long way, Yeager said.
It was great, wonderful
support from the communi-
ty, Yeager said. They were
very hard-working people
who just had to get down to
business. They did and they
got the job done.
The task force was deployed
afte af af r Gov. Rick Perry offe of of red
Texas assistance to Gov. Jay
Nixon of Missouri.
The times Texas Task
Force 1 deploys are pretty big
events, said Bob McKee,
agency chief of the task force.
Tornados, hurricanes and
other events were not talk-
ing about your typical emer-
gencies you might see.
McKee said the force could
deploy to anywhere in the
United States if called by the
governor or FEMA.
Texas Task Force 1 consists
of about 600 people, only 30 of
whom are full-time employees
of the Texas Engineering
Extension, which sponsors the
task force. Funding comes from
the state level and national
level, since either can request
the services of the force.
Team members apply on-
line and typically have betw-
een five and eight years of
experience in emergency res-
ponse before ef ef joining, McKee
said.
The Texas task force wasnt
the only agency responding to
the disaster, but one of many.
As the team returned to
College Station, two others
from Texas were on their way
to continue providing aid.
Phil Gates of the Texas
Forest Service and Robert
Ford with the Nacogdoches
Fire Department were sent to
Joplin to provide logistical
supervision for the continued
recovery efforts from the tor-
nado and in preparation for
flooding expected to hit the
area.
Anything and everything
that could be needed to facili-
tate operations is what well
be handling, Gates said.
Whatever the request is, our
job will be to go out and find
it.
The duo will also be work-
ing at least 12 hours a day,
spending a minimum of seven
days in Missouri, but they
could be asked to stay up to
14. They will be like a hub for
the rescue efforts, Gates said.
It is not out of the ordinary
that members of several dif- if if
ferent agencies are respond-
ing to the need because the
different groups all cooperate.
Were all on the same page
in helping people, Gates
said. Theres a large network
of emergency response per-
sonnel with similar training
who move together to serve
the state of Texas and other
states as a region. Its neat to
see how it works and how we
help each other. Its a mutual
aid thing.
DISASTER:Others fromTexas onway
Continued from A1
contentious.
My prediction is this will
be a long special session. I
think its going to be pretty
hardball, said Sen. Steve
Ogden, R-Bryan. This is a
gift for the governor.
The Texas Constitution
requires the Legislature to
pass a balanced budget every
two years, and the state comp-
troller is responsible for certi-
fying that they did their job.
While both chambers passed
the main budget bill, Sen.
Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth,
was successful with a fili a f a f -
buster against a new school
finance law that would cut the
states obligations to schools
districts by $4 billion. Without
the new law, the budget does-
nt balance and a special ses-
sion is mandatory.
I think the Democrats
have made a bad strategic
move. They could have made
a deal on a number of issues
and we couldve been done
right now. But they chose to
make us come back in special
session, said Rep. Larry
Taylor, the Republican leader
in the House. I think the
negotiations for them during
the [special] session are going
to be a lot harder for them.
House Democratic leader
Rep. Jessica Farrar said her
team was ready to fight for
more school funding. They
would insist that the public
have a chance to let lawmak-
ers know how they feel about
the $4 billion in proposed cuts.
She said Democrats want to
tap the states almost $10 bil-
lion Rainy Day Fund to give
schools what they are owed.
SESSION: Rainy Day Funduntapped
Continued from A1
Obama announced a new
lineup of his top military
leadership group in the Rose
Garden of the White House
just before venturing across
the Potomac to pay tribute to
the nations war dead at
Arlington National Cemetery.
The Memorial Day announce-
ments had been expected,
although there was no imme-
diate indication what the mil-
itary leadership moves might
imply for possible changes in
military strategy.
Already, the president had
turned, in late April, to CIA
Director Leon Panetta to suc-
ceed Robert Gates as secretary
of defense and chose to move
Army Gen. David Petraeus
from his command of the
Afghanistan war effort to the
United States to replace
Panetta at the CIA.
Dempsey, an accomplished
veteran of the Iraq war, will
succeed Adm. Mike Mullen as
top military adviser for
Obama, who called Dempsey
one of our nations most
respected and combat-tested
generals.
The president also announ-
ced he has chosen Navy Adm.
James Winnefeld to succeed
Cartwright as vice chairman
of the Joint Chiefs and Army
Gen. Ray Odierno as his can-
didate to replace Dempsey as
Army chief of staff. ff ff
The nominees have to be
approved by the Senate, and
Obama voiced hope that could
happen in a timely fashion.
At the White House, Obama
called Americas servicemen
and women the best our
nation has to offer, and they
deserve nothing but the best
in return, and that includes
leaders.
Later on, Obama placed a
wreath at the Tomb of the
Unknowns at the venerable
Arlington burial grounds.
And in a speech at the
Arlington amphitheater in
front of a flag-draped a f a f wall, the
president, who had met earli-
er in the day with families of
troops killed in war, said: To
those of you mourn the loss of
a loved one today, my heart
goes out to you.
We remember that the
blessings that we enjoy as
Americans came at a dear
cost, he said.
Preceding Obama at the
amphitheater, Gates said the
country must never for r f r f get
its men and women in the mil-
itary.
As I come to the end of my
time in this post, Gates said,
... I will keep these brave
patriots and their families in
my heart and in my prayers.
TEAM:
Awaits OK
fromSenate
Continued from A1
AP photo
President Barack Obamas nominees
to be the next Chairman of the Joint int
Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Martin
Dempsey, v Dempsey Dempsey ice chairman of the Joint
Chiefs Adm. James Winnefeld (right),
and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Rayy
Odierno (left) walk to a Rose Garden
announcement ceremony at the White
House on Monday.
KURTZ
Lillie Louise
(Melcher) Kurtz
Feb. 23, 1920 May 27, 2011
Lillie Louise Melcher Kurtz,
91, of Bryan, passed away on
May 27, 2011. A funeral service
will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday,
June 2, at Davis-Greenlawn
Funeral Chapel in Rosenberg,
with Pastor Norm Albertson
ofciating. Interment will
follow in Greenlawn Memorial
Park in Rosenberg.Visitation
will be held from 1 p.m. until
service time Thursday, June
2, at Davis-Greenlawn Funeral
Chapel in Rosenberg.
Lillie was born February 23,
1920 in Rockhouse to Herman
Melcher and Dora Rodiek
Melcher. She was a member
of Peace American Lutheran
Church in Rosenberg.
Lillie is preceded in death
by her husband, Melvin Kurtz;
her parents, Herman and Dora
Melcher; and her brother,
Ruben Melcher.
She is survived by her sons,
Lyndon Kurtz and wife, Gail
and Lenert Kurtz and wife,
Janet; grandchildren, Stephen
Kurtz and wife, Dershie and
Jeffrey Kurtz and wife, Leslie;
great-grandchildren, Kyle
Kurtz, Hope Kurtz, Kade Kurtz
and Karson Kurtz; niece,
Barbara Melcher Davis and
husband, Jimmy; along with
other relatives and friends.
In lieu of owers, memorials
may be made to Peace
American Lutheran Church,
1026 Radio Lane, Rosenberg,
Texas, 77471.
Words of condolence may
be left for the Kurtz family at
www.davisgreenlawnfh.com.
Service arrangements are
under the direction of Davis-
GreenlawnFuneral Home, 3900
B. F. Terry Blvd., Rosenberg,
Texas, 77471, 281-341-8800.
Services
AMREIN, Isabel SofaSitcheran,
at 10 a.m. at All Faiths Chapel
on Texas A&M University
Campus
EDMONDS, Eleanor Elli, 10
a.m. at Memorial Funeral
Chapel in Bryan.
HORTON, Faye, 11 a.m. at
First Baptist Church of North
Zulch.
WEINBRANDT, Kelvin Lee, 10
a.m. at Nobles Funeral Chapel
in Navasota.
Deaths
Elaine Harris
Elaine Harris, 85, of Dallas,
passedawaySaturday, May29,
2011 at Presbyterian Hospital
in Dallas. Arrangements are
in the care of Callaway-Jones
Funeral Home & Crematory.
JohnThomas Holmstorm
John Thomas Holmstorm,
57, of Cedar Hill, passed
away on Saturday, May 28,
2011 in Bryan. A memorial
service will be held at 3 p.m.
Thursday, June 2, at Skyvue
Funeral Home in Manseld,
Texas. Local arrangements
are entrusted to Hillier
Funeral Home.
Katherine Ruth Holmstrom
Katherine Ruth Holmstrom,
48, of Cedar Hill, passed
away on Saturday, May 28,
2011 in Bryan. A memorial
service will be held at 3 p.m.
Thursday, June 2, at Skyvue
Funeral Home in Manseld,
Texas. Local arrangements
are entrusted to Hillier
Funeral Home.
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