Washington - A memorial service for the 13 victims of the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, took place Tuesday with the families of those killed attending and President Barack Obama addressing the gathering of 15,000 people. Thousands of US Army soldiers wearing black berets stood in the crowd as the families entered the open air location on the base. Obama called the tragedy an act of "twisted logic" that cannot be justified by religious beliefs.
"It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy," Obama said. "But this much we do know: No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts."
"No just and loving God looks upon them with favour. And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice in this world, and the next."
The alleged gunman in Thursday's attack opened fire in a processing centre on the base, taking the lives of the 13 people and wounding more than 40 others.
The military has identified the suspect, an Army psychiatrist, as Major Nidal Malik Hasan. A Muslim, Hasan was reportedly disgruntled about his pending deployment to Afghanistan. Hasan remained hospitalized and was expected to survive. A civilian policewoman stopped the rampage by shooting the assailant.
"These Americans did not die on a foreign field of battle," Obama said. "They were killed here, on American soil, in the heart of this great American community. It is this fact that makes the tragedy even more painful and even more incomprehensible."
The memorial was the first for Obama to mark a national tragedy and his handling of it will be closely watched and analyzed. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush won high regard for their respective mourning of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Obama spoke about each of the victims, 10 men and three women ranging in age from 19 to 62 and who had a combined 19 children. He mentioned Private Francheska Velez, 21, and daughter of a father from Colombia and a Puerto Rican mother. She was pregnant and returning from Iraq on the way to Chicago to give birth to her first child when her life was taken.
"Some had long careers in the military. Some had signed up to serve in the shadow of 9-11. Some had known intense combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some cared for those who did," said Obama, wearing a black suit.
At the front of the stage were photographs of the victims, 12 soldiers and one civilian. Behind the photos were 13 pairs of boots, a rifle pointed down between each of them and a helmet on top. The arrangement is used by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan to honour the fallen.
Obama said their memories will be carried on through the military and "the work we carry on."
"Here is what you must also know: Your loved ones endure through the life of our nation," Obama said. "Their memory will be honoured in the places they lived and by the people they touched."
The 1st Cavalry Division band played music as the crowd gathered.
US authorities were investigating the motive behind the attack and have not ruled out a possible terrorist connection. Hasan is expected to be tried in a court-martial.
Fort Hood houses more than 40,000 soldiers and their families. It is the largest US military installation in the world and a key staging point for soldiers on their way to Iraq or Afghanistan.
