Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

A metro-east mom's worst nightmare: Waiting to hear from a son at Fort Hood

Forty-five minutes after Lori Kuper heard about Thursday's shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, she got a text message from her son that told her all she needed to know.

"I just got a text back with just one word that said, 'Yea,' and I said, 'That's good enough for me,'" Kuper said. "It was scary until I got that text message from him."

Kuper's son, Specialist Joseph A. Gebke, 21, of Breese, was in his room during a shooting at the base that left 12 people dead and 31 wounded, according to the U.S. Army. The shooter, identified as U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist facing deployment, was wounded, Lt. Gen. Bob Cone said.

Gebke has been based at Fort Hood for more than two years, and served a 13-month tour in Afghanistan. He is next scheduled to go to Fort Knox in Kentucky.

Gebke stated in a Facebook message: "I just think that it was an unfortunate circumstance, Soldiers go over to fight a war and then have to come back only to be gunned down by a brother in arms that would rather act than talk about his possible problems. If soldiers have issues, they should seek help, whether it be a professional, family member or friend."

Kuper had called her son earlier Thursday to wish him a good 21st birthday. Gebke told her he was looking forward to going out with his buddies.

Kuper said she didn't know about the shooting until a friend e-mailed her and asked about Joe's whereabouts.

Kuper called her son countless times before she was able to leave a message. She then thought to send him a text asking whether he was all right, and later talked to him for about 10 minutes by phone.

"So we heard from him, and he's OK and now I'm OK," Kuper said. "He served a tour in Afghanistan, and you think, 'He made it home OK.' And then something like this happens in his home post."

Francella Jackson, of Fairview Heights, said she never thought the day would come that she would be more relieved that her nephew is in Iraq instead of at Fort Hood, where he was based.

Jackson's nephew, Marion Deboe, 28, of Centreville, is on his second tour of duty in Iraq. He was based at Fort Hood for about three years before he was deployed.

"Here he is in Iraq risking his life, and the base he was based at is under fire," Jackson said. "It makes you wonder: 'Where is he safer? Here or in Iraq?'"

Deboe is newly married and has a baby daughter, Jackson said.

"I'm glad he's in Iraq because this could have been him; That's scary," she said. "I mean, they train soldiers there. Soldiers aren't supposed to be killed in Fort Hood."

Jackson said Deboe's parents, Marion and Camilla Deboe, of Centreville, hope to hear from their son soon. The Deboes could not immediately be reached for comment.

The shooting began about 1:30 p.m. Cone said all the casualties were at the base's Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening.