From the Viola Family, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Dec 2013.
On November 17, we lost our son, Staff Sgt. Alex Viola, 29. He achieved his goal of being a Green Beret and was killed in action on his first deployment to Afghanistan.
From the day we were informed, our friends, family and neighbors were by our side. They lined the streets of our neighborhood with American flags and were there in this time of need.
November 30, Alex was laid to rest. The outpouring of support from our entire community, the Patriot Guard Riders, Keller Police and Fire Departments, Green Berets (7th and 19th groups), many active and retired military personnel was unlike anything we have ever experienced. The procession route was lined with citizens showing support for Alex as well as for our entire military. We were overwhelmed.
We struggle to find the right words to thank the people who came out to say goodbye to our son, our hero. The one thing we can say with certainty is our appreciation and love for the community has been greatly elevated. The show of support and acts of kindness will never be forgotten. We thank you from the bottom our hearts.
God Bless our troops.
— Frank and Peggy Viola, Keller
http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/12...#storylink=cpy