Family members and veterans showed their appreciation Nov. 5 when state Rep. Tony Dale, R-Cedar Park, announced he wants to expand Texas Purple Heart Medal conditions to include military victims of the Fort Hood shooting attack four years ago.

That may in turn pressure national leaders to recognize the 13 people killed and 32 others wounded Nov. 5 2009, Dale said—victims of what Dale and others called an oft-ignored terrorist attack.

Dale plans to file his bill at the start of the spring 2015 legislative session.

"I assure you that I'm gonna work my butt off so we can get this thing passed through the [Texas] House and the Senate so we can do the recognition that these folks deserve," Dale said. "What prompted me to do this? I got sick of waiting on the federal government. Something's got to be done."

At first he considered proposing a new medal for Fort Hood victims, he said. Then he found that in 2005 the state legislature created a Texas Purple Heart medal for Texas military members who qualify for the federal Purple Heart. But Fort Hood victims wouldn't qualify because the U.S. government does not classify their deaths as having occurred in combat.

"If you asked the average person on the street if this was an act of terrorism, the answer is yes," Dale said. "However, the federal administration instead designated this as an act of workplace violence."

That denies reality, and denies medals and recognition for those who died, Dale said.

"I'm not sure that Washington, D.C. can be shamed into action, but if they won't act, Texas will," Dale continued. "To the families of those that died that day, please know that you are in the prayers of many people. And we also pray for your loved ones."

Later Dale said he and his wife, Mary, were captains in the 1st Cavalry Division and recalled many happy hours with military friends in the recreation facility Maj. Nidal Hasan attacked.

Dale held his conference at the veteran's memorial at Veteran's Memorial Park in Cedar Park, where a stone honors the Fort Hood victims. He said he has support from U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock; U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Weatherford; and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Austin.

Glenn Morris, an Army veteran and member of Cedar Park's American Legion Post 911, said he knows Dale as a fellow Legionnaire and came to support him.

"This is a great cause, so it's honoring veterans and our service members," Morris said.

Cedar Park City Councilman Lowell Moore said many people seem to be moving away from honoring veterans. Moore served alongside Dale on the council before Dale's 2012 election to the House of Representatives.

Former U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Howard Ray was at Fort Hood that day, and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for saving nine people's lives. Ray, a Copperas Cove resident, is running for state representative next year.

The U.S. government's classifying the attack as "workplace violence" is tantamount to a cover-up, Ray said. Dale's bill will at least begin to give the victims recognition, he added.

"My impression is people in Washington, D.C. look at Texas a little bit differently, and I think it would be inappropriate for Texas to act for Washington," Dale said. "But they're forcing us into this kind of action by not acting up in D.C."