KILLEEN, Texas – On a bright sunny morning, the day after the mournful memorial service for the shooting victims at Fort Hood, the mood here seemed to lift a bit, especially in downtown Killeen.

Along a parade route that ran past stores, homes and churches, cheering residents waved American flags in celebration of Veterans Day. High school marching bands, children's groups, veterans organizations, motorcycle clubs and active Army units basked in the adoration from the crowd and stepped lively to the music and rhythms of the national holiday, which is always a major event here in the city that supports Fort Hood.

VIDEO: After days of mourning, Fort Hood celebrates

But even in this crowd, it was clear that emotions are still raw just below the surface and that the sorrowful events at the base have hit home and hit hard. Most everyone we interviewed struggled with their feelings as they explained why they wanted to attend the parade to show their support. Tears flowed and voices quavered almost every time someone was nice enough to talk with us.

While speaking about the soldiers and civilian first responders at Fort Hood who cared for the shooting victims, Judy Reider, the wife of a military veteran, had to pause to compose herself. "It showed they were well trained. I've cried all week," she said. "My husband was a soldier for a long time. I've always been proud of that, but I've never had to see what we saw here."

Standing along the curb as the parade passed by, Henry Almaguer and his family waved their flags and cheered. For Almaguer, the tragedy has made for a tough week. "It's very emotional and it's never happened there and we're going to support them every day."

Then Almaguer explained why he was particularly upset: "My daughter was there."

April Almaguer, who was watching with her father and mother, is a clerical worker at Fort Hood. She was actually in the Soldier Readiness Processing Center when the gunman opened fire on the crowd there.  She wasn't injured, but she said she now feels even more kinship with members of the U.S. Army. "Just after what happened, going through that, you really realize what they go through and it's very important to show your support," she said.  

With that, she then turned back to parade, raised her arm and waved the flag she was holding.

A few blocks away, Darla Darsey, who is a teacher at a church child development center, sat on the grass and watched the parade with a group of children. She, too, felt an emotional tug. "We support our troops and we always have and we always will," she said.

When the parade was over, residents and neighbors walked back to their cars, having enjoyed a respite from the barrage of sad news.

ON BOARD THE USS HARRY S.TRUMAN – Nuclear-powered and carrying up to 4,500 sailors and airmen, the USS Harry S. Truman is one of the U.S. Navy's largest aircraft carriers.

Recently, I get a rare tour with a few others of the inner workings of this floating city from its Commanding Officer Capt. Clarkson, Executive Officer Capt. John Meier and Reactor Officer Capt. Kevin Hill.

On a typical day, there are at least 3,000 sailors who keep the ship humming, according to Clarkson. They operate the reactor plant, run the hotel, cook the meals, run the airport and do maintenance on all the critical equipment that allows planes to take off and land on the ship. In addition, there are about 1,500 airmen who do the maintenance on the planes and, of course, the flying. 

Donald R. White Jr. / U.S. Navy

An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter prepares to land on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman on Nov.8.Â

"The ship is a neat machine. It has a lot of cool stuff, like the propulsion plant and all the stuff on the flight deck," said Clarkson. "But really, what makes this ship really special is the people."

Hill and Lt. Cmdr. Ray Glenn shepherded me around as I met many of the sailors onboard. Every role has a very specific and fitting title. 

The "air boss" controls just about everything flight deck related, 4.5 acres of space in the middle of the ocean.  The air traffic control room "keeps track of every airplane that is airborne, that is going to launch, inbound and on the approach – all on one screen," according to one its operators. One pilot called it the "one-stop shop" for the status of every airplane.

Lulu Chiang / NBC News

On the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman on Nov.5.

Taking off and landing planes on the aircraft carrier is an art and a science. Just, imagine flying a 50,000 pound jet and trying to land it on a space of approximately 250 feet wide and 1,000 feet long – all tossing about in the middle of the ocean.

In order to help get the landing right, pilots are trained to perform a "hook-landing" using a cable laid across the landing area that is designed to catch the aircraft's tail hook. On a carrier the size of the USS Harry S. Truman, the arresting gear has to be at the correct tensions for five different types of planes with different airspeeds and gross weight to land.

Lulu Chiang / NBC News

On the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman on Nov. 5.

"You can imagine it's pretty important we get the right weight setting set for the next airplane that's going to land," said the air boss.

Bad weather can add to the degree of difficulty. Apart from bad visibility, waves can move the deck15 to 20 feet up and down. And often, pilots are landing after five to six hour combat missions during which they may have flown for up to 1,000 miles.  One pilot summed it all up quite simply: "It's hard, it's hard."

Kilho Park / U.S. Navy

Sailors and Marines scrub jet and helicopter oil from the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman on Sept.21, 2009.

To keep the sailors and airmen fed and ready to go, a huge team of cooks pump out about 18,000 meals a day. The sailors can then go work off their meals at the "Seaside Gym" replete with a gorgeous view of the ocean.

The carrier really is like a small city and there are sailors who fill every role you'd find in any community. They operate medical and dental offices, a gift shop, a bake shop, a chapel, library and a media center.

Kilho Park / U.S. Navy

Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman participate in a three-on-three basketball tournament in the ship's hangar bay on Nov.9.Â

To all the veterans and current officers serving in the U.S. military, Happy Veteran's Day!

KILLEEN, Texas – Having arrived in Fort Hood from another assignment with little more than the clothes on my back, I was in Wal-Mart Saturday night looking for some basics.

Watching families walking together through the store, I was – I admit – feeling a little sorry for myself that I was away from my own family … until I had a chance to meet the young woman ahead of me in line.

She couldn't have been much older than 20 years old and was tiny all over except for her bulging tummy. It's an overused phrase, but she was glowing.

It was her first child, she explained with a smile of pure joy. The clerk asked her if her husband was as excited as she was. "He's not here," I heard her say. "Oh, is he deployed?" the clerk asked. "No, he was killed in Iraq."  

SLIDESHOW: Fort Hood community grapples with the tragic shootingÂ

It's a side of the war we don't often see. The names of the fallen get a mention – maybe – on the news, but the stories of those left behind are largely untold.  

I had a chance to talk to my new Wal-Mart friend for a few minutes after we both checked out and found her remarkably reconciled with her situation. She had some family in town, she explained, and they would help her raise her son. I thought back to when my own son was born and remembered that as emotional and exhausting as those first weeks were, at least I had someone to laugh and cry about it with at the end of the day.  

She didn't want any attention, and she didn't want to be on television – because, she explained, her situation wasn't special or unusual. At least not here in Killeen. She knew a number of women who had gone through the same thing.  

I'm here in Fort Hood covering a heartbreaking story, but stumbled upon this other one by chance. The death of a soldier – wherever it happens – is just the beginning of a military family's sacrifice. 

VIDEO: Janet Shamlian reports on new details emerging about suspected Ft. Hood shooter

As the U.S. Army continues to search for answers about the Fort Hood shooting, NBC News' Mark Potter reports on how the tragedy has sparked a widespread security review of military bases.   

VIDEO: Military bases review security

FORT HOOD, Texas – The city of Killeen and Fort Hood, the military base, are almost interchangeable. Everyone who lives in the community of Killeen has something to do with the military. So shooting rampage that left at 13 dead and 30 wounded has impacted not just the military installation, but an entire Texas community.

Flags are flying at half staff here today. There is a very somber mood in town. And people are on heightened alert. Even at the hotel where we are all staying, they were taking extra security precautions. There is a heightened sense of fear in the community now.

The irony of what's going on here is that these people who live here prepare themselves to hear about casualties that might happen to friends and loved ones overseas. But no one ever expected anything like this – deaths and bloodshed in their own community, in their own neighborhood.

VIDEO: Fort Hood community in mourning

"You just don't think that these things are even possible. You know we walk around with a blanket of security knowing that our soldiers are out there fighting for our country and then something like this happens. It's ridiculous," said Adrianna Peebles, a Killeen resident and wife of a soldier.

Everyone seems to know someone connected to the base here. In the pharmacy yesterday, the checkout person knew a soldier and knew he was about to be deployed and worried about whether or not he was OK.

"You are supposed to worry about them when they are deployed, not when they are here at home," one woman said to me.

Now it's the soldiers who are in Iraq and Afghanistan who are calling Texas to check on someone's safety. It's a complete reversal of what people here are used to.