Today our walk was dedicated in honor of :
Army SGT Elder Neves Fernandes, Age 23 of Brockton, MA.
Died Aug. 25, 2020
Army Sergeant Fernandes graduated from Brockton High School in 2015 and enlisted in the Army. He was remembered as someone motivated to help others through his military service and who looked forward to the future with a sense of possibility. This extended to his goal after the military to study psychology and continue to help people.
“Elder lived his young life striving for greatness and striving to be the solution and never the problem,” said Deacon Christopher Connelly during Fernandes’ Saturday funeral service. “Indeed, a man of beatitude and a man of hope.”
Leaders at the U.S. Army’s Fort Hood in Texas created an environment that led to the death of Sgt. Elder Fernandes, who was missing for more than a week before he was found dead Tuesday, August 25, 2020.
Fernandes was hanging from a tree in Temple, Texas, about 28 miles from Fort Hood.
Temple police, the lead agency investigating because of where Fernandes was found, said foul play is not suspected in his death.
“They don’t know what happened – whether it was suicide or whether murder. But I’m gonna tell you, what they did to him, the blood is on their hands, it’s a form of murder,” attorney Natalie Khawam said.
Khawam said that after Fernandes reported in May that he had been inappropriately touched by a male superior, he was transferred, and word spread within the new unit, leading to harassment, belittling, bullying and hazing.
“He was humiliated, he was embarrassed, he couldn’t even tell his mom. He didn’t want to tell anyone,” Khawam said Wednesday. “He was afraid. He was ashamed by this.”
On Aug. 17, Fort Hood leaders said Fernandes was dropped off at a residence in Killeen, Texas, after a weeklong stay at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center.
Isabel Fernandes said her nephew was hospitalized because he felt suicidal, and he promised to call his mother when he was released.
We had a great 7.58 mile walk today. We left the house around 7am on this very brisk 25 degree morning. We drove to the Cumberland Mountain State Park and we headed out walking. It was a quiet morning except for the geese that were at the lake. If you look close at the photo of the bridge you can see me holding the flag up high. We then walked over to the camping area and we watched three deer as they worked their way to the woods. It was beautiful. We then headed to the pool area and found the trail that goes around the lake. It was an amazing hike as we could hear the water at a couple of small water falls along the trail. We got to talk to a few people along the way. We even met a Navy Veteran and his wife and got to talk with them for a while about what we were doing. I want to thank my friend Robert for walking with us today and I want to thank everyone that stopped and talked with us , helping us honor this amazing hero.
Army SGT Elder Neves Fernandes will not be forgotten !
