In the small town of Beaumont, there are dozens of military families who have loved ones serving on the front lines in America's war on terror.
Jeanie Rutzinger felt a jumbled mix of emotions when she learned bin Laden had been killed by U.S. forces.
"Speechless, and at the same time, bursting with pride, and really relieved," said the military mother.
For 17 years, Rutzinger has owned Beaumont's Country Junction Restaurant, a place where everyone knows one another.
Nearly everyone who eats there has met Rutzinger's boys.
Curtis is in the Army and Jason is a Marine. Both have spent two tours in Iraq.
When the news about bin Laden's death broke, Rutzinger was flooded with Facebook and text messages.
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Many in Beaumont had waited for more than a decade to hear this news.
David Dopp couldn't believe the headlines of his local paper.
"We heard it last night around 9 o'clock on the TV, and went outside and actually drove around the town a little bit just to see how people were reacting," said Dopp. "I'm sure the survivors of 9/11 all feel a little bit more closure."
For some in Beaumont, there is cause for celebration, for others it's a time of healing. But now bin Laden's death, has in some ways, brought closure and comfort for residents in this small town.
