Oklahoma - Memorial

Many years ago we had a flying visit to Oklahoma City and always hoped that one day we would have the opportunity to return.  So we now have the chance to and today we spent several hours visiting the Memorial .  It is 20 years (19 April , 1995) since the peace of Oklahoma City was shattered by a truck bomb that destroyed 168 lives.  To this day, it remains the worst home-grown terrorist attack on American soil. However, the community would not bow to the terror as the attackers intended.   Rather, they banded together to remember those who lost their lives on that fateful day and for the many who's lives have been forever changed.   It is a very touching experience to come to the area where so many perished.  It is also very inspiring to see such resilience in the face of so much loss. 
As you enter the memorial the story of this tragic day unfolds. 

 

The architects who designed this memorial captured the totality of the event, inclusive of those who lost their lives, the recovery and rescue crews, both national and international, the community and the thoughts and prayers of the county and from those around the world.  An example being the field of empty chairs which symbolize each of the 168 lives lost.  The smaller chairs representing the 19 children killed. Arranged in  nine rows, one for each of the the nine floors of the Murrah Building. They are placed according to the floor on which those who were killed were working or visiting.  Each bronze and stone chair rests on a glass base etched with the name of the victim.  There were 3 pregnant women killed in the blast and their chairs are marked with both their name and that of their inborn child.

There are many stories attached to this memorial such as the story of the Survivor Tree which you can read below.

This 100 year old Elm is a magnificent tree and a living memory of the trauma of 20 yrs ago.

It was a collective consciousness of the community that brought this memorial to become the reality it is today.  Children played a part in its development. 

Here is just a sample of the many thousands of children's hand prints which were sent as support to the many rescuers.

Following are the twin Gates of Time which frame the moment of destruction.  9.02 a.m. marks the formal entrances to the Memorial.  The East gate represents 9.01 a.m. on April 19, and the innocence of the city before the attack.  The West Gate represents 9.03 a.m., the moment the city and its citizens were changed forever, and the hope that came from the horror in the moments and days following the bombing.

Finally the fence which was installed to protect the site of the Murrah Building.  Almost immediately, people began to leave tokens of love and hope on the Fence.  Those items now total more than 80.000.  Some are preserved in Archives and many are used for education and outreach projects.  There is now more that 200 feet of original Fence which provides people the opportunity to leave tokens of remembrance and hope. 

Oklahoma City lies along one of the primary corridors into Texas and Mexico, and is a three-hour drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The city is located in the Frontier Country region in the center of the state, making it an ideal location for state government and ranks 27th among United States cities in population.  There is so much to see and do.  It is a very neat city with very friendly people.

For those who of you who are baseball fans , OKC is the home of the Dodgers.  Many would know the name Mickey Mantel and the stadium is named after him.

While this is not the San Antonio River walk they do have a river and provide boat rides with great shade cover something that the visitors to SAT would enjoy.

OKC is a must to visit.  There is so much to see and do.  It is a City when confronted with the worst home grown terrorist attack could have crumpled under its weight.  Instead it has risen from the depths of despair and upset to one of the most pleasant city to visit with the proudest of people.

Best wishes to all

Beverley and Ross