It was just a regular day like any other. It just wouldn't end that way. At 9:01 a.m. on April 19th 1995, a massive explosion rocked downtown Oklahoma City and blew away one entire side of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building. The chaos of the scene was staggering. No one knew what was happening. what they later found out was Timothy McVeigh, a militia movement sympathizer, who was angry at the government for the raids at Waco and Red Ruby, took a Ryder truck filled with nearly 3 tons of explosives and fertilizer and detonated it right in front of the federal building. 163 innocent people, 19 of them children, left home that day never to return. As you enter the sacred grounds, you will notice first the two arches. One with the time of detonation, 9:01. The other is the time of the first moments of recovery, 9:03. When you step between the two arches, time stops. A somber quiet fills the air as the second thing you see, is 163 bronze chairs; the regular chairs depicting each adult that was killed, the smaller ones being for the children.
Between the museum and the chairs is a reflecting pool. Now its time to enter the actual museum. One of the first things you will see is a quote: "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived, and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope, and serenity." You will start out on the third floor of what is formerly the Journal Record Building. Here you will learn a little bit about terrorism itself, and the Alfred P. Murrah Building before the actual attack and learn all about the various organizations that called it home as well as some of the art in the building. Some of these organizations included: US Postal Service, Americas Kids Day Care, USMC Recruiting command, ATF, and Social Security Administration. You will also see a layout of the area around the building. One of these buildings was the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. As you make your way into the next room, you will hear an actual recording of a hearing in the water resources board moments before the explosion. Now I must warn you on this part. First off, this is NOT a staged recording with an explosion sound effect. This is the recording of the moment that the actual bomb went off and if your not prepared for the sudden sound, it will make you jump. That being said, if you have a weak heart, you might want to skip this area. When the bomb goes off, so do the lights and all the victims of the bombing lights the room. You will then make your way into the moments right after the attack. One of the things you will see is local station News 9 covering the explosion. Unfortunately, I cant find a video of them covering it, but here is News 5 doing the exact same thing.
As you enter this area, the feeling of shock and awe hits you like a ton of bricks. Seeing the devastation and the wreckage simply overcomes you. Unfortunately, its not over. In this room, you will see objects recovered right after the explosion. Such as this metal door that shows the concussive shock wave that sent it flying, and the lone shoe belonging to Ashley Eckles, one of the 19 children who perished in the blast.
In the next area, you will get the chance to listen to actual survivors stories and the thoughts and feelings they had in the aftermath of the bombing. You will also get to learn about the amazing, yet tragic story or Rebecca Ann Anderson. She was a licensed practical nurse who died helping the victims after she suffered from a head injury. She was later named one of the top five heroes in 1995 by Newsweek magazine. The news of the bombing obviously made national news. It also made world headlines, which is what you will see in the next area as clips from news organizations ranging from as far Iceland and Japan covering the story. After you see the shock around the world that the bombing has created, you will get to see actual evidence obtained that later convicted Timothy McVeigh and co-conspirator Terry Nichols. One of these was the axle to the Ryder truck used as the bomb.
The bombing affected everyone, and in true American spirit, brought everyone together. The images, however, will forever be burned into our memories. One of these images was the haunting photo of fireman Chris Fields holding the mangled body of one year old Baylee Almon. She was alive when they found her, but despite best efforts, perished at the hospital. Her photo still stands in The Hall of Honor, a pictorial memorial of all those who perished as well as an item of their personal belongings.
Because of the impact of the bomb, the Journal Records building had several floors collapse which is still untouched. On June 2nd 1997, Timothy was found guilty of 15 counts of murder and conspiracy, and sentenced to execution by lethal injection. He was executed in June of 2001.
Healing is the most crucial part of any tragedy. For Oklahoma city, one way was by means of origami cranes. Now before you ask how having a bunch of paper folded Japanese birds will heal anything, there is a story behind it all. The idea came from a Japanese story of a girl named Sadako and her 1000 Origami cranes, which was ultimately a symbol of healing. Over the course of several years following the bombing, over 10,000 origami cranes were sent to Oklahoma City. The last area is for the kids. Here they can dress just like one of the heroes who helped with the recovery. If you want to know more information you can visit the virtual archives right next door.
As you leave the memorial be sure to visit the gift shop. Like every gift shop, they have t-shirts, mugs, books, etc. However, there is one particular item that is worth mentioning. A single pendant of an angel with stained glass embedded in it. This stained glass is from the nearby church that was shattered when the bomb went off. It is a little expensive but is worth every penny. When you first enter the memorial, you feel a somber quite like none other. When you leave, you leave with a new understanding on the impact terrorism can have on not only an individual, but also a nation. As a final word, I leave you with this quote i created myself. Like the Phoenix, from the ashes of our past, We will rise into the future anew.
Entertainment: 2
Educational: 5
Cafe: N/A
Gift Shop: 4
Price: 3
Overall: 4
Additional Information:
Address: 620 N. Harvey Ave.
Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sat 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (tickets stop selling at 5 p.m.)
Sun 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Closed on Major Holidays
Prices:
Adults $12
Seniors (62+): $10
Military: $10
Students: $10
Kids 5 and under: free
For more Information, visit: http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/
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