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30.05.08
the
Oklahoma
bombing Memorial
The site of the Oklahoma bombing has had a
beautiful memorial
built on it. A huge granite
reflection pond is overlooked by rows of
metal chairs placed on a raised
bank of lawn.
'You are entering the area where the Alfred P. Murrah Building
once stood. The granite used on this
pathway was salvaged
from the Murrah Building. The Field of Empty Chairs is a
tribute to the 168 Americans who were
killed April 19, 1995.
The nine rows represent the nine floorsof the former Murrah
building. Each person's chair is
positioned in the row that
corresponds to the floor on which they worked or were visiting.
The five westernmost Empty
Chairs honor those who were
killed outside the Murrah Building'
'This American Elm was surrounded by a parking lot filled with
burning vehicles on April 19,1995.
It survived the explosion
and became known as the Survivor Tree, an important symbol
of resilience to the family members
of those killed, survivors,
rescue workers and people around the country. Photographs
of this tree date back to the
1920's when it stood in the
backyard of a family's home.'
'A rescue Worker originally painted the message on this wall
during search and recovery efforts on
April 1995. The building
on which it is painted was a functioning office buiding when the
bomb exploded across the street.
Ceilings collapsed, walls fell
in and glass shards flew throughout the building. Hundreds of
people were injured, many
critically. Fortunately, no one was
killed inside this building'
Walking around the memorial and reading the
plaques really brought the
news reports that I
saw when it happened into reality. To me it’s
no longer just another horrible thing that I
saw
on TV.
I stood there where it happened.
Rather sobering.
This fence was erected during the search and recovery. People used it to
place
rememberances to those who had been killed. When the Memorial
was built the fence was taken down but public outrage at
it's removal
meant it was re erected permanently.
Looking towards the entrance of the Memorial
from across the street.
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