Remembering 9:02 AM, April 19, 1995 - Visiting the Oklahoma City National Memorial
Remembering 9:02 AM, April 19, 1995 - Visiting the Oklahoma City National Memorial
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
While I was in Oklahoma City, I made sure to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial and the adjacent museum. It was an incredibly moving experience, one that stays with you long after you leave the grounds.
The memorial commemorates the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. That morning, at 9:02 a.m., a rented truck containing nearly 4,800 pounds of homemade explosives was detonated in front of the building. The attack was carried out by two domestic extremists, aided by accomplices, in protest of the federal government’s handling of Ruby Ridge and Waco.
The devastation was immediate and overwhelming. A third of the building collapsed instantly. One hundred sixty-eight people were killed, and nearly 700 others were injured. Because the building housed a daycare center, nineteen of the victims were children.
It was a terrible period for Oklahoma City and for the country. But it is equally important to remember what happened after the blast.
Almost immediately, people came. Donations of shovels, ropes, hoists, helmets, flashlights, knee pads, and rain ponchos poured in from across the nation. Local chefs, who happened to be Downtown for a trade show, began cooking and ultimately prepared more than 20,000 meals for rescue workers. Residents donated over 9,000 units of blood. Strangers showed up simply to help, asking nothing in return.
That part of the story matters.
The Murrah Building could not be repaired. Once all recoverable victims were removed, it was demolished. For several years, the site was marked only by chain-link fencing, which became covered with notes, flowers, toys, and personal tokens of grief; much of that fencing remains today.
In 1997, a design by architects Hans and Torrey Butzer and Sven Berg was unanimously selected from more than 600 submissions. Construction followed, and the memorial was dedicated on April 19, 2000, by Bill Clinton.
The outdoor memorial sits on the footprint of the destroyed building. At its center is a reflecting pool, bordered by two monumental gates, one inscribed 9:01, the last moment of peace, and the other 9:03, the first moment of healing. Between them stand 168 bronze and stone chairs, each representing an individual who died. The smaller chairs, set apart, honor the children.
A remaining section of the original wall bears the names of those who survived.
Across the pool stands the Survivor Tree, an American elm that endured both the explosion and the demolition that followed. Today, it lives, scarred but standing, as one of the memorial’s most powerful symbols.
The museum next door leads visitors through the events of that day in a careful, chronological way. While the perpetrators and their ideology are addressed briefly and without drama, the focus remains where it belongs: on the victims, the rescue efforts, and the lasting impact on families and the community. I was particularly moved by the inner memorial room, which contains a photograph and a personal object for every person who was lost.
Each year, on April 19, the city gathers here to read the names aloud and remember. A memorial marathon also raises funds to support ongoing work connected to the site.
The visit was heartbreaking. I cried, quietly, steadily, the entire time. But I wanted to see it all. I believe places like this matter. They remind us of what was lost, yes, but also of what was revealed in the aftermath.
Both truths deserve to be remembered.
____________________________________________________________________
About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
✨ #TakeTheBackRoads
Enjoyed this post? Support the adventure by visiting my sponsors, shopping the gallery, or buying me a cup of coffee!
