Oklahoma City Bombing 20 years later.

[Deberg_1990]

Where were you?

Care to reminiscence?


Hundreds gathered Sunday at the former site of the Oklahoma federal building that was destroyed by a truck bomb 20 years earlier to honor the 168 victims of the blast, the survivors, and the spirit that helped the city and the nation through the worst terrorist attack the country had ever seen.

Loved ones of the victims, survivors of the horrific 1995 bombing and state and federal government officials, who lived through the attack attended Sunday's ceremony, held at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, built on the one-time site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

The ceremony was opened by Richard Williams, a survivor of the attack, who, with his two grandchildren read the mission statement of the museum:

"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."

The recitation was followed by 168 seconds of silence and Christian musician Michael W. Smith singing the National Anthem.

President Bill Clinton, attending the annual ceremony for the sixth time, thanked the people of Oklahoma for their resilience and outpouring of compassion that followed the bombing — a reaction to the tragedy that became known as the "Oklahoma standard."

"You turned away all of the petty squabbles in which we engage, leaving only our basic humanity," Clinton said. "I mostly came here to thank you today."

"There's still people who somehow think they can matter more and they can make a statement by killing innocents and snuffing our possibility," Clinton said. "They're wrong. As long as people like you make the right decisions with their mind and their heart."

United States Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson echoed the former president, saying: "Today is a day to mourn and remember those who died here 20 years ago, but this is also a day to say to those who plan to terrorize us, 'no, you cannot.'" Oklahoma embodied that message, Johnson said.

Timothy McVeigh, an Army veteran with anti-government views, was executed in 2001 for setting off the explosion. His accomplice, Terry Nichols, is serving life in prison.

FBI Director James Comey, former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick, current Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and current Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett also shared their memories of that dark time, which transformed the city and marked a palpable loss of innocence in the country.

"The agony was persistent. The agony appeared never to end," said Gov. Keating, who served until 2003. "This is a very hard time but it's a very wonderful moment of a celebration of hope and survival," he said.

The ceremony was closed with a reading of the names of those who lost their lives on April 19, 1995. Nineteen of the victims were children.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...-later-n344306

[Lonewolf Ed]

I was working in the old liquor store and didn't have a TV, but the radio was how I heard of the bomb. My dad was a salesman then and was in Oklahoma but not where the bomb went off. It was a surreal moment and I knew right away it was a terror attack, so I waited for updates to learn who did the deed.

[CoMoChief]

another Eric Holder cover-up

[Bugeater]

I heard about it at work, but didn't grasp the magnitude of it until I got home and saw the damage to the building on the news.

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

another Eric Holder cover-up

[Hoopsdoc]

Was on my way to work when I heard about it on the radio. I remember the news mans first sentence exactly. "A huge explosion this morning in downtown Oklahoma City".

[bevischief]

I was on site for the 1st anniversary.

[Dallas Chief]

I was in my apt about 10 miles north of OKC and felt my building rumble a little and the windows shook. Got in my car to head to work downtown and saw this giant plume of smoke in the distance. Turned on the radio to see wtf and the morning talk guys were calling it an explosion at the Federal Courthouse where my future FIL worked. So I flipped out and pulled over to call my GF but all the lines were jammed up locally. Thankfully he wasn't in court that morning. Craziest day ever for me.

[ptlyon]

I was in the Great American Sports Bar in the mall of America that day watching it on the big screen

[displacedinMN]

At school, of course in KC.

Wife in Rochester, MN with her mom during/after her Pancreatic cancer surgery.
Sister in law in hospital giving birth to their son.

Unbelievably the day passed. I knew what happened, kind of understood it. But was more worried about the family.

terrible time in the history of the US.

[Dayze]

i was in my American government class my senior year. My teacher rushed out to get a TV from another class. We had no idea what the hell she was doing, the tuned into the news.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

another Eric Holder cover-up

With CoMo, there's no need for "not sure if serious."
He's serious.

[DaNewGuy]

I was 3 so I don't really remember anything, read a lot about it growing up must of been just crazy for the survivors to go back there 20 years later

[Halfcan]

I worked nights at Harrah's in gaming. I got off from work and turned the TV on. When the news broke in, I thought it was a third world country until I started seeing familiar land marks and realized it was OKC. I have family in Texas and have spent a lot of time in OKC over the years. I had many lunches right down the street from the Murrah building.

I drove down and saw the building a week later. I was there right after the memorial was built. Like most I believed the "official" story. Following the events afterwards, nothing made sense at all. The internet was new so it was hard to get any reliable information. Slowly, a family of the victims and a handful of reporters started unraveling what really happened.

I was down there 2 weeks ago. The memorial is as beautiful as it ever was. It gets me every time.

[Halfcan]

Some of the pics I took recently.