In the heat of a summer afternoon on August 13, 2024; Oklahoma Christian faculty and administration, public servants, Oklahoma City bombing survivors, and first responders present at the attack of September 11, 2001, gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting of Oklahoma Christian’s survivor trees.
This site, dubbed “The Memorial Plaza” is home to two highly impactful and symbolic trees; an American Elm grown from a seedling from the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, and a Callery Pear tree cut from a portion of the tree that survived the World Trade Center Attack.
In the words of Chancellor John deSteiguer during his opening speech, Oklahoma Christian “received (these trees) because of friendships that were forged over the years by people who shared terrible experiences and ordeals, but also share impressible hope for healing and the future.”
Following deSteiguer, former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, Senator James Lankford, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, and Ron Vega offered their comments, thanks, and personal stories of the impact of these events on their lives.
In his comments, Senator James Lankford expressed how the campus atmosphere affected the memorial’s significance saying, “It’s interesting to just be able to walk, even during the ceremony, to be able to see students walking across campus…” He further referenced Joshua chapter 4 and the 12 stones placed on the bank symbolizing how “Israel passed over the Jordan on dry ground” and how this site would remain as a symbol of hope and unity as time continued to pass.
While there was an air of solemnity and somber reflection surrounding the event, there remained a sense of hope, thankfulness, and reflection. The stories of comradery that brought these sacred trees to Oklahoma Christian, recounted animatedly by 9/11 recovery worker Ron Vega, offered a reflection of the light found in such a dark time for both the nation and state of Oklahoma.
On September 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m. the first plane crashed into floors 93-99 of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:03 a.m. another plane crashed into floors 75-85 of the South Tower, and by 10:30 a.m. both towers had collapsed. The attack, coordinated by alQueda, deeply impacted the nation as a whole. In combination with not only the lives lost in the World Trade Center, nearly 3,000 Americans were lost including the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 and the attack on the Pentagon. The Ensuring War on Terror deeply influenced the course of the nation and national identity, being reflected in even the deepest parts of the American identity.
But unfortunately, New York was not the first to experience a deadly and terrifying attack of this nature. On April 19, 1995, at 9:02 a.m. Timothy McVeigh drove into downtown Oklahoma City and set off a fertilizer bomb. The blast tore through the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and killed 168 people. As one of the deadliest acts of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, the effects have reverberated across various facets of American society.
In an interview with the Talon, Lankford offered his reflections on the memorial.
Lankford expressed how the memorial acts as a connector between the two communities born from a shared feeling of man-made tragedy but also through the example of healing.
“To have these two trees right next to each other, it’s kind of a big deal to be able to walk through and for students on campus that weren’t born when either of these tragedies actually happened. To remember domestic terrorism, international terrorism, the hatred and the vision that really brings, and the loss of life,” Lankford said.
Lankford also hopes this memorial at Oklahoma Christian acts as a conduit for education and advocacy.
“I hope when people walk through the plaza, they’ll read the different plaques that are here, to read some of the stories that will drive them to do some searches online to just know more about the story,” Lankford said.
Further, Lankford expressed how deeply these events are intertwined in the American consciousness and how impactful the response of Oklahomans and Americans was to the shared national identity.
“This was a direct attack on the United States (…) It was intended to be able to spark a war in America to divide Americans deeper was the intent of the attack here. So for us as Oklahoma to actually do the reverse, to be able to come together, to go figure out how to resolve differences, hopefully, that will set the example and push back on those that would intend to do that,” Lankford said.
The completion of this plaza, which houses two trees who only appear together at the 9/11 New York Memorial, mark an important symbol of resilience and hope in face of such darkness. The Survivor Trees serve as a living symbol of endurance, hope, and capacity for recovery. As these trees continue to grow and flourish, they stand as an enduring testament to the resilience of communities, even half a nation away, and the hope for a future that rises from the ashes of tragedy.
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