At 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, a rental truck packed with homemade explosives denoted in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building – an act of domestic terrorism that irrevocably changed Oklahoma City.
On the anniversary of the tragedy 20 years later, Oklahomans and a delegation of civic leaders came together to remember the 168 victims, the countless affected and the community response.
Not far from the shade of the survivor elm tree, thousands filled the sloping green lawn on the north side of the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum grounds facing the reflecting pool. Survivors, family and friends of the victims gathered to reflect on the events of that day and honor the dead.
The remembrance ceremony began with a bagpipe procession leading the family and friends of the victims around the rows of memorial chairs to a stage on the side of the reflecting pool in the shadow of where the building once stood. The federal and state leaders followed next and were seated on the east platform facing the audience.
After words of welcome, an invocation, the 168 seconds of silence — one second for each victim, and the national anthem sung by Michael W. Smith, former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick took to the podium. Norick thanked the rescue personnel – the many first responders, law enforcement officers, medical workers, and the faith leaders who tended to the community after the blast.
Norick thanked President Bill Clinton, and recalled a story of when Clinton called Norick two days after the first memorial service asking Norick if there’s anything else he could do for the city.
“That’s a phone call that I’ll never ever forget – his kindness to this city,” Norick said. “He has been here multiple times to see our families and to see us, and I’ll never ever forget that.”
Former Gov. Frank Keating spoke next. Keating was only weeks into his first term as governor when the tragedy struck.
“This was a place of unspeakable horror and tragedy, how some evil individual would do what he did to snuff out the lives of 168 of our neighbors and friends is unforgivable and absolutely unimaginable that it occurred,” Keating said.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley gave a blessing and Mayor Mick Cornett followed with his account and words of endearment to the city.
“We have moved beyond, this city has progressed in matters that I don’t believe any of us in 1995 could have foreseen,” Cornett said.
FBI Director James Comey followed after Gov. Mary Fallin thanked the many state and federal leaders in attendance. Comely applauded Oklahoma City’s response to the tragedy.
“In the minutes following the attack the people of Oklahoma City did something that the rest of us watching from afar found hard to fathom – you ran towards darkness, you ran towards pain,” Comely said. “You ran towards anger and destruction. You ran because these were your friends, you ran because these were your neighbors and teammates and members of your congregation, you ran because that is what Oklahomans do for their family and on this day those people were family.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson reiterated many of the words and sentiments.
“The best homeland security is the character of a community,” Johnson said. “Terrorism in any form cannot prevail if the people refuse to be terrorized.”
And Oklahomans reused to be terrorized, he said.
President Bill Clinton closed the tribute.
“For 20 years you have honored the memories of your loved ones, you have inspired us with the power of your renewal, you have reminded us that we should all live by the Oklahoma Standard – service, honor, kindness,” Clinton said. “In doing these things you had to choose to affirm our common humanity. … You had to choose farsighted love over blind hatred, you had to choose to redeem your terrible losses by beginning again.”
Clinton cited the renaissance and rejuvenation of Oklahoma City as a result of a community choosing a new standard by which to live
“The progress came because of your values, the culture you embrace, because of what you decided to do together,” Clinton said. “You freely embraced the choices of a mind and a heart that is blessed.”
The ceremony concluded with the reading of 168 names of those who were killed that day. A line of Family members, friends and coworkers of the victims read through the list that was divided by the building’s many departments.
As a reader spoke a familiar name, the raw emotion of that loss was woven into the name and invoked the true meaning of this ceremony – remembrance.
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