1. "We come here to remember those
In the months after the bombing, it became apparent that there was overwhelming support for the creation of a major, permanent memorial where the Murrah Building once stood. In the Memorial Mission Statement, the Task Force called for the creation of a memorial to “…remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever…” – in short, all who were touched directly or indirectly by the bombing.
"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."
Like the response to the event it was meant to commemorate, the creation of the Oklahoma City National Memorial has been a cooperative effort involving many people and all levels of government.
The Oklahoma City bombing was a bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, Timothy McVeigh detonated an explosive-filled truck that he had parked in front of the Federal Building. McVeigh's co-conspirator, Terry Nichols, had assisted in the bomb preparation. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19 children under the age of 6, and more than 680 people were injured. The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a sixteen-block radius, destroyed or burned 86 cars, and shattered building glass in a three mile square area. The bomb was estimated to have caused at least $652 million worth of property damage.
Gates of Time
These monumental
twin gates frame
the moment of
destruction
– 9:02 a.m. –
and mark the
formal entrances to
the Memorial. The East Gate represents
9:01 a.m. on April 19, and the innocence of the city before the attack. The West Gate represents 9:03 a.m., the moment we were changed forever, and the hope that came from the horror in the moments and days following the bombing.
The dedication of the Oklahoma City National Memorial on April 19, 2000
Reflecting Pool
The Memorial Strives
to Remind Everyone
of; 168 People Killed
19 Children Killed
1 Rescuer Killed
(Rebecca Anderson)
850 People Injured
85 Rescuers Suffered Minor Injuries
30 Children Orphaned
219 Children Lost at Least One Parent
462 People Left Homeless
7,000 People Left Without a Workplace
12,384 Volunteers and Rescue Workers Participated in
Rescue, Recovery and Support.
Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building
Prior to the bombing.
Survivor Tree: Witness to Tragedy, Symbol of Strength
It is more than 80 years old. An American Elm Tree in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, it survived the bomb’s blast and witnessed one of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil. Today, we call it the Survivor Tree. In April 19, 1995, the tree was almost chopped down to recover pieces of evidences.
Sketch used by the FBI (left) and McVeigh (right)
The Memorial Fence:
A ten foot tall chain link
fence was originally
installed around the
area that is now
the Reflecting Pool and
The Field of Empty
Chairs. The Fence stood
for more than four years
and became famous itself, with visitors leaving stuffed animals, poems, key chains, and other items there as tributes. Visitors may still leave small items along and in the Fence; the mementos are periodically collected, catalogued, and stored.
Field of Empty Chairs
The 168 chairs represent the lives taken on April 19, Nineteen smaller chairs stand for the children.
Terry Nichols
The resulting destruction after the
bomb detonated bring down an entire
side of the building.

2. Rescuers came within minutes and from far and wide.
The Bombing Aftermath.
Rescuers came within minutes and from far and wide.
19 Children were killed in the bombing.
Many others were injured.
At 9:03:25 a.m. CST, the first of over 1,800 9-1-1 calls related to the bombing was received by Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA). By that time, EMSA ambulances, police, and firefighters were already headed to the scene, having heard the blast. Nearby civilians, who had also witnessed or heard the blast, arrived to assist the victims and emergency workers.
Assisting the SEOC were agencies such as the National Weather Service, the Air Force, the Civil Air Patrol, and the American Red Cross. Immediate assistance also came from 465 members of the Oklahoma National Guard, who arrived within the hour to provide security, and from members of the Department of Civil Emergency Management. Within the first hour, 50 people were rescued from the Murrah Federal Building.
A photograph of firefighter Chris Fields emerging from the rubble with infant Baylee Almon, who later died in a nearby hospital, was reprinted worldwide and became a symbol of the attack. The photo, taken by utility company employee Charles H. Porter IV, won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography.
Baylee Almon
Sandra Combs pauses at the chair dedicated to Oklahoma City bombing victim Baylee Allmon in the Field of Chairs.
Desmond Vallean survived the Oklahoma City bombing as an infant. Now he plays football at McEachern High School. Vallean holds a magazine photo of his father, Michael, carrying him to safety just after the bombing.
Rescue Team 5 remembers the victims who died in the bombing
A Statue Entitled 'And Jesus Wept' Was Erected By Saint Joseph's Old Cathedral Across The Street From The Oklahoma City National Memorial To Recognize The 19 Children Killed In The April 25, 1995 Bombing Of The Murrah Federal Building.
Bella, a Border Collie from California, that participated in the rescue efforts, rests in the grass of the Oklahoma City National memorial during the eighth anniversary of the Oklahoma City Murrah Federal building bombing.
Holding his fathers hand
as he leaves the hospital.