This past weekend, I flew down to speak at a safety seminar in Oklahoma City. Thanks so much to Michael and Josie Scott for the invitation and for the wonderful hospitality! Unfortunately, the cold weather seemed to follow me south with highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s. The brisk north wind only added to the chill in the air! While there, I was able to visit the bombing memorial, which can only be described as a very moving experience...
Above is a picture of a tree that survived the blast. 16 buildings were destroyed by the bombing, yet this tree which was only a few yards away from the truck survived. This tree gives me hope, that no matter the challenge, I can survive.
This is a statue right outside the memorial park itself, less than a block away from where the truck exploded.
Here are a few pictures of the chairs symbolizing each victim of the blast.
The chairs were different sizes to symbolize the different ages of the victims. They were all specifically placed in the courtyard based on where they were anticipated to be during the explosion.
This is the memorial fence that is still there today.Below are some pictures of the memorial at night. I also went through the museum adjacent to the park memorializing the site. Experiencing the museum was such a moving/sobering experience, I felt as though I relived the event. I hope to never see the likes of this type of event in my lifetime again.
The bomb went off at 9:02 am, the two pillars on each side of the park symbolize life before and after the bombing.
