On April 19, 1995, at 9:02 am, an American radical who was seeking revenge against the government blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This heinous act of domestic terrorism killed 168 people, including 19 children, and injured hundreds more.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a park that induces varied emotions in its visitors. During our visit we experienced a range of feelings that included sadness, anger, pride, and awe. There were also tears from at least one of us.
A beautiful statue named And Jesus Wept stands across the street from the Oklahoma City National Memorial on the former site of the parish house of St. Joseph’s Old Cathedral. Fortunately, the cathedral survived the blast, but the parish house did not. There are 168 indentations in the wall in front of the statue representing the 168 people who lost their lives as a result of the bombing. The surrounding pillars represent the children and unborn babies who died in the explosion.
How It Happened
On that fateful April morning, Timothy McVeigh parked a rented Ryder truck in front of the Murrah Building in downtown Oklahoma City. The truck contained almost 5,000 pounds of explosives made of fertilizer, diesel fuel, and other types of chemicals. McVeigh lit a timed fuse and then escaped to his getaway car. At 9:02 am, the explosion rocked downtown Oklahoma City, destroying the nine-story Murrah Building and damaging 324 surrounding buildings.
Damage from the blast was not limited to the Murrah Building. Windows and doors were blown out within a 50-block radius, and vehicles parked near the building were reduced to crumpled metal. The buildings directly across the street were so badly damaged they had to be torn down.
According to park information, the explosion was felt as far away as 55 miles and also registered 6.0 on the Richter scale. One of our family members who was 15 miles away claimed their windows rattled. Another family member who was on the fourteenth floor of a high-rise two blocks away said their building shook for a few seconds before the thundering boom was heard. Along with the rest of the country, we were horrified as reports of the bombing began to filter through the media.
Search and Rescue
In the photo below firefighter Chris Fields carries one-year-old Baylee Almon out of the carnage. The gut-wrenching amateur photo was featured in newspapers around the world. Sadly, Baylee died as a result of her injuries.
Nurse Rebecca Anderson tragically became the 168th victim of the bombing when she succumbed to injuries she sustained while helping a medical team search through the rubble for survivors.
Chasing Down Evil
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were immediately dispatched to the scene to begin the daunting task of interviewing potential witnesses and searching for clues. Their investigative efforts paid off when, remarkably, the rear axle of the Ryder truck was recovered on the day after the bombing.
The next day the FBI recovered a vehicle identification number from the axle and traced the truck to a body shop in Junction City, Kansas. Body shop employees described the person who rented the truck, and a composite sketch was made. Junction City townspeople identified Timothy McVeigh as the person in the composite. An intense search for the prime suspect immediately ensued.
In a stroke of luck, FBI agents found out that McVeigh was already in jail in Perry, Oklahoma. An observant state trooper had pulled him over for a missing license plate, and since McVeigh possessed a concealed gun and a knife, the trooper took him into custody just 90 minutes after the bombing. For a quick read and short video about McVeigh’s arrest, click here.
The jury in McVeigh’s trial convicted him of his crimes and sentenced him to die by lethal injection. His execution took place in 2001.
It Wasn’t a Solo Act
Further investigations found that Terry Nichols, an army buddy of McVeigh’s, had built the bomb, and he was arrested in Kansas two days after the bombing. Prosecutors sought the death penalty in his case. However, at trial the jury couldn’t unanimously agree on executing him, so he instead received 161 consecutive life sentences. He remains incarcerated at the Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.
The third person arrested in conjunction with the bombing was Michael Fortier. He was charged with failing to tell authorities about McVeigh and Nichols’ plan to bomb the Murrah Building. He had even cased the building with McVeigh prior to the bombing. Sadly, he chose not to make the one phone call that might have prevented the unspeakable tragedy. Fortier served 11 years of a 12-year prison sentence and was released in 2006.
On the Brighter Side
In the aftermath of tragedy, a beautiful memorial arose from the ruins. Along with it came one of the most astonishing museums we’ve ever seen. The Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum explicitly and meticulously tells the story of that disastrous time in our nation’s history.
From displays of the wreckage and artifacts to videos of newscasts from around the world and interviews with survivors, the museum does a fabulous, albeit painful, job of telling the story of the Oklahoma City bombing.
Standing at either end of the reflecting pool are the Gates of Time. The eastern gate shows the time of 9:01 and the western gate shows the time of 9:03. Time stands still at 9:02 between them. The 9:01 gate represents the last minute of innocence and the 9:03 gate represents the first minute of recovery and healing.
Field of Empty Chairs
Laid beautifully across the original footprint of the Murrah Building, the memorial features 168 chairs made of bronze, glass and stone. Each one bears the name of a person who perished in the bombing. Large chairs designate adults and small chairs designate children.
The photo below shows the Survivor Wall, the last surviving piece of the Murrah Building. The wall features two granite slabs that were salvaged from the building’s lobby, and upon them are the names of more than 600 people who survived the bombing.
President Bill Clinton designated the Oklahoma City National Memorial as a national park in 1997. However, the Oklahoma City Memorial Foundation raised the funds to build the memorial, and in 2004 the site was relinquished to the organization. The National Park Service still lends some services to the park.
“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.”
We thank you so much for joining us on our visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial! Our closing photo is of the Survivor Tree.
Looking for more road trip or national park inspiration? Try these great destinations:
Pecos National Historical Park
Devils Tower Road Trip: Things to Do
Happy, safe travels, y’all!
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) Our suggestions are for places that we’ve heard good things about but haven’t visited personally, and our opinions are our own.
©2023
Your posts are so educational and interesting to people who can’t travel, too.
Thank you, Ellen. That’s a wonderful compliment.
A terrible chapter in our history.
It was. We debated about how much of the graphic stuff to post, but we figured it needs to be retold so it’s not forgotten. Thank you for reading, Joy.
I remember seeing this on TV, it was an act of pure evil. Sadly, the culprit was from a place not far from where I lived in Michigan. 😭🙏🏻✝️
Thank you for reading the post, John. It doesn’t matter where they were from. What matters is that they’re where they belong.
You are right!
I remember hearing about this dreadful attack in the news and I’d seen photos of some of the memorials including the Gates of Time, but I’d never till now read such a comprehensive account. The museum appears to do a fantastic job in documenting the events and honouring the victims.
Thank you, Sarah. It was a tragic day for sure. The museum is absolutely fabulous, but they tell it like it was. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a memorial that honored victims as well as this one.
As always a great post, Mike and Kellye!
Thanks so much, Jyothi!
I had forgotten about that bombing. Such a tragedy.
Thank you so much for reading!
Another sadly fascinating post. Thank you. I had forgotten about that terrible day. But we need to remember and learn.
I agree, Neal. Thank you for reading.
Such a touching piece on a sad and upsetting part of American history. I knew of the bombing, but not the detail you’ve covered here. Thank you for sharing; I had a few tears in my eyes as I read.
Thanks for reading, Brenda. My mother was the one in the high-rise office building just two blocks away. It definitely was a sad day.
Must have been really scary for your mum
It was terrifying, and when they evacuated the entire downtown area, it took her hours to get home.
I can imagine
Thanks for this post Kellye. I know how horrified we all were to hear of this senseless act. Another case of a man saying I don’t get mad, I get even. Little did we know that this would pave the way for even more senseless acts. I may have missed it in your post, but what was Timothy McVeigh so angry about that he would do this? I for one am glad that he was helped to exit this world. Thanks for sharing. Allan
McVeigh was mad about the way several government agencies handled an intervention at a Branch Davidian (religious “cult”) compound near Waco, Texas two years before the OKC bombing. That incident was on April 19, 1993. I am glad he was helped out of this world too. Thanks so much for reading, Allan.
Truly twisted.
Yes, sir. There have been some truly twisted things happen in this world over the last few years.
Heartbreakingly sad
Truly sad. Thanks so much for reading, Theresa.
Heavy and heartbreaking.
It is. Thanks for reading, Sean.
Kellye, this post brought tears to my eyes. I remember reading that McVeigh put in ear plugs as he walked away before the blast. How can someone be like that? These memorials are so important as our society has become desensitized to violence, I believe. We need to feel the pain, so we work to keep it from happening. Thank you for this post.
Thank you so much, Betty! As I told someone else, we debated about the graphic nature of the post, but we wanted people to know what happened and to remember.
Truly a tragedy in US history; it astounds me that our nation has a serious issue of domestic terrorism; the irony is that we’re so concerned with terrorism coming from outside of our borders that we fail to stop the ones happening right at home. The Oklahoma City bombing is no exception– visiting the national memorial is certainly not a walk in the park, but it’s very important to learn about a very-real event in American history, especially one that happened not too long ago…it’s these sobering events that I hope to make sure that such a tragedy doesn’t happen again.
A terrible chapter in our history. No one really likes reliving it. However, if we don’t, we forget. And then it happens again and we wonder why. Nice tribute to the fallen.
We agree, Brad. Thank you so much for reading!
I remember seeing this on the news. Very sad.
Thank you for reading! Yes, it was a sad time in our history. The memorial exists so we don’t forget.
Yes, I think investing in memorials like this is very important for future generations.
Very interesting post Kellye on this awful attack. The poignant memorial with the empty chairs is very touching.
Thank you, Marion. The chairs are lit at night, and so are the Gates of Time. It is beautiful then too.
A really well-constructed post, guys. A harrowing trip, kind of like visiting the 9-11 spot in lower Manhattan. You feel the impact and the ghosts haunting such atrocity. I remember this well and how the nation felt, though it didn’t fully pull together like 9-11. I say “Jesus wept” all the time, usually in sarcasm, but that statue…whew…
Thanks so much Ray. It’s such a beautiful place so utterly peaceful. The museum, however, tells it like it was, and it’s kind of gut-wrenching.
The And Jesus Wept statue sure is moving. I was 2 when this happened, so I knew of it later on but never really knew any of the details. It is just so sad, I wonder how the guy that could’ve made the phone call feels. that would be a hard thing to live with the rest of your life.
Thanks for reading the post, Lyssy. It’s a very moving place – somber and beautiful. They have done a great job. Interestingly, Jesus has his back to the site – how moving, indeed.
Such a heartbreaking tragedy this was. The ways they are remembering and honoring the victims are really moving- especially the And Jesus Wept statue.
Thanks for reading, Meg! For such a tragedy to have happened there, the memorial is exceptionally beautiful and peaceful.
I remember this tragedy so, so well. This was a riveting account and a captivating read, providing some elements of detail that I didn’t know before, like how McVeigh was caught. The state is to be congratulated for the fact that McVeigh was put to death, it’s ridiculous that most countries keep terrorists alive in my opinion. Also, it looks very much like they’ve got the memorial right here, seems to be done extremely tastefully with the right levels of respect, memory and impact. This was a great and informative read.
Thank you so much! Yes, the memorial is just beautiful and so peaceful to walk through. I’m not against putting someone to death for a crime such as his.
Wow! I have heard about the memorial so many times but this is the first in-depth informational post I’ve read. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Donna! We appreciate your nice comment.
It’s heartbreaking to hear about how many lives were lost and the amount of destruction and devastation caused by the bombing. It’s good that this memorial museum exists to tell the story, even if it’s a rather sad one.
Oh my word, what a tragedy. That photo of Baylee is gut wrenching. I also find events like this are even more traumatising because it really could have been any of us, and it reminds one how easily life can be wiped out and changed in an instant. What a moving place which it looks like they’ve done beautifully.
Thank you for reading the post, Hannah. Yes, it was a horrible tragedy, but it brought a lot of people together and created a very beautiful place for people to go to remember.
This is absolutely devastating. I remember hearing all about this on the news and I was a young child then. I’ll never forget it.
It was a devastating event, but the memorial is such a beautiful tribute to those who lost their lives, the survivors, and the responders. Thank you for reading.
Such a sad day!
It was, but the memorial is a beautiful tribute. Thanks for reading.
What an amazing tribute to such a tragic event. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the reports on the bombing at the time. Thank you for sharing such an insightful post, Kellye.
Thank you, Sean.
Such a sad event Kellye, I do remember this but have not seen the memorial. It looks very peaceful now and the way the chairs are set out is heartbreaking. At least they caught him, so many times you hear that they got off or remain free. Such a poignant post
Thanks so much, Ali. It’s a sobering experience to visit the memorial and remember what happened.
Sad but important to remember. Thank you for this in-depth post. I hope to visit the memorial some day. I’m sure it will be somewhat like visiting the Holocaust Museum…so incredibly hard to think about what horrors can and have occurred, but so important to remember those who were lost.
We agree! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
Such a heartbreaking tragedy 😢. I have seen this memorial many times.
Thank you for checking out the post, Anita.
Thanks for sharing. I was living in Brazil when this tragic event occurred. National Memorials like this one remind us of home-grown terrorists that live among us.
Yes, it’s sad that we even have to think about the horrors they bring. Thank you so much for reading our post and for your comment, Rosaliene.
It is a beautifully thought of and constructed memorial with so many touching and poignant monuments within. The rows of empty chairs and the two gates with the reflecting pool in between made me pause and reflect on the lives lost in this tragedy and the fragility of our own lives. That photo of Baylee will stay for me forever. Thank you for this beautifully written article, Kellye, I was too young when this happened to remember it, which makes this read all the more important for me.
Thank you so much, Leighton. It was a sad day in our history.
This brought back so many emotions Kellye. I’m not sure I could visit this one without crying.
I’ve been there twice and cried both times. I do think every American should see it.
Such a tragic story … but as you say, one usually walks through these places with a mixture of emotions. There are so many sad pictures here, but I want to mention two beautiful things that stood out to me: The lovely children’s area and that wonderful 100-year-old surviving tree. Thanks for sharing a difficult post.
There is no justification for going after innocent people. Babies in daycare etc. It was an act of evil. If you have problems with the government vote, write your representative, etc.
We agree!
So, so moving. thank you for sharing the necessary, and beautiful photos so we remember. The memorials are healing, arent they? Even if we cant change things.