We had two reasons to spend some time in Oklahoma City on this final leg of the 16 State GeoAdventure. This was the first:
The second was to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
"On April 19, 1995 at 9:02 AM, an unprecedented terrorist attack occurred in the heartland of America. 168 men, women, and children perished in this attack. A monument to those lost has been created at the site."
Reflecting Pool
thin layer of water over polish black granite
West Gate of Time
The Field of Chairs
"168 empty chairs hand-crafted from glass, bronze, and stone represent those who lost their lives, with a name etched in the glass base of each. They sit on the site where the Murrah Building once stood. The chairs represent the empty chairs at the dinner tables of the victims' families. The chairs are arranged in nine rows to symbolize the nine floors of the building; each person's chair is on the row (or the floor) on which the person worked or was located when the bomb went off. The chairs are also grouped according to the blast pattern, with the most chairs nearest the most heavily damaged portion of the building. The westernmost column of five chairs represents the five people who died but were not in the Murrah Building (two in the Water Resources Board building, one in the Athenian Building, one outside near the building, and one rescuer). The 19 smaller chairs represent the children killed in the bombing. Three unborn children died along with their mothers, and they are listed on their mothers' chairs beneath their mothers' names."
The Survivor Tree
"An American elm on the north side of the Memorial, this was the only shade tree in the parking lot across the street from the Murrah Building. Commuters arrived early to get one of the shady parking spots provided by its branches. Photos of Oklahoma City taken in the 1920s show the tree to be about 100 years old. The tree was taken for granted prior to the blast. Heavily damaged by the bomb, the tree survived after nearly being chopped down during the initial investigation, when workers wanted to recover evidence hanging in its branches and embedded in its bark.
The force of the blast ripped most of the branches from the Survivor Tree, glass and debris were embedded in its trunk and fire from the cars parked beneath it blackened what was left. Most thought the tree could not survive. Almost a year after the bombing, family members, survivors and rescue workers gathered for a memorial ceremony by the tree noticed it was beginning to bloom again. The Survivor Tree now thrives, and the Outdoor Memorial design includes a mandate to feature and protect the tree. For example, one of the roots that would have been cut by the wall surrounding the tree was placed inside a large pipe, so it could reach the soil beyond the wall without being damaged. The decking around the tree was raised several feet to make an underground crawlspace; workers enter through a secure hatchway and monitor the health of the tree and maintain its very deep roots."
the time over the east entrance representing the last moments of peace
the 9:03 over the west bronze gate represents the moment recovery began
some of the wall of the original building
left as a reminder
"On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a Ryder rental truck filled with explosives in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The resulting explosion killed 168 people and destroyed the entire north face of the building."
a beautiful, somber area...a city block wide
East Gate of Time
"And Jesus Wept"
"Across the street from the 9:03 gate is a sculpture of Jesus weeping erected by St. Joseph's Catholic Church, one of the first brick-and-mortar churches built in the city. Jesus faces away from the devastation, covering his face with his hand. In front of Jesus is a wall with 168 gaps in it, representing the voids left by each life lost."
Then it was off to the Capitol building for some geocaching
inside the visitor's center
"Oklahoma City sits on top of one of the largest petroleum fields in the world, with the State Capitol building located very near the center region. The field is approximately 12 miles long and 4.5 miles wide, encompassing 32 square miles, with a productive area of 13,770 acres."
"The state capitol complex is famous for its oil wells and remains the only state capitol grounds in the United States with active oil rigs."
We also stopped at the 45th Infantry Division Museum.
What a treasure!
there must have been almost 100 units on display
from WWI through the Korean Conflict
and Desert Storm
a MASH vehicle
Hubby is standing on a Bailey Bridge
his first National Guard unit used the Bailey Bridge
in the 1972 Rapid City flood to replace washed out
roads and bridges
he said 'rods' were placed in the square holes
six soldiers would carry that bridge piece and place it
where needed, building the bridge
an early Howitzer
Hubby also drove a similar Deuce and a Half to pick-up food rations
for his Guard Unit while at camps in the US
he was a cook
loved that warning signs had to be placed in obvious places
displays inside the museum
from early conflicts ~1800s
through more recent wars
Hubby with his boyhood hero Mickey Mantle
in the Brick Town area of OKC
three states and three days from our winter home
