Brian Williams didn't know at first what President Clinton's press secretary had whispered in the ear of the country's leader the morning of April 19, 1995.
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What the former White House correspondent later learned was that the president was being told about the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
Three days later Williams, now the lead anchor and managing editor for NBC Nightly News, was in Oklahoma City to report on the disaster.
Monday evening, Williams returned to Oklahoma City, broadcasting live from the west end of the Oklahoma City National Memorial and later giving a speech at a well-attended downtown reception.
"(The memorial) is so breathtaking," Williams told the crowd in the lobby of the Bank One building.
Williams shared with the crowd his experiences with President Clinton, explaining how the mood changed when the president got the news.
"The Secret Service agents in the West Wing all stiffened," Williams said. "Something was wrong."
The anchor related how the president, on the airplane trip back to Washington from Oklahoma City, was angry and tired. Parts of Williams' speech brought members of the audience to tears. One moment was when he said New York residents were moved when they saw Oklahoma City firefighters arrive to help in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001.
The sight of the Oklahoma City firefighter helmets left "an unspeakable lump in our throats," Williams said.
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett called Williams' speech insightful, saying it was clear the anchor has an attachment to the story of the bombing.
