"Oklahoma City made us all Americans
again," former President Clinton said
during a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the April 19, 1995, bombing
of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
"Oklahoma City gave us our heart
back as a country," said Clinton, who was
in office when the blast occurred. It resulted in the deaths of 168 people and
wounded 850.
Gov. Brad Henry said Oklahomans and
people across the country responded
with kindness.
"Our country united in an outpouring
of support and resolve that proved the
character of America and foretold the astonishing response of the nation six years
later, when it would weather an even
deadlier act of terrorism," he said.
Vice President Dick Cheney, who led
private efforts shortly after the bombing
to raise money for what would become
the Oklahoma City National Memorial,
said Oklahomans proved goodness overcame the evil of what then was the worst
act of terrorism on U.S. soil.
"Your strength was challenged, and
you held firm," he said. "The forces of
darkness will not have the final say."
They spoke during a private ceremony
for survivors, victims' families and rescue
workers. About 1,600 attended the 90-minute event at First United Methodist
Church, just east of the memorial.
Forty of the guests were survivors of
the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The crowd went silent at 9:02 a.m., the
moment a truck bomb destroyed the
Murrah Building. Four children who survived the blast P.J. Allen, Brandon and
Rebecca Denny and Christopher Nguyen
read the memorial's mission statement: "May all who leave here know the
impact of violence. May this memorial of´
fer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity."
Among those sitting behind the speakers were Frank Keating, who was governor when the bombing occurred, and his
wife, Cathy; former Oklahoma County
District Attorney Bob Macy; Ron Norrick, mayor of Oklahoma City at the time
of the bombing, and Oklahoma City
Councilman Gary Marrs, fire chief at the
time of the blast.
Toward the end of the ceremony, several children whose parents were killed
or injured in the blast read the names of
those who died in the attack.
The bomber, Timothy McVeigh, was
convicted of federal conspiracy and murder charges. He was executed June 11,
2001. Conspirator Terry Nichols is serving multiple life sentences on federal and
state charges.
Ten years later, Americans still grieve
and remember, said Clinton, who stayed
45 minutes after the service, hugging and
talking with the hundreds who came up
to see him.
"By the grace of God, time takes its toll
not only on youth and beauty, but also on
tragedy," he said.
He called the ability of Oklahomans to
regroup and rebuild the areas of downtown that were destroyed and damaged
by the bomb, including the construction
of a new federal building that opened last
year, "a triumph of the human spirit,
symbolized by your Survivor Tree."
Clinton saw the damaged American
elm across the street from the Murrah
Building when he came to Oklahoma
City four days after the bombing for a
prayer service.
"Boy, that tree was ugly when I first
saw it, but survive it did," he said of the
more than 80-year-old tree.
"Trees are good symbols of what you
do," he said. "You can't forget the past
with a tree it's in the roots. And if you
lose the roots, you lose the tree. But the
nature of the tree is always to reach for
tomorrow with the branches and to always find regenerative power from season to season."
10th Bombing anniversary observed | Article
