Former mayor touched by memorial

By Ty McMahan

Published: June 15, 2006

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani made his first visit Wednesday to the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

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When he arrived at the site, he paused in the shade of the Survivor Tree and shook hands with tourists.

He stepped to the ledge of the promontory -- which is inscribed with the phrase "The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated" -- and looked out over the site of the worst terrorist attack on American soil before Sept. 11, 2001.

"So, many of our people from New York, from search and rescue, came down here," Giuliani said. "I remember Gov. Keating giving them medals at City Hall in New York. A fair number of them died in Sept. 11 -- the same people who came here to help -- so I feel a real connection."

Stop also included business seminar
Giuliani was in town for a speaking engagement at the Get Motivated Business Seminar at the Ford Center.

He landed in Oklahoma City about 1 p.m. and went directly to the memorial, where he toured the outside site and the museum.

Museum officials were alerted when he landed that he planned to tour the memorial. He planned to stay for 20 minutes but roamed the memorial for about an hour.

"He helped lead the nation through an unbelievable crisis," Kari Watkins, executive director of the memorial, said. "I think in many ways this hit close to home. He saw the shared experience that different communities go through. We're pleased he would make the time to come."

New York officials still are working to finalize details for a 9/11 memorial. Giuliani said he was impressed with the site in Oklahoma City.

"If they could get something as beautiful and meaningful as this, and a museum that describes the events as well as this one does, it would be a very good model and a very good goal," Giuliani said.

He said he was most affected by the museum, especially photos of the children who died in the blast.

"So many young people. So many lives cut off. It always leaves you with this tremendous question about hatred," Giuliani said. "How does some group of people decide to hate so much that they do something horrible like this? It reminds you that it exists and you have to be alert to it."

'Highlight' of the trip
Kevin Herrick, his wife and two children, were passing through Oklahoma City Wednesday on their way to a family vacation at the Grand Canyon. The family, from Moline, Ill., said they were surprised to see the recognizable former mayor.

"So far, seeing Giuliani is probably the highlight of the trip," Herrick said.

Giuliani walked into the Ford Center amid confetti, after the singing of "God Bless America."

He spoke about leadership and working through a crisis, be it financial or an event of terrorism.

He applauded Oklahomans for their leadership and courage, as he compared the events of 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombing and going through financial hardships.

"If you want to be a leader, you have to absorb yourself in the positive," he said. "You must remain optimistic through it all."

Contributing: Earl Sneed

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