Richard & Sylvia's RV Adventures

Day 18 - Monday, March 19, 2007 through Day 24, Sunday, March 25, 2007

Oklahoma

This period of time was very sad for us as we prepared and conducted my mom’s funeral

and yet we had lighter moments as we had the chance to spend time visiting with our family, many of whom we had not seen for a very long time.

Oklahoma City National Memorial

We visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial and found it to be very moving…. 

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was created to honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The Memorial and Museum are dedicated to educating visitors about the impact of violence, informing about events surrounding the bombing, and inspiring hope and healing through lessons learned by those affected.  The official website for the memorial is at: http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/

This the layout of the memorial grounds.

Field of Empty Chairs
168 chairs stand in nine rows, each representing a floor of the building, and represent the 168 lives lost on April 19, 1995. The field is located in what was the footprint of the building.

Gates of Time
Two monumental gates stand as entrances to the Memorial site and frame the moment of destruction between 9:01 a.m. and 9:03 a.m. on April 19, 1995.
   

Reflecting Pool
Standing 3/4 of an inch deep, the calming water of this pool stands where 5th Street once stood, and shows the reflection of someone changed forever by their visit to the Memorial.

The Survivor Tree
The Survivor Tree, an American Elm, bears witness to the violence of April 19 and now stands as a profound symbol of human resilience. The circular promontory surrounding the tree offers a place for gathering and viewing the memorial.

 The Fence
What started as a protective barrier for the destructed site became a symbol of support and hope as people from around the world left notes, stuffed animals, wreaths and other momentos after the bombing. A 200-foot section of the fence now sits on the "healing" Western side of the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial, and visitors still leave items on a daily basis.

The Memorial Museum takes visitors on a chronological, self-guided tour through the story of April 19, 1995, and the days, weeks, months and years that followed the bombing of Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

posted by Richard @ 11:52 PM