Gates
of Time
These
monumental twin gates frame the moment of destruction – 9:02 a.m. – and mark
the formal entrances to the Memorial. The East Gate represents 9:01 a.m. on
April 19, and the innocence of the city before the attack. The West Gate
represents 9:03 a.m., the moment we were changed forever, and the hope that
came from the horror in the moments and days following the bombing.
Reflecting
Pool
The pool
occupies what was once N.W. Fifth Street. Here, a shallow depth of gently
flowing water helps soothe wounds, with calming sounds providing a peaceful
setting for quiet thoughts. The placid surface shows the reflection of someone
changed forever by their visit to the Memorial.
Field
of Empty Chairs
The 168
chairs represent the lives taken on April 19, 1995. They stand in nine rows to
represent each floor of the building, and each chair bears the name of someone
killed on that floor. Nineteen smaller chairs stand for the children. The field
is located on the footprint of the Murrah Building.
Survivor
Wall
On the
east end of the Memorial stand the only remaining walls from the Murrah
Building. These walls remind us of those who survived the terrorist attack,
many with serious injuries. Today, more than 600 names are inscribed on
salvaged pieces of granite from the Murrah Building lobby.
The
Survivor Tree
The
Survivor Tree, an American Elm, bore witness to the violence of April 19, 1995,
and withstood the full force of the attack. Years later, it continues to stand
as a living symbol of resilience. The circular promontory surrounding the tree
offers a place for gathering and viewing the Memorial.
Rescuers'
Orchard
Like the
people who rushed in to help, this army of nut- and flower-bearing trees
surrounds and protects the Survivor Tree. An inscription encircling the
Survivor Tree facing the orchard reads: To the courageous and caring who
responded from near and far, we offer our eternal gratitude, as a thank you to
the thousands of rescuers and volunteers who helped.
Children's
Area
In the
aftermath of the blast, children from around the country and the world sent in
their own expressions of encouragement and love. That care is represented today
by a wall of tiles painted by children and sent to Oklahoma City in 1995. In
addition, buckets of chalk and chalkboards built into the ground of the
Children's Area give children a place where they can continue to share their
feelings -- an important component of the healing process.
The
Fence
The first
Fence was installed to protect the site of the Murrah Building. Almost
immediately, people began to leave tokens of love and hope on the Fence. Those
items now total more than 60,000 and are collected and preserved in our archives.
Today, more than 200 feet of the original Fence gives people the opportunity to
leave tokens of remembrance and hope.
We also visited the State Capitol and the area called
Bricktown.
Then we went to Earl’s ribs for lunch, it was delicious and
super messy! Tyler was given a discount since he was wearing a Menomonee Falls
Firefighters shirt, and the server thought he was a fireman. LOL
Now, onto Omaha, NE (Nebraska)…let’s go!
The Oklahoma City Bombing memorial
was absolutely beautiful, it was a bit surreal for me because growing up in
this country I remember the day that it happened and hearing the news and
seeing all the photos. It is one of those things that as a kid those images are
just stuck in your head forever. It is sad that at the time I was 8 years old
and I can’t remember anything else from when I was 8 but those images are clear
as day. Being at the actual site where everything happened gave me chills, but
it was very neat to see that they had turned the area into a beautiful quiet
area where people could go to reflect and feel at peace.
.JPG)
.JPG)
On a positive note Earl’s Rib’s was
fantastic, I had read about the place online and knew that we had to stop. If
anyone is a regular reader of our blog you will know that I have a soft spot
for southern barbecue.
 |
| The Capitol |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.