April 19, 1995, 9:02....where were you?

[equeen]

Those of my parents generation remember with crystal-clarity where they were, and what they were doing, when John F. Kennedy was shot and killed.

I never thought that I would have such a moment in my lifetime. But I do.

During my senior year of high school, I took AP Biology during 2nd period, which began at 8:55am. Usually, Mr. J. and another science teacher would converse into the first couple minutes of class about all and sundry things - sometimes it was about their lesson plans, other times it was the state of the nation, and yet other times they'd make announcements of interst for the entire class.

It was entertaining, the way they bantered. I could elaborate, but it's not the crux of the matter. The best I can do is say "you had to be there." It is one of those memories that is special in and of itself, and all the more so because it was the last normal moment in the days of uncertainty and turmoil to come.

April 19, 1995. Exactly one month before I graduated from high school. It was a little bit after 9 o'clock, and Mr. J. and his colleague were chatting as always.

Except this time, they were somber.

They both turned to the class, and mentioned that there was something on TV that we might be interested in watching, rather than the video we were scheduled to watch on DNA and its replication.

I remember looking up at the clock...it was 9:08am.

And then we found out that the Alfred P. Murrah building had been bombed.

I remember the disbelief, the dawning of realization, and the fear that followed that very day. I grew up in Tulsa, OK, and we simply couldn't believe that this had happened in the heartland of America, so close to home.

By noon, there had been a trust fund set up in the main office for the survivors - even though we had no idea who had survived, and who had perished.

I remember the speculation that this must be the work of Middle Eastern terrorists, and how every student in school who looked remotely of that heritage (including me) were looked upon with doubt and fear.

I remember seeing the pictures of John Doe numbers 1 and 2, and realizing neither of the two were Middle Eastern.

I remember the horror people felt when they realized an American had done this to his own.

The image of little Bailey Allmon held by a firefighter (she later died) is seared in my memory. So much innocence, so much potential, was lost that day.

Yes, this post is catharsis, in a sense.

I remember learning later that the Oklahoma Daily - OU's student newspaper - went on-line overnight, with the help of a computer-science student of Middle Eastern descent. He could not get in touch with his family back home, the news was being censored for them, and they were terrified that there could be backlash against those of their heritage. Putting the Daily online was his only way to get them news of the situation, and that he was safe. It should be known that textbooks on journalism were rewritten to take into account how coverage of the bombing was handled - and many OU student reporters, not to mention the Oklahoma Daily itself, were profiled in the new editions.

Students from my high school dropped what they were doing and went to Oklahoma City over the weekend to help with the relief effort in any way possible.

Volunteers from all over the nation - and some from oversees - came to help Oklahoma City in the hour of need.

Humanity...can be so horrible, and so beautiful, at the same time.

My question is - where were you when you found out, and what impact did it have on you in the moment you found out?

It is 6 years later. McVeigh is to be executed in May.

But the pain of Oklahoma's memories linger on.

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Pure as Silver, and True Blue!
Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies

[This message has been edited by equeen (edited April 19, 2001).]

[Eclipse]

equeen,
Your post was absolutely beautiful. I am moved to tears by your eloquence and visual imagery.... I pray that true healing and deliverence comes out of this situation.

[veruca76]

Wow, equeen. Thank you for sharing that with us. It was truly an infamous moment in American history and one that will stir a great deal of emotion in many people for a very long time. People are currently discussing whether or not they should broadcast McVeigh's execution and how people feel about the death penalty in general. It really amazes me how this man has been so completely unremorsefull for what he did.
I also want you to know that I know how you feel. I was living in the Denver metro area when Columbine happened. I know what it's like to watch a nightmare explode on live television in front of you and be shocked that it could happen so close to you. I'm sure your news coverage when that happened was like ours - round the clock and absolutely heart wrenching. I guess the anniversaries of both are happening tomorrow. (I heard something about that not being a coincidence - those boys planned it that way.) Anyway, God bless.

Beth

[Jeff OTMG]

I was in San Antonio, Tx when I got the call. My credit union was on the 3rd floor of the federal building. 9 of 24 employees were killed. Two years earlier I was sitting in Oklahoma City in the living room of a friend watching the incineration of 82 people outside Waco, Tx on television. When I got the call I knew what had happened.

[dzrose93]

I remember walking into the DZ house after class to find several of my sisters seated around the t.v. watching news coverage of the bombing. No one spoke. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

[Billy Optimist]

I was in school. 6th or 7th grade. I couldn't realy understand it. Everyone immeditly blamed the Arabs. Poor Khalid. He got the most freaky looks that day. But then it turned out to be a white guy, and everyone acted like they were his best friends. I couldn't understand how that many people could die. It just didn't make any sence.

[KillarneyRose]

Equeen, thanks for that touching post. I don't remember what I was doing the moment the federal building was bombed, but I clearly remember when I found out about it. My husband and I were living in Portland, Maine at the time and we had the television on while I was setting out an early dinner. One of the special report updates came on and that is when I first heard what had happened. I remember feeling utter despair and sadness at the news. I was pregnant with my first daughter and I remember thinking, "what kind of world am I bringing this poor baby into?"

-- Tracy

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Proud to be Delta-Z :-)

I was a sophomore in high school in 1995. Oklahoma's many times zones ahead from Hawaii, so I didn't find out about the bombing until I got ready for school. My mom and I usually watched the morning news. I remember being in the car, and thoughts of little Bailey Allmon kept swimming in my head. By the time I had gotten to school, reporters had already determined that many people, many of them children, had lost their lives.

We had flag raising and prayer daily at my high school, and April 19, 1995 was the most somber morning I can remember. Our Mother Superior said a prayer for the families affected, and even a strong woman like Sister Regina Mary was moved to tears.

I remember watching the the dedication of the memorial on TV and I became emotional at the part dedicated to the children. To this day it breaks my heart to think of the bombing.

What breaks my heart even more is that Mr. McVeigh has no remorse for what he has done. My only hope is that God can deal with him accordingly.

[amycat412]

I remember-- I was housesitting for my boss up in the Hollywood Hills while he was on his Honeymoon, and I was laying on the couch with the flu. And I remembered when the coverage started to pour in, that in 1986 my junior year in high school I was also home with the flu when the Challenger exploded and I vowed then that I was not going to get the flu anymore just in the remote cosmic possibility that it wasn't just a coincidence.

[Serenity]

I remember that day so well. My son was just a little over a month old. I just held him and cried. I think it hit me so hard not only because of my newborn but everything else that goes hand in hand with it: sleep deprivation, post partum, etc. I was a hormonal mess.

Remember the news coverage? Everyone was so frantic, overwhelmed, and overcome with emotion. You couldn't watch the coverage without someone on the screen getting teary-eyed.

Watching all those screaming, crying and dazed children....I was just speechless. I couldn't imagine what their parents were going through. I was just thankful I was able to hold my little one. Some of those parents never got the chance to do that again.

[Hootie]

I was a Freshman in high school sitting in our History class when word started buzzing around that something terrible happened. I didn't fully understand what everyone was talking about until our History teacher, Mr. Bacon, explained the situation to us and let us watch some of the footage on television. It was scary and I remembered praying for the people as I sat in class.
Later that week as I sat in my 10 am English class, our assistant principle came over the intercom and exicuted what was an emergency announcement which notified teachers to evacuate the building without us realizing why. Our substitute lead us outside where we waited for an hour. A bomb threat had been called in...two more would be called in that month.
That is honestly about all I remember because the OK bombing didn't directly affect me as I did not have relatives there or know of anyone personally living through it. But it still saddens and angers me.
I suppose we'll never know why Timmothy did what he did and I often wonder if he has any regrets. Such a sad day in history. Hopefully we will never have to deal with another incident like that.

[moe.ron]

My 2nd year in University. I was in a class. First thing I herd from everyone is that it was an Arab ISlam Terrorist. Got me really angry that soembody would kill all those people and especially the children. I was further upset by the stereotype of the media and my fellow students.

[equeen]

I'm just glad that people won't ever forget.

Perhaps in time, we Oklahomans will learn to live with the pain.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts so far...I hope they keep pouring in.

Peace to all


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@-->---
Pure as Silver, and True Blue!
Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies