Oklahoma City National Memorial
We started out our first full day of vacation on quite a somber note. I suppose we knew a visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial (the site of the bombing of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in 1995) would not be uplifting, but we did think it would be much more ‘reflective’ versus mostly sad and depressing – the emotions we left with. That’s not to say we were not glad that we stopped by to reflect and pay respect, but it just wasn’t what I expected.
They built a very nice memorial for the 168 people (including 19 children) that passed on that horrific day. There is a reflecting pool that sits between two ‘granite walls’ that have the time on them of the attack and the minute after – representing how everything changed in those 2 minutes. There is also a chair for each person who died positioned in 8 rows that represent the floor of the building they were on. There is a Survivor Tree, and the site has still kept the fence with all the items left by visitors to the Memorial. A weeping Jesus (not part of the official Memorial) across the street is another tribute in the area.
Maybe it was just that day, maybe it was seeing the ‘little chairs’, maybe it was seeing all the items left, but this is still a very, very sad place. It will always be hallowed ground, but I think more time needs to pass before it can become a place for reflection. I hope this is not disrespectful, but truth told, I kind of wish we would not have stopped here.