Remembrance ceremony honors 168 lives lost, survivors of OKC bombing 30 years later
On April 19, 1995, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City killed 168 people, including 19 children.
WE’LL LET YOU LISTEN IN LIVE. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. YOU MAY BE SEATED. PLEASE. MY NAME IS JOSHUA ARAUJO. I’M THE PASTOR HERE AT FIRST CHURCH IN DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY. AND I’D LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST, WARMEST WELCOME TO EACH ONE OF YOU. I’M SO SORRY TO SAY THAT WE HAVE REACHED COMPLETE CAPACITY HERE AND IN ALL AREAS OF THE CHURCH, IN HERE AND IN THE OVERFLOW. WE ARE DOING OUR BEST AS YOUR HOST TODAY TO ACCOMMODATE ALL MY DEEPEST REGRETS TO THOSE THAT COULD NOT COME INSIDE, I HOPE THAT YOU GET TO WATCH ONLINE. SO AS WE GATHER IN THIS SACRED SPACE, WE WELCOME YOU AS WE COME TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE KILLED, THOSE WHO SURVIVED, AND THOSE WHOSE LIVES WERE CHANGED FOREVER. WELCOME TO FIRST CHURCH. IT IS NOW MY GREAT PLEASURE AND HONOR TO INTRODUCE THE CHAIR OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, DOCTOR SUSAN CHAMBERS. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS 30TH ANNIVERSARY REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY. THANK YOU TO THE A CAPPELLA FEDERATION FOR PROVIDING THE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC BEFORE THE START OF OUR CEREMONY. THANK YOU TO SHARON AUSTIN FROM FIRST CHURCH. CAN YOU HELP ME, PLEASE? YOU KNOW WHO I AM. THANK YOU TO SHARON AUSTIN FROM FIRST CHURCH FOR PROVIDING THE COMFORTING MUSIC FROM THE OLDEST ORGAN IN OKLAHOMA. THANK YOU TO THE OKLAHOMA FIRE PIPES AND DRUM WHO LED OUR PROCESSION. THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY OR ONLINE FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY. AS WE COME HERE TO REMEMBER, WE COME TO REMEMBER THE DAY OF DARKNESS AND THE YEARS OF LIGHT. WE MOVED OUR CEREMONY INSIDE BECAUSE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO GATHER IN THIS SPACE THAT SHARES A SIGNIFICANCE TO APRIL 19TH, 1995. WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE SEVERAL SPECIAL GUESTS WITH US TODAY. PLEASE HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE. FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON, UNITED STATES SENATOR JAMES LANKFORD AND CINDY LANKFORD, U.S. CONGRESSMAN FRANK LUCAS, U.S. CONGRESSMAN TOM COLE, US CONGRESSWOMAN STEPHANIE BICE. WE THANK US SENATOR MARKWAYNE MULLIN STAFF FOR JOINING US TODAY. GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT AND FIRST LADY SARAH STITT, FORMER GOVERNOR FRANK KEATING AND FIRST LADY KATHY KEATING, FORMER GOVERNOR MARY FALLIN AND FIRST GENTLEMAN WADE CHRISTENSEN, FORMER GOVERNOR DAVID WALTERS, FORMER GOVERNOR GEORGE NIGH, ATTORNEY, OKLAHOMA ATTORNEY GENERAL GENTNER DRUMMOND, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE CHICKASAW NATION. BILL LANCE, MEMBERS OF OUR OF OUR STATE HOUSE AND SENATE. MAYOR DAVID HOLT AND RACHEL HOLT, FORMER MAYOR RON NORWICH, CITY MANAGER CRAIG FREEMAN, AND MEMBERS OF OUR CITY COUNCIL, CITY COUNCILMAN LEE COOPER JR. CITY COUNCILMAN MARK STONECIPHER, AND A STEADY SUPPORTER WHO WAS IN THE CITY COUNCIL OFFICE 30 YEARS AGO. AND TODAY IS HER CHIEF OF STAFF, DEBBIE MARTIN. WE HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMED BY THE RESPONSE FROM THE AGENCIES IN THE MURRAH BUILDING OF THOSE WHO AIDED IN THE RESPONSE AFTER THE BOMBING. WITH US TODAY FROM THE UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR SEAN CURRAN, FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, DEFENSE, COUNTERINTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY AGENCY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR DAN LECCE FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, REGIONAL DIRECTOR ASHLEY QUINONEZ. ACTING DEPUTY REGIONAL DIRECTOR EARL HEADRICK AND SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR SABLE COLEMAN. FROM ATF SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, DALLAS FIELD DIVISION. BENNIE MIMS AND ASSISTANT SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, DALLAS FIELD DIVISION BRIAN GARNER FROM CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR TO THE INTEGRATED OPERATIONS BOYD ROHNER AND REGIONAL DIRECTOR ROBERT RUSSELL, FBI, OKLAHOMA CITY SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE DOUG GOODWATER. SEVERAL FEMA FIRST RESPONDERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE HERE TODAY WHO WERE DEPLOYED TO OKLAHOMA CITY IN RESPONSE TO THE BOMBING. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL YOU COULD JOIN US. FROM TINKER AIR FORCE BASE COMMANDER, OKLAHOMA CITY AIR LOGISTICS COMPLEX, BRIGADIER GENERAL BRIAN MOORE. COMMANDER, 72ND AIR BASE WING, INSTALLATION. COLONEL ABIGAIL ROSETTA AND COMANCHE CHIEF, 72ND AIR BASE WING, INSTALLATION. CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT CHRIS GOODELL. CHAIRMAN OF THE MEMORIALS CONSCIOUS COMMITTEE BLAINE ARTHUR, VICE CHAIR OF OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOUNDATION AND OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHRIS FLEMING. WE ARE SO PLEASED TO HAVE A NUMBER OF PAST CHAIRMAN OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOUNDATION HERE TO COMMEMORATE THIS 30TH ANNIVERSARY. BOB JOHNSON, LINDA LAMBERT, PAULINE NICHOLS, FRANK HILL, GLORIA GRIFFIN, SUSAN WINCHESTER, MIKE TURPIN, RETIRED JUSTICE STEVEN TAYLOR, BOB ROSS, AND JOHN KENNEDY. WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE GOSPEL SINGER SONGWRITER JORDAN SMITH WITH US TODAY. WE ALSO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA WHO JOINED US. THEY HAVE BEEN AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR STORYTELLING OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE WELCOME OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, SURVIVORS, FIRST RESPONDERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FRIENDS OF THOSE WHO WERE KILLED, THOSE WHO SURVIVED AND THOSE CHANGED FOREVER. ON APRIL 19TH, 1995. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING ALL OF OUR SPECIAL GUESTS. AS WE HAVE DONE EACH YEAR FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS, WE GATHER AS A COMMUNITY ON APRIL 19TH TO REMEMBER TO LEARN FROM WHAT HAPPENED AND TO GROW AND HEAL. THIS IS A TIME OF REFLECTION. THOSE WE HONOR TODAY SERVE AS OUR INSPIRATION AS TO WHY IT IS VITAL WE CONTINUE TEACHING THE WORLD OUR STORY. WHEN WE REMEMBER WE HONOR THOSE IMPACTED. WHEN WE REMEMBER WE CAN STRIVE TO PREVENT THESE ACTS OF VIOLENCE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. WITH ANY TRAGEDY, WE STRIVE TO MAKE MEANING OUT OF WHAT HAPPENED IN OUR LIVES AND TO WEAVE IT INTO OUR FUTURES. WE RECOGNIZE THAT APRIL 19TH MAY BRING UP DIFFICULT THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS, YET IT IS BY ACKNOWLEDGING THESE THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAL AND MOVE FORWARD. THE MEMORIAL AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE BOMBING REMIND US OF WHAT WHAT VIOLENCE CAN DO. AND IT ALSO REMINDS US OF THE INCREDIBLE ACTS OF SO MANY TO HELP VISITORS TO THE MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM OFTEN LEAVE WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING. PEACE, COURAGE AND HOPE ARE OFTEN WORDS THAT VISITORS USE AFTER LEAVING THE MEMORIAL GROUNDS AND EXITING THE MUSEUM. THEY ARE CHANGED AND THEY CAN BRING THIS CHANGE FORWARD IN THEIR LIVES. WHAT STARTED WITH DAY ONE IN NOVEMBER, AND FOR EACH OF THE LAST 168 DAYS, WE HAVE HONORED THOSE WHO WERE KILLED, THOSE WHO SURVIVED, AND THOSE CHANGED FOREVER. ON EVERY TELEVISION STATION IN OKLAHOMA, NEWSPAPERS, BILLBOARDS, AND ONLINE. THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS IN THE MEDIA FOR SHARING THIS EVERY DAY. WE HAVE ALSO HELD MONTHLY BETTER CONVERSATIONS ON TOPICS THAT ARE WORTHY OF DISCUSSION TO HELP US FIND COMMON GROUND ON OUR SACRED GROUND. WE HAVE HELD THREE MENTAL HEALTH WORKSHOPS FOR OUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND FOUND WAYS TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO OUR SITE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN WILLING TO COME BEFORE. WE ARE PROUD OF THAT PROGRESS. WE BROUGHT PHYSICIANS AND DENTISTS WHO WERE SO CRITICAL IN THE HOURS AND DAYS FOLLOWING THE BOMBING, AND SALUTED THEIR INCREDIBLE WORK. DONNA BOCCELLA, WHO WORKED UNDER JANET RENO IN 1995, CAME BACK TO KEYNOTE THE COMMITTEE OF 100, A GROUP THAT HONORS FIRST RESPONDERS. SHE SPENT TIME WITH OUR STAFF AND WORKING WITH OUR ARCHIVES, AND SHE SPENT TIME AT THE OCU LAW SCHOOL TEACHING NEW LAWYERS LESSONS LEARNED. THEN JUST THIS WEEK, WE PARTNERED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA ON A TEACH IN WHERE THIS IDEA THAT STARTED WITH THE DEANS WOULD HAVE THEIR COLLEGES OF MEDICINE, MUSIC, ARCHITECTURE, JOURNALISM AND LAW STUDENTS REFLECTING ON THE PAST AND HEARING FROM PEOPLE INVOLVED AS THEY TEACH THIS STORY TO THE NEXT GENERATION. THESE ARE ALL VALUABLE LESSONS THAT WE CANNOT TAKE FOR GRANTED. OH, YOU ALSO PLANTED THREE SURVIVOR TREES ON THEIR CAMPUSES THIS WEEK TO REMEMBER. WE ARE GRATEFUL SO MANY HAVE STEPPED UP WITH ACTS OF SERVICE, HONOR AND KINDNESS SO SYMBOLIC OF WHAT WE SAW IN THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD 30 YEARS AGO. WE WORK VERY HARD TO PRESERVE THIS STORY, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE HUMBLED BY THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL MUSEUM HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN ACCREDITED FOR THE THIRD TIME BY THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS. OF THE 33,000 MUSEUMS IN THE UNITED STATES, ONLY 1116 ARE CURRENTLY ACCREDITED. THIS CERTIFICATION SIGNIFIES OUR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IN PRESERVING HISTORY, PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES, AND MAINTAINING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF STEWARDSHIP. A SPECIAL THANKS TO A SMALL BUT MIGHTY STAFF THAT COLLECTIVELY KEEP THIS GOING. IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO WORK WITH EACH OF THEM. MARILYN JACKSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS, SAYS 30 YEARS LATER, THE MEMORIAL’S MISSION REMAINS RELEVANT. THEY REACH A WIDE VARIETY OF LEARNERS WITH VARIED, INNOVATIVE AND ENGAGING PROGRAMING, WHILE ALSO LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. UNDERSTANDING THAT THOSE DIRECTLY TOUCHED BY THE 1995 BOMBING EVENT WILL CONTINUE TO DECLINE. ITS APPROACH TO SHARING INDIVIDUAL STORIES. THE POWER OF RESILIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO FACILITATING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS SERVE AS A MODEL OF EXCELLENCE IN OUR FIELD. PRESERVING THIS STORY IS CRITICAL TO OUR CORE MISSION. EARLIER THIS MONTH, AS PART OF THE 30TH YEAR, THE MEMORIAL WAS HONORED TO WORK WITH DOWNTOWN OKC AND THE CITY OF OKLAHOMA CITY IN CREATING THE NEW ENTRY POINT GATEWAY TO THE MEMORIAL ON SIXTH STREET OFF I-235 IN HARRISON. AT THE THRESHOLD TO ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SITES IN OUR NATION’S HISTORY. THIS GATEWAY REFLECTS THE WEIGHT OF THE JOURNEY AND SHAPES EMOTIONS AS VISITORS EXIT, THEY SEE A BOLD AND BRONZE OKC, SYMBOLIC OF OUR GATES OF TIME. AND THEN AS THEY PASS UNDER THE RAILROAD OVERPASS, THEY SEE THE WORDS BE THE LIGHT THAT WILL SERVE AS A REMINDER OF HOW THIS CITY HAS RISEN FROM TRAGEDY. CARRYING ON OUR YOUR MESSAGE OF RESILIENCE TO THE WORLD, OUR MEMORIAL CONSCIOUS COMMITTEE, COMPOSED OF FAMILY MEMBERS, SURVIVORS AND FIRST RESPONDERS, HAS BEEN WITH US ON EVERY STEP AND WE WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ALWAYS UPHOLDING THE MEMORIAL MISSION THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR WORK. WE THANK OUR CONSCIOUS COMMITTEE FOR THEIR SERVICE AND WELCOME THOSE TODAY. APRIL 19TH, 1995 STARTED LIKE ANY OTHER DAY. OKLAHOMA CITY MAYOR RON NORICK HAD JUST CONCLUDED THE CITY’S ANNUAL MAYOR’S PRAYER BREAKFAST DOWNTOWN AT THE MARRIOTT CONVENTION CENTER WHEN THE ATTACK OCCURRED, THE EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP OF MAYOR NORICK LED US THROUGH OUR DARKEST DAYS. IT WAS HIS APPOINTMENT OF A 350 MEMBER MEMORIAL TASK FORCE, JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE BOMBING THAT LED US THROUGH THE MEMORIALIZATION PROCESS AND THE CREATION OF OUR OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL MUSEUM. AS A TESTAMENT TO HIS STRONG LEADERSHIP, WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE MAYOR NORICK BACK TO READ THE MEMORIAL MISSION STATEMENT. GOOD MORNING. WE WELCOME YOU HERE TODAY TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE KILLED, THOSE THAT SURVIVED AND THOSE CHANGED FOREVER. MAY ALL WHO LEAVE HERE KNOW THE IMPACT OF VIOLENCE. MAY THIS MEMORIAL OFFER COMFORT, STRENGTH, PEACE, HOPE AND SERENITY. PLEASE JOIN ME IN 168 SECONDS OF SILENCE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED THE BOMBING, GOVERNOR KEATING AND FIRST LADY KATHY KEATING HELPED SHOW THE WORLD THAT THE COMMUNITY OF OKLAHOMA CITY PUT THE HEART IN THE NATION’S HEARTLAND. THE KEATING’S KNEW IMMEDIATELY THAT MUCH WAS TO BE DONE. ONLY 100 DAYS INTO OFFICE, HE AND HIS WIFE KATHY LED US THROUGH THE DARKEST DAYS, ORGANIZED THE PRAYER SERVICE, WORKED TO SAVE THE MURAL ART OUT OF THE BUILDING, RAISED MONEY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CHILDREN WHO LOST A PARENT, AND CREATED A PLAN TO CARE FOR MANY. WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED BY GREAT LEADERSHIP AND IT WAS NO ACCIDENT THAT GOVERNOR FRANK KEATING AND FIRST LADY KATHY KEATING WERE THERE TO LEAD US. PLEASE HELP ME. WELCOME BACK FORMER GOVERNOR FRANK KEATING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SUSAN, AND TO CELEBRATE LIVES, TO CELEBRATE. SECURITY, TO CELEBRATE COMMITMENT AND LOVE OF OTHERS, MANY OF WHOM WE NEVER KNEW AND WE DON’T KNOW. THERE IS A PARABLE OF A MAN WHO LOOKED BACK ON HIS LIFE AND SAW IT AS AN ENDLESS SERIES OF FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND. AT TIMES THERE WERE TWO SETS OF FOOTPRINTS SIDE BY SIDE, AND HE REMEMBERED THESE TIMES AS HAPPY TIMES. AT OTHERS THERE WAS BUT ONE SET OF PRINTS, THE TIMES OF SADNESS AND PAIN. HE CONFRONTED GOD AND ASKED HIM WHY HE HAD CEASED TO WALK BESIDE HIM WHEN HE MOST NEEDED HIM, AND MOST NEEDED HIS SUPPORT. WHY, HE WONDERED, HAD GOD ABANDONED HIM? AND GOD ANSWERED, BUT MY SON, THOSE WERE THE TIMES I WAS CARRYING YOU. HE CARRIES US TODAY. CUP GENTLY IN HIS HANDS. APRIL 19TH, 1995, WAS A DAY OF HORROR AND TRAGEDY. IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE HERE AND THERE TO COMPREHEND THAT THE DEVIL HIMSELF WALKS THE EARTH AND MURDERED 168 OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS, WOUNDED 700 OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS, CAUSED DAMAGE OR DESTRUCTION TO 320 BUILDINGS. MARRED THE FACE, SCRATCHED THE FACE, BLOODIED THE FACE OF THE CAPITAL CITY OF OKLAHOMA. IT WAS. INCOMPREHENSIBLE THAT WE COULD SEE AND AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS OCCURRING, AND WE WONDERED HOW WERE WE ALL GOING TO STAY TOGETHER WITHOUT MUTUAL SUSPICION AND MISTRUST? AND HOW COULD WE DO THAT? BUT WE DID. THE RENAISSANCE OF OKLAHOMA. AND BY THE WAY, I CHECKED THIS MORNING. HOW LONG IS A GENERATION? A GENERATION IS 25 TO 30 YEARS. AND WHY IS IT A GENERATION? BECAUSE YOU GROW UP, YOU GET MARRIED, YOU HAVE CHILDREN. IT’S ANOTHER GENERATION. AND THINK OF THE BLESSINGS WE HAVE WITH ALL THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AT OUR SCHOOLS. I WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF O.U. FOR A WHILE, AND IT’S REALLY AMAZING TO ME THAT A SIGNIFICANT MINORITY OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING TO O.U. AND WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT TO ME IS THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE GRADUATING FROM THAT UNIVERSITY ARE LARGELY STAYING HERE. THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THEN AND NOW IS VERY DRAMATIC. GOD CONTINUES TO HOLD US IN HIS HANDS. I HAVE SOMEONE VERY SPECIAL TO IT WAS PRAYER THAT SUSTAINED US AFTER THE BOMBING. THIS ENTIRE AREA BECAME A HOLY PLACE. MANY HAVE SAID THERE WAS MORE PRAYER FOR THIS EIGHT BLOCK AREA OF OKLAHOMA CITY THAN THERE WAS FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD DURING THAT TIME. LEADING THE WAY FOR SO MANY CHAPLAINS WHO CAME HERE TO HELP IN OUR DARKEST. DARKEST HOUR WAS OKLAHOMA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT CHAPLAIN TEDDY WILSON, WHO IS HERE TO PROVIDE OUR INVOCATION. HIS PRAYER LIFTS TO HEAVEN. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CHAPLAIN WILSON. IT WAS INDEED A AN UPLIFTING THING TO SEE. 2 OR 3 IN THE MORNING. FRANK AND KATHY KEATING ON THE SITE. TWO IN THE AFTERNOON. TIME WE SAW THEM IT WAS A PRIVILEGE AND AN UPLIFTING SPIRIT. THANK YOU. FRANK. THANK YOU KATHY. I WANT TO TAKE A POINT OF PRIVILEGE, AND I WANT TO THANK CARRIE WATKINS. SHE HATES THIS. CARRIE AND HER PEOPLE AND CARRIE IN THE LAST 29, 30 YEARS, YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR HEART IS SHOWN IN OUR MEMORIAL AND IN OUR MUSEUM. AND IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. EXTENDING TO CONGREGATIONS, TO COMMUNITIES, TO FOLKS WHO ARE IN NEED. THANK YOU. I’M ASKING YOU, ALL OF YOU, TODAY. WE BATHE THIS SITE IN PRAYER. IT’S UNTOLD HOW MANY PRAYERS WERE MADE. BUT I’M ASKING YOU TODAY, ALL OF YOU, TO JOIN ME IN YOUR TRADITION AS WE PRAY. BLESS THE LORD. OH MY SOUL, BLESS HIS HOLY NAME. 30 YEARS AGO, LORD WAS TRULY A DARK AND EVIL DAY. BUT YOU, O GOD, WERE THERE TO USHER INTO YOUR PRESENCE. ALL OF OUR BELOVED VICTIMS. WE ASKED ON THAT DAY JUST TO GIVE US AS MANY SURVIVORS AS POSSIBLE. WE REMEMBER TODAY THE GRIEVING FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF THOSE YOU RECEIVED, THE MOMENT THEY TOOK THEIR LAST BREATH HERE ON EARTH, AND THEIR FIRST BREATH IN YOUR ARMS. FROM THE OLDEST ADULT TO THE CHILDREN TO THE UNBORN BABIES WHO ONLY KNEW THE WARMTH AND LOVE OF THEIR MOTHER’S WOMB, UNTIL YOU, O FATHER, RECEIVE THEM INTO YOUR TO UNTO YOURSELF. WE REMEMBER OUR SURVIVORS, WHO WERE IN FACT THE VERY FIRST RESCUES, IN SPITE OF THEIR INJURIES, THEY HELPED THEIR COWORKERS AND FRIENDS AND CHILDREN ON THIS HALLOWED GROUND. LIKEWISE, ALL THOSE WHO HELPED IN THE STRUCTURES SURROUNDING THE MURRAH BUILDING, THE YMCA, THE KIRKPATRICK HOTEL, THE JOURNAL RECORD BUILDING, THE ATHENA BUILDING, MANY OF THE BUILDINGS AROUND US WHERE BLOOD WAS SHED. FATHER, SO MANY PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL INJURIES HAVE BEEN ENDURED OVER THESE LAST 30 YEARS. DANA BRADLEY WAS OUR LAST SURVIVOR. ON THAT DARK DAY. SHE, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, ARE STILL RECOVERING TODAY. ONE OF HER RESCUERS, FIRE CHIEF KEITH BRYAN, TEN YEARS LATER, SAVED MY LIFE. HE OFFERED ME PART OF HIS LIVER ONE DAY, WHICH WAS NOT TO BE UNTIL HIS UNTIMELY MURDER. HIS FAMILY HONORED HIS DESIRE TO SAVE MY LIFE. AND GOD, YOU GIFTED ME HIS ORGAN. HE SAVED ME AND TWO OTHERS WITH HIS KIDNEYS. EVEN IN DEATH, HE WAS SAVING LIVES. FATHER, A TRUE FRIEND AND A TRUE HERO. WE REMEMBER ALL THE RESCUERS, THE FIREFIGHTERS, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, THE NATIONAL GUARD, OTHER MILITARY PERSONNEL, CIVILIANS FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE WHO RUSHED IN TO BEAR UP IN OUR ARMS, EXTRICATING ALL THAT WE COULD AND GETTING THEM TO THE DEFINITIVE CARE THAT THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD WAS ON FULL DISPLAY THAT DAY, WHICH BROUGHT LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESS. THIS STANDARD IN ALL REALITY IS YOUR STANDARD. OH LORD, TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS YOU HAVE LOVED US. NURSE REBECCA ANDERSON RUSHED IN TO APPLY HER SKILLS AND FULFILL HER CALLING TO BIND UP THE WOUNDED AND COMFORT THE INJURED. SHE GAVE HER LIFE HER FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION. AS ABRAHAM LINCOLN PUTS IT. HONORING HER, CALLING THAT DARK DAY. THERE IS NO GREATER LOVE THAN THIS, THAN A MAN OR A WOMAN WHO LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIEND. WHEN THE HOPE OF RESCUE IS DASHED, THE TECHNICAL TERM OF RECOVERY WAS HARD TO ACCEPT. YOU, O FATHER, REFRAMED THAT TERM FOR US INTO A PICTURE OF RESTORATION. OUR JOB CHANGED TO RESTORING EACH VICTIM BACK TO THEIR WAITING FAMILIES AS BEST AS WE COULD, SO THAT THEY COULD PUT A PERIOD AT THE END OF THAT DARK, OF THEIR DARK DAYS AND BEGIN THEIR YEARS OF LIGHT. WE PRAY FOR ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN HELPING THE VICTIMS, FAMILY MEMBERS, OUR SURVIVORS, OUR RESCUERS, OUR MEDICAL PERSONNEL, OUR COUNSELORS, OUR LEGAL TEAMS, INVESTIGATORS ALL WHO HAVE POURED SO MUCH OF THEMSELVES INTO THESE YEARS OF LIGHT. I ASK FOR YOUR BLESSING FROM YOU, O FATHER. TODAY BLESS US WITH ANOTHER MEASURE OF YOUR HEALING. TODAY, BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME. BLESS HIS HOLY NAME. BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL, AND FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS. FOR IT’S IN MY PRECIOUS LORD’S NAME THAT I PRAY. WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. AMEN. THANK YOU, MAYOR NORICK. GOVERNOR KEATING AND CHAPLAIN WILSON. DURING THIS LENTEN AND EASTER SEASON, AND FOR MANY WHO JUST FINISHED PASSOVER AND RAMADAN LAST WEEK, THE HEARTLAND CHAPEL OUTSIDE THESE DOORS AND ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE MEMORIAL WAS REDEDICATED IN HONOR OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOMBING. THIS OPEN AIR CHAPEL STANDS AS A SYMBOL OF PEACE AND UNITY. IT WAS CREATED THROUGH A RARE INTERFAITH EFFORT AS A GIFT TO FIRST CHURCH. IN 1995. THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY AND AMERICA AND THE ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY HELPED BUILD IT AS THE FIRST STRUCTURE REBUILT. THE REDEDICATION FOR THE MEMORIAL JOINED ALL THREE FAITHS IN CONTRIBUTING TO ITS RESTORATION. INVITES US TO REFLECT ON THE POWER OF SHARED HEALING AND THE SPIRIT THAT BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER AFTER THE BOMBING. OUR FIRST RESPONDERS PLAYED PLAYED A VITAL ROLE ON THIS DAY 30 YEARS AGO, AND IN THE DAYS AND MONTHS FOLLOWING THE BOMBING. WE ARE HONORED THEY ARE PART OF THE CEREMONY TODAY. THE RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS BETWEEN OUR FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS IS A RELATIONSHIP YOU DO NOT SEE IN EVERY CITY, AND HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THE COORDINATED RESPONSE. ON APRIL 19TH, 1995. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PRESENTATION OF COLORS BY THE UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE UNIFORMED DIVISION, HONOR GUARD AND THE COMBINED HONOR GUARD FROM THE OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND MSA. THE SINGING OF OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM WILL BE PERFORMED BY GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION, DOVE AND THE VOICE WINNER JORDAN SMITH. ARDMORE. THE WORD FOR. TODAY. OH. SAY, CAN YOU SEE? BY THE DAWN’S EARLY LIGHT. WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HAILED AT THE TWILIGHT’S. LAST GLEAMING. WHOSE BROAD STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS THROUGH THE PAIR. FIGHT O’ER THE REST. WE ARE. WERE SO GALLANTLY. STREAMING. AND THE ROFF RED GLARE. THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR. GAVE PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHT. THAT OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE. WHOA. SAY, DOES THAT STAR SPANGLED. BANNER YET WAVE. O’ER THE LAND. OF THE FREE. AND THE HOME. OF THE. BRAVE. PLEASE BE SEATED. THANK YOU. TO THE COMBINED HONOR GUARD. AND THANK YOU, JORDAN, FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE OF OUR STAR SPANGLED BANNER. OUR OUTDOOR SYMBOLIC MEMORIAL CAPTURES AND PRESERVES FOREVER THE PLACE AND EVENTS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD. WHILE THE MUSEUM EDUCATES VISITORS EVERY DAY ABOUT THE FACTS OF THE STORY, OUR CITY HAS NOT JUST SURVIVED. IT HAS BECOME A SYMBOL OF HOPE TO THE WORLD. JUST RECENTLY, MEMORIAL REPRESENTATIVES FROM NEW YORK CITY, FRANCE, SPAIN AND NORWAY GATHERED HERE TO REFLECT ON WHAT OKLAHOMA CITY HAS SHARED WITH THEM THROUGH OUR MEMORIALIZATION PROCESS AND OUR CITY’S ABILITY TO REBUILD. ALL WHILE STILL REMEMBERING THAT IS IN PART DUE TO THE LEADERSHIP OF FOUR MAYORS SINCE 1995. EACH HAS LED WITH A PURPOSE OF UNITY BORN OUT OF OUR CITY’S RESPONSE TO THE ATTACK. 30 YEARS AGO. THIS CITY’S RENAISSANCE CONTINUES UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MAYOR DAVID HOLT. UNIFYING OUR CITY AS ONE OKC WITH NEARLY HALF A MILLION PEOPLE VISITING THE MEMORIAL MUSEUM EACH YEAR. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE HAD WITH THE CITY OF OKLAHOMA CITY FROM DAY ONE, MAYOR DAVID HOLT. WELL, THANK YOU, DOCTOR CHAMBERS AND YOUR BOARD. THANK YOU, CARRIE WATKINS AND YOUR TEAM. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE GATHERED HERE TODAY. AND AND TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED THIS REMEMBRANCE. I BEGIN, AS I DO EVERY YEAR, BY THANKING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR OWN HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY AND THOSE WHO CAME TO OUR AID FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY. AND I AGAIN EXPRESS THE DEEPEST CONDOLENCES OF THE PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA CITY TO THOSE WHO LOST A LOVED ONE ON APRIL 19TH, 1995. MATTHEW 634 STATES, THEREFORE, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, FOR TOMORROW WILL WORRY ABOUT ITSELF. EACH DAY HAS ENOUGH TROUBLE OF ITS OWN. TOMORROW AND TOMORROW AND TOMORROW CREEPS IN THIS PETTY PACE FROM DAY TO DAY TO THE LAST SYLLABLE OF RECORDED TIME. THAT WAS MACBETH. TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY, SAID SCARLETT O’HARA IN THE VERY LAST LINE OF GONE WITH THE WIND. SPOILER ALERT. DON’T STOP THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW. SAYING FLEETWOOD MAC IN A SONG ADOPTED BY A YOUNG ARKANSAS GOVERNOR AS HIS DE FACTO CAMPAIGN THEME WHEN HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 1992. WE WILL STAND WITH YOU FOR AS MANY TOMORROWS AS IT TAKES, SAID PRESIDENT CLINTON THREE YEARS LATER, STANDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY FOUR DAYS AFTER 168 OF OUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WERE MURDERED BY A FELLOW AMERICAN. WE HUMANS TALK A LOT ABOUT TOMORROW. MACBETH WAS WARY OF TOMORROW. THE BIBLE IS QUITE CONCERNED TOMORROW. BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT MOST OF THE TIME, TOMORROW REPRESENTS HOPE IT DID FOR SCARLETT O’HARA AND FLEETWOOD MAC. TOMORROW IS A BLANK CANVAS. AND THOUGH NO ONE IS PROMISED TOMORROW. WE EACH DEPEND ON IT. AND WE HOLD IT CLOSE LIKE A LOTTERY TICKET. TOMORROW MAY BRING US A BETTER DAY THAN TODAY. ON SOME DAYS IT FEELS LIKE TOMORROW ALMOST HAS TO BE BETTER THAN TODAY. ON APRIL 19TH, 1995. OKLAHOMA CITY CERTAINLY HAD TO FEEL THAT WAY. HOW COULD TOMORROW NOT BE BETTER THAN TODAY? BUT ON ANOTHER LEVEL, WE ALL KNEW THE SORROWS OF APRIL 19TH WOULD STILL JOIN US TOMORROW. HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES KNEW THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS GOING TO BE JUST AS GONE TOMORROW AS THEY WERE TODAY. ONLY ONE PERSON HAS EVER COME BACK, AND CHRISTIANS WILL MARK THAT EVENT TOMORROW. TOMORROWS SINCE THE BOMB WENT OFF. AS A CITY, THOSE TOMORROWS HAVE IN FACT BROUGHT ALL THE HOPE AND PROMISE WE COULD EVER HAVE IMAGINED. ONE DAY OF DARKNESS HAS UNQUESTIONABLY BEEN FOLLOWED BY 30 YEARS OF LIGHT HERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY. WE HAVE INVESTED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, OFTEN FUELED BY UNIFYING COMMUNITY CHOICES THAT TRANSCENDED PARTIZANSHIP OR OTHER THINGS THAT MIGHT DIVIDE US. WE ARE DRAWING NEW RESIDENTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE’RE NOW AMERICA’S 20TH LARGEST CITY. OUR ECONOMY IS DIVERSIFIED, OUR LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS ON A RECORD STREAK, AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS OPEN EVERY MONTH. WE HAVE A GLOBAL IDENTITY THAT’S BUILT ON A FOUNDATION OF SUCCESS AND OR BASKETBALL, BUT DEFINITELY NOT A BOMBING. TOMORROW WE WILL LAUNCH OUR THUNDER INTO WHAT WE HOPE IS A HISTORIC NBA PLAYOFF RUN. AND IN THREE YEARS, WE WILL WELCOME PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD AS WE STAGE SEVEN EVENTS OF THE 2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS. THE DAY AFTER THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, OUR CITY WILL TURN 136 YEARS OLD. AND THESE LAST 30 YEARS HAVE UNQUESTIONABLY REPRESENTED OUR CITY’S GOLDEN AGE. NO ONE WHO KNOWS AND LOVES OKLAHOMA CITY WOULD DISPUTE THAT STATEMENT. ON THE OTHER HAND, FOR THOSE WHO LOST SO MUCH ON APRIL 19TH, 1995, FOR THOSE WHO SURVIVED AND FOR THOSE CHANGED FOREVER, THOSE 11,000 TOMORROWS HAVE BEEN A MIXED BAG. EVEN AS TOMORROW HAS BROUGHT WEDDINGS AND BIRTHS, GRADUATIONS AND SUCCESS, THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN EMPTY CHAIR OR A TRAUMATIC MEMORY, OR A DARK REALIZATION OF THE EVIL THAT HUMANS CAN DO FOR EACH OF YOU. I HOPE THIS COMMUNITY HAS DONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO ALL THAT IT CAN. I THINK I USE AN ASPIRATIONAL WORD LIKE HOPE THERE, BECAUSE TO US, JUST STANDING WITH YOU CAN FEEL A BIT INADEQUATE. WE WANT TO RETURN YOUR LOVED ONE. WE WANT TO MAKE YOUR PAIN GO AWAY. BUT THOUGH WE CAN’T, I KNOW EACH OF US BELIEVES THAT OUR ROLE IN THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD IS TO DO ALL WE CAN. AND SO I STAND HERE AS YOUR MAYOR AND PLEDGE THAT NO PRIORITY IN THIS CITY WILL EVER STAND BETWEEN US AND THAT COMMITMENT TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WHO LOST SO MUCH. IT WAS A COMMITMENT ORIGINALLY MADE BY PRESIDENT CLINTON, BUT WE ALL COSINE. TOMORROW IS OFTEN A SYMBOL OF HOPE, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE A WORD OF COMMITMENT, A REFLECTION THAT A PROMISE WILL ENDURE INTO THE FUTURE. WE ALL RECOMMIT ON THIS 30TH ANNIVERSARY THAT WE WILL STAND WITH YOU FOR AS MANY TOMORROWS AS IT TAKES. TODAY, I ALSO WANT TO SPEAK OF A RELATED COMMITMENT THAT WILL OUTLIVE ALL MILESTONES AND ALL OF US. THIS IS MY EIGHTH ADDRESS TO THIS GATHERING. OVER EIGHT ADDRESSES I HAVE SPOKEN IN FAVOR OF LOVE, EMPATHY, TRUTH, AND BETTER CONVERSATIONS. I HAVE ASKED THIS TO EMBRACE PLURALISM, TO LOOK PAST THINGS THAT CAN BE USED TO DIVIDE US, LIKE POLITICAL OPINIONS OR ETHNICITIES OR RELIGION, AND ASKED US TO INSTEAD CONSIDER THE INFINITE WAYS IN WHICH WE ARE ALIKE. I HAVE SPOKEN AGAINST DEHUMANIZATION AND WORDS OF DIVISION, AND I’VE ASKED US TO GAUGE INTO THAT TRANQUIL REFLECTING POOL ACROSS THE STREET AND CONSIDER WHERE THE WHETHER THE PERSON THAT YOU SEE IS LIVING UP TO THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD, IN THEIR OWN WORDS AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND ACTIONS. I’VE STATED THAT THIS OBLIGATION STARTS WITH US AS CITIZENS OF OKLAHOMA CITY, BUT THAT IT APPLIES. IT SHOULD APPLY TO EVERYONE IN THIS ENTIRE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY AND INCLUDING ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ALL THOSE IN THE PUBLIC EYE. I HAVE ALSO SPOKEN REPEATEDLY THESE LAST EIGHT YEARS ABOUT THE PASSAGE OF TIME. IT’S ON MY MIND TODAY BECAUSE TODAY IS A MILESTONE IN THE MEASUREMENT OF TIME. IT IS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOMBING. BECAUSE OF THAT MILESTONE, PRESIDENT CLINTON IS IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THIS WEEKEND. HE MET WITH FAMILIES AND RESCUE WORKERS LAST NIGHT AND VISITED THE MEMORIAL, KEEPING A COMMITMENT, AS HE HAS FOR 30 YEARS. WE THANK HIM ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA CITY FOR THAT COMMITMENT. WE SHARE A FRIENDSHIP AND A BOND WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON THAT TRANSCENDS POLITICS, AND WE WILL NEVER FORGET THAT. HE KEPT HIS WORD. THANK YOU AS WELL TO GOVERNOR KEATING, MAYOR NORICK CARRIE WATKINS, AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE KEPT THIS CITY’S COMMITMENT TO THOSE WHO NEEDED SUPPORT THESE PAST 30 YEARS. 30 YEARS IS AN INFLECTION POINT. NO DOUBT. TEN YEARS IS THE BLINK OF AN EYE. 20 YEARS IS STILL LESS THAN A GENERATION, BUT 30 YEARS HITS DIFFERENT. MANY OF US NOW HAVE TO ADMIT THERE ARE MORE YESTERDAYS FOR US THAN THERE ARE TOMORROWS. PERHAPS THAT REALITY REMINDS US THAT IN ADDITION TO THE OBLIGATION I SPOKE OF THAT WE HAVE TO THE FAMILIES MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED, WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER RELATED OBLIGATION IN OKLAHOMA CITY, AND THIS OBLIGATION IS TIMELESS AND IT WILL OUTLIVE US. AND THAT IS THE OBLIGATION TO SPEAK AND ACT AGAINST THE FORCES THAT CREATED THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THIS ACT OF EVIL, AND REALLY FOR ALL ACTS OF EVIL ACROSS HUMAN HISTORY, EVEN WHEN THE PERSONAL REMEMBRANCES HAVE FADED, THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY WILL STILL HAVE A SCAR IN OUR DOWNTOWN, A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE USED TO GO TO WORK SERVING THEIR NEIGHBORS. THE SITE OF THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING IS NOW PEACEFUL AND SHADED BY TALL, BEAUTIFUL TREES, BUT THE JAGGED EDGES OF CONCRETE THAT SURROUND IT REMIND US THAT IT IS A SCAR, A SYMBOL OF WHAT HUMANS CAN DO TO EACH OTHER, WHEN THEY DO NOT SEEK TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER, WHEN THEY FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SHARED HUMANITY, WHEN THEY DEHUMANIZE EACH OTHER, WHEN THEY ENTERTAIN CONSPIRACY THEORIES, WHEN THEY ARE WILLING TO ACT OUTSIDE OF PEACEFUL DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES, EVEN TO COMMIT VIOLENCE, AND WHEN THEY LET EXTREMISM ROT THEIR BRAINS TO THE POINT WHERE EVEN A CHILD IS A SOLDIER IN THEIR IMAGINED WAR. HUMANS ARE HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO EVER FULLY SHED OUR CAPACITY FOR EVIL. BUT EVIL CAN BE ANSWERED AND KEPT AT BAY. EVIL MUST BE ANSWERED, AND THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY MUST ALWAYS BE THE PROTECTORS OF A COMMITMENT TO DO SO. PERHAPS TODAY, ON THIS 30TH ANNIVERSARY, LIKE A RELAY RUNNER IN ONE OF OUR MEMORIAL MARATHONS, WE ARE BEGINNING TO PASS THE BATON OF THAT COMMITMENT. AND THAT BATON OF COMMITMENT WILL BE KEPT BY PJ ALLEN, REBECCA AND BRANDON DENNY, JOSEPH WEBB, NAKIA MCLOUD AND CHRIS NGUYEN. THE SIX CHILDREN WHO SURVIVED THE BOMBING. IT WILL BE KEPT BY CLINT SEIDEL, CHRISTA DAHL. DINA MULLEN, HILLARY JOHNSON, BEYONCE THOMAS AND THE 249 CHILDREN WHO LOST ONE OR BOTH PARENTS THAT DAY. THOSE ARE THE YOUNGEST AMONG US WHO WERE WHO BORE DIRECT WITNESS. BUT THIS COMMITMENT WILL ALSO BE KEPT BY THOSE WHO ARE TOO YOUNG TO HAVE BORNE WITNESS. IT WILL BE CARRIED BY THE 38 MEMBERS OF THE MEMORIAL TEEN BOARD. IT WILL BE KEPT BY MY KIDS, GEORGE AND MAGGIE, WHO ARE NOW ALMOST THE AGE I WAS WHEN THE BOMBING HAPPENED. THEY HOST A VIDEO ABOUT THE BOMBING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS YOU CAN FIND ON YOUTUBE. IT WILL BE KEPT BY YOUR KIDS AND YOUR GRANDKIDS. IT WILL BE KEPT BY THE PEOPLE WHO WILL STAND HERE ON THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY AND THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY, WHEN EVERYONE HERE WILL TURN TOWARDS A WHEELCHAIR ON STAGE AND ASK THE LAST REMAINING SURVIVOR WHAT IT WAS LIKE. EVEN THEN, WHEN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TOMORROWS WILL HAVE PASSED. THIS COMMITMENT BY THE PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA CITY TO STAND AGAINST EVIL MUST ENDURE. I THANK EACH OF YOU AND THOSE WHO WILL FOLLOW FOR YOUR COMMITMENT, FOR IT WILL REQUIRE ALL THE TOMORROWS THAT LIE AHEAD. THANK YOU. MAYOR HOLT, THANK YOU ALWAYS FOR YOUR STRONG WORDS TODAY FROM THIS PAST SEPTEMBER AND THROUGH DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR, THE JOURNEY OF HOPE TOUR IS VISITING ALL 77 COUNTIES. THIS PROGRAM BY THE MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM IS INSPIRING STUDENTS, INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO EMBODY THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD AND TO LEARN THE STORY OF APRIL 19TH. FUNDING THROUGH THE OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE AND A STRONG PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GOVERNOR AND THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, PLAYING A KEY ROLE. WE THANK OUR GOVERNOR FOR SUPPORTING OUR JOURNEY OF HOPE TOUR TO ALL 77 COUNTIES. THAT CARRIES THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE, A DAY OF DARKNESS, YEARS OF LIGHT. REPRESENTING OUR STATE. GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, DOCTOR CHAMBERS, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORDS. MAYOR. WE GATHER HERE TODAY WITH HEAVY HEARTS AND UNWAVERING GRATITUDE AS WE MARK THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING, AN ACT OF UNIMAGINABLE VIOLENCE THAT CHANGED OUR CITY, OUR STATE, AND OUR NATION FOREVER. ON APRIL 19TH, 1995, AT 9:02 A.M., 168 INNOCENT LIVES WERE TAKEN FROM US. AMONG THEM WERE CHILDREN, GOVERNMENT WORKERS, VETERANS, MOTHERS, FATHERS, AND FRIENDS. BUT AMID THAT HEARTBREAK, SOMETHING POWERFUL EMERGED IN THE SMOKE AND RUBBLE. IN THE CHAOS AND SORROW WE SAW THE VERY BEST OF OKLAHOMA. WE SAW HELPERS, PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T WAIT TO BE ASKED WHO RAN TOWARDS DANGER, WHO GAVE WITHOUT HESITATION. FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS. EMTS. NURSES. CLERGY AND EVERYDAY CITIZENS ANSWERED THE CALL. PEOPLE LIKE TERRENCE YEAKEY AND JIM RAMSEY OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND JOHN HANSON OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY RAN INTO THE RUBBLE TO SAVE THEIR FELLOW OKLAHOMANS. DOCTOR WILLIAM FABRY AND DEBBIE ATTERBY. THEY WORKED TIRELESSLY TO TREAT THE WOUNDED. DOZENS OF PASTORS AND CHAPLAINS SHOWED UP AND PRAYED WITH THE GRIEVING AND THE HOURS AND THE DAYS AFTER THE TRAGEDY. OKLAHOMANS GAVE BLOOD. THEY OPENED THEIR HOMES. THIS SPIRIT OF COMPASSION AND COURAGE CAME TO BE KNOWN AS THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD, A COMMITMENT TO SERVICE, HONOR, AND KINDNESS THAT HAS SHAPED WHO WE ARE AS A PEOPLE. AND AS SCRIPTURE REMINDS US IN GALATIANS SIX TWO. CARRY EACH OTHER’S BURDENS, AND IN THIS WAY YOU WILL FULFILL THE LAW OF CHRIST. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT OKLAHOMANS DID ON THAT DAY AND EVERY DAY SINCE. WE HONOR THE HEROES OF APRIL 19TH. WE ALSO HONOR THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO HELP THOSE WHO STAYED, THE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS, THE TEACHERS, AND THE PASTORS, THE CITY WORKERS, AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS. THOSE WHO CARRIED THE BURDENS OF THAT DAY QUIETLY, FAITHFULLY, YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND TO THE FAMILIES, TO THE SURVIVORS, THE CHILDREN WHO GREW UP WITHOUT A PARENT, TO THE SPOUSES WHO REBUILT LIFE IN SHADOWS OF LOSS. YOU ARE THE EMBODIMENT OF RESILIENCE. YOU HAVE TURNED PAIN INTO PURPOSE AND SORROW INTO STRENGTH. THE OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL STANDS AS A TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO LOST. WHO THOSE WE LOST, BUT ALSO TO THOSE WHO HELPED. IT REMINDS US NOT ONLY OF THE HORROR OF THAT MORNING, BUT OF THE HOPE THAT FOLLOWED. AS ROMANS 1221 SAYS, DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD. OKLAHOMA DID JUST THAT. WE CHOSE HOPE OVER HATE, UNITY OVER FEAR. COMPASSION OVER CHAOS. WE ALSO REMEMBER THAT THE HELP THE HELPERS DIDN’T STOP IN 1995. THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD CONTINUES. EVERY TIME A NEIGHBOR STEPS UP, EVERY TIME A TRAGEDY IS MET WITH OPEN ARMS, EVERY TIME WE CHOOSE KINDNESS OVER INDIFFERENCE TO THE YOUNGER OKLAHOMANS HERE TODAY. YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER THAT MORNING, BUT YOU LIVE IN A STATE FOREVER SHAPED BY IT. YOU ARE THE NEXT STEWARTS OF THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD. SO TODAY, LET US PAUSE AND REFLECT NOT ONLY ON WHAT WE LOST. BUT ON WHAT WE BUILT IN THE WAKE OF TRAGEDY. LET US RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO HELPING OTHERS, TO SERVING WITHOUT SEEKING RECOGNITION. TO CARRY ONE’S ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS AND TO LIVING WITH THE SAME COMPASSION THAT DEFINED. APRIL 19TH, 1995. TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS, THE FAMILIES, THE SURVIVORS, AND THE CITIZENS WHO SHOWED US THE POWER OF LOVE IN THE FACE OF EVIL. WE THANK YOU. WE HONOR YOU. MAY WE NEVER FORGET THE 168 LIVES LOST. MAY WE NEVER FORGET THE CHILDREN. AND WE NEVER. MAY WE NEVER FORGET THE LIGHT THAT BROKE THROUGH THE DARKNESS OF THAT DAY. MAY GOD BLESS THEIR MEMORY. MAY GOD BLESS ALL WHO CONTINUE TO SERVE. AND MAY GOD BLESS THE GREAT STATE OF OKLAHOMA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, GOVERNOR STITT. LAST WEEK, UNITED STATES SENATOR JAMES LANKFORD AND US CONGRESSWOMAN STEPHANIE BICE HOSTED A COMMEMORATIVE SURVIVOR TREE DEDICATION ON THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL GROUNDS. JOINED BY FAMILY MEMBERS, SURVIVORS AND LEADERS FROM THE MEMORIAL AND THE OKLAHOMA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, A SAPLING FROM THE SURVIVOR TREE WAS PLANTED. THE LOCATION OF THIS TREE SERVES AS A PLACE FOR EVERY AMERICAN TO REFLECT AND REMEMBER THE IMPACT OF APRIL 19TH, 1995. THE SURVIVOR TREE A LIVING AMERICAN ELM, STANDS AS A SYMBOL OF STRENGTH, HEALING, AND THE ENDURING OKLAHOMA STANDARD. SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OUR NATION IS UNITED STATES SENATOR JAMES LANKFORD. MANY OF YOU GOT UP VERY, VERY EARLY THIS MORNING TO BE ABLE TO GET HERE. STOOD IN LINE IN THE COLD RAIN BECAUSE WE ARE DETERMINED NOT TO FORGET. MANY OF YOU ARE THE LIVING LEGACY OF THOSE THAT WE LOST. SO YOU GATHER EVERY YEAR TO REMEMBER. SOME OF YOU BEAR THE SCARS BECAUSE YOU ARE A SURVIVOR. AND YOU CANNOT FORGET FROM DAY TO DAY. AND THERE ARE MANY FIRST RESPONDERS THAT ARE HERE THAT WHEN THEY RETURN TO THIS DAY, THEY REMEMBER AGAIN THE DAYS AND DAYS THAT THEY SPENT SERVING. THERE’S VERY LIKELY, AS THERE USUALLY IS, SOMEONE THAT’S A RESCUE WORKER THAT CAME HERE. THAT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU HAVE RETURNED. WE WILL REMEMBER WITH YOU TODAY. AND WE’RE DETERMINED TO DO THAT. THIS PAST WEEK, I WAS VISITING WITH A STAFF MEMBER WHO SAID TO ME THAT NOT ONLY WAS SHE NOT ALIVE WHEN THE BOMBING HAPPENED, HER PARENTS WEREN’T EVEN MARRIED YET. YES, THAT MADE ME FEEL OLD. BUT IT WAS ALSO A REMINDER AGAIN, OF THE IMPORTANCE OF US GATHERING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO GENERATION THAT RISES UP, THAT DOES NOT REMEMBER THAT WE CONTINUE TO REMIND EACH OTHER THAT WE HAVE LEARNED THE LESSONS OF HATRED, OF ANGER, OF HOPE, OF LOVE, OF SACRIFICE, OF GRATITUDE, AND OF RESILIENCE. AND WE NEED TO PASS THOSE LESSONS ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY LEARN THE LESSONS OF HISTORY. THE NATION WAS SHOCKED 30 YEARS AGO TODAY WHEN WE SAW THE DEVASTATION, THE LOSS. WE LOST CHILDREN AND NEIGHBORS, AND WE LOST FEDERAL EMPLOYEES THAT WERE JUST SITTING AT THEIR DESK SERVING THEIR FELLOW AMERICANS. ON A WEDNESDAY MORNING. WE ASKED WHY. WE WONDERED WHO WE HAD BECOME. AND WE FOUND PRACTICAL WAYS TO SERVE PEOPLE. AS THE FLAGS WENT TO HALF MAST. LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRST RESPONDERS AND VOLUNTEERS BY THE THOUSANDS CAME OUT THAT DAY. WE LOSE TRACK OF THIS. BUT THE FBI CONDUCTED MORE THAN 28,000 INTERVIEWS, FOLLOWED 43,000 INVESTIGATIVE LEADS, AND AMASSED THREE AND A HALF TONS OF EVIDENCE TO BE ABLE TO PROSECUTE THAT CASE. THEY REVIEWED NEARLY A BILLION PIECES OF INFORMATION. WE’RE STILL GRATEFUL TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED IN SO MANY WAYS. WE’RE EVEN GRATEFUL TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT’S LITERALLY STANDING IN THE RAIN OUTSIDE THIS BUILDING TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO KEEP US SAFE HERE IN THIS PLACE. SO WE GATHER TO REMEMBER. THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THEY LEFT OUT OF SLAVERY AND CAPTIVITY, AND THEY CROSSED OVER THE JORDAN RIVER. AND WHEN THEY CROSSED OVER THE JORDAN, GOD INSTRUCTED THEM WITH THESE WORDS. THIS IS FROM JOSHUA CHAPTER FOUR. HE SAID, IN THE FUTURE, WHEN YOUR CHILDREN ASK YOU, WHAT DO THESE STONES MEAN? BECAUSE THEY GATHERED STONES AND PUT THEM ON THE SIDE OF THE RIVER. AFTER THEY CROSSED. AND HE SAID, WHAT DO THESE STONES MEAN? TELL YOUR CHILDREN THAT THE FLOW OF THE JORDAN WAS CUT OFF BEFORE THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD, WHEN IT CROSSED THE JORDAN, THE WATERS OF THE JORDAN WERE CUT OFF. THESE STONES ARE TO BE A MEMORIAL TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL FOREVER. WEEKS AGO, AS SUSAN MENTIONED, OR JUST LAST WEEK, I GUESS NOW WHEN WE PLANTED THE THE SAPLING OF THE SURVIVOR TREE ON THE CAPITOL LAWN, IT WAS VERY INTENTIONAL. IT’S ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CAPITOL, DIRECTLY NEXT TO A PATH. THERE’S A THERE’S A PLAQUE THAT PLAQUE. IT REMINDS PEOPLE OF WHY THAT TREE IS THERE. IT’S SURROUNDED BY 200 YEAR OLD TREES THERE ON THE CAPITOL LAWN. AND IN THE CENTURIES TO COME, THAT PLAQUE WILL REMAIN. AND THAT SAPLING WILL GROW ONTO A BEAUTIFUL TREE THAT WILL LOOK LIKE OUR SURVIVOR TREE. AND PEOPLE FOR GENERATIONS IN THE FUTURE WILL WALK THE WEST SIDE OF THE CAPITOL AND WILL REFLECT ON WHAT HAPPENED HERE. NO MATTER WHAT YEAR THEY STOPPED TO LOOK AT IT, AND THEY WILL TELL THE STORY OF OUT OF CONTROL HATRED AND IRRATIONAL ACTS AGAINST A GOVERNMENT AND AGAINST AND IT WILL REMIND US OF WHAT WE’RE CAPABLE OF, BUT IT WILL ALSO REMIND PEOPLE OF THE PEOPLE OF OKLAHOMA AND WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF. AS WE LOVE, AS WE FORGIVE, AS WE SET A TONE FOR THE REST OF THE NATION TO SAY, THIS IS HOW WE DEAL WITH ISSUES WHERE WE DISAGREE AND RESOLVE. SOMETHING WE NEED AS A NATION. AS WE GATHER THIS EXCEPTIONALLY WET DAY BEFORE EASTER. WE’LL TELL TODAY OUR CHILDREN AND PEOPLE HERE WHY THIS MEMORIAL STANDS AND WHAT WE HAVE PERSONALLY LEARNED FROM THIS TIME PERIOD. I STOOD WITH SOME FOLKS THAT HAD NOT BEEN AT THE MEMORIAL JUST A FEW DAYS AGO AT SUNSET, AND I LEARNED A NEW THING ABOUT THE MEMORIAL. EVEN AS I STOOD WITH THEM. I STOOD AT THE SURVIVOR TREE AROUND SUNDOWN AND TOLD THEM THE STORY ABOUT THAT TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORY. BATS FLEW OUT OF THE TREE, AND I LEARNED A NEW THING. THERE ARE BATS THAT LIVE IN THE SURVIVOR TREE. YES, I JUMPED. LET’S SET THE EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE NATION. LET’S TELL THEM OUR STORY AGAIN SO THAT THE NATION DOESN’T FORGET. LET’S TEACH THE NATION HOW TO LET’S REMIND EACH OTHER OF DARK DAYS IN THE PAST AND HOW GOD WALKS WITH US THROUGH THOSE DARK DAYS. EVEN IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW. GOD DOES NOT FORGET US, AND WE WILL NOT FORGET. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SENATOR LANKFORD, FOR JOINING US TO REMEMBER. MUSIC PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN OUR HEALING AFTER THE BOMBING. AND THROUGHOUT THESE 30 YEARS. WHEN THE MEMORIAL WAS DEDICATED ON APRIL 19TH, 2000. 25 YEARS AGO, THE SONG TITLED HOLY GROUND WAS PERFORMED. THIS SONG CONVEYS A SENSE OF REVERENCE AND AWE TOWARD A SACRED PLACE LIKE THIS SACRED GROUND. WE GATHER NEAR TODAY. WE ARE STANDING. ON HOLY. GROUND. AND. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ANGELS ALL AROUND. THAT PRAISE. OUR. GOD. NOW. FOR. WE ARE. IN HIS PRESENCE. ON HOLY GROUND. THIS IS HOLY. GROUND. ON HOLY. FOR THE LORD IS HERE. AND WHERE HE IS IS HOLY. THIS IS GROUND. WHERE? STANDING ON HOLY GROUND. GROUND. FOR THE LORD IS HERE. AND WHERE HE IS. IS HOLY. CAN WE STAND AND SING THIS TOGETHER TODAY? ARE STILL. THESE? ARE HOLY GROUND. IS. I KNOW. THAT THERE ARE ANGELS. ALL. PRAISE. OUR GOD. NOW. OUR. GOD NOW. LET US PRAISE. OUR. GOD NOW. WE ARE. STAND IN HIS PRESENCE. ON HOLY. GROUND. THANK YOU. PLEASE BE SEATED. JORDAN. AFTER THE BOMBING, PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON OFFERED THE RESOURCES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHILE ALLOWING OUR STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS TO LEAD THE RESCUE AND RECOVERY EVENTS. NEVER BEFORE HAD FEDERAL, STATE AND CITY GOVERNMENTS WORK TOGETHER SO SEAMLESSLY. WE FLY THE CITY, STATE AND UNITED STATES FLAGS ON THE PLAZA OVERLOOKING THE FIELD OF EMPTY CHAIRS AND IN FRONT OF THE MUSEUM EVERY DAY TO HONOR THIS SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION. WE THANK MAYOR NORWICH, GOVERNOR KEATING AND PRESIDENT CLINTON FOR THEIR CLARITY, THEIR DECISIVENESS, THEIR COURAGE, PASSION AND HUMILITY. JUST AS SIGNIFICANT WAS THE MESSAGE THE PRESIDENT PROVIDED AND THE PRESENCE THAT HE AND MRS. CLINTON BROUGHT TO THE MEMORIAL PRAYER SERVICE JUST DAYS AFTER THE BOMBING. IN HIS REMARKS, HE PROMISED THAT AMERICA WOULD NEVER FORGET, AND HE’S KEPT THAT PROMISE BY MARKING HIS EIGHTH VISIT TO THE MEMORIAL TO HONOR THE 168 WHO WERE KILLED AND TO THANK THOSE INVOLVED IN THE RECOVERY EFFORTS. THE MEMORIAL WAS HONORED TO TAKE PART IN A PANEL OF LEADERS AT THE CLINTON LIBRARY LAST WEEK REGARDING THE EVENTS OF APRIL 19TH, 1995. PRESIDENT CLINTON, YOU SAID IN 1995, FOR AS MANY TOMORROWS AS IT TAKES, WE WILL STAND WITH YOU AND YOU HAVE. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME BACK OUR FRIEND, PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON. HALL PARK. THANK YOU. PLEASE. I’VE HAD THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE. I’VE BEEN WATCHING ON THE MONITOR. I WANT TO THANK. FIRST OF ALL. DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTION AND FOR YOUR WONDERFUL WORK. AND. I HAD A NICE VISIT WITH A PASTOR IN THE MUSIC ROOM. AND THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR HOLT AND GOVERNOR KEATING. MAYOR. NORWICH. SENATOR LANKFORD. GOVERNOR. STITT. CHAPLAIN. WILSON. AND JORDAN SMITH, THANK YOU FOR. SINGING ONE OF MY FAVORITE HYMNS. THE GUY THAT WROTE THAT. HYMN. WAS THE MUSIC DIRECTOR OF A PENTECOSTAL CHURCH IN LOUISIANA, WHOSE PASTOR WAS ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS. AND I LOVED SINGING IT. AND IT WAS SUNG AT MY MOTHER’S FUNERAL. SO. THIS HAS BEEN VERY MOVING FOR ME. LISTENING TO ALL OF YOU AND REMEMBERING. 30 YEARS AGO, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT DAY WHEN I WOKE UP. I WENT JOGGING WITH THE WINNERS OF THE BOSTON MARATHON, GIVING ME THE ILLUSION AND ILLUSION. IT WAS THAT I WAS SOMEHOW PRETTY FIT. AND. THEN I GOT. BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE DEVASTATING NEWS. THAT TRUCK BOMB. AS YOU ALL KNOW BETTER THAN I CLAIMED, 168 LIVES. 19 OF THEM WERE LITTLE CHILDREN IN THE BUILDINGS, DAYCARE CENTER. I ALWAYS LIKE TO START WITH THAT WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE BECAUSE. A LOT OF TIMES FANATIC WILL TELL YOU I’M SORRY, THIS, THAT OR THE OTHER THING HAD TO HAPPEN. BUT YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE COLLATERAL DAMAGE SOMETIMES TO MAKE A STATEMENT. I NEVER HAVE HEARD ANYBODY SAY THAT WHO HAD TO LIVE WITH THE DAMAGE. MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR JOBS, I MEAN, THEIR LIVES WERE PUBLIC SERVANTS, AS WE ALL KNOW. THEY GOT AMAZING COVERAGE AFTER THIS HAPPENED. ABOUT WHAT THEY DID EVERY DAY. AS A MATTER OF CHOICE, SHOWING UP FOR WORK TO DO BUSINESS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THEY HELPED VETERANS AND FARMERS AND THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED. THEY HELPED TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY SAFE. ONE OF THE SECRET SERVICE AGENTS, AL WITCHER, WHO LOST HIS LIFE, WAS A MEMBER OF MY DETAIL. AND HE LEFT ME, AND HE WAS VERY POPULAR AND VERY GOOD AT WHAT HE DID. BUT HE HAD A FAMILY AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU TRAVEL TOO MUCH. I WANT TO BE HOME MORE. AND OKLAHOMA CITY WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO RAISE MY KIDS. ALL OF US WHO KNEW HIM THOUGHT HE WAS GOING ON A MUCH SAFER JOURNEY. WHICH SHOWS YOU HOW LITTLE ANY OF US CAN KNOW ABOUT WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING. THAT BOMBING? PROFOUNDLY SHOOK THE COUNTRY. AND DID MORE TO ALL OF YOU. BUT IN THE END, IT BROUGHT OUT THE BEST IN AMERICA. FIRST RESPONDERS, DOCTORS, NURSES, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS FROM ALL ACROSS AMERICA PUT THEIR OWN LIVES ON HOLD AND SHOWED UP HERE. MY FEMA DIRECTOR, JAMES LEE WITT, WOULD CALL ME DAILY AND JUST GIVE ME, HE SAID. THIS GROUP SHOWED UP, THAT GROUP SHOWED UP. HE SAID, YOU CAN’T BELIEVE IT. THEY’RE JUST APPEARING. AND I SAID, WELL, YOUR JOB IS TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THE LOCAL PEOPLE MAKE FULL USE OF THEM. AND WE TALKED ABOUT. HOW THRILLING IT WAS. AND I STILL RUN INTO PEOPLE ALL AROUND WHO TELL ME THEY WENT TO OKLAHOMA CITY AND HOW GRATEFUL THEY ARE AFTER ALL THIS TIME, THAT THEY HAD THE CHANCE TO DO IT. THERE WERE OTHER THINGS. A LOT OF DONATIONS CAME IN. WE ALL REMEMBER THE DRAWINGS OF SCHOOLCHILDREN THAT WERE FEATURED FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE CARDS, THE TEDDY BEARS. THE PENNIES. EVERYBODY FOUND THEIR WAY TO SAY SOMETHING THAT WAS HUMANE AND SUPPORTIVE. THE DOMESTIC TERRORISTS WHO DID THIS AWFUL THING. BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD SPARK A NATIONWIDE UPHEAVAL. AGAINST THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. AND WOULD EVENTUALLY DESTROY OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR DEMOCRACY. AND OUR WAY OF LIFE. INSTEAD, YOU GAVE THEM, AS THE MAYOR SAID SO ELOQUENTLY, THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD. YOU GAVE THEM. SERVICE, HONOR, AND KINDNESS. I KNOW OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS. YOU ARE PROBABLY MANAGING YOUR LOSSES BETTER, BUT I KNOW THE PAIN HAS NEVER GONE AWAY. I KNOW YOU STILL MISS THE PEOPLE YOU LOST. BUT BY CONTINUING. TO LOVE THEM AND HONOR THEM. AND WORKING TO REBUILD YOUR OWN LIVES AND THE LIVES OF THIS COMMUNITY. YOU’VE GONE A LONG WAY. TO REDEEM THE LIVES THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO LIVE. AND JUST AS IMPORTANT, YOU HAVE GIVEN AMERICA A VERY GREAT GIFT. EVERY YEAR. WE GET TOGETHER AND REAFFIRM YOUR MODEL OF HOW, DESPITE ALL OF OUR DIFFERENCES. IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED, WE’VE GOT A FEW. IN SPITE OF ALL OF THEM. WE CAN STILL FIND A WAY TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER WITH. THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD. SERVICE. HONOR. KINDNESS. DID IT WORK? ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AROUND. I MEAN, THE DIFFERENCE, JUST THE PHYSICAL DIFFERENCE IN BEING IN THIS CITY TODAY AND 30 YEARS AGO IS BREATHTAKING. BUT EVERY TIME I’M HERE. I TALK TO PEOPLE WHO SERVED IN RESTAURANTS OR WORKING WITH WHATEVER HOTEL I’M STAYING IN, OR JUST PEOPLE. AND I SAY, YOU LIKE LIVING HERE? AND THEY JUST FEEL LIKE THEY’RE WALKING WITH A LITTLE SPRING IN THEIR STEP BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY LIVE IN A PLACE THAT THEY CAN BE PROUD OF. SO I DID MY ANECDOTAL POLL LAST NIGHT AND TODAY, AND YOU’RE STILL WINNING. I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT. BECAUSE. IN RECENT YEARS. THE COUNTRY HAS GROWN MORE POLARIZED. AND ON THAT AWFUL DAY 30 YEARS AGO, YOU WERE THE CENTER OF THE POLARIZATION. NOW LOOK WHAT YOU’VE BUILT. AND YET WE HAVE THESE. DIFFERENCES. AND IT SEEMS TO ME I LISTEN TO THIS A LOT BECAUSE I’M OLD AND I CAN’T RUN FOR ANYTHING ANYMORE. AND I ALWAYS KID. I’M ALMOST AS OLD AS PRESIDENT TRUMP. BUT BUT. THE. IF YOU LISTEN TO A LOT OF WHAT I READ AND HEAR TODAY, IT’S LIKE THESE EVERYBODY’S ARGUING ABOUT WHOSE RESENTMENTS MATTER MOST. WHOSE RESENTMENTS ARE MORE VALID. WHEN IS IT OKAY TO STRETCH THE TRUTH A LITTLE BIT, TO INCREASE YOUR ADVANTAGE? IF OUR LIVES ARE GOING TO BE DOMINATED BY THE EFFORT TO DOMINATE PEOPLE, WE DISAGREE WITH. WE’RE GOING TO PUT THE 250 YEAR OLD MARCH TOWARD A MORE PERFECT UNION AT RISK. NONE OF US WOULD EVER GET MUCH DONE. BELIEVE ME, WE’VE ALL GOT SOMETHING TO BE MAD ABOUT. SOMETHING LEGITIMATE TO BE MAD ABOUT. YOU MADE A DIFFERENT DECISION. SO. MY ADVICE TO AMERICA TODAY IS THAT WE WERE THERE FOR YOU WHEN YOU NEEDED US. AMERICA NEEDS YOU, AND AMERICA NEEDS THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD. AND IF WE ALL LIVE BY IT, WE’D BE A LOT BETTER OFF. WE WOULD. WE WOULD GET A FAIRER ECONOMY, A MORE STABLE SOCIETY. WE WOULD UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER AND WE WOULDN’T FEEL WEAK IF WE ADMITTED WE WERE WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING. DOES YOU GOOD EVERY NOW AND THEN TO ADMIT YOU’RE WRONG. YOU KNOW I DID. THIS CHURCH WOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS IF NOBODY EVER DID ANYTHING WRONG. WE’RE LAUGHING. BUT YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE. AND SO I ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT. I THINK ALL THE TIME. ABOUT THE BREATHTAKING CHANGES YOU MADE HERE. BECAUSE OF HOW YOU DECIDED TO RESPOND. AND THIS IS HARD WORK. PRESIDENT EISENHOWER, WHO I THINK WAS UNDERRATED FOR SEVERAL YEARS. SAID THAT HE WORRIED ABOUT WHETHER DEMOCRACY COULD LAST IN AMERICA BECAUSE IT REQUIRED, IN THE END, SUCH CONCENTRATION AND DISCIPLINE AND THE WILLINGNESS NOT TO DO THINGS AS WELL AS TO DO THEM. BUT WHEN WE COME HERE. BECAUSE YOU LOST SO MUCH. YOU ARE ABLE TO. FEEL. WHAT YOU COULD DO TO MAKE IT BETTER, TO MAKE IT DIFFERENT, TO REALLY BUILD SOMETHING INSTEAD OF JUST KEEP TEARING DOWN. AND I AND YOU HAVE DONE IT. AND I CAME HERE TODAY IN PART JUST TO SAY TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, LOOK AT THIS. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WITH SERVICE AND HONOR AND KINDNESS PUT TOGETHER. AND. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE USE THE PHRASE MORE PERFECT UNION IN SPEECHES BECAUSE IT HAS A NICE RING TO IT. AND THE FOUNDERS PLEDGED THAT THEY WERE GETTING ORGANIZED TO GIVE US A MORE PERFECT UNION. BUT IT’S 18TH CENTURY LANGUAGE. THE MODERN MEANING IS, HEY FOLKS, LET’S FACE IT, WE ARE NOT PERFECT AND WE ARE NEVER GOING TO BE PERFECT. BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER. AND SO WE HAD TO SHED ALL THE BAGGAGE THAT KEEPS US FROM DOING BETTER. THAT’S WHAT WE OWE. 30 YEARS LATER, THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THAT’S WHAT WE OWE THE FAMILIES. THE PEOPLE WHO SURVIVED THEM. I WISH I COULD LIVE 30 MORE YEARS TO SEE WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. BECAUSE IN SPITE OF ALL THIS BEST POSITIONED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. IF WE DON’T BLOW IT. IF WE DON’T FORGET HOW YOU GOT FROM 30 YEARS AGO TO TODAY. AND. IT IS TRUE THAT I WAS. I STILL REMEMBER AS IF IT WERE 30 MINUTES AGO, COMING HERE WITH HILLARY TO THAT MEMORIAL SERVICE AND SAYING, YOU HAVE LOST TOO MUCH, BUT YOU HAVE NOT LOST EVERYTHING. YOU HAVE CERTAINLY NOT LOST AMERICA. AND WE WILL BE WITH YOU FOR AS MANY TOMORROWS AS IT TAKES. I DO THINK WE KEPT THAT COMMITMENT. LORD KNOWS WE TRIED, BUT TODAY OKLAHOMA CITY, AMERICA NEEDS YOU. I WISH TO GOODNESS EVERY AMERICAN COULD JUST SEE LIFE UNFOLD HERE. HEAR THESE STORIES. LISTEN, YOU KNOW I LOVE I LOVE SITTING BACKSTAGE AND LISTENING TO FRANK KEATING. I WONDERED IF HE MISSED HIS CALLING, IF HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A PREACHER. BUT AT THE TIME, HE WAS A GOOD CATHOLIC BOY AND THERE WASN’T A BIG SPACE FOR HIM THERE. AND SOME OF YOU WERE WITH US LAST NIGHT, LAUGHED WHEN I TOLD THE STORY ABOUT HOW HE BEAT MY BRAINS OUT IN A STUDENT CONTEST AT GEORGETOWN. WHEN WE WERE BOTH THERE. IT’S IMPORTANT NOT TO FORGET. THAT. WE ALL DO OUR BEST TO FIND OUR WAY THROUGH LIFE. NONE OF US WILL BE RIGHT ALL THE TIME. AND HERE WE ARE. THE DAY BEFORE EASTER, I WANT TO SAY JUST ONE THING ABOUT THIS. IN SAINT PAUL’S FAMOUS LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS, WHERE HE DESCRIBES WHAT LOVE IS, WHICH IS OFTEN READ AT MARRIAGES, WEDDINGS, WRONGLY, BECAUSE THE WORD FOR LOVE. IS AGAPE, WHICH MEANS LOVE OF YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEING. AND WE ALL MEMORIZE AS KIDS, ALL OF US WHO WERE CHRISTIANS. NOW BYARS FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE, WHICH WAS CHARITY IN THE OLD EDITIONS OF THE BIBLE. BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE. HOW COULD LOVE BE EVEN GREATER THAN FAITH? BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF HUMAN LIFE. THE END I LOVE THIS. IT’S MY FAVORITE. IT’S THE ONLY THING THAT I THINK EVERY POLITICIAN IN THE WORLD OF ANY RELIGION WOULD BENEFIT FROM INTERNALIZING. WHERE SAINT PAUL COMPARES LIFE ON EARTH. FLEETING THOUGH IT IS WITH ETERNAL AFTERLIFE WITH GOD. AND HE SAYS, NOW WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY, BUT THEN FACE TO FACE. NOW I KNOW IN PART. BUT THEN I WILL KNOW, EVEN AS I AM KNOWN. AND NOW ABIDETH FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE. THESE THREE BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE. WHY? BECAUSE WE CANNOT HAVE PERFECT KNOWLEDGE. WE HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE THINGS THROUGH THE EYES OF GOD. AND LIKE I SAID, THAT’S WHAT KEEPS THE CHURCHES OPEN AND THE CHAPLAINS BUSY. AND THANK GOD IT DOES. BUT. WE HAVE NO IDEA. AND I CAN’T MAKE THIS NOT A TRAGEDY. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ALL 168 OF THOSE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE DONE WITH THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. BUT WE DO KNOW WHAT THEY DID THAT WAS GOOD. WE KNOW THE LOVE THAT THEY GENERATED WHICH WAS WORTHY. AND YOU MADE A CHOICE TO LIVE BY WHAT YOU CALL NOW. THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD. IT IS PERFECTLY CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMANDS OF THE SCRIPTURE. PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE FOR TOMORROW BEING EASTER. AND PERFECTLY FIT. TO ACKNOWLEDGE 30 YEARS OF TRYING TO DO WHAT PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, WHICH IS TO TAKE WHATEVER COMES AND MAKE THE BEST YOU CAN OF IT. I KNOW OF NO OTHER EXAMPLE. THAT CAN COMPARE TO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE HERE, AND I, AS A CITIZEN, AM GRATEFUL FOR IT. I’M GLAD I COULD BE THERE TO HELP A LITTLE BIT. I LOVE IT IN MY OLD AGE WHEN YOU STILL INVITE ME BACK. JUST KNOW THIS. YOU NEEDED YOUR COUNTRY. THEN. I WAS A SYMBOL OF IT. AND SO I’M GRATEFUL THAT YOU LET ME COME BACK OVER AND OVER AGAIN. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU NOW. WE HAVE ALL THESE ASSETS BEGINNING WITH OUR PEOPLE AND OUR GREAT INSTITUTIONS. ARE WE REALLY GOING TO PUT THEM AT RISK TO PROVE WE’RE ALWAYS RIGHT, AND THAT OUR RESENTMENTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN SOMEBODY ELSE’S? I WISH EVERY AMERICAN WOULD GET A COPY OF THE OKLAHOMA STANDARD IN THE MAIL ON THEIR CELL PHONES TOMORROW. I BET YOU WOULD HAVE A TERRIFIC IMPACT. DON’T GIVE UP. WE NEED YOU NOW. THANK YOU. COME ON, COME ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. PRESIDENT. PLEASE BE SEATED. AND. THANK YOU ALL. DIDN’T I TELL YOU? I HEAR WHAT YOU SAY. NEVER LOOK BACK AS YOU’RE WALKING AWAY. CARRY THE MUSIC, THE MEMORIES AND KEEP THEM INSIDE YOU. LAUGH EVERY DAY. DON’T STOP THOSE TEARS FROM FALLING DOWN. THIS IS WHO I AM INSIDE. THIS IS WHO I AM. I’M NOT GOING TO HIDE. CAUSE THE GREATEST RISK WE’LL EVER TAKE. IS BY FAR. TO STAND IN THE LIGHT AND BE SEEN. AS WE ARE. SO STAND IN THE LIGHT AND BE SEEN. WITH COURAGE AND KINDNESS. HOLD ON TO YOUR FAITH. FORGET WHAT YOU. GIVEN. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO REACH FOR THE BRANCH AND CLIMB UP. LEAVING SADNESS BEHIND. YOU. FIGHT HARD FOR LOVE. WE CAN NEVER GIVE ENOUGH. THIS IS WHO I AM. INSIDE. I’M NOT GONNA HIDE. CAUSE THE GREATEST RISK WE’LL EVER TAKE. IS BY FAR. TO STAND IN THE LIGHT. AND BE SEEN AS WE ARE. SO STAND IN THE LIGHT AND BE SEEN AS WE ARE. RIGHT IN THE STORMS THAT COME RAGING TOWARD US. WE DIE. HOLDING OUR BREATH AS WE BREAK THROUGH THE SURFACE. WITH ARMS OPEN WIDE. THIS IS WHO I AM INSIDE. THIS IS WHO I AM. I’M NOT GONNA HIDE. CAUSE THE GREATEST RISK WE’LL EVER TAKE. IS BY FAR. TO STAND IN THE LIGHT AND BE SEEN. AS WE ARE. TO STAND IN THE LIGHT AND BE SEEN AS WE ARE. LOVED. CAUSE THE GREATEST RISK WE’LL EVER TAKE. IS BY FAR. TO STAND IN THE LIGHT AND BE SEEN. AS WE ARE. STAND IN THE LIGHT AND BE SEEN WE COME HERE TO REMEMBER THOSE AT THE OKLAHOMA WATER RESOURCES BOARD BUILDING. TRUDY, JEAN RIGNEY, ROBERT IN CHIPMAN. WE REMEMBER THOSE AT THE ATHENEUM BUILDING, JOB CORPS. KATHERINE ELIZABETH RIDLEY. ANITA, CHRISTINE HIGHTOWER WE REMEMBER RESCUE WORKER. MY MOTHER, REBECCA NEEDHAM ANDERSON. WE REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE KILLED IN THE ALFRED P MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING. US SECRET SERVICE, NINTH FLOOR. ALLEN G. WITCHER. CATHY LYNN SEIDEL, LINDA G. MCKINNEY. MICKEY B MARONEY. DONALD RAY LEONARD, CYNTHIA L BROWN. WE REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, NINTH FLOOR. KENNETH GLENN MCCULLOUGH. CARRIE ANN LINZ, AND BABY MICHAEL JAMES LINZ. THE THIRD. RONA LYNN KEENER CHAFFEE. CAROL JUNE CHIP FIELDS. SHELLY D. BLAND. WE REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE KILLED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, EIGHTH FLOOR. CLARENCE EUGENE WILSON, SENIOR. FRANCES FRAN ANN WILLIAMS. MICHAEL D WEAVER. DAVID JACK WALKER. JULES, A VALDEZ. LIRA. LEE, DAVID. SCROGGINS. ANTONIO. TONY C REYES. DOCTOR. GEORGE. MICHAEL. HOWARD, DVM. SUSAN. JANE. FARRELL. KIMBERLY. K CLARK. DONALD EARL BURNS, SENIOR. DAVID. NEIL BURKETT. PETER R AVILA. NOSA. TED L ALLEN. WE REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE KILLED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, SEVENTH FLOOR. JO ANN WITTENBERG. JOHN. CARL VAN S, THE THIRD. JOHN THOMAS STEWART. TERRY. SMITH. REES. MY MOTHER, PATRICIA ANN NIX. BETSY J. MCCONNELL. JAMES, A MCCARTHY. THE SECOND. WE CONTINUE TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE KILLED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. SEVENTH FLOOR. MARY LEASURE. RENT. THERESA LEE TAYLOR LAUDERDALE. MY MOTHER, ANN KREINBERG. THOMPSON. EUGENE JEAN HODGES, JUNIOR. J COLLEEN. GILES. LINDA. LOUISE. FLORENCE. JUDY J. FRO. FISHER. CASTING. BROOKS. HEARN. DEVEREAUX. DIANA. LYNN. DE. KIM R COUSINS. ANDREA. YVETTE. BLANTON. DIANE E HOLLINGSWORTH. ALTUS. WE REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, FIFTH FLOOR. PAUL GREGORY BEATTY, BROXTERMAN. WE REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, SIXTH FLOOR. CAPTAIN RANDOLPH, A. GUZMAN. USMC. SERGEANT BENJAMIN. BENJAMIN LORENZO DAVIS, USMC. WE REMEMBER THOSE WITH THE US CUSTOMS FIFTH FLOOR. CLAUDE ARTHUR MEDEIROS. SSA. PAUL D ICE, SENIOR SPECIAL AGENT. WE REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FIFTH FLOOR. RITA BENDER, LONG. CAROL SUE KHALIL. DORIS. ADELE. HIGGINBOTTOM. RICHARD DICK CUMMINS. DOCTOR. MARGARET L, PEGGY. CLARK. JAMES E BOWLES. OLEN. BURL. BLOOMER. WE REMEMBER THOSE WITH THE US ARMY RECRUITING BATTALION, FOURTH FLOOR. WANDA LEE. WATKINS. KAYLA MARIE TITSWORTH. DOLORES D STRATTON. MASTER SERGEANT VICTORIA VICKI L SOHN. JOHN C MOSS, THE THIRD. PEGGY LOUISE HOLLAND, KAREN GIST CARR. SERGEANT FIRST CLASS. LOLA BOLDEN, US ARMY. WE REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL HIGHWAY, FOURTH FLOOR. JOHN, A YOUNGBLOOD. JOHNNY ALLEN, WADE. MY UNCLE RICK L TOMLIN. MY SISTER MICHELLE, A KREINBERG READER. JERRY LEE. PARKER. RENATA ANN NEWBERRY, WOODBRIDGE. JAMES K MARTIN. LARRY JAMES JONES. MICHAEL CARILLO. MARK ALLEN. LUCIO. ALEMAN, JR. WE REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION, THIRD FLOOR. TRACY JOE. MATHIS, WHARTON. VIRGINIA M THOMPSON. VICTORIA JEANETTE TEXTER. KAREN HOWELL SHEPHERD. SONYA LYNN SANDERS. CHRISTY. ROSAS. CLAUDINE. RITTER. JILL. DIANE. RANDOLPH. FRANKIE. ANN. MERRILL. MY SISTER. CLAUDETTE. DUKE. MEEK. CATHY. CAGLE. LEINEN. VALERIE. JO. KELCH. ALVIN J. JUSTICE. CHRISTY. YOLANDA. JENKINS. ROBIN ANN. HUFF AND BABY AMBER. DENISE HUFF. LINDA. COLLEEN. HOUSELEY. SHEILA R GEIGER. DRIVER AND BABY GREGORY IN DRIVER. THE SECOND. JAMIE FIKOWSKI. GINGER. KATHY, A FINLEY. KIMBERLY. RUTH. BURGESS. WOODROW. CLIFFORD. WOODY. BRADY. WE REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH THE DEFENSE SECURITY SERVICE. THIRD FLOOR. ROBERT G. WESTBURY. LARRY L TURNER. NORMA JEAN JOHNSON. PETER L DEMASTER. HARLEY. RICHARD. COTTINGHAM. WE REMEMBER OUR VISITOR ON THE SECOND FLOOR. SCOTT D WILLIAMS. FAMILY FROM THE AMERICA’S KIDS CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, SECOND FLOOR. COLTON WADE SMITH. CHASE. DALTON. SMITH. DOMINIQUE RIVERA. JOHNSON, LONDON. BLAKE. RYAN. KENNEDY. WANDA. LEE HOWELL. WE CONTINUE TO REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY FROM THE AMERICA’S KIDS CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, SECOND FLOOR. KEVIN LEE GOTTSHALL, THE SECOND. KEVIN DEANDRE GARRETT. TYLER SANTOY EAVES. BRENDA FAYE DANIELS. JAYCE. RAY COYNE. ELIJAH S COVERDALE. AARON M COVERDALE. ANTONIO AND SARAH COOPER. JUNIOR. ANTHONY. CHRISTOPHER. COOPER. THE SECOND. DANA. LEANNE. COOPER. ZACHARY. TAYLOR. CHAVEZ. DANIELLE. NICOLE. BELL. MISS. BAILEY. ALMON. FAMILY FROM THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. FIRST FLOOR. MICHAEL L. LOUDENSLAGER. STEVEN DOUGLAS CURRY. FAMILY FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. FIRST FLOOR. SHARON LOUISE CHESTNUT. W. STEPHEN WILLIAMS. JULIE MARIE WELCH. ROBERT N WALKER JR. LUTHER H TRAINOR. LARUE A TRAINOR. MICHAEL GEORGE. THOMPSON. MY MOTHER, CHARLOTTE. ANDREA. LEWIS. THOMAS. EMILIO. TAPIA. EULA. LEE. MITCHELL. DERWIN W MILLER. CARTNEY J. MCRAVEN. REVEREND GILBERT X MARTINEZ. ROBERT LEE LUSTER, JR. AURELIA. DONNA. LUSTER. WE CONTINUE TO REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. FIRST FLOOR. MY COUSIN, AIRMAN FIRST CLASS LAKISHA RICHARDSON LEVY. RAYMOND LEE JOHNSON. JEAN NUTTING, HERBERT. DOCTOR CHARLES E HERBERT. THOMAS. LYNN. HAWTHORNE, SENIOR. RONALD. VERNON HARDEN. SENIOR. CHERYL E HAMMOND. ETHEL L GRIFFIN. MARGARET. BETTERTON. GOODSON. LAURA. JANE. GARRISON. MARY ANN FRITZLER. DAWN. FRITZLER. ASHLEY. MEGAN. ECHOLS. CATHERINE. LOUISE. CREGAN. GABRIEL D L BRUCE. PEACH. LYNN. BRADLEY. CAROL. LOUISE. BOWERS. CASSANDRA. KAY. BOOKER. OLETA C. BIDDY. PEOLA. BATTLE. CALVIN. SANDRA G. SANDY. AVERY. PAMELA. CLEVELAND. ARGO. RICHARD A ALLEN. TERESA. ANTOINETTE. ALEXANDER. THANK YOU TO OUR READERS WHO ARE FOREVER CHANGED BY THE EVENTS OF APRIL 19TH, 1995. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CLINTON, FOR JOINING US. VISITORS TO THE MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM OFTEN SHARE A SIMILAR QUESTION. ARE WE SAFER TODAY? THE QUESTION IS THE TITLE OF A NEW EXHIBIT UNVEILED EARLIER THIS MONTH. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEND TIME AT THE EXHIBIT IF YOU TOUR THE MUSEUM TODAY. ADMISSION TO THE MUSEUM IS FREE TODAY THANKS TO COX COMMUNITY DAY. IT WILL OPEN AT 1030 AND REMAIN OPEN UNTIL 5:00 TONIGHT. WE INVITE ALL FAMILY MEMBERS, SURVIVORS AND FIRST RESPONDERS TO RECEPTION INSIDE THE MUSEUM AT 1045. AFTER YOU SPEND TIME WITH THE CHAIRS, PLEASE ENTER THROUGH THE SIXTH STREET ENTRANCE. SAPLINGS OF THE SURVIVOR TREE ARE AVAILABLE FOLLOWING TODAY’S CEREMONY IN FRONT OF THE MUSEUM. WE HOPE YOU’LL JOIN US NEXT WEEKEND FOR THE 25TH ANNUAL RUN TO REMEMBER TO CHEER ON MORE THAN 25,000 RUNNERS WHO COME HERE TO HELP US CELEBRATE LIFE AND RUN THE OKLAHOMA CITY MEMORIAL MARATHON. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WEEKEND IS FOCUSED ON THOSE WHO ARE KILLED, THOSE WHO SURVIVED, AND THOSE CHANGED FOREVER. IT’S UP TO EACH OF US TO SHARE THIS EVER RELEVANT STORY OF APRIL 19TH, 1995, AND AS WE AS A COMMUNITY FOUND LIGHT FOLLOWING OUR DARKEST DAY. AFTER TODAY’S CEREMONY, WE’RE LEAVING THESE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS TO THANK FIRST CHURCH FOR THEIR HOSPITALITY AND CELEBRATION OF EASTER HOLIDAY. THE OKLAHOMA CITY FIRE AND FIRE PIPES AND DRUMS WILL NOW LEAD YOU TO THE FIELD OF EMPTY CHAIRS. THANK YOU ALL OF YOU, FOR BEING PART OF THIS 30TH ANNIVERSARY REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY. NOW GO BE THE LIGHT. AND WATCHING LIVE THE REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY MARKING 30 YEARS SINCE THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING. WE ARE HERE JUST OUTSIDE OF FIRST CHURCH OKC. YOU’RE LISTENING LIVE. YOU CAN PROBABLY HEAR IT THROUGH MY MICROPHONE AT THE THE BAGPIPES THAT ARE NOW MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH ESCORTING THE FAMILIES, FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS, SURVIVORS OR LOVED ONES. THOSE CHANGED FOREVER. I’M GOING TO STEP OUT OF THE WAY SO YOU ALL CAN SEE THE ESCORT NOW, AND I’LL LET YOU LISTEN IN.
Remembrance ceremony honors 168 lives lost, survivors of OKC bombing 30 years later
On April 19, 1995, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City killed 168 people, including 19 children.
Updated: 12:03 PM CDT Apr 19, 2025
It’s been 30 years since one of the darkest days in Oklahoma and American history. >> Open the video player above to watch the 30th remembrance ceremony in its entirety.On April 19, 1995, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City killed 168 people, including 19 children. On Saturday, Oklahomans paused and gathered to remember the victims lost, the survivors and the lives changed forever. Former President Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker, delivering a message that America needed the Oklahoma Standard. Other speakers included Gov. Kevin Stitt, former Gov. Frank Keating, Sen. James Lankford and Mayor David Holt. “April 19, 1995, was a day of horror and tragedy. It was unbelievable for those of us who were here and there to comprehend that the devil himself walks the earth and murdered 168 of our neighbors and friends, wounded 700 of our neighbors and friends, caused damage or destruction to 320 buildings, marred the face, scraps the face, bloodies the face of the capital city of Oklahoma,” Keating said. “Incomprehensible that we could see and understand what was occurring. And we wondered how we were all going to stay together without mutual suspicion and mistrust and how could we do that. But we did. The renaissance of Oklahoma.”Video Below: From the Archives: Looking back at chaos and raw emotion, fear following Oklahoma City bombing. Click here to learn more. What happened Wednesday, April 19, 1995, is the day that changed our state and the nation forever. It started like any other day, with people getting coffees and dropping their children off at daycare before going to work. At 9:02 a.m., the metro was shaken by an explosion in downtown Oklahoma City. Within minutes, the area near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building near Northwest Fifth Street and Harvey Avenue looked like a war zone. Numerous state, local and federal agencies responded to the scene and determined that the explosion was caused by a bomb. A third of the federal building was destroyed, and more than 300 nearby buildings had some kind of damage. Video Below: Oklahoma City church leader reflects on impact of Murrah Federal Building bombing. Click here to learn more.The search for any survivors and victims quickly began inside the fragile building. Shortly into the search, authorities had to evacuate the area after what was believed to be a second bomb was discovered inside the Murrah building. That device, however, was later determined not to be a bomb. During their investigation, authorities determined that a powerful bomb comprised of agriculture fertilizer, diesel fuel and other chemicals was placed inside a Ryder truck that was left parked directly outside the Murrah Building. They learned a man, later identified as Timothy McVeigh, parked the truck there, got out, locked the door and ignited timed fuses before driving away in a getaway vehicle. Traffic stop leads to arrest Around 10:20 a.m. on April 19, 1995, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a yellow Mercury Marquis on Interstate 35 near Perry for not having license plates. During the traffic stop, the driver, Timothy McVeigh, admitted to having a handgun that he was carrying without a permit. The trooper arrested McVeigh and booked him into the Noble County Jail. While McVeigh was being held in jail, investigators found the rear axle of the Ryder truck containing the bomb. The axle had a vehicle identification number that was traced to a body shop in Junction City, Kansas. Video Below: Former Midwest City police chief describes duty following Oklahoma City bombing. Click here to learn more. After talking to employees at the body shop, the FBI put together a composite drawing of the man who rented the van. Local hotel employees then provided a name: Tim McVeigh. On April 21, the FBI learned that McVeigh was being held at the Noble County Jail. Agents found traces of chemicals used in the explosion on McVeigh’s clothes and a business card on which he wrote, “TNT @ $5/stick, need more.” Investigators learned that McVeigh had extreme ideologies against the federal government following the events during the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff in Idaho and the Waco siege at the Branch Davidian compound in 1993. They also learned that a friend, Terry Nichols, helped build the bomb and that another man, Michael Fortier, was aware of the plot. The events of the bombing have been showcased in various documentaries, including one that’s set to premiere on Netflix. The victims The bombing of the Murrah Building took the lives of 168 men, women and children, and left hundreds of others injured. Scroll through the interactive graphic below to learn more about the victims. W2lmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vaGVhcnN0dGVsZXZpc2lvbmRhdGFqb3VybmFsaXNtLmh0dmFwcHMuY29tL29rbGFob21hX21lbW9yaWFsL2luZGV4Lmh0bWwiIHNjcm9sbGluZz0ieWVzIiBmcmFtZWJvcmRlcj0iMCIgc3R5bGU9IndpZHRoOiAwOyBtaW4td2lkdGg6IDEwMCUgIWltcG9ydGFudDsgYm9yZGVyOiBub25lOyIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxMDAwcHgiXVsvaWZyYW1lXQ==The trial, conviction and execution of Timothy McVeighLess than four months after the bombing, Timothy McVeigh was charged with four federal counts, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, use of a weapon of mass destruction, destruction with the use of explosives and eight counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of federal law enforcement officers. Murder charges were not brought against McVeigh for all of the people killed on April 19, 1995, just the eight federal agents. Then-Oklahoma County District Attorney Bob Macy said he was going to file the other 160 murder charges after Terry Nichols’ trial. Video Below: Former and current KOCO 5 journalists remember federal trial of Timothy McVeigh. Click here to learn more. On Feb. 20, 1996, a judge granted a change of venue request out of Oklahoma City and to the District Court in Denver. Michael Fortier testified that McVeigh and Nichols expressed anti-government feelings and conspired to blow up the Murrah Building. McVeigh was found guilty on all 11 federal charges on June 2, 1997, and the jury recommended the death penalty 11 days later. McVeigh was held at the United States Penitentiary Florence Administrative Maximum Facility in Colorado until his transfer in 1999 to a federal death row facility in Indiana. After a couple of delays, McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001. Terry Nichols trial and conviction While Terry Nichols did not detonate the bomb, he was the one who helped Timothy McVeigh build the bomb that killed 168 people and left the Murrah Building in rubble. He was sentenced to life for conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of eight federal agents killed in the bombing during a trial in Denver. Because he wasn’t sentenced to death, Nichols was sent back to Oklahoma to be held accountable for the remaining 160 victims. Video Below: Man who lost mother in OKC bombing measures life before and after tragedy. Click here to learn more.Prosecutors argued that Nichols worked with McVeigh to gather materials and build the bomb. Witnesses, including Michael Fortier, testified that Nichols bought the fertilizer and stole detonation cord, blasting caps and other materials. FBI agents also found a receipt for 2,000 pounds of fertilizer in Nichols’ home. Following a two-month trial in Oklahoma, a jury found Nichols guilty on all charges and sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. He is being held in the United States Penitentiary Florence Administrative Maximum Facility in Colorado in what’s been referred to as “bomber’s row,” which also housed Ted Kaczynski, Luis Felipe and Ramzi Yousef. Michael Fortier The federal government agreed to a plea bargain with Michael Fortier in exchange for his testimony in the trials of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Fortier and his wife, Lori, watched as McVeigh used soup cans to show how he planned to blow up the Murrah Building. Michael Fortier served less than 11 years in prison before he, his wife and their children entered the federal Witness Protection Program. The Southern Poverty Law Center says Michael Fortier knew of the plot nine months before the bomb exploded, and he helped case the federal building with McVeigh. Lori Fortier was never prosecuted for her role in the bombing, thanks to a provision of her husband’s plea deal. 30 years of resilience Saturday, April 19, 2025, will mark 30 years since the tragedy that forever changed Oklahoma. While the lives lost will never be forgotten, the state and city responded with resilience that continues to be a benchmark to the country and world. The site where the Murrah Building once stood has since been turned into the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, highlighted by 168 chairs that sit empty overlooking a reflecting pool. Each chair represents and bears the names of each of the victims killed in 1995. The memorial also features twin gates denoting the times 9:01, marking a time of innocence, and 9:02 for moving forward following the bombing. Video Below: If This Fence Could Talk: Fencing around OKC bombing site continues to honor victims 30 years later. Click here to learn more.Every year, survivors, family members and those whose lives were changed forever gather for a remembrance ceremony at or near the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. The nationally acclaimed museum tells the story of the tragic day while remembering those who were killed, those who survived and those whose lives were changed forever. The outdoor memorial was dedicated on April 19, 2000, and the memorial museum was dedicated in February 2001. Each year since 2001, thousands of people have also been descending to Oklahoma City for the Memorial Marathon.
OKLAHOMA CITY —It’s been 30 years since one of the darkest days in Oklahoma and American history.
>> Open the video player above to watch the 30th remembrance ceremony in its entirety.
On April 19, 1995, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City killed 168 people, including 19 children.
On Saturday, Oklahomans paused and gathered to remember the victims lost, the survivors and the lives changed forever.
Former President Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker, delivering a message that America needed the Oklahoma Standard.
Other speakers included Gov. Kevin Stitt, former Gov. Frank Keating, Sen. James Lankford and Mayor David Holt.
“April 19, 1995, was a day of horror and tragedy. It was unbelievable for those of us who were here and there to comprehend that the devil himself walks the earth and murdered 168 of our neighbors and friends, wounded 700 of our neighbors and friends, caused damage or destruction to 320 buildings, marred the face, scraps the face, bloodies the face of the capital city of Oklahoma,” Keating said. “Incomprehensible that we could see and understand what was occurring. And we wondered how we were all going to stay together without mutual suspicion and mistrust and how could we do that. But we did. The renaissance of Oklahoma.”
Video Below: From the Archives: Looking back at chaos and raw emotion, fear following Oklahoma City bombing. Click here to learn more.
What happened
Wednesday, April 19, 1995, is the day that changed our state and the nation forever. It started like any other day, with people getting coffees and dropping their children off at daycare before going to work.
At 9:02 a.m., the metro was shaken by an explosion in downtown Oklahoma City. Within minutes, the area near the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building near Northwest Fifth Street and Harvey Avenue looked like a war zone.
Numerous state, local and federal agencies responded to the scene and determined that the explosion was caused by a bomb. A third of the federal building was destroyed, and more than 300 nearby buildings had some kind of damage.
Video Below: Oklahoma City church leader reflects on impact of Murrah Federal Building bombing. Click here to learn more.
The search for any survivors and victims quickly began inside the fragile building. Shortly into the search, authorities had to evacuate the area after what was believed to be a second bomb was discovered inside the Murrah building. That device, however, was later determined not to be a bomb.
During their investigation, authorities determined that a powerful bomb comprised of agriculture fertilizer, diesel fuel and other chemicals was placed inside a Ryder truck that was left parked directly outside the Murrah Building. They learned a man, later identified as Timothy McVeigh, parked the truck there, got out, locked the door and ignited timed fuses before driving away in a getaway vehicle.
Traffic stop leads to arrest
Around 10:20 a.m. on April 19, 1995, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a yellow Mercury Marquis on Interstate 35 near Perry for not having license plates. During the traffic stop, the driver, Timothy McVeigh, admitted to having a handgun that he was carrying without a permit.
The trooper arrested McVeigh and booked him into the Noble County Jail.
While McVeigh was being held in jail, investigators found the rear axle of the Ryder truck containing the bomb. The axle had a vehicle identification number that was traced to a body shop in Junction City, Kansas.
Video Below: Former Midwest City police chief describes duty following Oklahoma City bombing. Click here to learn more.
After talking to employees at the body shop, the FBI put together a composite drawing of the man who rented the van. Local hotel employees then provided a name: Tim McVeigh.
On April 21, the FBI learned that McVeigh was being held at the Noble County Jail. Agents found traces of chemicals used in the explosion on McVeigh’s clothes and a business card on which he wrote, “TNT @ $5/stick, need more.”
Investigators learned that McVeigh had extreme ideologies against the federal government following the events during the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff in Idaho and the Waco siege at the Branch Davidian compound in 1993. They also learned that a friend, Terry Nichols, helped build the bomb and that another man, Michael Fortier, was aware of the plot.
The events of the bombing have been showcased in various documentaries, including one that’s set to premiere on Netflix.
The victims
The bombing of the Murrah Building took the lives of 168 men, women and children, and left hundreds of others injured.
Scroll through the interactive graphic below to learn more about the victims.
The trial, conviction and execution of Timothy McVeigh
Less than four months after the bombing, Timothy McVeigh was charged with four federal counts, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, use of a weapon of mass destruction, destruction with the use of explosives and eight counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of federal law enforcement officers.
Murder charges were not brought against McVeigh for all of the people killed on April 19, 1995, just the eight federal agents. Then-Oklahoma County District Attorney Bob Macy said he was going to file the other 160 murder charges after Terry Nichols’ trial.
Video Below: Former and current KOCO 5 journalists remember federal trial of Timothy McVeigh. Click here to learn more.
On Feb. 20, 1996, a judge granted a change of venue request out of Oklahoma City and to the District Court in Denver. Michael Fortier testified that McVeigh and Nichols expressed anti-government feelings and conspired to blow up the Murrah Building.
McVeigh was found guilty on all 11 federal charges on June 2, 1997, and the jury recommended the death penalty 11 days later.
McVeigh was held at the United States Penitentiary Florence Administrative Maximum Facility in Colorado until his transfer in 1999 to a federal death row facility in Indiana. After a couple of delays, McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001.
Terry Nichols trial and conviction
While Terry Nichols did not detonate the bomb, he was the one who helped Timothy McVeigh build the bomb that killed 168 people and left the Murrah Building in rubble.
He was sentenced to life for conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of eight federal agents killed in the bombing during a trial in Denver. Because he wasn’t sentenced to death, Nichols was sent back to Oklahoma to be held accountable for the remaining 160 victims.
Video Below: Man who lost mother in OKC bombing measures life before and after tragedy. Click here to learn more.
Prosecutors argued that Nichols worked with McVeigh to gather materials and build the bomb. Witnesses, including Michael Fortier, testified that Nichols bought the fertilizer and stole detonation cord, blasting caps and other materials.
FBI agents also found a receipt for 2,000 pounds of fertilizer in Nichols’ home.
Following a two-month trial in Oklahoma, a jury found Nichols guilty on all charges and sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. He is being held in the United States Penitentiary Florence Administrative Maximum Facility in Colorado in what’s been referred to as “bomber’s row,” which also housed Ted Kaczynski, Luis Felipe and Ramzi Yousef.
Michael Fortier
The federal government agreed to a plea bargain with Michael Fortier in exchange for his testimony in the trials of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Fortier and his wife, Lori, watched as McVeigh used soup cans to show how he planned to blow up the Murrah Building.
Michael Fortier served less than 11 years in prison before he, his wife and their children entered the federal Witness Protection Program. The Southern Poverty Law Center says Michael Fortier knew of the plot nine months before the bomb exploded, and he helped case the federal building with McVeigh.
Lori Fortier was never prosecuted for her role in the bombing, thanks to a provision of her husband’s plea deal.
30 years of resilience
Saturday, April 19, 2025, will mark 30 years since the tragedy that forever changed Oklahoma. While the lives lost will never be forgotten, the state and city responded with resilience that continues to be a benchmark to the country and world.
The site where the Murrah Building once stood has since been turned into the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, highlighted by 168 chairs that sit empty overlooking a reflecting pool. Each chair represents and bears the names of each of the victims killed in 1995.
The memorial also features twin gates denoting the times 9:01, marking a time of innocence, and 9:02 for moving forward following the bombing.
Video Below: If This Fence Could Talk: Fencing around OKC bombing site continues to honor victims 30 years later. Click here to learn more.
Every year, survivors, family members and those whose lives were changed forever gather for a remembrance ceremony at or near the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.
The nationally acclaimed museum tells the story of the tragic day while remembering those who were killed, those who survived and those whose lives were changed forever. The outdoor memorial was dedicated on April 19, 2000, and the memorial museum was dedicated in February 2001.
Each year since 2001, thousands of people have also been descending to Oklahoma City for the Memorial Marathon.
