5 Years Later, a Poignant Rebirth for Oklahoma Bombing Site

This grieving heartland city remembered its dead Wednesday as it dedicated a hauntingly serene memorial to the 168 men, women and children killed five years ago in the federal building bombing that remains the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.

But the mournful day also was imbued with hope and renewal as family members, survivors and rescue workers, led by President Clinton, officially opened America’s newest national memorial.

Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating described the day as one of conflicting emotions. “It’s sad because this never should have occurred. It’s happy because this memorial is completed, and we will never forget those who died.”

The day’s observances and the memorial itself reflected Oklahoma City’s determination not only to honor the dead but also to celebrate its own triumph of spirit over evil.

“Oklahoma City clearly is blooming again,” Clinton told a crowd gathered for the dedication.

The ceremony at the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building downtown came a day before the country is to mark another wrenching milestone in recent violent events: the first anniversary of a shooting rampage that left 15 dead at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

The first in a daylong series of ceremonies here began shortly before 9:02 a.m.--the exact time on April 19, 1995, when 4,800 pounds of fertilizer and fuel in a Ryder truck detonated in front of the Murrah building. During the service, a 168-second silence--one second for each victim--marked that moment. Then the stillness was shattered as four Oklahoma National Guard F-16 jets roared overhead.

The morning service was a private gathering, limited to those with a direct connection to the tragedy: family members, survivors and rescue workers from as far away as California. Even so, several thousand people attended--a measure of the many lives touched by the powerful bomb blast.

Among the many singers who performed, for instance, was Brad Scroggins, a high school senior whose father, Lanny Scroggins, died in the bombing.

As many as 387,000 people--more than one-third of the city--knew someone who was killed or injured in the bombing, according to city officials.

In addition to the fatalities, 850 people were injured, 30 children were orphaned, 219 more children lost at least one parent and 7,000 people were left without a workplace.

Many of the mourners sported multicolored ribbons and clutched flowers while dabbing their eyes with tissues, which were provided by the American Red Cross.

Each victim’s name was read aloud during the morning ceremony and at a second ceremony Wednesday evening.

Third Visit by President Clinton

Clinton’s visit here was his third since the bombing.

“You chose hope and love over despair and hatred,” the president told the gathering. “It was a wise but hard choice. I know there are still days when the old anger wells up inside you, when tears fill your eyes, when you feel your heart will surely break. On those days, I hope you can find solace here in the memory of your loved ones.”

Before his remarks, the president walked through the memorial, accompanied by a small group that included two women who lost family members, a survivor and the city’s fire chief, Gary Marrs.

The $29.1-million Oklahoma City National Memorial occupies 3.3 acres where the Murrah building stood. The nine-story structure housed federal and state government offices as well as the America’s Kids child-care center.

The memorial is bracketed by a four-story “Gate of Time.” One is inscribed with the time 9:01; the other with 9:03.

The space between--a gently sloping hill and a reflecting pool--represents the moment of the blast. Scattered across the expanse are 168 chairs made of bronze and stone, each placed atop a translucent base inscribed with the name of a victim.

The hand-crafted chairs, none identical, appear at first to be haphazardly arranged. In fact, they are grouped according to where each person was believed to have been when the blast occurred. Nineteen of the chairs are smaller in size, representing the children.

The grounds also contain a piece of granite wall salvaged from the building. On it are etched the names of the survivors.

Towering over the site is the Survivor Tree, an American elm that survived the full force of the blast and then rejuvenated itself. A living symbol of the community’s unbroken spirit, the tree’s buds and seeds each season are gathered and then planted in cities throughout the country.

Also on the grounds is the Memorial Center Museum, which occupies part of a nearby office building that was heavily damaged. The museum is to open this fall. A public policy research center, the Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, also is to be located in the building.

The National Park Service anticipates 500,000 visitors a year to the memorial and the museum.

The memorial’s permanence is in striking contrast to the devastation and the makeshift memorials that sprang up spontaneously in the days after the explosion as mourners brought mounds of flowers, stuffed animals, personal notes and other mementos to the site’s perimeter.

Keating said in an interview Wednesday that he did not know of any expressions of sympathy from either of the two perpetrators or their families.

McVeigh, Nichols Appeal Convictions

Timothy J. McVeigh, who was sentenced to death in 1997 for his role in the bombing, is seeking a new trial. His former Army friend, Terry L. Nichols, was sentenced to life without parole for helping plan the mass murder. Nichols has appealed his conspiracy conviction, claiming that he was unfairly denied a new trial. A court hearing this summer will decide whether Nichols must also stand trial on state murder charges.