Thirty years ago, on April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked his rental truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. He then left the truck, which held a powerful and deadly bomb, went to his car, and detonated the two fuses. At 9:02 am the bomb went off killing 168 people, including 19 children in the building day care center. Where the building once stood, now stand 168 chairs in nine rows representing the nine floors of the building. Each chair has a name of the person who died.
There are parts of walls from the original building still there (Survivor Wall).
View of the Survivor Tree, an Elm that survived the blast.
The Rescuer Orchard.
In between the orchard and the chairs lie the Gates of Time and the Reflecting Pool. One Gate says 9:01 and the other 9:03, reflecting the time just before and just after the bomb.
Timothy McVeigh was executed on June 11, 2001.
Terry Nichols, who helped McVeigh build the bomb, is serving consecutive life sentences in prison with no possible parole.
Michael Fortier knew of the bomb plot and said nothing. He testified at trial against McVeigh and Nichols and received a 12 year prison sentence. He served around 10 years and was released in 2006. Fortier and his family are living under witness protection.
This is a beautiful and moving memorial to those who senselessly lost their lives. RIP
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