09/06/2023 - Day 83 Hinton, OK Territory Route 66 RV Park

It’s Wednesday and we’re in Hinton, OK! 

Today we’re going to see the memorial site of the Oklahoma City bombing.  I’ve cut and pasted below from the website. I knew I couldn’t describe it in my own words. But I am going to insert my pics, so bear with me. 

Outdoor Symbolic Memorial

The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial stands on the now-sacred ground where the events of April 19, 1995, unfolded. What was once the footprint of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Fifth Street, the Athenian Building and Oklahoma Water Resources Board are now the Field of Empty Chairs, Reflecting Pool and Rescuers’ Orchard. 

 

SYMBOLIC ELEMENTS:  GATES OF TIME:  These monumental twin gates frame the moment of destruction – 9:02 AM – and mark the formal entrances to the Memorial. The 9:01 Gate represents the innocence before the attack. The 9:03 Gate symbolizes the moment healing began.  

 

 

REFLECTIVE POOL:

The pool occupies what was once N.W. Fifth Street. Here, a shallow depth of gently flowing water helps soothe wounds, with calming sounds providing a peaceful setting for quiet thoughts. The placid surface creates the reflection of someone changed forever by their visit to the Memorial.  
 FIELD OF EMPTY CHAIRS: The 168 Chairs represent those killed on April 19, 1995. They stand in nine rows, each representing a floor of the Federal Building where the field is now located. Each chair bears the name of someone killed on that floor. Nineteen smaller chairs stand for the children. 

 
 SURVIVOR WALL:On the east end of the Memorial stands the only remaining walls from the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. These walls remind us of those who survived the attack – many with serious injuries. Today, more than 600 names are inscribed on salvaged pieces of granite from the Federal Building lobby. 

 

THE SURVIVOR TREE: 

The Survivor Tree is an American elm tree in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, it survived the bomb’s blast and witnessed one of the worst terrorist attacks on American Soil.Before the bombing, the tree was important because it provided the only shade in the downtown parking lot. People would arrive early to work just to be able to park under the shade of the tree’s branches. On April 19, 1995, the tree was almost chopped down in order to recover pieces of evidence that hung from its branches after a 4,000 pound bomb that killed 168 and injured hundreds exploded just yards away.
RESCUERS ORCHARD: Like the people who rushed in to help, this army of nut- and flower-bearing trees surrounds and protects the Survivor Tree. An inscription encircling the Survivor Tree facing the orchard reads: To the courageous and caring who responded from near and far, we offer our eternal gratitude, as a thank you to the thousands of rescuers and volunteers who helped.CHILDRENS AREA:In the aftermath of the blast, children from around the country and the world sent in their own expressions of encouragement and love. That care is immortalized today in a wall of tiles – each hand-painted by children and sent to Oklahoma City in 1995. In addition, buckets of chalk and chalkboards built into the ground of the Children’s Area give children a place where they can continue to share their feelings – an important component of the healing process.
THE FENCE:The first Fence was installed to protect the site of the Federal Building. Almost immediately, people began to leave tokens of love and hope on the Fence. Tens of thousands of those items have been collected and preserved in our archives. Today, part of the original Fence gives people the opportunity to leave tokens of remembrance and hope. Across the street is a very old church with its own memorial: 

 

Needless to say it was a very moving experience and I’m thankful Mr Charley brought me here. May God Bless America! 


Have a good one everybody.