Oklahoma City Memorial

[Edward Lea.]

Harpo, My wife and son are in OK. with her sister and nephew ( just back from a year in Iraq (Marines)) for their Aunt's funeral in Lawton. I suggested that as they were coming back through OK city they stop at the memorial. My wife just called and thanked me for suggesting it. She was talking with that voice that people use when they have been to something that impacts them. Using that voice they would use if God was in the room with them taking a nap and they didn't want to disturb him, real reverence like. Looks like you all have done the job right down there with the memorial. I will need to get on down there soon and see it. My wife isn't easily impressed and she sounded very moved.



May N.Y. do as good.

 

[Larry Harp]

Although I drive by it often I haven't stopped the car and actually walked around there in several years. It is a very solem place. It's best to go later in the day like around sunset to get the true feeling of the place. During the day the hustle and bustle of downtown OKC and all the visitors make it a kind of theme park atmosphere. I have never visited the museum but would like to.



I remember going in that building first to take care of paperwork to get my GI benifits to go to college then years later to do paperwork for a VA loan to buy my house. That last time was the last time I saw "Sarge" an old friend of mine that worked for the VA. He was a New Yorker and one of those guys who had retired from the military after 30 years and knew how to "massage" the system like an artist. He walked me through the paperwork for my homeloan in no time and then we went across the street for a cup of coffee. It was only 5 or 6 months later that the bombing occured. My house is 17 miles north and the blast was so strong that I thought the house across the street had exploded. Sarge was not killed in the blast but died a year later from injuries he received. He is not counted in the 168...I wonder how many more victims there really were.

Here is a picture of the Memorial. You can see the 168 empty chairs and the reflecting pool is where the street used to be. That's the exact spot where the Rider truck was parked.

This is the statue across the street at St. Joseph's Church called "Jesus Wept. I'm not a religious person, but I cannot even drive by this without tears in my eyes. To me, it seems to have more impact looking at it from the other side, with Jesus's back turned away from the horrible sorrow he has just witnessed.



Harpo