Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

As stated above, we spent most of our afternoon at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. It was a very powerful experience, to say the least.

The memorial outside has several symbolic areas. The gates on either end of the memorial are labeled as 9:01AM (the minute before the blast went off) and 9:03AM (the minute after the blast). There is a reflecting pool between the gates that shimmered in the sun and reflected the 9 rows of empty chairs. There is a chair inscribed with each of the 168 victims' names, including 19 smaller chairs for each of the children that were killed. Parts of the structure around the memorial are made from portions of the Federal building's concrete foundation that were still standing after the blast. You could see the melted, twisted rebar still sticking out in places. The memorial also includes the "Survivor Tree", a 90-year old American Elm that withstood the blast and now grows in a place of honor.

One thing we learned during our tour was that several buildings in a five block radius were also damaged in the blast. This included the two very old churches on either corner, the county water district building directly across the street and an automotive shop 3 blocks away that collapsed several days after. Also, included in the 168 are five people in these neighboring buildings that did not survive.

While the outside memorial was certainly moving, the museum inside brought me to tears. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside. The museum is set up as a timeline, beginning before the blast. You are first escorted into a room that plays a tape of a water district hearing from across the street that captures the blast. From there you move into room after room after room of exhibits full of actual pieces of everyday material that was scattered over 10 city blocks. They found shoes, eye glasses, coffee pots, microwaves, filing cabinet drawers, and children's toys. There were rooms set up like offices full of debris that were recreated from photos. You also can watch video of detailed survivor and rescuer accounts.

One of the more shocking displays involved a manager who was holding a morning meeting with her employees in a conference room. Suddenly her employees and the table they were sitting at fell away from view. This woman was unharmed, save for a few scratches and slight tears in her dress. Her secretary, in the office behind her, was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries. When all was said and done, the remaining portions of the secretary's clothing fit into a small ziplock bag. This bag was displayed next to the manager's slightly torn dress.

The rooms then transitioned from the recovery to the police search for the bombers to the bombers' trials and the aftermath of the event. Many new federal laws and protections are in place due to this one event. Finally, you leave the museum through a gallery of pictures and donated personal items from all 168 victims.

As a nerd alert aside, the most fascinating portion of the museum was the artifacts used and the stories behind the police investigation to catch the bombers. The actual truck parts that contained the VIN numbers and shopping list used by the bombers were on display. As a CSI fanatic, I just ate this stuff up!

I was an emotional mess when we finally finished. I cried happy tears for the human spirit of the survivors who became first responders and helped out the more critically injured. I cried sad tears for all the innocent lives lost ... for nothing. And I cried because it really opened my eyes to the fact that terrorism is still alive and well in our world ...