As soon as I knew we were going to Shawnee Oklahoma, I
knew I wanted to see the Murrah building bombing memorial. Jack and Jackie and Charlie and I took the trip today. If you have never
made it inside of the Oklahoma City National Memorial, it’s more than worth the
stop. It is America’s tribute and remembrance of the 168 people killed here. It
has a gripping effect on you, which is only deepened by the impact of attacks
carried out since.
It is recommended that you start your museum tour in
the orientation theater, watching an introductory film, titled “A Day Like No Other.”
As you walk the Museum, there are black lacquer
plaques, that share times and events. Here, you can learn the history of this
site by exploring the Murrah building and its neighborhood. You can also learn
about the rise of extremism in the US.
You can hear the only audio recording of the blast,
two minutes into an Oklahoma Water Resources Board meeting.
You can feel the confusion and chaos from witness’s
frantic first impressions. Incredible stories of trapped survivors and rescue
workers. The first hours investigating a 20-block crime scene with 312
buildings damaged.
World Reaction, Rescue and Recovery are displayed in a
news room type setting. The fast-paced global news media environment followed
the unfolding story. The media witnessed heroism and remarkable caring
remembered as “Oklahoma Standard.”
Watching and waiting, the rescue and
recovery efforts lasted for 16 days as workers sift through the rubble.
We can see the international outpouring of care and
concern. Finally, ceremonies marked the end of rescue and recovery efforts,
even as the nation continues to mourn.
The Gallery of Honor, is a circular room that is home
to photos, precious artifacts, mementos and videos from family members and
other loved ones tell personal stories of the 168 killed. The losses are
staggering, the bombing created 30 orphans. Two hundred and nineteen children
lost at least one parent, eight families lost more than one family member.
The bombing left lasting impacts and the healing had
to start. To contend with grief, many people turn to their faith. The “Survivor
Tree” becomes a reassuring symbol of strength. Visitors leave tokens of remembrance
on “the Fence.” Talk and plans for a permanent Memorial begin with family
members and survivors.
You can track the trail of the investigation, evidence
and justice. You can see crime scene photos, the getaway car, parts of the
rental truck.
Watch videos, explore the trials, sentencing and the
teams that sought justice.
Now part of this Museum, the former Journal Record
building, left in its damaged state, shows the impact of the blast.
The Memorial overlook is a 40-foot glass wall that
frames the Memorial and the city. It creates a seamless connection between you,
the museum, the outdoor memorial and the ever changing Oklahoma City skyline.
The outdoor memorial is more powerful than the museum,
if you can believe that. The “Gates of Time” frame the moment of destruction,
9:02 am. The 9:01 East Gate depicts the innocence before the attack.
The 9:03 West Gate marks when the healing process
began.
The Fence was originally installed to enclose the
crime scene, it quickly found a higher purpose. People expressed their sorrow
by leaving tokens of love and hope. Many are preserved in the museum.
Periodically, new mementos that are left on The Fence are removed, cataloged
and secured for the Memorial Collection. The Fence was never part of the
original Memorial plan, but its importance was realized and it was moved by
family members of the victims and survivors to its current home on Harvey
Street at the Memorial.
Children’s Plaza is near the entrance to the museum,
it is a wall of hand-painted tiles from children around the world. IT
illustrates the caring and impact a single event can have.
Rescuers’ Orchard represents the people, who rushed in
to help, this army of trees stands guard over the survivor tree.
This message was painted by a rescue worker, this
building suffered damage from the blast, but no one was killed in this
building.
The Survivor Tree is encircles by the Promontory Wall
with a message of resolve. This nearly 100-year old Elm stood during the blast
and still stands at the highest point of the Memorial as a symbol of strength
and resilience.
The Reflecting Pool is where NW Fifth street used to
be, it now cradles a gently flowing water that helps soothe and inspire calm.
Survivor Wall is the only remaining walls from the
Murrah building. It contains the names of more than 600 people who survived the
blast. The granite on the walkway was salvaged from the Murrah building rubble.
The Field of Empty Chairs, is probably the most
moving piece of the Outdoor Memorial. They are arranged in nine rows that
reflect the floor where the victims were working or visiting. 168 chairs, each
etched with the name of a person killed. The 19 smaller chairs represent the
children. The field matches the footprint of the Murrah building. The 5 people
killed outside of the building are in a row, by themselves, away from the other
163 chairs.
On the corner across from the former Alfred P Murrah
building stood the Saint Joseph Old Cathedral. The church and buildings were
extensively damaged, repairs were made. The parish house which stood on this
corner was demolished and this sculpture of Jesus Wept was erected. Jesus is weeping
and turning away from the bombing destruction. He stands facing the niches in the
granite wall that represent each of the victims of the bombing.
We enjoyed lunch at Gabriella’s Italian Kitchen and
Pizzeria. We found it on the way to the National Cowboy and Western Museum. We
decided to eat big at lunch, then Jackie and I have to cook dinner! Jack and I
had Sausage and Peppers, Charlie had Spaghetti and Sausage, Jackie had a
Meatball Sub. All of our food was delicious!
The entrance was very warm, inviting and kind of eclectic.
We were seated by the owner holding his little grandson. I love a restaurant where
you can see the whole kitchen!
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is
home to a gorgeous collection of Western and Southwestern art and the museum
offers rotating exhibits.
The End of the Trail, created by James Earle Fraser, is
a monumental sculpture debuted at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International
Exposition in San Francisco. Like the large-scale Olympic ceremonies seen
today, World Fairs were extravaganzas to share stories about a country’s past,
present and future. The lone figure, slumped on his horse with his head bowed
is the most recognizable symbol of the American West. By many, it is viewed as
a reverent memorial to a noble and valiant people.
Art of the American West Gallery featuring iconic
Western artists, most notably the Frederic Remington and Charles M Russell
collections. Frederic Remington creates sculptures and paintings. With a career
spanning more than two decades, his influence in shaping the popular concept of
the American West was, and is, enormous. Generations of artists, writers, and filmmakers
have turned to Remington’s art as a visual record of the West. Theodore
Roosevelt was a friend and fan of Remington.
Native American Gallery is a diverse collection
representing American Indian art and lifeways in Western North America. At the
time of early European settlement in the 1500s, an estimated 12 million Native
people, comprising more than 500 distinctly different tribes, populated the
Americas. Western settlement impacted Native American lands and traditional
lifeways. By the end of the 19th century, many tribes were forcibly
moved to different regions. Traditional items maintain important roles within
many tribes as tangible forms of identify and cultural awareness. This gallery
showcases the diversity of native artists and artisans and the viability of their
cultural heritage.
Western Performers Gallery is a tribute to the shaping
of the movie cowboy, including Western stars such as John Wayne. A century of
Western films filled the public imagination with visions of gallant men riding
the range and righting wrongs. These fictional heroes became so popular that
the line between the real and the imaginary cowboy became blurred in the public’s
mind.
Hollywood certainly had its version of the cowboy,
often portrayed as the hero in a white hat, riding in to save the damsel in
distress. John Wayne helped to change that image, just a bit!
American Rodeo Gallery is a life-like 1950’s era
rodeo arena that showcases rodeo history, champions, clothing and memorabilia.
The exhibit is hosted by, my favorite singer, Reba McEntire. While the Western
frontier was often seen as a masculine territory, women were among the many
settlers who moved west to mine for gold, build railroads, and establish farms.
Rodeo is a sport that grew out of the cattle industry in the American West, and
its history crosses cultures and gender. Women achieved status as skilled rodeo
contenders, ropers, trick riders and relay racers.
Prosperity Junction is a replica frontier town
complete with sights and sounds of the settlement at dusk. Westerners looked to
the building of schools and churches as necessary steps in banishing the
wilderness and taming the frontier.
Prosperity Junction’s nineteen structures are based
on turn of the century designs and dimensions. Gas lights and kerosene lanterns
provide illumination as the saloon piano plays. You can admire the workmanship
and the organ’s restrained tones in the town’s church.
We enjoyed the entertainment of Regan James at the Oklahoma Good Sams Rally.
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