Thirty years after the fatal homemade attacks in American history, former President Clinton returned to Oklahoma City on Saturday to remember those who killed and comforted those affected by the bombing.
Clinton was president on April 19, 1995, when a truck bomb exploded and destroyed a nine-storey federal building in downtown Oklahoma City. He gave a keynote speech at a memorial ceremony near the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum.
Clinton, now 78, has been widely praised for how he helped the city tackle its grief in the wake of the bombing that killed 168 people, including 19 children. He says it was President’s Day that he never forgot.
“I came here with Hillary of that service ceremony, just like 30 minutes ago, and said, “You lost too much, but you didn’t lose everything. You certainly haven’t lost America. “I think we’re maintaining that commitment.”
Clinton visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum many times since the bombing, giving speeches on major anniversary.
On Saturday, Clinton also warned of the polarized nature of modern politics and the way such divisions lead to violence, as they did 30 years ago. He said there is a lot that can be learned from “Oklahoma standards.” This is a term coined to refer to the city’s response to bombing by uniting in service, honor, kindness.
“Oklahoma City, America needs you today,” he said. “I hope that all Americans can see their lives unfolding here, hear these stories and just see their lives unfolding.”
Other speakers included former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating and former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick. Several families of the victims read 168 names of those killed in the attack.
Saturday’s ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on the monument grounds, but was moved into the adjacent church due to heavy rain.
After the ceremony, a procession of bagpipe players from the Oklahoma City Fire Department led many of the people attending across the street to an outdoor monument built on the grounds where the federal building once stood. The memorial carries the names of those who were killed, with museums, reflecting pools, 168 empty glass, bronze and stones. The 19 chairs are smaller than the other chairs to represent the children killed.
The monument’s top mission includes a campaign to help people understand the pointlessness of political violence and teach a new generation about the effectiveness of bombing, said Kari Watkins, president and CEO of the monument.
“When we built this place, we knew that one day we would reach a generation of people who weren’t born or who didn’t remember the story,” Watkins said. “I think it’s not just the kids, but the teachers who teach those kids, I think it’s now.”
Murphy writes for the Associated Press.
