OKC - 19 April 1995

Dad was thinking about writing about our visitors and snowbird friends that have went back north, when he stumbled on an article about Oklahoma City twenty years ago today.  Dad had darker hair, was a lot thinner and didn't have any collies then.  He sat down, then told me and our house guests about that day.

Dad was on vacation visiting his pals in Oklahoma and was staying at his good friends Homer's house in Noble, Oklahoma.  It was a Wednesday morning and he had just woken up from sleeping on the couch and turned on the TV . Minutes later regular broadcasts are interrupted and reports come in.  There was a bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which was about 30 miles to the north.  The reports were chaotic as the news reporters tried to get a handle on the event.  Things like this do not happen in Oklahoma.  The people of Oklahoma responded by trying to help each other, they don't wait for the Federal Government.

Dad wanted to do something too.  He realized that first responders would be there, the roads would be crowded and he lacked the expertise needed.  He had decided to wait a day before calling his Mom & Dad as he correctly figured the phone lines would be overwhelmed.  Those lines needed to open for the emergency personnel.  His pawrents knew he was not in OKC.  The TV reporters announced that they would need blood.  The next day, Dad gave blood for the first time the next day and called his pawrents.

Dad Didn't Expect Anything but Received this Certificate

He was drawn like a moth to a flame as Oklahoma City TV stations covering the story.  Like many he watched the developing story.  The first reports speculated a person of middle east descent.  An airplane even returned so a suspect could be questioned.  Then reporters though it might be the drug cartels.

The Black Box Is Where Noble Is Located

The real culprit was stopped on the interstate 90 minutes after the bombing for not having a licence plate on his car.  Sadly, the culprit was a military veteran from the Persian Gulf War that had been awarded the Bronze Star.  The United States changed a lot those days and would change even more over the following years.

Dad will always remember that time and I will remember him telling us the story.

Sherman

Paw Ssss - We'll talk about visitors tomorrow.