Oklahoma Today July-August 2003 Volume 53 No. 4

"Ifyou pbadrdlook at tel&Ian history, the OldahmC i
bombingwas oneaftbe bt thiqpAmericanswwhedh mbeginnbg
to end," sap Watb, "That's why people can relate to t-his
site* people who knw nobody and nothing abut it. It h sad w k
hap& butiris incmdible what rose out &&is @y.&d hat
is a global story, ao inltmriand story thatmnrlnuai to 2K told."
Continuing to tdI1 the scary ia one of the memorid center's
most critical &dons. Immediapely her the attach of Septpmbet
11, 2001, the s d mobilized to help, placing a fwll-page
expression dsympatb~ir~die Niw Krk Emes and coaceiving
an exhihit to highlight the mmmon events. Sime ApQ 13,
3002, the museum has hosted the award-winning sp%dalexhibit,
A Sbswd@wi~n~c:04.19.95-03, I I.Ot, also devdoped
by Hiham & Catr and containing five sections focusing
on the expeGeeces Oklahomans shared with Near York City,
Washgt~~ Q.C., and ShanhviUe, Rslnsyhnia. Some New
York residents have made pilgrimages to Oklahoma City to see
rhe exhibit, and the memdal Etenter, for themselves.
h&er pilgrim, MatkAndersen af$an Dieggo, Wmnia,was
.captain of &e Torrance, California, fire department at the time
ofthe hmbing, his unik one 9frnany nationwide to suppmt. the
rem~eand reurrery e&rts. He returned to Oklalmma City for
the &st h e in April.
"The memorial is ex(T.idre9very tastdidy done. I am reaS1~
h p d wirh it," he say$, *Of murse it brou&r b& a lot of
memories, same painful, some wry god."
PennsylvaniamJohnBlair Lovisi~edinApril, for he thdtime,
7t was here shorrly her it happened," he sap. "Theywmjust
ereaim8 the face, The next time Iwas here, they were drinking
about building a memod. It m dl rubble. So we decided to
came see the memarid and it is just speetaeJ;ir." The gravityuf'
the moment brings tears* "It is one of the saddest places I haw
been in rhe world, I hwe been to alot ~fthemB and thk ow tdf
hurts because it is on our territary,"
LikeBlair*most visitors experience a range dea~oti~ns going
the memorial center. Volunteer Sue Craig ofMimt
City says, "I enjsy vol~t~teaing on the smnd floor, bemuse it is
n~theend.bpIewe&to expresstheirkehg~. M a ~ y d b
want to reach out, even hug me or touch me, ad th.8"11 say, 'a,
thank;you hr volmmering here,bd 'This musevm is beatifid;
youk done s d nwondedd job.'"
W y members and stdvarsfkelthe impsoftbe center even
moteacutely KetryVanEssofO~aCiry:l~h~ither,HUD
~~John%EssILI,b&~rnb'~~Ithinktke~wnis
hxediblynice," she sags. "The raom vrrhere they playthe ltape [the
onlybwn midingofthe bomb, aW'ater Resow B d
hatha;] if beyond shocking. Iwill saythis, it'svaysz%k&~."
A cmtmer in the cr& mion that morning was amoag the
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OKLAHOMATODAY .JULY/AUGUST 2003