
Night Falls on the Oklahoma City National Memorial © Brendan Ziolo
On April 19, 1995, at 9:02 a.m., a massive truck bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma. The attack killed 168 people (including 19 children) and injured hundreds more. At the time, it was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil. A truly inspirational memorial was established on October 9, 1997, at the site of the
Federal Building to honor the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed by the
Oklahoma City bombing.
The East Gate at Oklahoma City National Memorial © Brendan Ziolo
Rich in symbolism, the Oklahoma City National Memorial is built upon the now-sacred soil where the attack took place. The
monumental twin gates, pictured here, frame the moment of destruction – 9:02 a.m. The outside of each gate bears this inscription:
We come here to remember Those who were killed, those who
survived and those changed forever.
May all who leave here know
the impact of violence.
May this memorial offer comfort,
strength, peace, hope and serenity.

The West Gate at Oklahoma City National
Memorial © Brendan Ziolo
When you enter through the gates, you see a field of empty chairs, pictured in the first image, on the footprint of the Murrah building. The 168 chairs represent the lives taken on April 19, 1995. They stand
in nine rows to represent each floor of the building, and each chair
bears the name of a person killed on that floor. Nineteen smaller chairs
stand for the children. The photo below shows the chairs in the Reflecting Pool, which occupies what was once N.W. Fifth Street.

Empty Chairs in Reflecting Pool at Oklahoma City National
Memorial © Brendan Ziolo
While I was not directly affected by the Oklahoma City bombing, this Memorial is unbelievably moving and a heartfelt tribute to those affected by the attack. I can only hope these photos communicate some of what I was feeling that night. I wasn't able to spend a lot of time at the Memorial as this visit was part of a longer road trip. In fact, I barely made it in time to capture these shots but I hope to go back.
For more information about the memorial, visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial website.
[Information about the memorial and attack compiled from Wikipedia and the Oklahoma City National Memorial websites.]