The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was a United States Government complex located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the target of the Oklahoma City bombing.
The federal building was constructed in 1977 at a cost of $14.5 million, and was named for federal judge Alfred P. Murrah, an Oklahoma native. By the 1990s the building contained regional offices for the Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Agency (D.E.A.), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and other agencies.
On the morning of April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a rented Ryder truck with explosives in front of the complex and, at 9:02am, a massive explosion occurred which sheared the entire north side of the building, killing 168 people.
Following an investigation and recovery of victims' bodies, the surviving structure was demolished with explosives on May 23, 1995. The Water Resources Board and Athenian Building were heavily damaged and later destroyed. The site later became home to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. (excerpted from oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org)
This was the first major attack of terrorism in the United States. Of the 168 people murdered, 19 were children. These 168 chairs stand as a poignant reminder of each life lost, articulated as the absence felt by family members and friends. The chairs are placed in nine rows, representing the nine floors of the building. The chairs are placed according to the floor on which those killed worked or were visiting.
The symbolic chairs are designed in two sizes, the smaller size representing the absence of 19 children. Each chair is crafted of bronze and stone; its glass base is etched with the name of the victim. By day, the chairs seem to float above their translucent bases. By night the glass bases illuminate as beacons of hope. The walls behind the chairs were left with the original scars from the explosion, as a visual reminder of the horrible violence.
This is a poignant reminder of lives lost. It is a day that I will never forget. Not only was this a day of tragedy but also a day and a time of goodness, caring, compassion felt throughout the country. I'm proud to be an Oklahoman.
Love & Peace, Gina
