Nine years have passed since the Oklahoma City bombing. One perpetrator has been executed. The other has been in the news recently, receiving multiple life sentences. I remember the images of the Murrah building in the moments and hours after the explosion.

I haven't thought a great deal about the heros who emerged that day. The brave firefighters, volunteers and survivors who lived through that day. Today I had the opportunity to spend a few hours at the memorial that has been built to honor all those who personally endured the hardships of April 19, 1995 in Oklahoma City.

The memorial stands on the sight of the former Federal building. Two walls bookend the block. On each end a time is stamped in the wall. 9:01 on the east wall represents the innocence of Oklahoma City just prior to the blast. 9:03 on the west wall signifies the loss of innocence, the pain and the hope arising after the detonation of the bomb. 9:02, the moment life changed for many, lies between.

A reflecting pool quietly occupies the place where 5th Street once ran. To the south, over the sight of the building, chairs have now been placed with the names of those who perished inside. To the north a lone tree, the survivor tree, still stands. A tribute to human resilience.

My brother-in-law, Mike May, was my guide today. In 1995 he was a Marine recruiter stationed in Oklahoma City. His office was in the Murrah Building. Two of his co-workers were killed in the explosion. Several others were injured. Mike should have been in the building. Fortunately he had been playing basketball with a few other Marines that morning. They ran a little late, saving numerous lives.

A museum has been incorporated into the building just north of the memorial. We took time to go through. You begin on the third floor with newspaper headlines and quotes about April 19th before 9:02. Then you enter a room and listen to a recording of a deposition. Two minutes into the recording there is an explosion. The explosion. Doors open and you enter into a hallway to a monitor showing footage of the moments just after. These were the first images of the destroyed Murrah building. For the next couple of hours we relived those moments and heard from many of the survivors and victims' family members.

On the way out Mike told me this was the first time he had been to the memorial. He'd been outside and looked in. I asked if it was because of emotions or just not taking the time. "A little of both," he replied. Then he said that listening to the deposition and hearing the explosion was the most difficult part of the whole experience for him. Just hearing him say that sent a shudder through me..........
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