THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 20, 1996 TAG: 9604200348
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: OKLAHOMA CITY LENGTH: Long : 122 lines
One by one, the faces flashed onto a screen in the darkened convention center.
A child with cheeks puckered into devilish dimples; a bright-eyed young woman beaming in a wedding gown; a husband and wife nestled together for a family portrait.
The people in the images - 168 of them - died here a year ago.
Suddenly, for Hampton Roads rescue workers attending the memorial, disaster had a face.
``The last time we were here it was to do a job,'' said Brian Taylor of Virginia Beach, one of about 20 firefighters and rescue workers from Hampton Roads who labored in the bomb-torn wreckage of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building last year.
``The last time, it wasn't personal. It was a building to work on,'' Taylor said. ``This time it's people and emotions. The kids, especially the kids, that's what turned it around for me.''
For Chesapeake Division Chief Ken Murphy, emotions surged when he sat next to a woman on a shuttle bus bound for the memorial service.
She had survived the blast.
Murphy and the rest of the Hampton Roads rescue force sent here last April never found anyone alive. The last of the living was plucked from the rubble long before a military plane ferried the Hampton Roads crew here.
But there were survivors. Many of them rescued by people like Murphy. And on the way to the memorial, the woman thanked him.
Such gratitude has been coming for a year.
Beginning just days after the bombing and continuing through last week, letters of thanks began arriving at The Virginian-Pilot after a newspaper here printed The Pilot's address as a way to contact rescue workers.
I wish I could thank each one of you individually, but I don't know your names. God knows who you are, each one of you and He loves you. So I'm asking Him to thank you for me with blessings of love in your homes and with your families and with safety in your work.''
Ruthina Hiemer,
Tryon, Okla.
I have mixed feelings about being here,'' Murphy said. ``It is very heartwarming to meet these people. But being here brings back vivid memories. I had reservations about coming, but now I wouldn't trade it for the world.''
Murphy clipped a red-and-gold Chesapeake city flag on the eight-foot fence surrounding the ruins of the federal building. The chain-link fence has become a memorial mosaic.
Earlier Friday morning, family members of those killed ventured inside the fence. On the grassy lot where the building used to be, they placed wreaths and flowers in memory of loved ones.
Afterward, 4,000 relatives of the slain and survivors of the tragedy filed onto Robinson Street. They walked four blocks to the Myriad Convention Center while church bells rang out and drummers rapped a solemn rhythm. The shrill notes of a bagpipe filled the cornflower-blue sky.
``We gather this morning to mourn the departed . . . and to honor the spiritual strength of this great city as it transcends the evil brought here one year ago today,'' Vice President Al Gore said. ``Let there be no mistake. One year is a very short time. In the human heart it is the blink of an eye.''
For many, the year has passed in a blink.
Since the days of immediate shock have passed, my thoughts can pursue the many, many ways you served your fellow men and women and their children. My tears are still flowing, and my imagination will never comprehend the depth of the horror and agony you witnessed. It is too horrible. I pray that you will soon have peace in your minds and hearts concerning your days of service here. We are all so grateful to you. We have never seen such dedication.''
Jean and Ernie Mappes,
Oklahoma City
I can still visualize the building,'' Murphy said. ``I can still see all the floors. Even though it is an empty lot now. I still see it as I did back then.''
Although some Hampton Roads rescue workers ventured to the site Thursday, Woody Gibson waited until the memorial service.
``It's strange. The building is not there,'' Gibson said.
He looked elsewhere to get his bearings. He spotted the windowless YMCA, one of the few heavily damaged buildings still standing near the site. ``I wasn't exactly sure where I was until I saw the YMCA,'' Gibson said.
The morning of April 19, 1995, I had just finished feeding my 14-year-old son, Michael. As we stepped into the living room, the explosion I heard was as if something had exploded down the street . . . I could not believe what was happening just miles from my home. I kept asking who and why.''
Serena Brewster,
Oklahoma City
Virginia Beach firefighter Laurie Themides returned to see the families and the other rescue workers she labored with for four days.
Like many others, the bombing has changed her forever.
``It definitely makes you keep what's important in order,'' she said. ``It makes you re-evaluate the little things in life.''
A permanent memorial will be built at the site of the Murrah Building. Until then, and long after, there will be memories and gratitude.
When we were in our greatest need, you were here. When we needed hope, you were here. And when hope of rescuing other persons alive was gone and the need was to return the deceased to their loved ones, you were here. When we needed heroes to cling to so that we might find a goodness in mankind that could offset the madness, you were here.''
David Jones,
Bethany, Okla.
Being here will help with closure,'' Gibson said. ``Now I can get over it and deal with it better.'' MEMO: [For a list of the victims and complete wire coverage, see microfilm for
this date.]
ILLUSTRATION: DAVID CRENSHAW
Laurie Themides, of the Virginia Beach Fire Department, and daughter
Ashley, 7, exchange hugs with Cykia Stephens, 2, of Oklahoma City.
Cykia became ill when the bombing affected water to her home.
KEYWORDS: OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING FEDERAL BUILDING ANNIVERSARY < by CNB