CornField
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Tue Apr-19-05 09:41 AM
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10 yrs ago today I was wondering why furniture was being moved upstairs |
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I was living in Stillwater, Oklahoma and working in an office building. My office was on the second floor. I had shown up early for work because we had a large project needing to go out at the end of the week. I was sitting at my desk when it seemed that the folks upstairs pushed every desk in their office across the floor. Not wanting to deal with the noise, I flipped on the office radio. It was tuned to one of those musical NPR stations because that's what the boss liked. I left it where it was and went back to work.
Within a few minutes, the DJ broke into regular programming to announce that there had been a "major explosion" in Oklahoma City. Speculation at that point was that a gas line was breeched. No other information was available.
The boss came in and I told him about the explosion -- then warned him that it sounded like moving day upstairs. I went back to work.
A bit later (30 minutes? 45?) the DJ broke in again to announce that they would be leaving their typical program to join the local news station. It was now being reported that a bomb had ripped through OKC.
My phone rang. It was my close friend, Eric, who worked as an ER nurse. "I'll pick you up in 10 minutes," he said. "What? Why?"
"They've put out a call and want everyone in the area with medical training to come to OKC," he said. "They need all the help they can get."
I did have medical training, but only as a nurse's assistant. I hung up with Eric and told my boss. He told me to go. "Maybe someone will need your help."
I changed into my gym clothes in the car while we zipped along I-35. Nothing -- absolutely nothing I'd seen in my life -- could have prepared me for what I saw that day. It was the closest I ever hope to come to a war zone.
Eric was taken to the triage area, to help those who were waiting on transport to overloaded local hospitals. I was steered to "the church" -- the makeshift morgue. It was the still grounds for lifeless bodies and/or parts.
I don't know how long we were there before everyone started screaming and running. Word was out that another bomb had been found. This particular event was to replay three times.
Eric stayed on at one of the local hospitals, helping in the ER and surgery. I caught a ride out of town as the sun began to set. It was another beautiful Oklahoma sunset... full of pinks, oranges and blues.
When I got home, my husband and daughter were already sleeping. I went straight to the shower and attempted to scrub death from my skin. I remembered thinking that I should cry, but I couldn't. I was numb and shocked. When I finally stumbled from the shower I didn't head to my own bed. Instead I entered my daughter's room and curled up beside her on the little toddler bed. With her warmth beside me, I released the emotions of the day.
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greatauntoftriplets
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Tue Apr-19-05 09:44 AM
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1. What a moving story.... |
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Thank you for sharing it with us.
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BlueEyedSon
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Tue Apr-19-05 09:45 AM
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Worst Username Ever
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Tue Apr-19-05 09:47 AM
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3. Wow, that is incredible. |
Pacifist Patriot
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Tue Apr-19-05 09:49 AM
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Thank you for sharing. I cannot believe it was ten years ago. Sometimes it seems like last year.
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myrna minx
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Tue Apr-19-05 09:49 AM
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5. What a powerful story. Thank you for sharing this. n/t |
WilliamPitt
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Tue Apr-19-05 09:49 AM
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6. Thank you for being there |
wicket
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Tue Apr-19-05 09:58 AM
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I'm so glad you were able to help out, I can't even imagine what you must've experienced :( :hug:
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formerrepuke
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Tue Apr-19-05 10:02 AM
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8. You're an eyewitness to history- thanks for writing it down....n/t |
fishwax
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Tue Apr-19-05 10:03 AM
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9. Thank you for all you did that day |
blogslut
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Tue Apr-19-05 10:04 AM
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You are a great American and human being
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flying_monkeys
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Tue Apr-19-05 10:08 AM
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It doesn't feel like 10 years, does it?
Thank you for helping.
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anarchy1999
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Tue Apr-19-05 10:08 AM
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12. Thank you for sharing your story. |
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Edited on Tue Apr-19-05 10:13 AM by anarchy1999
I've already cried a couple of times this am, Now again. I'm sorry, so sorry for what you must have been through. Hugs and lots of kisses to you today.
(Oklahoma was my territory at that time and many I had been talking with were deeply affected, it was a very sad morning!)
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johnnie
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Tue Apr-19-05 11:04 AM
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13. Thank you for sharing |
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I shouldn't have tried to eat while reading this, I couldn't swallow my food.
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lefty_WOHM
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Tue Apr-19-05 11:32 AM
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14. You had me tearing up |
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Yes, I'm suffering from rampaging hormones, but still...
Thank you for your efforts. I can't even imagine what you saw, smelled, heard, and felt. Thank you for sharing that very touching story.
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CarefullyLiberal
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Tue Apr-19-05 01:09 PM
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Sparkle
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Tue Apr-19-05 01:19 PM
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16. Thank you for your story. |
gaia_gardener
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Tue Apr-19-05 03:40 PM
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17. I was also in Stillwater on that day |
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I remember I got out of class with my fiance and we walked into our department computer lab. Some of the rednecks were sitting around griping about "sandniggers" "cameljockeys" and "towel heads" (the first time I'd ever heard those particular epithets).
Finally we managed to break their diatribe of hate to hear what had happened. A girl said "well I have concert tickets in Bricktown (a section of OKC very close to the bombing site) and this better not interfere with that."
I spent the next 2 weeks reading stories written by or about students at the university who had lost a parent or other loved one. I saw the news stories. I saw the pictures. I sank into a depression and finally had to go on a news exile. I was struggling in class and would cry at the drop of a hat.
We got married May 6 that year and we weren't sure all of our guests would be able to attend as some of them were National Guard members assigned to the bombing site.
In 2000 we moved to OKC (we just moved from there). I still have not been to the memorial. Just pictures of it brings back those dark days right after the bombing. I've drive up on it twice (damned one way streets) and almost broke out into tears.
I feel very fortunate that I didn't know anyone in the building and no one I knew at the time lost a family member in the bombing (I am a native Oklahoman, so that is pretty amazing). I've since met people who either lost family members or were supposed to be at work there that day but fate kept them away.
I can't believe it's been 10 years. In many ways it seems like only yesterday.
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Catherine Vincent
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Tue Apr-19-05 04:16 PM
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18. Thank you for the remembrance. |
stevedeshazer
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Tue Apr-19-05 05:29 PM
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19. Thanks for answering the call when you were needed. |
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That's the America I know.
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Thu May 02nd 2024, 07:10 AM
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