Oklahoma City Bombing: Remember Their Names

On April 19, 1995, a truck-bomb explosion outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, left 168 people dead and hundreds more injured. The blast was set off by anti-government militant Timothy McVeigh, who in 2001 was executed for his crimes. His co-conspirator Terry Nichols received life in prison. Until September 11, 2001, the Oklahoma City bombing was the worst terrorist attack to take place on U.S. soil.

At 9:02 a.m., a rental truck packed with explosives detonated in front of the nine-story Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. The powerful explosion blew off the building’s north wall. Emergency crews raced to Oklahoma from across the country, and when the rescue effort finally ended two weeks later the death toll stood at 168 people, including 19 young children who were in the building’s day care center at the time of the blast. More than 650 other people were injured in the bombing, which damaged or destroyed more than 300 buildings in the immediate area.....

Much more here.

On this day twenty years ago, America was witness to the face of evil, the devastation of terrorism  - on home soil.

In the years since that terrible day, much has been written, and today the msm is reporting on Memorial events.

All the conspiracy theorists, and the talking head experts are rehashing the reasons behind it all, and lessons learned.  (Apparently we haven't learned much at all, and I am reminded:  those who refuse to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.)

Be that as it may,  for me, the most important to remember is those we lost.  Those innocents killed that day - whose ages ranged from 3 months to 67 years old - MUST be remembered.

Today, I urge all to pause, read the list, stop at each name, and imagine these lives cuts short.  These lives matter.

06/20/2001

Victims of the Oklahoma City bombing A list, by floor and location, of those killed in the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995: NINTH FLOOR Drug Enforcement Administration Shelly D. Bland, 25, of Tuttle Carrol June "Chip" Fields, 48, Guthrie Rona Linn Kuehner-Chafey, 35, Oklahoma City Carrie Ann Lenz, 26, Chotaw Kenneth Glenn McCullough, 36, Edmond U.S. Secret Service Cynthia L. Brown, 26, Oklahoma City Donald Ray Leonard, 50, Edmond Mickey B. Maroney, 50, Oklahoma City Linda G. McKinney, 47, Oklahoma City Kathy Lynn Seidl, 39, Bethel Alan G. Whicher, 40, Edmond EIGHTH FLOOR U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Ted L. Allen, 48, Norman Peter R. Avillanoza, 56, Oklahoma City David Neil Burkett, 47, Oklahoma City Donald Earl Burns, Sr., 63, Oklahoma City Kimberly Kay Clark, 39, Oklahoma City Susan Jane Ferrell, 37, Oklahoma City Dr. George Michael Howard, 45, Vallejo, Calif. Antonio "Tony" C. Reyes, 55, Edmond Lanny Lee David Scroggins, 46, Yukon Leora Lee Sells, 57, Oklahoma City Jules A. Valdez, 51, Edmond David Jack Walker, 54, Edmond Michael D. Weaver, 54, Edmond Frances "Fran" Ann Williams, 48, Oklahoma City Clarence Eugene Wilson, Sr. 49, Oklahoma SEVENTH FLOOR U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Diane E. (Hollingsworth) Althouse, 45, Edmond Andrea Yvette Blanton, 33, Oklahoma City Kim R. Cousins, 33, Midwest City Diana Lynne Day, 38, Oklahoma City Castine Brooks Hearn Deveroux, 49, Oklahoma City Judy J. (Froh) Fisher, 45, Oklahoma City Linda Louise Florence, 43, Oklahoma City J. Colleen Guiles, 59, Oklahoma City Thompson Eugene "Gene" Hodges, Jr., 54, Norman Ann Kreymborg, 57, Oklahoma City Teresa Lea Taylor Lauderdale, 41, Shawnee Mary Leasure-Rentie, 39, Bethany James A. McCarthy II, 53, Edmond Betsy J. (Beebe) McGonnell, 47, Norman Patricia Ann Nix, 47, Edmond Terry Smith Rees, 41, Midwest City John Thomas Stewart, 51, Oklahoma City John Karl Van Ess III, 67, Chickasha Jo Ann Whittenberg, 35, Oklahoma City SIXTH FLOOR U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Sgt. Benjamin LaRanzo Davis, USMC, 29, Edmond Capt. Randolph A. Guzman, USMC, 28, Castro Valley, Calif. FIFTH FLOOR U.S. Department of Agriculture Olen Burl Bloomer, 61, Moore James E. Boles, 50, Oklahoma City Dr. Margaret L. "Peggy" Clark, 42, Chickasha Richard "Dick" Cummins, 55, Mustang Doris "Adele" Higginbottom, 44, Oklahoma City Carole Sue Khalil, 50, Oklahoma City Rheta Bender Long, 60, Oklahoma City U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Paul Gregory Beatty Broxterman, 42, Edmond U.S. Customs Office Paul D. Ice, 42, Midwest City Claude Authur Medearis, S.S.A., 41, Norman FOURTH FLOOR U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Lucio Aleman, Jr., 33, Oklahoma City Mark Allen Bolte, 28, Oklahoma City Michael Carrillo, 44, Oklahoma City Larry James Jones, 46. Yukon James K. Martin, 34, Oklahoma City Ronota Ann Newberry-Woodbridge, 31, Edmond Jerry Lee Parker, 45, Norman Michelle A. Reeder, 33, Oklahoma City Rick L. Tomlin, 46, Piedmont Johnny Allen Wade, 42, Edmond John A. Youngblood, 52, Yukon U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Sgt. 1st Class Lola Bolden, U.S. Army, 40, Birmingham, Ala. Karen Gist Carr, 32, Midwest City Peggy Louise Holland, 37, Oklahoma City John C. Moss III., 50, Oklahoma City Victoria (Vickey) L. Sohn, 36, Moore Dolores (Dee) Stratton, 51, Moore Kayla Marie Titsworth, 3.50, Lawton Wanda Lee Watkins, 49, Oklahoma City THIRD FLOOR Defense Security Service Harley Richard Cottingham, 46, Oklahoma City Peter L. DeMaster, 44, Oklahoma City Norma "Jean" Johnson, 62, Oklahoma City Larry L. Turner, 42, Oklahoma City Robert G. Westberry, 57, Oklahoma City Federal Employees Credit Union Woodrow Clifford "Woody" Brady, 41, Oklahoma City Kimberly Ruth Burgess, 29, Oklahoma City Kathy A. Finley, 44, Yukon Jamie (Fialkowski) Genzer, 32, Wellston Sheila R. Gigger-Driver, 28, Oklahoma City Linda Coleen Housley, 53, Oklahoma City Robbin Ann Huff, 37, Bethany Christi Yolanda Jenkins, 32, Edmond Alvin J. Justes, 54, Oklahoma City Valerie Jo Koelsch, 33, Oklahoma City Kathy Cagle Leinen, 47, Oklahoma City Claudette (Duke) Meek, 43, Oklahoma City Frankie Ann Merrell, 23, Oklahoma City Jill Diane Randolph, 27, Oklahoma City Claudine Ritter, 48, Oklahoma City Christy Rosas, 22, Moore Sonja Lynn Sanders, 27, Moore Karan Howell Shepherd, 27, Moore Victoria Jeanette Texter, 37, Oklahoma City Virginia M. Thompson, 56, El Reno Tresia Jo "Mathes" Worton, 28, Oklahoma City SECOND FLOOR America's Kids Child Development Center Baylee Almon, 1, Oklahoma City Danielle Nicole Bell, 15 months, Oklahoma City Zachary Taylor Chavez, 3, Oklahoma City Dana LeAnne Cooper, 24, Moore Anthony Christopher Cooper II, 2, Moore Antonio Ansara Cooper Jr., 6 months, Midwest City Aaron M. Coverdale, 5.50, Oklahoma City Elijah S. Coverdale, 2.50, Oklahoma City Jaci Rae Coyne, 14 months, Moore Brenda Faye Daniels, 42, Oklahoma City Taylor Santoi Eaves, 8 months, Midwest City Tevin D'Aundrae Garrett, 16 months, Midwest City Kevin "Lee" Gottshall II, 6 months, Norman Wanda Lee Howell, 34, Spencer Blake Ryan Kennedy, 1.50, Amber Dominique Ravae (Johnson)-London, 2, Oklahoma City Chase Dalton Smith, 3, Oklahoma City Colton Wade Smith, 2, Oklahoma City VISITOR Scott D. Williams, 24, Tuttle FIRST FLOOR Social Security Administration Teresa Antionette Alexander, 33, Oklahoma City Richard A. Allen, 46, Oklahoma City Pamela Cleveland Argo, 36, Oklahoma City Saundra G. (Sandy) Avery, 34, Midwest City Calvin Battle, 62, Oklahoma City Peola Battle, 56, Oklahoma City Oleta C. Biddy, 54, Tuttle Casandra Kay Booker, 25, Oklahoma City Carol Louise Bowers, 53, Yukon Peachlyn Bradley, 3, Oklahoma City Gabreon D.L. Bruce, 3 months, Oklahoma City Katherine Louise Cregan, 60, Oklahoma City Ashley Megan Eckles, 4, Guthrie Don Fritzler, 64, Oklahoma City Mary Anne Fritzler, 57, Oklahoma City Laura Jane Garrison, 61, Oklahoma City Margaret Betterton Goodson, 54, Oklahoma City Ethel L. Griffin, 55, Edmond Cheryl E. Hammon, 44, Oklahoma City Ronald Vernon Harding, Sr., 55, Oklahoma City Thomas Lynn Hawthorne, Sr., 52, Choctaw Dr. Charles E. Hurlburt, 73, Oklahoma City Jean Nutting Hurlburt, 67, Oklahoma City Raymond "Lee" Johnson, 59, Oklahoma City LaKesha Richardson Levy, 21, Midwest City Aurelia Donna Luster, 43, Guthrie Robert Lee Luster, Jr., 45, Guthrie Rev. Gilbert X. Martinez, 35, Oklahoma City Cartney J. McRaven, 19, Midwest City Derwin W. Miller, 27, Oklahoma City Eula Leigh Mitchell, 64, Oklahoma City Emilio Tapia, 50, Oklahoma City Charlotte Andrea Lewis Thomas, 43, Oklahoma City Michael George Thompson, 47, Yukon LaRue A. Treanor, 55, Guthrie Luther H. Treanor, 61, Guthrie Robert N. Walker, Jr., 52, Oklahoma City Julie Marie Welch, 23, Oklahoma City W. Stephen Williams, 42, Cashion Sharon Louise Wood-Chesnut, 47, Oklahoma City General Services Administration Steven Douglas Curry, 44, Norman Michael L. Loudenslager, 48, Harrah THOSE KILLED IN SURROUNDING AREA Rescue Worker Rebecca Needham Anderson, 37, Midwest City Athenian Building (Job Corps) Anita Christine Hightower, 27, Oklahoma City Kathryn Elizabeth Ridley, 24, Oklahoma City Oklahoma Water Resources Board Building Robert N. Chipman, 51, Edmond Trudy Jean Rigney, 31, Midwest City Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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