On this day at 9:02am the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City exploded as a result of terrorism. The bomb killed 168 people, including 19 children. More than 680 people were injured. I was at work, at MetLife doing my job as a customer service representative who handled death claims on life insurance claims as well as answered questions regarding investment policies. The lady I was on the phone with asked me to hold on a minute that something had happened they were breaking into regular programing. I remember that the Lady I was on the phone with said "oh my God! here let me turn up the TV you will want to hear this! There has been an attack in Oklahoma" which of course since our call center was in Oklahoma I was very interested! and wanted to know where in Oklahoma! I remember staying on the line with this lady for about 20 mins just listening to the news reporter telling the public about this devastating attack. For the rest of the day -there were hardly any calls as America stayed glued to their TV sets learning about the events that had unfolded that day in Oklahoma City, OK.
When I got off that call I called my husband to check on our sister in-law Jennifer who doing an internship in down town OKC at the time. Brent had called and found out that this was not one of the days she was supposed to be downtown, so she was safe and sound. We were so relieved! However as the day turned into evening and the death toll started to rise, we heard fellow co-workers, neighbors, who had known someone who had died or been injured or had been impacted by this horrible event in some manner! It was such an odd feeling inside to feel so vulnerable and exposed to the dangers that can happen to any of us on any given day. Remember this was before 9/11 happened and we were all so shocked and outraged! At this time this was the biggest terrorist attack our country had experienced.
It was amazing the out pour of support from across America that Oklahomans received! Do you remember where you were on that day? or how you learned about the bombing?
Monday, April 19, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Vulnerable is exactly the right word. Things like this weren't supposed to happen in Oklahoma! I just kept saying that for days...
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking up today!
~~Mrs. Nesbitt
Thanks for joining the Housewives today. It is interesting to see where everyone was and hear their thoughts. We Okies were thinking a lot of the same things.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, what are the odds that you be on the phone w/ a fellow Oklahoman at the time an Oklahoma tragedy occurs. Thanks for linking up w/ us today! ♥Mrs. Hart♥
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the country did show a tremendous outpouring of support. It was amazing to see so many people pull together during that time.
ReplyDeleteSad, that it often takes a tragedy to bring us together.
BTW, I am now following you.
ReplyDeleteI'm with the others, I'm finding all these posts quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud to be an Oklahoman. We rallied and still do every year on this day.
Great post! Important we tell these stories!
ReplyDeleteI do remember it vividly and just how surreal it felt that something like that could happen in our own country.
ReplyDeleteI was in my senior year in high school when it happened, and I can remember sitting in Government class watching with absolute horror at the details unfold.
ReplyDelete