OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — On Saturday, former President Bill Clinton will return to Oklahoma City to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the deadliest homegrown attack in U.S. history. This significant event is focused on remembering the 168 individuals who lost their lives in the tragic bombing, including 19 children, and to provide solace to those affected.
Clinton, who served as president during the tragedy on April 19, 1995, will deliver the keynote address at a remembrance ceremony held near the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum. The event serves as a poignant reminder of the pain experienced by the city and the nation as a whole in the aftermath of the devastating attack, which saw a truck bomb explode, obliterating a nine-story federal building in downtown Oklahoma City.
At 78 years old, Clinton remains reflective about that fateful day. He has often expressed how the events of April 19 profoundly impacted his presidency, noting it was a moment he would never forget. "The nation’s eyes were there. The nation’s heart was broken there," Clinton summarized in a video statement posted on the Clinton Foundation website. He recalled the challenge of finding the proper words and tone to reach out to the American people in their time of grief.
In the decades since the bombing, Clinton has made several visits to the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum and has delivered speeches on key anniversaries, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to honoring the victims and educating the public. The memorial aims to illuminate the senselessness of political violence and enlighten younger generations about the impact of the tragedy, as highlighted by Kari Watkins, the memorial’s president and CEO.
"We knew when we built this place we would someday reach a generation of people who weren’t born or who didn’t remember the story," Watkins articulated, emphasizing the importance of teaching both children and their educators about the historic event. The memorial stands as a critical educational resource, ensuring that the memory of those lost and the lessons gleaned from the tragedy are preserved for future generations.
Saturday’s ceremony is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. However, due to inclement weather, the event has been relocated from the memorial grounds to an adjacent church. This logistical change underscores the significance of the event, bringing together individuals to honor victims and reflect on the ramifications of violence within society.
The remembrance ceremony is expected to draw numerous attendees, ranging from survivors and families of the victims to local citizens and national figures, all united in a shared commitment to honor the legacy of those affected by the bombing.
