Oklahoma City dedicates memorial to bombing victims

A memorial to the victims of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City was dedicated Wednesday in two separate ceremonies, a morning service for survivors and victims' families and friends, and a public event in the evening attended by President Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno.

Wednesday was the fifth anniversary of the blast, which killed 168 people. At the morning ceremony, a representative from each federal agency that lost employees read aloud the names of their agency's fallen workers. President Clinton spoke at the evening ceremony.

"This is a day both for remembrance and for renewal," Clinton said. Addressing families of the victims, Clinton said: "I know there are still days when the old anger wells up inside you; still days when tears fill your eyes, when you think your heart will surely break. On those days in the future, I hope you can come here and find solace in the memory of your loved ones, in the honor of your fellow citizens."

The memorial features a block-long reflecting pool surrounded by grass and trees, including an American elm known as the "survivor tree" because it was the only tree to survive the blast unscathed. The names of survivors are listed on the Murrah Building's only remaining wall. The memorial's centerpiece is 168 empty chairs with lighted glass bases that sit organized in nine rows, representing the floors on which the victims died.

A museum is scheduled to open on the site in November. The museum will provide a description of the events of April 19, 1995, and display artifacts and testimony from survivors.

The $29 million memorial was paid for from private funds.

National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen M. Kelley marked the anniversary by calling on Congress and the administration to step up efforts to improve security at federal buildings.

"We owe everyone a duty to ensure not just their physical safety, but their peace of mind in and around federal buildings," Kelley said.

In March, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted to reorganize the agency responsible for protecting federal buildings. The bill, H.R. 809, would make the Federal Protective Service an independent operation under the General Services Administration rather than part of GSA's Public Buildings Service. The Federal Protective Service is responsible for security at many of the 8,300 federal buildings across the country.

The bill would also clarify the responsibilities of FPS officers, and increase the number of full-time officers to 730.

According to NTEU, more than $400 million has been spent on federal building safety initiatives since the Oklahoma City bombing. Improvements include the addition of security guards, closed-circuit television systems and lobby X-ray machines. Still, Kelley said, much more can be done, starting with improving respect for government workers.

"There is no room for attacks on those whose focus in their work lives is to provide vital governmental services to others," she said.