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Current and former national leaders gathered in Oklahoma City Tuesday to honor the 168 victims of the bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building 10 years ago.

Most of the victims were government employees; 19 children at a day care center in the building were also killed.

"This morning, we recall an event that changed this community forever and profoundly touched the entire nation," said Vice President Dick Cheney. "That spring morning ten years ago is still deeply etched in our memory .... Federal offices were opening, men and women were sitting down to work, children were sitting down to breakfast."

Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who served in the Army together during the first Gulf War, were convicted for detonating a Ryder truck rigged with explosives in front of the Murrah building. McVeigh was executed in 2001 and Nichols is serving a life sentence in prison.

Cheney praised the resilience of the citizens of Oklahoma City and the leadership of former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating and former President Bill Clinton - both of whom were in office at the time of the attack.

Cheney also linked the bombing to the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City and Washington, as well as the wider fight against terrorism. He referred to a group of New York rescue workers who responded to the Oklahoma City tragedy, "men whose own lives would end on another day of terror."

The theme of the worldwide fight against terrorists - and the triumph of good over evil - was repeated by several speakers throughout the day, including Democratic Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry, Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla., and Republican Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

"We hold hands with the world in the fight against terror," said Cornett, who talked about the repairs and refurbishment the city has experienced. "We are especially grateful to the federal government for what they have done ... the emotional scars [were] addressed partially by the new federal building which stands just a block away."

Henry said the bombing "proved the character of America" and foretold the reaction of Americans to the Sept. 11 attacks.

John Gage, American Federation of Government Employees president, also participated. "We're here just to take part in the event and to remember our fellow union members and federal employees who suffered so much that day," he said. "Virtually any of our installations were open to that sort of attack... it happened here of all places."

In his speech, Cheney quoted a survivor of the attack who spoke of the need for the memorial and for the anniversary tribute.

"We cannot ever forget," Cheney said. "We don't even want to forget."

COMMENTS

• Why wait for the government to act? If you are that concerned, and really want to be prepared, take a first aid course yourself! I am a NY State certified EMT, and a member of a NYC volunteer ambulance corps since 1974. I joined because I felt it was a worthwhile and important thing to do, and took the training on my own time. In addition to helping thousands of sick and injured people over the past 30 years, these skills also enabled me to help others after both the 1993 bombing and the 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York, where my office was located. This required an investment of time and energy on my part, but I have never regretted this decision, and would encourage others to do so as well. There are things we can and should do for ourselves and our families without waiting for the government to tell us what to do. Empower yourself - you won't regret it! Bob Castioni Posted April 21, 2005 11:41 AM
• Yes, it IS ten years after the OKC bombing - and in 10 years, STILL nothing has been done to train individual employees how to deal with a high casualty disaster. Oh sure, we have any number of wonderful plans to deal with this and that terrorist contingency, but NOTHING exists at the grass roots (or should I say, ground zero) level. Here's a more highly plausible scenerio - especially here in the midwest. A tornado has just leveled your office. It hit without warning. (Example: Emporia, Kansas - June 1974.) Many of your 30 or so employees are digging themselves out of the rubble. A number of them have suffered cuts and puncture wounds from flying debris. The damage is widespread, and emergency response is overwhelmed. Each and every employee SHOULD know how to help each other to: 1. stop the bleeding; 2. protect the wound; 3. treat for shock; and 4. arrange to identify the location of the victim when professional help does arrive. This is a BASIC 30 minute course that could be readily lifted from just about any state hunter education course. The cost - well, probably about what it cost to send the big shots to OKC. Pardon me if my tone seems somewhat caustic - but I find this lack of plain common sense training to be unconscionable. Had such training been accomplished, how many lives might have been saved in OKC, or in the WTC disaster, or the many Florida/Gulf Coast hurricanes, or any number of lesser press-worthy incidents? I CHALLENGE our leaders get this down to the folks that get the job done, and do it within the next year! Screw politically correct - accept someone's going to get paranoid over the thought it could happen to them (clue: it does!). Forget liability - save the lives first, then worry later about the ambulance chasers. Do WHAT'S RIGHT, and do it NOW! GovExec.com reader Posted April 20, 2005 9:37 AM