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For anyone who lives in Oklahoma City, April 19th is generally a somber day. It’s the anniversary of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which killed 168 people including 19 children. Prior to September 11, 2001, it bore the distinction of being the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil.
(photo courtesy of USACE Tulsa District)
On this episode of Far From Home, I dig into my archives to share two stories I produced about the bombing from my early days as a reporter at a small public radio station in Oklahoma.
First I look back at how Muslim Americans were falsely blamed in the immediate aftermath of the attack.
Then I share the story of former Oklahoma City police officer Jim Ramsey, who won his department’s Medal of Valor for his role on the day of the bombing, before guilt and depression got the best of him.
empty chairs at the Oklahoma City National Memorial representing each of the 168 victims
By the way, in case you missed them, check out my other recent episodes where I gave an update on the violence taking place in Northern Ireland and invited Berlin-based science journalist Andreas von Bubnoff to play recordings people around the world submitted to his Pandemic Silence Project, documenting how COVID-19 has dramatically changed the way the world sounds.
Until next time, thanks for listening.