Route 66 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

Oklahoma City was founded in the Land Run of 22nd April 1889, and within a few hours of its official foundation, it already had a population of over 10,000 people. Within a decade, the population had doubled. By the time it was admitted to the Union in 1907, it was streets ahead of Guthrie - the territory capital - both as a population centre and a successful industrial and commercial hub.

Oklahoma enjoyed a prosperous reputation, largely due to oil, and as a federal government centre. In April 1995, however, the Murrah Building was subjected to the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in American history and the worst act of terrorism on American soil until September 11, 2001. 168 people died, and over 600 were injured.

Gulf War veteran Timothy McVeigh detonated a truck bomb in front of the building as revenge for the government's handling of the Waco siege, which killed 76 people exactly two years earlier. McVeigh, a decorated soldier, was shocked by his orders to execute Iraqi prisoners who were surrendering. On his return from the Gulf, he appears to have become completely disillusioned by the government. He wrote a letter to a local newspaper containing the line, "Do we have to shed blood to reform the current system?"

By 1995, he was completely radicalised and turned to violent terrorism. His 168 victims at the Murrah Building included 19 children in a second-floor daycare centre, which he said would have given him cause to choose another target had he known (although it is widely thought that he did know and didn't care). McVeigh was convicted and executed by lethal injection at 7.14 a.m. on 11th June 2001.

Rescue and recovery operations continued at the site for over a week until the ruined building was demolished a month later. On the fifth anniversary of the bombing in April 2000, the Oklahoma City National Memorial was formally dedicated, commemorating all those affected by the atrocity, including rescuers and family members.



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