Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial
April 20, 2010 by mike

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I photographed the memorial service on the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. Through this week I will share some of the photographs I took.

As time passes, memories fade. Did this really happen, or was it some awful dream? Was the bombing as horrific as we remember? Did people really die at that moment I heard that thundering boom?

The reality of the bombing was seen Monday morning when the family of Lakesha Richardson Levy passed to all to see and touch a boot worn by the 21-year-old airman on April 19, 1995. Lakesha was in training to be a lab technician in the 72nd Medical Group at Tinker Air Force Base. She had gone to the Murrah building on a simple errand to obtain a Social Security card.

This wasn’t some symbolic structure erected after the fact. This was real. The leather sole embedded with the dust from the Murray Building.

And, it wasn’t the only evidence of the reality of the bombing there Monday morning.

There clinging to the chair that marks the loss of Lakesha’s life was this young man, now 17, but only two years old when his mother died. His family said the toddler would walk through the hallways of the medical group at Tinker looking for his mother, like he was playing hide and seek, trying to find his mom.

This is Corey Levy today:

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  1. April 20, 2010 by Mark G

    Powerful, emotion-evoking images. These shots revive those feelings that I want to forget but must always remember to honour the lives lost. I’m glad you were there and able to capture these moments.

  2. April 20, 2010 by Paula

    On that fateful morning my Dad and the youngest of my three older brothers were on the same errand as Lakesha. Every April I thank God my brother stayed out late the night before and made my Dad late. They were on I-40, about to take the Walker exit when a violent explosion rocked a semi passing them on the left and a giant plum of smoke/debris filled the downtown skyline. I, on the other hand, was in Norman and had just been awakened by my 9 a.m. alarm and heard, “I think a building just blew up downtown.” My best friend arrived at my door shortly thereafter in a panic. She is of assyrian decent and her mom told her not to go to class…people were blaming arab terrorists…she wasn’t safe. Thanks for the pics Mike.

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