Ninth anniversary of Oklahoma City bombing observed

Monday, April 19th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Children of Oklahoma City bombing victims -- hailed as "portraits of our survival" -- read victims' names Monday as survivors and relatives marked nine years since the devastating blast.

The solemn observation at the Oklahoma City National Memorial began at 9:02 a.m., the minute the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was destroyed by a fuel oil and fertilizer bomb on April 19, 1995.

Several hundred people in attendance observed 168 seconds of silence, one second for each of those who died, before children of the victims and other relatives began reading the names.

"These children, like all of you and our city, are portraits of our survival," said Frank Hill, chairman of the foundation that supports the memorial, which is built on the site where the Murrah building once stood.

"Thousands come to this memorial every week to find peace, hope and serenity."

After the names were read in a church across from the memorial, people went to the memorial's field of chairs to remember those lost in the bombing. Each chair symbolizes a person lost.

Jason Smith, 31, of Oklahoma City, read names including that of his mother, Linda McKinney, who worked at the U.S. Secret Service office on the ninth floor of the Murrah building.

"To be able to come down and be able to read my mom's name along with the rest of the victims is a tremendous honor," he said. "Even though it's been nine years and a lot of us have moved on in our lives and grown, it's nice to take a step back and remember that fateful day and honor their memory."

Also in attendance were a group of 13 family members of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Some of these family members have forged a bond with those who lost loved ones in the Oklahoma City bombing.

"They're ahead of us on the path and they've kind of been pulling us along," said Barbara Salvadore, whose brother, New York City firefighter Lt. Peter Freund, died in attack on the World Trade Center. "They know how we feel."

A new exhibit at the memorial's museum displays 23 pieces of art work that were in the Murrah building at the time of the blast. Nine other pieces of art work did not survive the explosion.

Joan Mondale, wife of former vice president Walter Mondale, came to Oklahoma City in 1978 to dedicate art in the building. She returned to look at the new exhibit and spoke at the observation Monday.

"Today we rejoice in celebrating these surviving works of art, which like the survivors in this audience reminds us that beauty and courage will prevail," she said.

Meanwhile, trial continued in McAlester for bombing conspirator Terry Nichols.

Nichols, 49, is serving a life sentence on federal convictions for his role in the bombing. He was convicted of conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of eight federal law enforcement officers.

Nichols is on trial for 161 counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of the other 160 victims and one victim's fetus. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Nichols was at home the day the bomb exploded. But prosecutors allege he helped bomber Timothy McVeigh build the homemade 4,000-pound ammonium-nitrate-and-fuel-oil bomb and pack it inside a Ryder truck the day before.

McVeigh was convicted on federal bombing charges and was executed in 2001.