Amazing place

Terrorism | A decade later, Oklahoma City remembers and worships | Mark Bergin

At 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, Florence Rogers finished reading from a computer screen in her office and turned to address seven employees for the last time. Just as the credit union CEO leaned back in her chair, the callous actions of two hate-filled men terminated that meeting—along with the lives of all in attendance but one. "I saw everything fly in the air," Ms. Rogers told WORLD. "And then I saw blue sky all around me. The six floors above us came down in seconds."

The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City killed 168 people and injured more than 500 others. Ms. Rogers sustained only minor scrapes and bruises but lost 18 of 33 employees. At the time, it was the largest terrorist attack within American borders, and the nation grieved alongside those closely affected. On April 19, Oklahoma City commemorated the 10-year anniversary of a blast that left as much psychological residue as physical destruction.