Former President Bill Clinton, during an event commemorating the 30th anniversary of the tragic 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, emphasized the need for Americans to strive for improvement. He highlighted that this effort is a way to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the devastating attack.
The bombing, which took place on April 19, 1995, at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, stands as the most lethal act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Triggered by a truck bomb detonated at 9:02 a.m., the incident resulted in the deaths of 168 individuals, including 19 children. Additionally, almost 700 others suffered injuries as a result of the attack.
In his address, Clinton’s call for Americans to “do better” echoes the sentiments of paying tribute to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. The event was a solemn occasion held in First Church to honor the memory of the lives lost in the tragic attack that scarred the nation 30 years ago.
The former president also spoke about the beauty and importance of the “Oklahoma Standard,” a spirit of resilience and unity that emerged in response to the bombing. Clinton said he wished “every American would get a copy of the Oklahoma Standard in the mail or on their cell phone tomorrow. I bet you it would have a terrific impact.”
He urged Oklahomans to take the spirit of the “Oklahoma Standard” and spread it across the country, saying that he was grateful for the standard’s existence.
On the morning of April 19, 1995, former Army soldier and security guard Timothy McVeigh parked a rented Ryder truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building before he set off the bomb.
A visitor looks at the faces of some of the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing at the Oklahoma National Memorial museum in Oklahoma City June 12, 2001, one day after the execution of Timothy McVeigh. (Getty Images)
“The bombing in Oklahoma City was an attack on innocent children and defenseless citizens. It was an act of cowardice and it was evil. The United States will not tolerate it. And I will not allow the people of this country to be intimidated by evil cowards,” Clinton said on April 19, 1995, according to a DOJ transcript.
McVeigh and his co-conspirators were eventually captured and convicted. On Aug. 14, 1997, more than two years after the bombing, McVeigh was sentenced to death. He was executed on June 11, 2001, exactly three months before America would be rocked by the 9/ 11 attacks. The Oklahoma City bombing was the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil up until 9/11.
