[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 135 (Friday, August 11, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12365-S12366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    A TRIBUTE TO THE RELIEF VOLUNTEERS OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, it is with great sadness and yet 
tremendous pride that I look back to the tragic events in Oklahoma City 
which have impacted Oklahomans as well as all Americans. Etched in our 
memory is what happened on Wednesday, April 19, at 9:02 a.m. when 
Oklahoma was stunned by an explosion at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal 
Building in downtown Oklahoma City. As we reflect on our devastating 
loss, we realize that the old adage is true--every cloud does have a 
silver lining. The silver lining we found in Oklahoma City was the 
outpouring of love, selfless effort, and resources.
  We are, forever, indebted to those volunteers who created that silver 
lining, and they have our utmost respect and gratitude. The individuals 
are innumerable, but none is forgotten. Each remains as an example for 
us to emulate. We have learned many lessons from them: lessons of 
compassion, charity, cooperation, perseverance, and bravery.
  First of all, I have been touched by the loving compassion that has 
motivated the volunteers. The reflections of Dr. Robert C. Bjorklund, a 
local pastor from Oklahoma City, captured the compassionate spirit 
found among the rescue workers. He recounted for me his experience 
while providing counseling assistance at the site just days after the 
bombing. He had been debriefing the rescue workers as they started and 
finished their shifts where they were exposed to incredible and tragic 
images. He expressed how moved he was by the caring and compassion of 
the rescue workers who seemed more concerned about his condition than 
their own. Dr. Bjorklund was right when he suggested that the tragedy 
has been overshadowed by the community's spirit of mutual care and 
concern. He learned from them firsthand as the rest of us are learning 
from their example.
  The phenomenal generosity of the private donors, rescue workers, and 
large corporations have also made them models of charity. I was amazed 
by the immediate and enthusiastic response of citizens donating food, 
flashlights, batteries, and other supplies to the rescue crews. One 
young man named Chris Gross from Santa Clara, CA, has given up his 
salary for 1 year to start the Children of Oklahoma City Scholarship 
Fund. The selfless rescue workers, such as Dr. Hernando Garzon and his 
rescue crew from Sacramento, CA, came from far and wide and worked 
around the clock.
   So many sacrificed their time, money, and talents to the cause. The 
Oklahoma Restaurant Association was especially generous by donating 
thousands of meals to families and volunteers. For instance, Pizza Hut 
donated free meals for more than a month to 300 affected families while 
Cain's Coffee provided 24-hour service to rescue crews. Companies and 
individuals in Oklahoma and around the country such as Southwestern 
Bell, Kerr-McGee, Phillips Petroleum, Bridgestone/Firestone, Anheuser 
Busch, Conoco, Boatman's Bank, American Airlines, Presbyterian Health 
Foundation, Koch Oil Co., C.R. Anthony, Henry Kravis, Ford Motor Co., 
Liberty National Bank, Chubb Insurance, ONEOK Employees Credit Union, 
the Lloyd Noble Center, Branson Cares Benefit, the Burlington County 
Times, the Xerox Corp., and countless others made significant donations 
for the relief effort.
  I have also learned a lesson from the cooperation that unified all 
the workers into one efficient force. I was struck by the number of 
people successfully working simultaneously on many different tasks in 
order to accomplish the same goal. We have their coordinated effort to 
thank for the rescue of the survivors and the care of many grievers. 
Specifically, Amateur Radio provided an essential service to rescue 
operations. Within minutes of 

[[Page S 12366]]
the attack, operators were on the scene providing an emergency 
communication network that allowed for the organization of supplies as 
well as firemen, policemen, and rescue crews from countless 
communities. Their contribution of 360 hours of service was made 
possible by donations from electronics companies such as the Oklahoma 
Community Center.
  Not only did companies contribute time and money, but charity 
organizations made it possible for every citizen to become involved. 
Scores of organizations set up relief funds or served as dropoff 
locations for donated items. The Salvation Army, Feed the Children, and 
the American Red Cross were vital in the distribution of foods and 
goods. Federal, state, and local officials, as well as citizens of all 
ages, aided in the effort. The Oklahoma National Guard contacted 
families while fifth grade students from Anadarko Mission School 
donated relief items. Others contributed to the relief network by 
setting up centers for counseling and pastoral care for victims' 
relatives. Members of the Oklahoma funeral directors aided in 
contacting, consoling, and making funeral arrangements for families. 
The First Christian Church, for example, arranged a group of 75 
volunteer clergy members, psychologists, and social workers to ease the 
mourning. These measures significantly assisted rescue efforts and 
provided outlets for individual participation.
  The toll of lives would have been even greater without the quick and 
coordinated response by emergency agencies, including the police, fire 
departments, and the paramedics of the Oklahoma Emergency Medical 
Services Authority supplied by American Medical Response of Oklahoma 
[OEMSA/AMR]. OEMSA/AMR had 24 medical personnel in seven ambulances 
rolling to the scene within 90 seconds of the explosion. Within 3 
minutes they were treating the injured; within the first hour, 210 
patients were transported to hospitals and within the first 90 minutes, 
a total of 517 injured persons were treated, transported or both. The 
people of EMSA/AMR mobilized 66 ambulances and other vehicles during 
the response and integrated 29 additional emergency vehicles into the 
Oklahoma City rescue operation.
  Certainly the volunteers have been models of bravery. Our heartfelt 
thanks goes out to each fireman, policeman, and rescue worker who 
selflessly searched to locate survivors and recover the victims. Eleven 
Urban Search and Rescue Teams, including teams from Fairfax County and 
Montgomery County in the Washington area, were invaluable as they 
utilized their expert knowledge and training to conduct the rescue 
effort. Their courageous efforts in conditions that were extremely 
perilous, and at times shocking, are to be commended. Each time these 
individuals entered the building, they were risking their lives so that 
others might find some element of comfort, whether that be the 
discovery of a survivor or the recovery of a victim.
  These valiant volunteers have also demonstrated their exemplary 
perseverance. They had faith when there was little tangible reason for 
hope. For instance, the Oklahoma Nurses Association continued to 
contribute countless hours at hospitals even after losing one of their 
own, Rebecca Anderson, who was fatally injured while aiding in the 
rescue effort at the Murrah Building. The rescue crews were not 
disheartened by the tedious process nor daunted by the rain. We 
appreciate their patience, as do the people whose lives they saved and 
assisted.
  All these volunteers, from whom we have learned so much, are true 
heroes. In the face of tragedy, their compassion and effectiveness have 
offered solace to the State of Oklahoma and the Nation. Their heroism 
fills me with deep appreciation and admiration. We thank them and look 
up to them in ways that words cannot express.


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