Shortly before 9 A.M. on Wednesday, April 19, 1995, a man driving a Ryder truck parked in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. At least one man (some witnesses claim they saw two men) got out of the truck and walked quickly away. A few minutes later a huge explosion shook the entire downtown area, shattering windows in buildings blocks away. The explosion was heard and felt for miles. The downtown area had been having problems with gas leaks, and at first, many people thought a gas line had ruptured and exploded. But when they saw that the federal building had been totally destroyed, they realized that a bomb was responsible for the destruction.

Almost immediately, bystanders began running to the building to help in any way they could. Parents came looking for their children who had been left in...