`Same sickening feeling'
BY World's own Service
Sep 12, 2001
Williams Lange, whose friend died in the Oklahoma City bombing, walks
through the Oklahoma City National Memorial on Tuesday. "I couldn't imagine anything worse than
this," he said, referring to Tuesday's attacks, "but I guess they will have to add thousands
of chairs now."
J. PAT CARTER / Associated Press
OC bombing survivors share terrorism victims' pain
OKLAHOMA CITY -- As they learned of a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon, those who survived or lost loved ones in the Oklahoma City bombing were reminded of
the bloody bodies, burning cars and panic-stricken faces there more than six years ago.
Fran Ferrari, a survivor of the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal
Building, was at home watching the events unfold.
"I couldn't believe it," said Ferrari, who started having flashbacks.
"I just hate to think of those people," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "I don't
want them to have that fear when you come to and you don't know if you are going to live or
die. I guess that is what upsets me the most."
If she could tell the victims anything at a time like this, it would be to be strong.
"You would be surprised under the circumstances how strong you can be," she said.
Ferrari said she was trying to contact family members in Pittsburgh and New York but
couldn't get through.
She was also concerned about some friends who work at the Justice Department.
"I have goose pimples," said Florence Rogers, who was in the Federal Employees Credit Union
in the Murrah Building in 1995.
"Where is this thing going to end?" she asked. "This is like a bad movie."
Martha Ridley, whose daughter Kathy Ridley died in the Oklahoma City bombing, said her heart
hurt for the victims on the East Coast.
I just can't believe what's happened," she said.
"God, my heart goes out to all of these people -- believe me. I just hope there is justice."
The bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building killed 168 people and injured hundreds
more.
"It is just horrific," Melissa McLawhorn, a bombing survivor, said of Tuesday's terrorism. "It is absolutely horrific."
She was driving to work when she heard the news.
"I just had the same sickening feeling that I had the day of the bombing," McLawhorn said.
"I knew it was an attack."
Tuesday will be the beginning of a hard time for victims and survivors of the attack, she
said.
"We will all be praying for them and thinking about them."
Associated Images:
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