Oklahoma City Survivors Rebuild Their Lives

April 19, 2005 — -- Ten years ago today, chaos erupted in Oklahoma City when Timothy McVeigh's truck bomb destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people.

But the city and the survivors have been rebuilding, and in many ways, have become stronger than ever.

"It seems like another place and another time. This is a completely different city," said Mayor Mick Cornett.

At first, the divorce rate tripled among rescuers who witnessed the carnage and the suicide rate jumped. Now there is a new ballpark, a new downtown and 100,000 new residents.

"We cannot allow our past to poison our future," said Jack Poe, an Oklahoma City chaplain. "I think we've all chosen here in Oklahoma City that we're going to get better."

The survivors agree. Amy Petty worked on the third floor of the federal building. She was buried under rubble for six hours. But she is one of the lucky ones: Eighteen of her 33 co-workers were killed.

"I miss them dearly," Petty said. "That doesn't mean that I need to stop living my life. I've got to live."

Perhaps the most tragic images and stories to come out of the bombing were of the children who were killed. Dozens of children attended a day care center on the second floor of the building. Only six survived.

P.J. Allen was one of the most severely injured of those six survivors. Just 20 months old, he was thrown dozens of feet through debris and fire.

No one knows how he survived.

"When I was in the bombing, I was wrapped in fire," P.J. said. "I had second- and third-degree burns and they said I wasn't going to live, but God came and he healed me.

"I learned what it feels to have God actually touch you."

Christopher Nguyen, who began high school this year, was the third child rescued from the building. He suffered burns, a broken jaw, and cuts and bruises to his head and body.