My dad was a firefighter who responded to the OKC bombing and pulled bodies out of the rubble. Ask him anything!

I don't have a question, I'm just here to say thank you. The world needs more heroes.

Thank you!! He just loves to help as much as he can!

This is just great. I'm a born and raised Okie and as terrible as the bombing was, it really put Oklahoman's on the map as those willing to help. I don't know the complete accuracy (maybe your dad does) but Oklahoman firefighters were some of the first out-of-state firefighters to head to NYC on 9/11. I really would like to know if he knows how correct that is.

Has he ever visited the monument? What was his reaction? I can remember it being the first time tearing up in public about something that I barely had any connection to. I was taken aback by that emotion.

Tell him thanks for us, all of us. He's a great man, I bet.

Bonus question. I work in a hotel where the fire alarm system is kinda touchy so it goes off 1 once every month or so. The Stillwater FD have to respond on protocoll so I'm always the bad guy who has to tell them it was nothing. They can't not come as many times as the system cries wolf. I want to keep some kind of treat behind the front desk with me to satisfy their trip when it inevitably happens again because I'm pretty sure they hate me. What's a treat firefighters like?

Thank you for your question!! He said that right after 9/11 some Oklahoma firefighters drove up there the next day on their own. Tulsa alone had about 80 firefighters (my father included) on standby ready to be sent up there, but there were already so many firefighters there from states nearby New York that they never deployed the Tulsa group officially. He was going to drive up on his own as well but was requested to stay because he was head over a division in the department. But he did also hear of many Oklahoma citizens going up there to give food/support to the workers at ground zero.

He has visited the monument multiple times. He says it's beautiful. It really makes an impression on anyone including him and can really hit your emotions. He thinks they did a great job on it.

He said basically anything like cake, brownies, cookies, or any food in general. Firefighters love their food and they always have room to eat haha.

Always nice to hear from a fellow Okie!

Any lingering respiratory or physical complaints like the 9/11 response?

Yes it did affect his breathing and still does to this day.

Many people look down on Oklahoma. I have no idea why. I love the place. Even though I currently reside else where I always get the strange reaction when I tell people I am from Oklahoma, "Wow really" sarcastic smug look. But, I know there are some of the best people in the United States in that state, and your father is one of them.

I don't have a question. I would just like to tell your father thank you. I can assure him no one forgets, nor will they ever.

I was on vacation and I was asked by someone in New York if we still lived in teepees. I laughed thinking he was just messing around, but he was dead serious. I'm almost sure talking to him made me dumber.

But I love Oklahoma! It's a great place to live and grow up! We've got the lowest gas prices in the nation and some of the lowest cost of living! People here are also pretty awesome. There's also really good culture and social life!

OK is pretty much this shit. I have traveled to over 20 countries, but grew up and bought a house here. This is the best place in the world.

Edit: An example of awesome: I went outside to smoke just now, and saw my neighbor-kid cruising on his bike hold his hand out for a high five for a dude jogging. High fives commenced. And I live in a part of town Edmondites (a suburb of OKC) call sketchy. If you lived in Edmond and saw a dude high five a kid, the cops would be called for either juvenile delinquency or pedophilia.

Exactly how I feel about Oklahoma!! Hahaha

Is he for or against the death penalty? (What did he think when Timothy McVeigh was executed?)

He is absolutely for the death penalty in cases of murder. He felt like justice was served as much as it could be when he was executed but was still sad for all the families of the people who lost loved ones and knew that they would most likely never get full closure.

McVeigh was a sick, sick man. My mothers former boyfriend (and nearly stepdad) rode in the tank with him. Apparently his duty fairly often was removing body parts from the treads.

Wow. I didn't know that. That's some pretty crazy insight on him that I've never heard before. Thank you for sharing that!!

Is he on OKCupid?

Hahaha no he is not! He doesn't even know what it is!

You must see some awful things doing that, is there any one thing that sticks in his head?

Great question! He said the main thing that sticks out in his head is a positive thing. He said the community would wait outside the area with pizzas and food and many other things for the workers. He said he never paid for a meal while he was down there. It warmed his heart how kind the community was to him. But one of the hardest things was pulling out the bodies of children.

Edit:spelling

What was his first thought when he saw the bombing? (Also, tell him thanks for his heroism)

His exact words just now were "Devastation incorporated. It's one thing to see and hear about stuff like this on the news and TV. But seeing the scene in real life is a whole new experience that can really get to a person."

Your father was a real hero. God bless him, and God bless you. Thank you for doing this.

Thank you very much! Very appreciated!

does he know a , because my dad was on scene there as well

He said that name sounds familiar, but he's hit his head a few times since then so he can't really be sure haha.

is your dad midwest city or okc fire dept

Neither actually. He was a Tulsa firefighter. About 110-120 Tulsa firefighters went down to help with the recovery effort.

The smell?

The smell of demolished concrete still brings back memories of it. The lingering smell of dead bodies was also imprinted in his brain. He said it's something that he will never forget as long as he's alive.

I saw the Twin Towers fall and for a long time, days that were too beautiful like 9/11 (I mean the weather) were sinister to me.

Does your father think that everyone responsible for plotting the Oklahoma bombing was caught? I think that investigation might have been wrapped up a little too quick and that justice may not have been done.

He believes there were more people involved as well!

unless he is hit really, really hard on the head.

Well he had a motorcycle wreck about 5 years ago that he wasn't suppose to live through where his scalp was separated from his skull and he still remembers it! Haha so I don't think he ever will!

does it bother him that at the time the cops were looking for 3 men, then when they got Nichols and McVeigh they changed it to "no, its just these 2"?

does he feel like the guys responsible were punished or did we miss one or more, in other words

He believes that there were more involved than just them two. Ironically enough about three weeks later he was at the airport and a woman who had passed out woke up and said that he was the third man involved! Everyone informed her that he was actually a firefighter who had been helping with the relief effort haha.

No question, just one FF to another: good work brother.

Also, nice job putting this together kid. Your family ought to be bursting with pride.

Thank you sir. I have the utmost respect for all firefighters and men of public service. Many kids grew up looking to spiderman and batman as heroes, but I was lucky enough to realize at a young age that firefighters and police officers are real life heroes. Thank you again!

What was the worst/best thing he saw?

Worst would have to be a lady that was right next to where the bomb was detonated. He said that it just peeled her head and skin back and there was just brain and nothing else. The only way he knew she was a woman is because there was some skin still left on her hand and he could see her wedding ring and said it was obviously a woman's.

The best was just the way the workers got treated by the public. The FEMA workers had said that they had never been treated so nice by citizens. Restaurants were waiting outside the exits with pizzas and sandwiches for all the workers. That really warmed his heart to see and made him proud to be from Oklahoma.

Any issues with trauma or shock?

No issues with trauma or shock. They made the firefighters go speak with a therapist everytime they pulled out a body.

Is it true explosives were being illegally stored inside the Murrah building?

He says yes that is what he's heard but he can't be anymore sure than the next person.

It would explain the secondary explosions (heard by eyewitnesses) and why the bomb squad had to go in and clear the place out before the search and rescue teams.

Yeah. He said he doesn't have any insider information about that but from what he has heard that seems to be true!

First of all, thank you for being a true hero; a person who puts their life on the line for my family's safety.

My question: Why do you think it takes a tragedy like OKC or Boston for this nation to come together? If we should be brothers in bad times, shouldn't we be brothers in good times too?

The brotherhood is always there, we just live in a nation where our selfishness sometimes gets the best of us. Tragedies like this bring out a persons true character and in most people it brings out a side that wants to do good. In this day and age we're too focused on groups. East coast and West coast. North and South. Were all humans but we seem to forget that in the absence of tragedy. Tragedy reminds us all that across the nation, and the world, there are people just like you and me facing their own struggles and tragedies. But it takes a large tragedy, that effects a large group of us, to remind us all that we're very much the same. We need to remember that we're all the same even in the good times and not let selfishness get the best of us. That is a great question. I hope one day it won't be an issue anymore.

Thank you for your time and for being a good person.

Thank you for the question! Have a wonderful evening!

No question, but thank him for his service.

I grew up in OK and was too young to remember the bombing, but going to the memorial makes me tear up. The different sized chairs really make for a beautiful tribute to the lost.

I was only 3 when it happened but when I visit the monument, o man so many feels.

Your father ages very well, considering April 19, 1995 was eighteen years ago and he still looks EXACTLY the same.

That picture was from about seven years ago not the year of the bombing! It was a follow up article for an OKC newspaper on the anniversary of the bombing a few years back! Haha but he has aged quite well.

Did you struggle from PTSD and if so what therapy did you receive to overcome the symptoms?

He didn't have PTSD. But every time they pulled out a body they had to go talk to a therapist about it to make sure they were mentally still okay to continue. He says he doesn't think it bothered him too much because he knew it had to be done and he was doing something for the better of the community. He is the strongest man I know.

How far was he from the blast when it exploded?

He was in Tulsa when the explosion occurred. But he was there 18 hours later working with fellow Tulsa firefighters, helping the OKC firefighters with the recovery effort.

What if any conspiracy theories does he find credible dealing with this event?

He's never really looked to much into any of the conspiracy theories for this event, but you struck a cord with him and now he's interested. He said he's going to look into them.

Does he keep in touch with any of the survivors he saved?

No he does not unfortunately. Once they pulled someone out if they were alive they were instantly handed over to the medical staff and he continued his searching.

How long prior to the bombing was your dad a firefighter?

He joined the force in 1985 so he had been a firefighter for 10 years when the bombing occured.

Does your father know about the wrongly accused man that was killed in Prison? I forget his name, I hope he knows about this, since I have been searching for him for a while.

He said that does sound like something he had heard, but he has no information on that and he heard that a long long time ago.

What was his initial reaction when he heard about the bombing?

His initial reaction was shock and that he knew he needed to get down there to help. He knew that they'd be calling on firefighters from all around to help and he wanted to make sure he'd be one of them.

When was OK Cupid bombed? This seriously fucks up my weekend.

Hahahaha upvote for you!

Your dad misspelled your username :)

I just now realized I mispelled "chivalrous" when I made my account haha. Well shit! Good catch!!

I thought you were trying to throw some chill in there, like, it's a chill AND a chivalrous lion. I'm sad now. :(

I've already put that word in my vocabulary now. I am happy with my mess up. I believe we've discovered a new word! Haha he's chill but still treats the ladies right.

No questions. I just want you to thank him for me.

He said thank you internet stranger!! Haha

What did you have for breakfast?

Biscuit and gravy. Firehouse food is the best food too. Trust me I've eaten there plenty of times haha.

how do you feel?

Now? He's happy he was able to help and make a difference. He tries to only take positive things from that experience.

This is pretty bad ass to see here. Big respect to your father, and I am curious if he knows Ben Herring of the Tulsa FD? I used to work mowing lawns for him and lost touch after moving. I was in Edmond for the bombing, as well, and I remember it vividly. It was 2nd hour, Mrs. Mitchel's English class at Sequoyah middle school. I was in the 6th grade. It was a bright, sunny, normal Spring morning, and then the shock wave rocked our classroom. We were held in a loose lockdown for the day and the blast was explained away as thunder. It was pre-cell phones, but that only worked for a few hours before word spread through the student body about the attack. A couple of kids that attended with me lost parents. My father worked downtown and had a bomb threat on his building (medical center- they threatened everywhere they expected injuries to be taken), it was a crazy, surreal day. Anyway, big respect and love to your pops.

Yeah he knows Ben! And you have great memory! It's crazy to see how fast events like this spread now with cell phones and social media! Glad to hear everyone in your family was okay!!

As someone who narrowly avoided being in that building with my mom, I want to thank your father from the bottom of my heart for helping those that were not so fortunate. Thank you.

Glad your mom and you weren't in the building, for whatever reason! Thank you!!

If you could say anything to Timothy Mcveigh, what would it be?

"I don't hate you. I hate what you did, but I do not hate you."

Even though you're a lion and I'm an alligator I hope we can become friends.

HELL YES THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!!!

What is his predictions of this year's NBA playoffs?

Not really a serious question, just want to thank you for what you did. This world needs more heros like your dad.

Thank you! And he says THUNDER UP!!!

My parents hid everything from me regarding news about the bombing. It wasn't until I was 20 (!) that I decided to learn about what happened in my city. They wanted to protect me from the gore, sadness and straight-up awfulness, especially because of that iconic photo of the kid in the firefighter's arms. Did your dad disclose what happened to you graphically, or even honestly? I was just told there was a bombing, a bad guy, etc... For context, I was in third grade. Were you old enough to digest what happened, or did you get info from your dad? Also, props to your dad. Thanks.

(tl;dr Did your dad let you know about what happened in a mature way, or did he hide reality like my parents?)

I was 3 at the time so I didn't understand much. But when I was older and asked about it he gave me all of the truth. He hid nothing from me. He felt I should be educated on it and I really appreciate that!

You tell him I said thank you. I'm from Missouri (so, not your biggest fan sports wise) but I remember watching this on TV.. I was just about to turn 12 when it happened and it was probably the first thing that really shattered my innocence about the world. It was really the first big national news story I can remember being deeply captivated by. The first one that caused feels.

I can still see the picture of the fire fighter with the baby.

I can't imagine how hard it was for him. To go up there and do it, to see those terrible things because he knew they it had to be done... He's a helluva man.

Was the day care the hardest part? and (because I can't remember and it's not very goulish) how much was left of the ryder truck?

"The daycare was the hardest part by far. I tried to work it as much as possible so the OKC fire fighters didn't have to."

"The truck was demolished. For reference the front bumper was two blocks down the road from the original blast site. It was scattered in a million pieces."

Proof?

I'm working on this now then I'll start to have him answer everyone's questions.

Edit: I believe I posted some evidence that should suffice!

Did you think it was a Muslim who did it before it was revealed to be a white American?

"No, I didn't think about race or religion or anything. I just knew I wanted to help as much as possible. I don't know why but when it came out to be a white guy I wasn't surprised."

Im curious, why would i ask anyone about a what had to have been a horrific exp.? Sounds goulish to me..i just hope the man has come to terms with what he had to go through.

He came to terms with it very quickly. He knew he had to be mentally strong to deal with it and he really was. He also knew that he had to talk about it. Bottling it up would do him no good. That's why it was good that they had the workers talk to a therapist every time they found a body.

does he feel an affinity with the men and women responding to disasters on the news. Also does seeing events like 9/11 and most recent Boston Marathon bring up any emotions that might be different to the rest of us like anxiety instead of morbid curiosity?

Yes he feels affinity with any person responding to a disaster, big or small.

He said what he went through has made him emotionally calloused. He isn't as emotional about this stuff anymore because he's dealt with it first hand. He still feels for all the people just as much though.

Did he know or hear anything about Terrance Yeakey?

And, your father is a brave man! Many thanks to him!

He didn't know him but yes he knows of him. Terrance was a very brave man who saved lives.

Does he have any thoughts on his death? I'm not certain myself, but after learning about him a few years ago, it does seem a bit odd. Thanks again.

He doesn't know too much about his death. He hasn't looked much into that part of it. What uncertainty is there about his death?

It just seems pretty fishy. Ruled a suicide but lots of things that don't add up. I don't really know, and I am not a conspiracy theorist, but it's just odd. Have him look into it if he's interested.

Will do! He said he'll have to check it out!

What did it smell like? been asked already

When he was helping remove the bodies was he wracked with emotion or just kind of cold and determined?

I remember being 8 and a latchkey kid when the bombing happened. I remember being really shocked by the fact that someone would blow up a place with a daycare.

Cold and determined. Like all firefighters when they rush into a house fire, he had to put emotions aside because it's an emergency situation.

When was OK Cupid bombed?

Someone already beat you to it haha.