Gov. Stitt, OMES and OKC National Memorial & Museum rededicate OKC Bombing Memorial Grove

OMES, partnered with the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, hosted a rededication ceremony for the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Grove Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. on the State Capitol Campus.

Gov. J. Kevin Stitt, former Gov. Frank Keating and Sec. Blayne Arthur, a member of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Conscience Committee, delivered remarks.

"The grove was built to honor the men, women and children who lost their lives in the bombing," Gov. Stitt said. "To this day, we are so grateful for the gift that the State of Iowa presented and the symbolic meaning it meant to all Oklahomans."

The original Bombing Memorial Grove, dedicated in November 1995, was a gift from the Iowa State Horticultural Society. The trees were removed to repair a natural gas leak last year. Since that time, OMES officials have worked on a redesign to enrich the memorial and continue to respect and honor the victims of the bombing and their families.

The renovation incorporates crabapples, oaks and redbuds to represent the lives lost in the bombing, and also includes additional benches and lighting improvements.

"Last year, many of us were sad to learn the original grove had to be removed, but we did not accept defeat," Gov. Stitt said. "Instead, we promised to restore the grove in a way that still honors the victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing. Twenty-five years later, the grove serves as a reminder of the resilience, hope and unity right here on the Capitol grounds."