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CNN Live Saturday
Oklahoma City Memorial Beefs Up Security to Handle an Ever- Increasing Number of Visitors
Aired June 09, 2001 - 16:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Hundreds of miles from Terre Haute, many survivors of the bombing, along with victims' families, will gather in Oklahoma City to watch the execution on closed-circuit television. Joining us now from the Oklahoma City National Memorial is our national correspondent Gary Tuchman -- Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Donna, we're now exactly 40 hours away from the scheduled execution of Timothy McVeigh. While the countdown continues, people continue to stream into the Oklahoma City National Memorial Center. The line right now wraps around the museum. Many of the tourists telling us they have come because of the all the attention to the case because of the impending execution.
As you might expect, for the museum staff, this is a very busy and stressful time. With us right now is the executive director of the National Memorial Center Kari Watkins.
Kari, thanks for joining us.
KARI WATKINS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BOMBING MEMORIAL: You bet.
TUCHMAN: How nerve-racking is it right now inside there?
WATKINS: Well, I think our focus is we absolutely have to stay absolutely focused on our mission, which is about remembrance and education. And it's hard not to get caught up in all the activity, but as the staff tries to stay focused on our mission, is our number one goal.
TUCHMAN: There is extra security here right now, isn't there?
WATKINS: We have beefed up security just to handle the number of people coming and also just the traffic of the drive by, people trying to figure out what is going on. So, we have increased our security a little bit, but we always have 24-hour security at this site.
TUCHMAN: This facility, to explain to our viewers, is an outdoor (UNINTELLIGIBLE), an outdoor memorial, which is very poignant and beautiful. An indoor museum, which has just opened (UNINTELLIGIBLE). What's the mission of the whole facility?
WATKINS: Well, the museum is about remembrance and education. As you walk through the museum, you hear the bomb blast, you actually see the faces of the 168 victims. And you are taken through the rescue and recovery, the watching and waiting, and you go through gallery of honor, in which you see the 168 faces, and an item that signifies something important in their life, and we take you through the chaos and the whole history of the chaos.
And we leave you with a charge to do something different in your life, to make a difference in your neighborhood and in your place of work.
TUCHMAN: Notable is in absence in the museum is Timothy McVeigh. I think he's only mentioned once or twice inside.
WATKINS: We talk about him in the investigation, and in the trial, the role of justice. There's a plaque on that wall that will be changed on Monday morning, saying that he has been executed at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
TUCHMAN: Kari, thanks for joining us. We appreciate your time.
WATKINS: Thanks. I appreciate your help.
TUCHMAN: The museum is only closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. It will not be closed on the day Timothy McVeigh dies.
Donna, back to you.
KELLEY: From Oklahoma City, Gary Tuchman. Thank you.
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