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The aftermath of the iconic image of the OKC bombing

The image from the Oklahoma City bombing that is etched in all our memories is the picture of that firefighter carrying the lifeless body of a 1-year old girl from the ruins of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The little girl’s name was Baylee Almon, and the firefighter Chris Fields had no idea their picture was being taken as he brought her up from the rubble. Nevertheless, that single image captured the scope of the tragedy and became the focal point for Americans trying to understand the horror of that day.

USA Today reports that the lives of nearly everyone connected with that photo were in turmoil after its release:

In the years that followed, the lives of everyone involved with that photo seemed to have been embroiled in as much controversy and tumult as the tragedy that it captured with the lens.

Perhaps finally, they may all be in a peaceful place.

The mother of the battered baby being carried out of the rubble is married and lives in suburban Choctaw, Okla., with her husband and two children.The fire captain who carried tiny Baylee Almon out of the aftermath of the blast that killed 168 people has successfully conquered his post-traumatic stress syndrome and now counsels other first responders who witness disasters. The two amateur photographers whose lives became a roller coaster after their near identical shots circled the globe appear to have settled down.

There is so much more to their story, and you can read the rest for yourself here. Below are excerpts from interviews that NBC News did with Baylee’s mother and the fireman for the 20-year anniversary of the bombing.

Today is Baylee’s birthday. Had she lived, she would have turned 21 today.

3 Comments

  • Sandra Stewart

    There are many things in this world that merit our attention. Combating and countering hate in all its forms are very close to the top.
    That is why we left a church that became more and more about what it was against and less and less about what it was for. My personal feeling is that this is why you see the decline of some denominations. Increasingly the young see negative hateful christians (purposeful small c) or terrorist muslims (purposeful small m).
    I shed tears after the attack in Oklahoma, as I did with Sandy Hook as I did with…

  • ian Shaw

    Gotta give us a heads up on the pic Denny. I’ve got 2 wee-ones at home and I about started crying I saw the pic.

    Sometimes the biggest threats to security are the ones right here in our own backyard. ‘Arlington Road’ was a great example of that.

    I remember hearing about this on our class radio. Teacher had one going and when he caught this he turned it up for all of us to listen. Was in 5th grade when that happened. Can’t believe it was that long ago. Prayers for all the families involved in this.

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