First responder shares his inspiring story behind message left after the Oklahoma City bombing

Rockie Yardley, a former first responder, bomb disposal technician and member of Team Five, was called to the scene of the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Yardley described the scene as being chaotic with many people searching through the rubble in an attempt to save as many lives as possible. 

After days of search and rescue, Team Five began their post blast investigation and started looking for any evidence they could find in the rubble.“We were sifting everything on site and going through everything we could find to try and figure out who had done this,” said Yardley. What Yardley thought would take years only took them twenty five days. 

Yardley is notably known for leaving an inspirational quote on the side of the Journal Record Building, a building that was also affected by the blast. Yardley, and the rest of his team, thought the wall that remained was going to be demolished so he spray painted the words, “We search for the truth, we seek justice. The courts require it. The victims cry for it. And God demands it!” When asked what inspired this powerful message Yardley said, “The message came to me. It was fed to me and I was just the writer.” 

Yardley’s message still stands twenty eight years later as part of the bombing memorial in downtown OKC. “Never forget, I know the families won’t forget. We need to remember these things so we can prevent them from ever happening again,” said Yardley.