April 19 will mark the 31st anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. According to a 1995 Exchange Post story, Exchange associates were among the first to arrive with blankets and water for children leaving the building after the bombing. The Exchange also played a role providing support to rescue workers and others affected by the attack.
After the secretary of the Army approved a formal request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Exchange provided about 2,000 sundry packs to be distributed to people who were evacuated from their homes and were not allowed to return quickly to retrieve their belongings.
Emergency relief workers and volunteers also received the packs, which contained shampoo, razors, shaving cream, soap, toothpaste and feminine hygiene products.
The personal packs were assembled at the Waco Distribution Center and loaded onto trucks April 21, two days after the bombing. After the packs arrived in Oklahoma City, Feed the Children volunteers distributed them. More than a dozen Exchange vendors reimbursed the Exchange for merchandise donations.
“We are proud AAFES was able to provide the necessary personal items to those courageous volunteers in Oklahoma City, and are equally proud of supporting vendors who shared in this project,” said to Lt. Col. Allen Lutz, the Exchange’s Policy and Contingency Planning Officer.
In addition, Employees Associations (EAs) around the world donated money to the victims, survivors and their families. The Fort Hood Texas Employees’ Association kicked off the effort with a $300 donation, inspiring other EAs to match the $300 donation. The Fort McClellan, Alabama, EA went further, donating $1,000. Facilities without EAs also held bake sales and collected donations.
Denver Exchange associates helped raise about $3,500 to support families affected by the bombing through events such as a potluck meal, a garage sale, bake sale and car wash. A steak dinner served by the general manager and the main store manager was given out to the highest bidder. A jug for customers and associates was set up in the entry way of the main store for donations.
At the Waco DC, Henrietta Bravo, a customer service technician, suggested planting a tree in remembrance of the many lives lost in bombing. A plaque at the foot of the tree says, “Dedicated to the Memory of the Victims of the April 1995 Oklahoma City Federal Building Bombing.” 
A scene of the devastated Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building after the Oklahoma City bombing. (FEMA News Photo)
Source: Exchange Post archives
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