Twenty‑five years after the September 11 attacks, retired Oklahoma City police chaplain Jack Poe looks back on two of the nation’s darkest moments and the spiritual support he offered to first responders.
From the Murrah bombing to Ground Zero
In April 1995, Poe was among the chaplains who rushed to the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building after the bombing that claimed 168 lives. He spent hours comforting firefighters, police officers, and emergency‑medical‑service personnel, offering prayers and a listening ear as they grappled with the horror.
Six years later, New York officials asked Oklahoma City chaplains to travel to New York City to assist after the World Trade Center attacks. Poe recalls watching the second plane strike from Oklahoma and feeling a deep sense that his city would be called upon.
“We’re dealing with firemen and policemen and EMS and construction workers who were there to clean the site, to bring a spirit of hope to them in this tragic time in their life,” Poe said. “They probably will never remember what we said to them, but they will remember we were there for them.”
First days at the disaster site
Within days, Poe and fellow Oklahoma chaplains arrived in New York. “When we flew in, we could see it was still burning,” he recalled. The city was under lockdown, but the chaplains’ Oklahoma badge opened doors. An officer saw “OKC chaplain” on Poe’s helmet and said, “Good. I’ve been looking for a chaplain.”
Assigned to a temporary morgue, Poe spent two weeks blessing the remains of the fallen and comforting grieving families. He described the scene: “Firemen, police officers would come to the morgue and they would say, ‘Have you found my brother? Have you found my sister?’ We were there to listen and hug them. To cry with them. If they wanted our story, we shared it.”
Speaking at the first Ground Zero memorial
Poe was later invited to speak and pray at what he believes was the first memorial service at Ground Zero. His words were later printed in the Law Enforcement Bible. “Memory is good. For without memory, there’s no healing,” he said, emphasizing the importance of remembering the sacrifice of those who served.
Faith amid tragedy
When asked where God was during the 1995 bombing and the 2001 attacks, Poe answered with conviction: “Where was God at 9:02? The same place He was at 9:01 and 9:03. He didn’t do this. But He was with us in His presence. We saw it in the presence of His people.”
For the next three years, Poe traveled between Oklahoma City and New York, forging a bond between the two cities rooted in shared loss and mutual support.
Looking ahead
Now, a quarter‑century later, Poe says the experience continues to guide his life. “I think God has given us the spirit of compassion, not that we have all the answers,” he reflected. His story underscores the power of faith‑based ministry to bring hope in the midst of national tragedy.
Jack Poe’s testimony serves as a reminder that ordinary citizens, grounded in Christian faith, can make a profound difference when called upon to serve their fellow Americans.
Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
