On the road with Pipe & Sticks on Route 66: Day 4

The group of world famous pipers and drummers who hit the road last week on the “Pipes & Sticks on Route 66” tour have embarked on a one-of-a-kind journey, and members of the team have offered to provide pipes|drums Magazine readers with an exclusive travel log on the adventure. Drummers Mike Cole and Jim Kilpatrick and pipers Stuart Liddell, Angus MacColl and Willie McCallum are taking three weeks to traverse the old US Highway #66, playing recitals and conducting workshops along the way. The fourth installment comes from the legendary Jim Kilpatrick, MBE.

On the road with Pipes and Sticks on Route 66

Day 4

By Jim Kilpatrick MBE

After a successful trip to St Louis, team Pipes & Sticks headed off to Oklahoma to pay our respects and remember those who were killed, along with those who survived the Oklahoma City terrorist attack of April 19, 1995. The five of us gathered and played for 30 minutes under the “Survivor Tree,” the American elm tree managed to live through the 4,000-pound bomb blast that killed 168 people with another 800 injured.

Our friend and senior USA military official, John J.T. Taylor, met us at the National Memorial. John is also a keen piper. Other members of our greeting party included Paul Sinclair from the Edmond Police Department (and also a piper), and officials from the Fed Security.