The Remains of the Branch-Davidians

WACO (MOUNT CARMEL): HOME OF THE BRANCH-DAVIDIANS

After visiting the Dr. Pepper Museum, the next logical Waco destination seemed to be the Waco Visitor Center. It was not known if it was a sensitive subject or not, but when the Visitor Center Matrons asked if they could help it seemed a perfect time to inquire about directions to Mount Carmel. The question had barely been uttered before one of the Matrons whipped out a sheet of directions. Apparently directions to Mount Carmel is a very popular request. Leaving the Visitor Center it was not too difficult to find Mount Carmel. Once there it seemed totally surprising how much access was allowed and how much there was to see.

c2.jpg (16286 bytes)

As you drive onto the Mount Carmel Compound this is the first thing you see. It is sort of a reader board with a short version of the sequence of events. There is a small Visitor Center adjacent to this.

If any of you are in Texas, in Waco, above is your convenient directional map (click thumbnail to enlarge) so you can easily locate the site of the infamous Branch-Davidian Massacre. Mount Carmel is actually not in Waco. It is way out in the country, very isolated. Once you see it you can't help but wonder why the government was harassing these people. And why did they have to invade the place with tanks? Seeing it in person it looked as if it would have been very easy to keep an eye on the place and arrest whomever they felt like arresting whenever the supposed bad guy eventually left the place.

c1.jpg (12433 bytes)

The woman on the left greets visitors when they arrive on the property. She is a Branch-Davidian, from before the time of David Koresh. She objected to David Koresh and is involved in some sort of lawsuit to gain control of the property. Apparently she is some sort of overseer for the original founder of the Branch-Davidians. However, the guy covering his face was a follower of David Koresh. But he was not in the compound at the time of the siege. This woman provided several pieces of literature she'd written to explain her view of the government's wrongdoing. She gave the Eyes on Texas permission to look without restriction.

c11.jpg (12230 bytes)

Another view. You can see the underground tunnel that connected parts of the compound.

c12.jpg (6052 bytes)

Early after the Final Fire, Branch-Davidians wrote messages on the remains of the foundation detailing what happened in that area. This was the area near the buried bus.

c14.jpg (9190 bytes)

Markers have been placed at various sites, detailing what occurred there. The above one tells about the Men's Dormitory.

In the photo below you are looking right at the point where the tank punched through the wall. Details of this have been painted onto the cement.

c17.jpg (11286 bytes)

c18.jpg (6958 bytes)

The area of the compound called the Vault. It was like a bunker. Many of the dead were found here

A forest of trees has been planted, one tree for each of the dead, with a monument at the base of each tree like the one below for a victim from England.

c7.jpg (17209 bytes)

A surprising monument to those killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. Surprising because the Waco Incident is generally believed to be the motivation for the attack on the federal building in Oklahoma City.

c3.jpg (13889 bytes)

c8.jpg (12379 bytes)

Those are the tree monuments behind the battered motorbike.There also are two burned out busses on the property.

c4.jpg (12922 bytes)

And another surprise at the site of the massacre. A monument to the four federal officers killed in the initial invasion of the Branch-Davidian Compound.

c9.jpg (9451 bytes)

The remaining foundation of the former Branch-Davidian Compound has many messages written on it.
The above one said that you are at the site of "'History's Most Photographed Massacre".

Obviously no longer true after 9/11/01

email feedback