Oklahoma City bombing bombing, and other political dignitaries attended the service and gave speeches in which they emphasized that "goodness overcame evil". The relatives of the victims and the survivors of the blast also made note of it during the service at First United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. President George W. Bush made note of the anniversary in a written statement, part of which echoed his remarks on the execution of Timothy McVeigh in 2001: "For the survivors of the crime and for the families of the dead the pain goes on." Bush was invited but did not attend the service because
Timothy McVeigh three children of Irish Americans Mildred "Mickey" Noreen ("née" Hill) and William McVeigh. His parents divorced when he was ten years old, and he was raised by his father in Pendleton, New York. McVeigh claimed to have been a target of bullying at school, and he took refuge in a fantasy world where he imagined retaliating against the bullies. At the end of his life, he stated his belief that the United States government is the ultimate bully. Most who knew McVeigh remember him as being very shy and withdrawn, while a few described him as an outgoing and playful