The Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown has dedicated two memorial benches to Iowa National Guard Staff Sergeants Nate Howard and Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar. Both were killed in Syria last December. Ruth Roelsgard (ROLLS-gard), Howard’s grandmother, says the Veterans Day ceremony was especially meaningful for her because she worked as a nurse at the home for 40 years.
Nate Howard’s mother Misty Bunn says Veterans Day has always meant a lot to her family. Both her sons served and so did her father. This year, the dedication gave them another way to remember Nate.
The Veterans Home says Torres-Tovar’s family was invited but couldn’t attend. The benches honoring Torres-Tovar and Howard are positioned near the entrance to the administrative building on the Iowa Veterans Home campus.
(Reporting by Tom Barton, Iowa Public Radio)
