CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Arianna Howard, left, the widow of late Iowa Army National Guard SSgt. William Nathaniel “Nate” Howard of Marshalltown, recently attended President Trump’s State of the Union address as the guest of U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), right.

TIMES-REPUBLICAN

The family of a fallen Marshalltown soldier were special guests during the annual State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Arianna Howard, wife of Iowa Army National Guard SSgt. William Nathaniel “Nate” Howard, his mother Misty Bunn and stepfather Jeff Bunn, attended the speech with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowan) and Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) respectively.

In a press release, Hinson said the Bunns have sacrificed more than most can ever imagine, and it was an honor to have them as her guests.

“When a family in our community is hurting, Iowa shows up,” Hinson said. “Tonight is about honoring their son, SSgt. Howard, and standing with his family — and with all military families who carry the cost of our freedoms every day.”

President Donald Trump’s State of the Union lasted almost two hours. Ernst said she invited Arianna to the speech because she wanted to honor Howard, who was killed in an ISIS terrorist attack in Palmyra, Syria in December. Alongside Howard was fellow member of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment Staff Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar of Des Moines and Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Macomb, Mich., a civilian who was working as an interpreter.

“Every year we can decide to bring friends or family and this year, I decided to bring Arianna,” she said.

Ernst met Arianna Tuesday afternoon and gave her a tour of the Capitol.

“She joined us in the Senate dining room for a dinner for senators and their guests,” she said. “We sat with senators Ashley Moody (R-Florida), Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Andy Kim (D-New Jersey).”

Welch and other senators were inspired by Arianna, Ernst said.

“[Welch] commented about how brave and courageous Arianna was, how touching it was for her to go through that trauma and be at the State of the Union,” she said. “They were impressed with her.”

While Arianna and the Bunns were not singled out during the address, Ernst said Trump was aware of their presence. After an overnight stay in Washington, D.C. Tuesday evening, she received a tour of the White House, but Ernst said the President was unable to meet her.

The senator was able to spend some alone time with Arianna, talking about and viewing pictures of Howard. Ernst said Arianna seems to be holding up well, and they were able to laugh at good memories.

“For her screensaver, she has one of their wedding photos,” she said. “It’s very poignant. We talked and reflected about Nate’s life. We talked about the closeness of the Iowa National Guard. Her stepdad was one of my soldiers when I was deployed, and Arianna recalled trying to decide if she should go out with Nate. She asked her stepdad, and he told her Nate was a good guy.”

After Howard’s death, Ernst said many of his friends and fellow soldiers contacted Arianna to let her know how honorable he was.

“They told her what a wonderful soldier he was, how much people looked up to him for guidance, but she never knew that because Nate was so humble,” Ernst said.

Not only was bringing Arianna to the Capitol personal to Ernst, because of her ties to the Iowa Army National Guard, but she also wanted to remind Iowans of the sacrifice made by Howard and his family.

“I want them to recognize Iowa lost two incredible young men, and I would like them to lift up their family members,” Ernst said. “It is less about recognizing the State of the Union, and more about lifting up and recognizing these family members.”

The senator loves the effort of Iowa Rep. David Blom (R-Marshalltown) to rename a five-mile portion of Highway 30 running through his hometown after Howard. Naming a section of the highway after the Marshalltown soldier is significant.

“One thing Arianna said is she wants to make sure Nate is not forgotten,” Ernst said. “In D.C., there are efforts to rename Veterans Affairs clinics after the soldiers, which is a heavier lift since it’s at the federal level, but it is important to remember these young men and the Iowa National Guard, the sons, brothers who we do not want to be forgotten. By naming something — a facility, a roadway — it keeps them fresh in everyone’s minds.”

Ernst said Arianna is a “great young woman,” who unfortunately had a tragedy befall on her, one that can happen when someone in the family commits to military service.

“She and her family have given so much, and it’s important to remember that,” Ernst said. “I don’t want Iowans to forget fellow Iowans who have served.”

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.