With thousands of RAGBRAI riders descending upon Marshalltown throughout the day Wednesday, a few hundred of them — along with community members and family and friends of the late Iowa Army National Guard SSgt. William Nathaniel “Nate” Howard — convened at the home of his parents, Jeff and Misty Bunn, for an emotional and moving dedication ceremony led by the nonprofit group Veteran Flagpole Initiative (VFI) just after 5 p.m.

Several members of the group, including National Guard veteran and Reinbeck native Tyler Shick, will have worked to install 270 flagpoles for veterans across the state by the end of this RAGBRAI week, and after a brief introduction, they quickly got to work mixing the concrete and doing the work after members of Howard’s unit ran both the American flag and his squadron flag from the Marshall County Freedom Rock to the Bunns’ house on Sunset Lane.

Pastor Kerry Jech led a prayer honoring Howard and his sacrifice, noting that his death in Syria last December serves as a reminder that evil still exists.

“We are reminded that freedom is not cheap, and we thank you for his sacrifice and the sacrifice of many others. In fact, even this week, we are reminded that other families are grieving the loss of their loved ones as well. So we come before you and ask, God, that every time we see this flag and the flag of the United States, we are reminded of Nate’s sacrifice and the sacrifice of others,” Jech said. “And I am so grateful, Lord, that Nate had that faith in you. I know he’s eternally with you, and I just pray that his life would continue to be a light to many, many others.”

During an interview with the T-R, Schick explained that VFI became a nonprofit organization in 2021, and by the end of this week’s RAGBRAI ride, they will have planted 270 flagpoles in all 99 counties — another one was scheduled in Marshalltown for Marv Kuehner. The 250th pole, fittingly, was installed on July 4, America’s 250th birthday.

Sadly, the installation on Wednesday was the second for a Gold Star family this year — previously, VFI placed a flagpole for the survivors of Major Jeffrey O’Brien of Waukee, who was killed by a drone strike in Kuwait on March 1.

“It’s a simple gesture to put a flagpole in someone’s yard, but if you look around here, there are hundreds of people that are here to show support, and it happens at a lot of them,” Schick said. “People want to come to support their veterans, and that’s what we’re here for. We just want to show these veterans and their families that we love them and we appreciate what they’ve done. They’ve given an immense sacrifice — some of them, obviously, the ultimate sacrifice, and this is just our way of giving a simple token of love and respect to them, their families, their units and their communities.”

Misty Bunn still thinks about her son every day, and while she joked that he would have hated all the attention he’s posthumously received, it’s “the least he deserved” for the sacrifice he made.

“He would hate people making a big deal out of him because he did what he did because he knew it was right, and he loved it and he loved his country,” she said. “Us being private people also would probably hate this, but any opportunity we are given to say his name, to keep his sacrifice, to keep the sacrifice of others in his position alive, that is why we continue to be OK with having our neighborhood (full of people).”

VFI previously installed a flagpole at the home of Howard’s widow Arianna, and Misty quickly sensed how genuine their mission was. As she looks forward, Nate’s mother has simple instructions for those who wish to continue honoring his memory.

“Remember what the flag stands for. Remember what your country is actually doing for you. It’s not about politics. It’s about the freedom to live here in a country, to have religious freedom, to have the ability to pursue the life that you want,” Misty said. “There’s no other country like that, so continue to support good leadership. Don’t just sit and complain, but support the military. Support your leadership. Support the flag. Don’t take it for granted.”

The ceremony ended with all in attendance joining together to sing “The Star Spangled Banner” and three military helicopters passing by in the sky above. This is VFI’s second year on RAGBRAI, and they’re planting 17 poles across the state throughout the week in 2026. To learn more about the organization and how to donate, visit veteranflagpoles.org.

“I don’t think any of us anticipated that the attendance would be quite like this, which just shows how great Iowans are,” Schick said.