Veteran group to honor fallen Iowa soldier during RAGBRAI

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCRG) - A veteran support group is honoring the legacy of an Iowa National Guard soldier killed overseas last year.

The Veteran Flagpole Initiative is remembering Staff Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, in his hometown as thousands of RAGBRAI riders camp in the city overnight.

Howard was killed in Syria on December 13, 2025, alongside Staff Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and an interpreter.

Howard’s troop will ride flags in his honor from Boone to Marshalltown on the RAGBRAI route before delivering them to his family’s home Wednesday night.

There will be a public ceremony at 5 p.m. Wednesday at 406 Sunset Lane in Marshalltown.