In a sombre ceremony on Christmas Eve, the bodies of two Iowa National Guard members killed in a Syrian desert ambush were returned to their grieving families in Des Moines.
A Solemn Homecoming on the Tarmac
The poignant repatriation took place on Wednesday, 24 December 2025, at Des Moines International Airport. The remains of Staff Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, and Staff Sergeant William Nathanial Howard, 29, were carried from an Iowa Air National Guard aircraft by white-gloved comrades, mirroring the dignified transfer ritual performed days earlier at Dover Air Force Base.
Loved ones gathered on the tarmac, huddling for comfort and wiping away tears as they approached the wooden caskets. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, US Senator Joni Ernst, and US Representative Zach Nunn stood alongside senior Iowa National Guard leaders to pay their respects.
The Fatal Ambush and Aftermath
The two guardsmen, along with a US civilian interpreter from Michigan, were killed in an ambush on 13 December while deployed in eastern Syria as part of the coalition fighting ISIS. Their remains were flown back to the United States last week, where former President Donald Trump paid his respects and met with families at Dover.
Following the attack, the Trump administration authorised military strikes against ISIS targets. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described the action on social media as a "declaration of vengeance."
Final Journey and Ongoing Sacrifice
After private moments of mourning on the tarmac, each casket was placed into a hearse—one blue and one black. A procession escorted by the Des Moines Police Department and Iowa State Patrol then took the soldiers to funeral homes in Des Moines and Marshalltown, with funerals scheduled for the coming days.
Three other Iowa National Guard members were wounded in the same attack. One was treated locally, while two others were evacuated from Syria for medical care and returned to the US on 20 December.
On the mild December day, dozens of people lined the route from the 132nd Wing, waving American flags in a final, respectful tribute to the fallen soldiers.
