Iowa National Guard families enjoy egg hunt after recent deaths

IOWA CITY, Iowa - After the recent deaths of two Iowa National Guard soldiers, the close-knit guard families left behind are in a somber mood.

But Saturday's Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Republican Women of Johnson County helped Guard families get back to a sense of normalcy.

It was a time to enjoy the Easter holiday festivities.

“We have games. We have activities,” said Republican Women of Johnson County Co-President Carol Ann Christiansen.

Time to get their minds off family and friends deployed in Afghanistan.

“My dad's in Afghanistan. We see him every once in a while on the computer. It's kind of happy and at the same time it's depressing,” said 10-year-old Shane Metzger from Iowa City.

Metzger's dad has been deployed since August. He's one of the more than 3,000 Iowa National Guard soldiers deployed in the state's largest deployment since World War II. Easter is another holiday without him.

“We also missed Christmas with him and it's just not the same without him,” said Metzger.

But this egg hunt lets Shane and other kids just be kids while the realities of war linger in their minds.

“I'm scared because I think he might get hurt,” said Metzger.

This activity day comes just after two Iowa National Guard soldiers were killed in Afghanistan. Specialist Don Nichols of Shell Rock died in a roadside bombing Wednesday. On Monday, a similar attack killed Specialist Brent Maher of Honey Creek. Those attacks also seriously wounded four other soldiers.

“There's this sense of somberness, but there's this can-do spirit,” said Christiansen.

Christiansen says they planned the event to help the families here at home get through each day as their loved ones continue to fight for our freedoms abroad.

“These are the forgotten troops. They keep the fire burning at home.  They keep the family going,” said Christiansen.