Iowa couple's road to altar delayed by war duty

Published: 2006-07-17

DUBUQUE, Iowa (CNS) -- The courtship of a young Catholic couple from Dubuque had a long detour through Baghdad, Iraq, before reaching the altar of St. Raphael Cathedral back home. It had to be put on hold for over a year while the eventual bride and groom served their country side by side in Iraq. Nathan and Laura (Biedermann) Miller, both members of the Iowa National Guard, were married June 9. "We have a beautiful life right now," Laura Miller told The Witness, Dubuque archdiocesan newspaper. "A lot of things have come together for us in the past 12 months -- our wedding, Nathan's job, our first home, a new puppy. ... Life's pretty good for us." The couple is part of a water purification unit of the Guard that was deployed to Iraq Feb. 7, 2003, and returned home safely April 1, 2004. While on active duty halfway around the world, they learned to tolerate the discomforts of desert living -- fleas, camel spiders, rodents, heat, sand. They also learned to live with the ongoing danger of insurgent attacks or ambushes.

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