Boston bomb survivors are guests at Obama speech [View all]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20140127_ap_64f6f5c66ecf4e04b711392e23b186e3.html

Boston bomb survivors are guests at Obama speech
The Associated Press
Posted: Monday, January 27, 2014, 6:02 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) - Two survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing and an openly gay NBA player are among the guests who will sit with first lady Michelle Obama Tuesday when President Barack Obama delivers the annual State of the Union address.

The first lady's guests are often picked because they symbolize an issue or policy the president is promoting. The White House announced six guests on Monday, with other names to be released ahead of Obama's address.

The guests announced so far are:

- Carlos Arredondo and Jeff Bauman, Boston: A photograph of Arredondo, 53, and Bauman, 27, has become one of the iconic images from the April 2013 bombing. The photo captured Arredondo rushing a badly injured Bauman away from the scene of the attack. Bauman, who lost both legs in the attack, played a crucial role in identifying the bombers while he was in the hospital recovering. The two men have become close friends, the White House said.