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Marathon bombing survivors to attend State of the Union

(MyFoxBoston.com) -- Two Marathon Bombing survivors are headed to the Washington D.C. Tuesday as guests of the President at his State of the Union Address.

Carlos Arredondo and Jeff Bauman will be representing everyone involved in the tragic events of last year's Boston Marathon. They got the call from the White House Friday and immediately accepted.
 
"Oh my goodness what an honor," Arredondo said.
 
Arredondo and his wife Melida were at the finish line and rushed in when the bombs went off on Marathon Monday, coming to the aid of Bauman. Bauman ended up losing both his legs, but not his life, thanks in part, to Arredondo.

That's what prompted the invite by the President. The duo will join four others in the presidential box during the address, all of whom illustrate various issues the president will be addressing.
 
The guests were told they'd have a few minutes with the president following the address. That's when Arredondo wants to tell the President about the trauma still suffered by marathon survivors.

He also wants to talk with him about military-related suicides. His youngest son, Brian, took his own life in 2011 after struggling to come to terms with his older brother's death in Iraq seven years earlier.
 
"Since the first family is very supportive of veterans and family issues, we figured it's a good segway for us to at least mention it in their ears," said Melida.
 
She and Bauman's girlfriend will be watching the speech from the first family's private movie theater at the White House.