By Matthew Daly
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON · A Cuban-American who won a Bronze Star in Iraq but was not allowed to return to his homeland to care for a sick son said Monday that his children are being allowed to visit the United States.

Under an agreement with the State Department and the Cuban government, Sgt. Carlos Lazo's two sons, Carlos Rafael Lazo, 17, and Carlos Manuel Lazo, 19, will visit for three months. Lazo, a sergeant in the Washington state National Guard, plans to fly to Miami on Friday to meet them.

The family's plight prompted legislators from both parties to complain about the strict travel limits to Cuba imposed by the Bush administration. The rules allow family visits once every three years.

"First of all, I'm very grateful for the outcome of this," Lazo said in an interview.

Lazo, 40, of Seattle, came to the United States by raft in 1992. Now a U.S. citizen, he works as a counselor for the state's social and health services department. He joined the National Guard in 2000 and trained as a medic.

He was sent to Iraq in April 2004 and earned the Bronze Star for braving sniper and mortar fire while providing medical aid to troops during fighting in the city of Fallujah.

Lazo last saw his sons in April 2003. Last year, on leave from Iraq, he flew to Miami hoping to fly to Havana, only to learn that the State Department had blocked trips to Cuba.

He tried again last spring after hearing that his younger son was suffering from a high fever. The boy was hospitalized for 10 days, then sent home with doctors still uncertain why he was sick.

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