Among the 1,000 Minnesota National Guard soldiers being honored tonight before they head to Iraq is David Peterson, a city council member in Sartell, a growing town of about 13,000, just north of St. Cloud.
And among the items that will go overseas in Peterson’s duffle bag, said the St. Cloud Times, will be two flags presented to him at a council meeting Monday: a POW flag from Sauk Rapids VFW Post 6992, and an American flag that has flown over the nation’s Capitol, at the state Capitol in St. Paul and at Sartell City Hall.
Peterson and fellow soldiers of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division soldiers will be honored tonight in a ceremony at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul.
The soldiers are based in Rosemount, Inver Grove Heights, Faribault and Stillwater. Theyll go to Fort Lewis, Wash., for three months of training and then to Iraq until February 2010.
While Peterson is away, his council position will be filled by former Council Member Paul Orndorff.
