Joe Drennan
Staff Writer

Peter Hegseth was sitting at his desk at Bear Stearns Companies in New York reading the Wall Street Journal when he read something in the Whatís New section that touched him so much that he cut it out, laminated and now carries it in his pocket. He also felt moved enough to step up and ask for deployment to Iraq.

Hegseth, a 1999 Forest Lake High School graduate, read a story about a suicide bomber who killed several children in a crowd that gathered around some American soldiers who were handing out candy.

ìAs long as people are willing to blow up children and are killing innocent children and women there is a responsibility as Americans and American soldiers to finish what we started and oppose the evil you see through these acts,î Hegseth said.

A First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army National Guard in New Jersey, Hegseth spent a year in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba working at the detention center and was only back at his job at Bear Stearns Companies as an investment banker for four months when he decided he wanted to go to Iraq and help in the only way he knew how.

Hegseth left his family last Tuesday and reported to Fort Campbell in Kentucky where he expects to deploy from to Iraq shortly.

ìHe really believes in what is happening in Iraq and for him to sit at his job and feel heís doing all he can would be tough for him,î Hegsethís dad Brian said. ìHe knew if he stayed attached to his New Jersey unit heíd be in Iraq eventually.î

Day after day while sitting at his desk and watching TVs that showed both the stock market and world news, Hegseth was seeing how hectic things are in Iraq and ìhow historicî the next six months to a year will be there. Knowing heís trained to do some of the work that needs to be done, he felt it was his obligation to go and help restore freedom.

ìIt had nothing to do with not liking my job as a banker,î Hegseth said. ìIt would just be a regret if I didnít help.î

With opposition for the war growing Hegseth has no problem with ìfinishing the job.î

ìAt this point itís finishing something we started,î Hegseth said.

ìWhether you agree with the motives or not, we have a difficult and long project of bringing freedom to an oppressed people, but we have to be willing to do the dirty work and eventually turn over the country to the Iraqis.î

Hegseth isnít too sure where in Iraq heíll end up, but he believes it will be near Baghdad. While in Iraq Hegseth believes heíll be involved in security operation to help insure every day life is safe and secure, but heíll also help with the National referendum and elections and making sure the elections are safe and legitimate.

Knowing heíll be in a dangerous environment, Hegseth isnít hiding his fears.

ìI donít think anyone can fully be prepared for the dangers and anyone who says they wouldnít be scared is kidding themselves,î Hegseth said. ìAm I scared? Yes.

ìThe only way to prepare for this is to train so you can minimize the possibility of being put in a situation you canít handle.î

Support

For any soldier going to Iraq there has to be a strong support system behind them and Hegseth is no different.

ìThe one thing I have really come to appreciate is the support from my family and friends, especially my wife Meredith,î Hegseth said. ìIt takes an extraordinary woman to handle what sheís going through.î

Meredith, also a 1999 FLHS grad, isnít the only one who will be missing and worrying about Hegseth while heís over in Iraq. His parents Brian and Penny who live in Forest Lake will also be missing and worrying about him.

It is much different when he is in New York and we know heís a phone call or a cheap flight away,î Brian Hegseth said.

ìYou fear for his safety and Iím a bit of a history buff and have been following the war long before I had a son going over there. I never had to think that a car bomb is where my son is and that creates a whole new dynamic.î

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