Cream Of The Crop

In yesterday's Star Tribune, Katherine Kersten brought the story of Peter Swanson to attention:

Soldiers are in the business of defending freedom. But many will tell you that they didn't fully grasp its value until they encountered a foreign land where it's in short supply.

That can't be said of Peter Swanson of Golden Valley, who will ship out to Iraq in a few days. Swanson is a corporate counsel for TCF Bank, where he practices securities and employment law. Soon he'll be stationed at an Iraqi detention facility, deciding about detainees' rights and status.

Swanson joined the Army Reserve in college almost 20 years ago. Now a major, he recently was called to active duty in the Judge Advocate General's Corps.

Those of us who have had the pleasure of working with him on the local political scene in Senate District Forty-Four know that he is a gentleman of the highest caliber. We wish him Godspeed as he embarks on his latest duties and thank him for his service to the country.