Kinberg

Pieter Kindberg, 22, is a 1998 graduate of Lakota West High School. He is the son of Mary and Carl Kindberg of West Chester.

His father writes:

Our son, Pieter, is in the Coast Guard and deployed overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom/Free Iraq. The Coast Guard's contribution to the war effort is rarely reported even though over 600 Coasties and 11 cutters are deployed.

Pieter joined the Coast Guard three years ago. When I asked him, "Why the Coast Guard and not the other branches?" he stated, "Because the Coast Guard does not go the war, war comes to the Coast Guard." Life is full of irony, Pieter was deployed in mid-February.

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Pieter is an MK3 (machinery technician, 3rd class) on a 110-foot cutter.

We are lucky in that we have had frequent conversations with him and he is not directly involved in the war effort and directly in harm's way. However, he left on patrol on Monday for about one month, so contact will be limited to letters.

The support of friends, co-workers and family has been great and will help us and Pieter make it through. I just hope that the people in the U.S. will not transfer their antiwar sentiment to the troops when they return.

We are proud of Pieter, and he enjoys what he is doing.