Schools
Petersen Receives Flying Cardinal Award
The wounded Afghan vet and 2005 UDHS grad doesn't see himself as a "hero."
An Upper Dublin High School graduate and Purple Heart recipient was honored by the Upper Dublin School District on Monday.
Montgomery Media reports that U.S. Army Sergeant Eric Petersen, who was gravely injured when his convoy vehicle was destroyed by a roadside bomb on Aug. 1, received the Flying Cardinal Award from the district's school board at its Monday night meeting.
Petersen, 26, and another soldier were the only survivors of the attack, which killed two other soldiers and the group's Afghan translator. Petersen lost his right eye and suffered a traumatic brain injury. Titanium plates were inserted into his face to support his cheek and eye socket. He underwent additional surgeries on his right arm and left leg.
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He rejects the "hero" label, reserving that for his comrades who lost their lives in the attack.
More than 2,000 members of the U.S. military have died during the war in Afghanistan since it began after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
