NAVY and Marine Corps BALL SPEAKERS
Lt. Cmdr, (Retired) Mike Petersen served 27 years in the Naval Service. He served both as enlisted and as an officer. Seven Years active duty, to include the Navy Seawolf helicopter Squadron in Vietnam, the most decorated squadron in Navy History. He flew 269 combat missions receiving 17 Air medals and the Purple Heart. His other active-duty tours included Helicopter Support Squadron Four, serving the Marine ready reaction force in the Mediterranean. He served as a flight instructor and flight leader at Helicopter Training Squadron 18 training Navy and Marine Corps aviators. Leaving active duty in 1971, he continued to serve in a reserve capacity. Duties included Carrier Air Group Mediterranean 1082 and NAS Alameda 0178. After leaving active-duty he became a home builder and real estate developer in Pensacola Florida. When the real estate industry soured in 1981, he returned home to Minnesota where he opened and continues to operate his insurance agency in Chaska, Minnesota. He is married to his bride Suzan, and they have three children and nine grandchildren. He is a life Member of the Chaska VFW and Chaska American Legion. His passion is teaching young people that: “the price of freedom is not free”.
