Purple Heart winner is guest speaker for Memorial Day services

 The public is invited to attend Clear Lake’s Memorial Day program Monday, May 26. Services will begin at the Clear Lake Sea Wall on Main Avenue at 9:30 a.m. U.S. Army Veteran Dave Theiss will provide the welcome, followed by an opening prayer from 

Cris Beard, V.F.W. Post 4868 Chaplain. The Clear Lake High School Band will perform and the Flag will be raised by the Boy Scouts. A wreath will be cast upon the water by Mike Nelson, U.S. Navy veteran.
The observance will then move to the Lincoln Monument at the Clear Lake Cemetery.
Guest speaker of the day will be Staff Sergeant Peter Bieber, a member of U.S. National Guard 1133rd and a Purple heart recipient. Staff Sgt. Bieber joined the service as a combat medic in 1996. He was called to active duty in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi freedom. During this tour of duty, a truck Bieber was riding in incurred a direct hit from an enemy mortar, seriously injuring him and killing his good friend and truck partner, Specialist Joshua L. Knowles of Sheffield. In April of 2004 Bieber was awarded a Purple Heart. Bieber has made a full recovery of his injuries and is a member of the Mason City Fire Department. Bieber’s awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, The Armed Forces Reserve Medal, The Good Conduct Medal, the Iowa Commendation Medal, the Armed Forces Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon and the State of Iowa Service Ribbon. Also in November of 2011, Bieber, along with two