Minnesota soldier killed in Iraq

An Army soldier from Lake City has been killed in Iraq. Tony Hebert, 20, was a 2005 graduate of Lincoln High School in Lake City.

Jim Heise, who taught Hebert literature and history, says those weren't his favorite subjects. He preferred more technical classes.

"He worked really hard. He was a good golfer. I know when he was signing up, he wanted to go Airborne. And I remember telling him, 'Airborne and Marines, they're the first ones in,'" he said.

Lake City is a small town nestled on the shore of Lake Pepin. Many teachers remember Hebert as a delightful young man, and a quiet one. Hebert's family wasn't available for comment. Heise says he has two sisters who also attended Lincoln High School.

"He always had a smile, he had a great attitude, he was a hard worker," Heise recalled. "I think he went into the service, I think it was part, patriotism, also he wanted to challenge himself. He wanted to push himself. Obviously he was going into the Airborne; he was going to do that."

Heise believes this was his former student's second tour of duty. He says Hebert was a character straight out a Garrison Keillor story.

"I think he was composed of what was best from being from Minnesota. He had a quiet dignity to him. He was honest, he was too young to die in the sand, I'll tell you that. Way too young."

Heise says a lot of kids in Lake City have joined the service recently.

"There's a lot of small towns in America that are dealing with this," he said. "I knew we had so many kids in the service, it was a matter of statistical time that one was going to fall, and unfortunately fate took Tony".

Hebert was the 61st person from Minnesota to die in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.