By Joanna Miller, Staff Writer

A set of Prior Lake flags is taking the next leg of a journey this Fourth of July.

After touring the state, and sometimes traveling across the country, the flags have made their way to Iraq and are in the hands of troops from Minnesota and North Dakota.

The flags have a story to tell.

The story begins with one young man who had a vision of how to show soldiers Minnesotans support their efforts.

Logan Loerzel of Prior Lake will enter fifth-grade next year. Last June, the Jeffers Pond Elementary student began a traveling flag project at the Church of St. Michael in Prior Lake.

The Loerzels had flags blessed, took the flags on tour at Midwestern landmarks for photos, and took photos with local and state supporters, such as the Prior Lake police and fire departments, City Council members, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Rep. John Kline.

Then, Logan took the photos and put them in a book, along with the flag, and sent it to his penpal in Iraq. She flew the flag in Iraq on July 4th, 2007 for Logan.

Flash forward a year, and Logan’s classmates now have three traveling flags and more manpower behind the effort.

After Logan’s older brother Jarrod left for basic training, the Loerzel family wanted to find a way to show support for the soldiers deployed in Iraq.

“We wanted to do more for the soldiers,” Logan’s mother Jean Loerzel said.

When Logan showed the project to his class last December, other Prior Lake-Savage Area students wanted to take flags on tour, too.

“Logan brought the stuff in for show ‘n’ tell…The kids thought it was really cool to have a penpal and be able to write to them overseas,” Loerzel said.

The Prior Lake VFW donated two more flags, and the class divided the flags among students to take them “on tour.”

Nineteen students worked on the North Dakota National Guard project and 11 students worked on the Minnesota National Guard project to make scrapbooks and take the flag to new spots.

Loerzel said the project mixed fun with learning.

“I hope they learned there’s a face to the soldiers that defend,” Loerzel said.

For Logan, Loerzel said he learned that there can be a “ripple effect” for change.

“You can take your idea and spread it to other people,” Loerzel said.

They invited Minnesotans to visit their classroom at Jeffers Pond for photos with the group and the flags to show support.

“The guests were also trying to say ‘I support the troops,’” she explained. “Hopefully, all together, as a country and a state, we can [show] support.”

Loerzel said the National Guard visit helped students to realize some soldiers have regular jobs at home, but also donate time abroad for the country.

The 2007-08 flag project began Dec. 7, 2007 with a visit to the Jeffers Pond classroom of teacher Nancy Duehn from two National Guard soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Klaphake and Sgt. 1st Class Jon Stacke.

Throughout the rest of the school year, other notable people dropped in to talk to students and pose with the flag.

“I would call Ms. Duehn and she would say, ‘Let me check with Ms. Solberg,’” Loerzel said, of all of the visitors dropping in at Jeffers Pond. “It got to the point where I would walk in and they would look beyond me to see who I was bringing in.”

Duehn said the project was a hit.

“The flag project was an awesome experience for me and the students,” Duehn said. “Huge kudos goe to Jean and her son, Logan.”

Visitors to the class included Prior Lake VFW Commander Lyaman McPherson, former Superintendent Tom Westerhaus, the Worlds Toughest Cowboys Bandy Murphy and Danny Ward, Minnesota Viking mascot Viktor, Minnesota Twins mascot TC, Prior Lake High School Sno Ball Royalty, and Miss Minnesota 2007 Danielle Epps.

The students were also invited to tour the KARE 11 studios and met local anchors.

“I think TC was one of the favorites,” Loerzel said, “because he visited the whole school. The kids ran up to him and mobbed him.”

When the flags weren’t being photographed with celebrities, students took the flags on vacations - documenting photos of themselves and their families with the flags in Hawaii, Arizona, Florida, Wisconsin and Alaska.

“The flags go where the kids go,” Loerzel said. “I wish we had started earlier.”

They took the flags to church. The flags went to their favorite campgrounds, playgrounds, family picnics, and more.

Then, Loerzel compiled all of the photos in a video and sent the flags off to Iraq to the troops.

Jon Stacke, one of the soldiers who visited the class, promised to take the flags on tour in Iraq, documenting their own flag tour for the students, and strengthening a connection between Minnesota and Iraq.

Stacke was deployed to Iraq in May and said he’d personally deliver the items to both the Minnesota and North Dakota National Guard units.

Loerzel said it will likely take six weeks until Stacke is able to communicate back to the students, and it could take longer.

The group looks forward to hearing about the flags’ future travels, she said.

“The kids are all excited,” she said. “The flags have traveled to two continents.”

And, Loerzel is already thinking ahead to next year.

She hopes Logan can begin another flag project in his fifth-grade class, and she also is seeking a parent volunteer for the fourth-grade class to expand the project.

With the Republican National Convention being held in Minnesota, she’s even contacted officials to see if Sen. John McCain may want to stop by Prior Lake for a photo op.

 Joanna Miller can be reached at (952) 345-6375 or shogendorf@swpub.com.