Danny Phillip Dietz Jr. (January 26, 1980 – June 28, 2005) was a
Navy SEAL
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
who was awarded the U.S. Navy's second highest decoration, the
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...
, along with the
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...
, for his actions during the
War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to:
*Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC)
*Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709)
*Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see als ...
.
Early life and education
Dietz was born on January 26, 1980, in
Aurora, Colorado
Aurora (, ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, Arapahoe, Adams County, Colorado, Adams, and Douglas County, Colorado, Douglas List of counties in Colorado, ...
to parents Cindy and Daniel P. Dietz Sr.
He was of
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
ancestry. He graduated from
Heritage High School in Littleton in 1999.
Career
![USMC-20259](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/USMC-20259.jpg)
Dietz joined the Navy on August 31, 1999, and following his graduation from basic training at the
Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois
Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes (RTC Great Lakes), is a unit within the United States Navy primarily responsible for conducting the initial orientation and indoctrination of incoming recruits, also known as boot camp and recruit training, ...
, he finished Gunner's Mate "A" School also at Great Lakes. From that point on, he enrolled in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (
BUD/S) and graduated with Class 232 in 2001. Dietz proceeded to the Basic Airborne Course at
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...
in Georgia, after which he completed SEAL Qualification Training and SEAL Delivery Vehicle Training.
Shortly after checking in at SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on November 8, 2001, he was appointed to Task Unit Bravo as the optional SDV pilot and the ordnance and engineering department head. In April 2005, Dietz was deployed with his Special Reconnaissance component to Afghanistan to help Naval Special Warfare Squadron TEN in the indictment of the Global War on Terrorism.
Operation Red Wings
Operation Red Wings
Operation Red Wings (often incorrectly referred to as ''Operation Redwing'' or ''Operation Red Wing''), informally referred to as the Battle of Abbas Ghar, was a joint military operation conducted by the United States in the Pech District ...
was a counter-insurgency operation by the United States Armed Forces to kill or capture
Ahmad Shah, (code name Ben Sharmak), a known terrorist and head of the militia, "Mountain Tigers". The operation was carried out, on 27 June 2005, by
Navy SEAL
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
Team TEN; the four-man team was made up of 2nd Class
Matthew G. Axelson
Matthew Gene "Axe" Axelson (June 25, 1976 – June 28, 2005) was an enlisted United States Navy SEAL who was awarded the U.S. Navy's second highest decoration, the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart, for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. Se ...
and 2nd Class
Marcus Luttrell
Marcus Luttrell (born November 7, 1975) is a retired United States Navy SEAL who received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions in June 2005 against Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wings in which he was the lone survivor. Luttrell ...
supporting the role of snipers while 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz and team leader Navy Lieutenant
Michael P. Murphy
Michael Patrick Murphy (May 7, 1976 – June 28, 2005) was a United States Navy SEAL officer who was awarded the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first member of the ...
were spotters.
The mission was compromised after goat herders stumbled upon the
SEALs
Seals may refer to:
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...
and reported them to the Taliban after the SEALs let them go free. An intense firefight ensued after the SEALs were ambushed by Taliban insurgents who outnumbered them twenty-five to one.
Murphy went into an open clearing to get reception and call for support, he managed to reach the base, giving them the SEALs location as well as the number of enemies. Exposed to enemy fire, he was shot in the back while making the call, it was this act that awarded Murphy the
Medal Of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
posthumously.
Murphy then returned to his team to continue the battle. Low on ammunitions, Murphy, Axelson and Danny Dietz were killed while Luttrell was knocked unconscious by an RPG.
The support dispatched was a team of eight Navy SEALs and eight
160th SOAR Army Night Stalkers. However, all sixteen special forces soldiers aboard the helicopter perished, when the
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Piasecki Helicopter, Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems#Background, Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is a ...
was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade that ignited the fuel tanks just as the soldiers were about to fast rope.
Among the dead aboard the helicopter were Lieutenant Commander
Erik S. Kristensen, the highest-ranking officer to die in the operation, and Kip A. Jacoby, the youngest soldier to die in the operation, at the age of 21.
SEAL Marcus Luttrell was the sole survivor of SEAL Team TEN, aided by an Afghan villager who sheltered him, he was rescued by green berets six days later.
Danny Dietz, Matthew Axelson and Michael Murphy were declared
killed in action after their bodies were recovered on 4 July.
Death
Dietz was mortally wounded after taking the brunt of the initial attack and while evading he stumbled and injured his ankle. This led him to lose his ability to walk and as a result, Luttrell carried him on their way down the mountain, as Dietz fired back. This rigorous activity was repeated several times until Luttrell accidentally swung him into a bullet, when Luttrell was about to fall. The bullet penetrated the back of his head and instantly killed him, Dietz's dead weight came as a surprise to Luttrell and as a result, he fell down the edge of the mountain with Dietz's body and was severely injured.
Dietz's body was found by a group of U.S. Air Force
pararescuemen
Pararescuemen (also known as PJs) are United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Combat Command (ACC) operators tasked with recovery and medical treatment of personnel in humanitarian and combat environments. These Speci ...
during a search and rescue operation, on 4 July 2005, and returned to the United States. Dietz was buried with full military honors at
Fort Logan National Cemetery
Fort Logan National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. Fort Logan, a former U.S. Army installation, was named after Union General John A. Logan, commander of US Volunteer forces during the American Civil War. It co ...
in
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
Personal life
Dietz has a brother Eric and a sister Tiffany.
Dietz was known to show appreciation towards the outdoors and he enjoyed fishing and rock climbing.
He had a black belt in Taekwondo from the
Korean Academy of Taekwondo
The Korean Academy of Taekwondo is one of Colorado's Taekwondo and martial arts schools. The school was founded in February 1980 by Grandmaster Jae Kyu Chung. The school has produced numerous tournament champions and has trained thousands ...
.
Awards and decorations
Navy Cross
![Dannydietz](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Dannydietz.JPG)
On September 13, 2006, Dietz was posthumously awarded the
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...
by Navy Secretary
Donald C. Winter
Donald Charles Winter (born June 15, 1948) is an American politician and businessman who served as United States Secretary of the Navy. A former top executive of TRW, Aerospace & Defense, he was nominated in 2005 by President George W. Bush, conf ...
.
Citation
For extraordinary heroism in actions against the enemy while serving in a four-man Special Reconnaissance element with SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE, Naval Special Warfare Task unit, Afghanistan from 27 to 28 June 2005. Petty Officer Dietz demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of grave danger in the vicinity of Asadabad, Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Operating in the middle of an enemy-controlled area, in extremely rugged terrain, his Special Reconnaissance element was tasked with locating a high-level Anti-Coalition Militia leader, in support of a follow-on direct action mission to disrupt enemy activity. On 28 June 2005, the element was spotted by Anti-Coalition Militia sympathizers, who immediately revealed their position to the militia fighters. As a result, the element directly encountered the enemy. Demonstrating exceptional resolve and fully understanding the gravity of the situation and his responsibility to his teammates, Petty Officer Dietz fought valiantly against the numerically superior and positionally advantaged enemy force. Remaining behind in a hailstorm of enemy fire, Petty Officer Dietz was wounded by enemy fire. Despite his injuries, he bravely fought on, valiantly defending his teammates and himself in a harrowing gunfight, until he was mortally wounded. By his undaunted courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and absolute devotion to his teammates, Petty Officer Dietz will long be remembered for the role he played in the Global War on Terrorism. Petty Officer Dietz' courageous and selfless heroism, exceptional professional skill, and utmost devotion to duty reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for the cause of freedom.
Legacy
On July 4, 2007, the town of
Littleton, Colorado
Littleton is a home rule municipality city located in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties, Colorado, United States. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistica ...
erected a bronze lifesize statue of Dietz holding his rifle in a 'parade-rest' position on one knee. It contained the same statement on the Navy Cross citation.
On August 18, 2009, the span of South Santa Fe Drive between Interstate 25 and Colorado State Highway 470 was named Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Highway in his honour.
Starting in 2010, the Danny Dietz Memorial Day Classic is a fundraiser /
rodeo event held the weekend of Memorial Day at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in
Rosenberg, Texas
Rosenberg is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Greater Houston, Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area and Fort Bend County, Texas, Fort Bend County. The population was 38,282 at the 2020 census, up from 30,61 ...
.
For the 2013 film ''
Lone Survivor
''Lone Survivor'' is a 2013 American biographical war film based on the 2007 nonfiction book of the same name by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson. Set during the war in Afghanistan, it dramatizes the unsuccessful United States Navy SEAL ...
'', which covered the events of
Operation Red Wings
Operation Red Wings (often incorrectly referred to as ''Operation Redwing'' or ''Operation Red Wing''), informally referred to as the Battle of Abbas Ghar, was a joint military operation conducted by the United States in the Pech District ...
, Dietz was portrayed by actor
Emile Hirsch
Emile Davenport Hirsch (born March 13, 1985) is an American actor. He played Chris McCandless in '' Into the Wild'' (2007). Other notable film roles include '' The Girl Next Door'' (2004), ''Lords of Dogtown'' (2005), '' Alpha Dog'' (2006), ''Sp ...
.
See also
List of people from Littleton, Colorado
Further reading
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dietz, Danny
1980 births
2005 deaths
United States Navy SEALs personnel
Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)
People from Aurora, Colorado
Military personnel from Colorado
American military personnel killed in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
United States Navy personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Burials at Fort Logan National Cemetery
United States Navy non-commissioned officers