Danny Dietz (1980-2005) Biography, Family

Quick Info

Profession	United States Navy SEALs operative
Nationality	American
Date of Birth	26/01/1980
Age	25 years (died on 28, Jun, 2005)
Birthplace	Aurora, Colorado, the United States of America
Date of Death	28/06/2005

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Full Name	Danny Phillip Dietz Jr.
Nickname	DJ

School	Heritage High School Littleton, Colorado (1999)
Educational Qualification	High school graduate

Place of Death	Kunar Province, Afghanistan
Age (at the time of death)	25 Years
Death Cause	Killed In Action (KIA) during Operation Red Wings (2005)
Religion	Christianity
Hobbies	Drawing, Fishing
Tattoo(s)	He had three tattoos: a tribal design etched amid his shoulder blades, an image of the grim reaper enveloped by the American flag, and a gargoyle tribal motif imprinted onto his sleeve.

Marital Status (at the time of death)	Married
Marriage Date	14/03/2003

Father

Danny Phillip Dietz Sr (retired US Navy personnel)

Mother

Cynthia Dietz Marsh

Siblings

Brother	Eric Dietz
Sister	Tiffany Bitz

Spouse

Maria Paz Leveque Dietz (retired from the US Navy in 2005, co-founder of the Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Foundation)

Military Career

Service/Branch	United States Navy
Rank (at the time of death)	Petty Officer Second Class (Gunner's Mate)
US Navy SEALs Teams	SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two (SDVT-2)
Service Years	27/11/1999 - 28/06/2005
Military Decorations	Navy Cross (Posthumous) (13 September 2006) Purple Heart (Posthumous) Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Combat Action Ribbon National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star Afghanistan Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon Good Conduct Award
Enlistment Date	31/08/1999
BUD/S Class	232
SEAL Trident Date	January 2001
SDVT-2 Check-in Date	08/11/2001
Roles in SDVT-2	Secondary SDV pilot, Ordnance and Engineering Department head
Deployment to Afghanistan	April 2005

Honours & Legacy

On 4 July 2007, a life-sized bronze sculpture of Dietz was installed in Littleton, Colorado. The statue depicted Dietz sitting in a 'parade-rest' position, with his rifle on his knee, and also included his Navy Cross award description.
On 18 August 2009, a stretch of road extending from Interstate 25 to Colorado State Highway 470 was named the Danny Dietz Memorial Highway, commemorating the memory of Navy SEAL Danny Dietz.
Following his demise, his spouse co-founded the Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Foundation (NSDDF). This organization provides support to veterans from the United States Armed Forces.
Since 2010, the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in Rosenberg, Texas, has hosted the annual Danny Dietz Memorial Day Classic. This occasion merges fundraising efforts for philanthropic purposes with the excitement of rodeo celebrations.
Following the passing of Danny Dietz, his military attire was exhibited within a Colorado museum as a tribute.

Bike Collection	Yamaha YZF-R6

1. Danny Dietz was a US Navy SEAL in SDVT-1 during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan.
2. He came from a Native American Apache family.
3. At the Korean Academy of Taekwondo, he earned a black belt in Taekwondo.
4. In school, he played rugby on the school's team.
5. He joined the Navy after training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Chicago in 1999.
6. Dietz received radar operation training at Gunner’s Mate “A” School in Pensacola.
7. He joined the BUD/S program to become a Navy SEAL.
8. Dietz completed Jump School in Georgia to become a paratrooper.
9. After a 26-week SEAL Qualification Training, he focused on SEAL Delivery Vehicle training.
10. He received the SEAL team trident badge in January 2001.
11. Dispatched to Virginia in 2001, he joined SDVT-2.
12. In 2005, he was deployed to Afghanistan to support Naval Special Warfare Squadron TEN.
13. Dietz was killed in Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005.
14. He received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart posthumously.
15. His brother mentioned his aspiration to become a ninja in an interview.
16. He was passionate about animals and disliked rodeo shows.
17. A book titled Danny: The Virtues Within was published about his life in 2013.
18. In the film Lone Survivor, Danny Dietz was portrayed by Emile Hirsch in 2013.
19. Danny Dietz was a US Navy SEAL in SDVT-2 during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan.