Samantha Swindler, Managing Editor
The Times-Tribune
— An injured Whitley County solider — who doctors said might never walk or talk again — shook hands with and spoke to the President of the United States on Sunday.
United States Marine Corps Corporal Daniel Jacob Dietlin met President Obama while the commander in chief was getting a routine checkup at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Dietlin was staying in Bethesda while recovering from surgery to implant a plate in his head. He had been seriously injured Nov. 12 in a head-on vehicle collision during a nighttime patrol in Afghanistan.
“He was thrilled, like a little boy,” said Joe Dietlin about his son’s meeting. “He was really excited that he got to meet his commander in chief.”
Joe said his son received a “challenge coin” from the President — a military tradition to improve morale or commemorate a special occasion.
Daniel will be in Bethesda another week, his father said, then he will return to a rehabilitation center in Richmond, Va. for another month. Joe said he hopes his son will be able to take leave at some point to visit friends and family in Whitley County. He has not been back home since the accident.
After the November crash, Dietlin was flown to Germany and underwent emergency surgery to treat severe head injuries and remove a piece of his skull the size of a postcard. He also sustained a broken jaw, lung contusions, and abrasions across his lower body.
He was flown to Bethesda, then spent months in Richmond, Va., before heading back to Bethesda this past week for surgery.
Daniel’s wife Holly Greer Dietlin has been staying with her husband in Richmond and accompanied him to Bethesda as well.
“Even the doctors can’t believe how good he’s doing,” said Joe Dietlin. “They showed the X-rays and what had happened, and they didn’t think he would be able to walk or talk. Right now he’s running five miles a day.”
Joe said his son suffers from short-term memory problems, but is doing far better in recovery than originally expected.
“I think he’ll be able to work, but with the short-term memory, I think he could have problems,” Joe said. “If you met him on the street you wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with him — it’s just a miracle.”
Dietlin is a 2006 graduate of Whitley County High School, and has an 18-year-old sister attending Corbin High School. He is the son of Joe and Kim Dietlin and has been a Marine since Sept. 4, 2006. His family said the accident happened during Daniel’s second tour of duty; he served in Iraq in 2008, and began his tour in Afghanistan on Oct. 1, 2009.
“It’s been hard,” Joe said. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through.”
Family said Dietlin say he was patrolling in a war zone area when his vehicle collided with another. They explained that in conflict areas, troops often drive without headlights for safety reasons, which may have been a factor in the accident.
