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November 18, 2009

Whitley soldier severely injured

WCHS graduate wounded after vehicle accident in Afghanistan

By Adam S. Sulfridge / Staff Writer

A 2006 graduate of Whitley County High School is back in the United States after being seriously injured in a vehicle accident during a nighttime patrol in Afghanistan on Nov. 12.

Family of 21-year-old Daniel Jacob 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.

Dietlin, a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps, was flown to Germany and underwent emergency surgery to treat severe head injuries. His wife, Holly Greer Dietlin, said his injuries included a depressed skull fracture on the left side of his head and multiple brain contusions. He also sustained a broken jaw, lung contusions, and abrasions across his lower body.

While in Germany, his wife said doctors surgically removed a “piece of his skull the size of the postcard.” Following the surgery, he was listed in stable condition, and doctors brought him out of a medically-induced coma.

From Germany, he was flown to a hospital in Maryland, where his wife and parents will be the first family members to see him following the accident.

Daniel is the son of Joe and Kim Dietlin and has been a Marine since Sept. 4, 2006. His family said this was Daniel’s second tour of duty; he served in Iraq in 2008, and began his tour in Afghanistan on Oct. 1 of this year.

His wife characterized him as a “very strong minded man…who knows what he wants in life.” She and other family members hope his strong will and determination will help him overcome the effects of his injuries and continue to pray for a successful recovery.

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