Tonight we mourn the loss of another young Soldier to war. Private First Class Jackie L. Diener II was from Michigan. He joined the US Army in the Spring of this year and started his first overseas assignment in September.
The remains of Private First Class Diener were brought back to the US today. The flag-draped casket arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and a dignified transfer ceremony was held.
Private First Class Jackie L. Diener II
Jackie L. Diener attended Boyne City High School in Michigan. The school is in his hometown of Boyne City, about 40 miles northeast of Traverse City. He spent his junior year as a foreign exchange student in Denmark. He was active in athletics and was a good student. He graduated in 2009.
According to the Buffalo News site, Diener wrestled and played football and baseball while in school:
Wrestling coach Don Nohel said he was proud of Diener's growth both as an athlete and a student.
"He was not afraid to work for something he set his mind to," Nohel said. "As a wrestler, I saw him overcome many difficult moments and bounce back and put himself out there again."
The experience living in Scandinavia was particularly formative for Diener, his former coach said.
"Jack was a unique individual, not really caught up in what other people did, but more interested in making his own way and mark in the world. It is sad that Jack's adventure ended so soon. We will miss him," Nohel said.
Diener joined the Army in March of this year, following a short stint in college. Diener trained at Fort Benning in Georgia and in July arrived at Fort Drum in New York. There, he served as a calvary scout with the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
Private Diener visited Northern Michigan shortly before he deployed to Afghanistan in September. While in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan, Private First Class Jackie Diener died on November 21st from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire. Private First Class Diener was 20 years old.
Flags were lowered to half-staff as word of Diener’s death spread through Boyne City in Michigan. In New York Governor Cuomo directed, in a statement, that the flags on all state buildings be lowered to half-staff, on November 29th, in honor of and in tribute to Michigan’s son:
"I join with all New Yorkers in mourning the loss of Private Diener and I send my deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow soldiers," Cuomo said. "We will honor the service of this Fort Drum soldier and we will be forever grateful for his dedication to our nation."
Diener’s awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal and the Army Combat Action Badge.
Survivors include his parents, Jack and Val Diener, sister Marcie Diener, and his grandmother, Donna Diener. Funeral arrangements are pending.
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About the IGTNT series:
”I Got the News Today” is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by Sandy on Signal, Monkeybiz, Noweasels, Blue Jersey Mom, Chacounne, Twilight Falling, Joyful, SisTwo, Spam Nunn, True Blue Majority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, Maggie Jean, Jax Dem, Kestrel 9000, & TheFatLadySings. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner.
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