James L Diel

2nd Lieutenant James L. Diel was a member of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Division during World War Two. He was born on 3 March 1922 in Jasper County, Illinois. He received his education at Newton High School, graduating in 1940. In the summers of 1939 and 1940, he took part in a military training which lasted 6 weeks held at the Jefferson Barracks school in St. Louis, Missouri.

Diel the training and soon was admitted as Corporal, and then to Sergeant, at Easy Company, due to his academic military background. After enduring his base training, he continued his training at Fort Benning, Georgia where jump training began for him and his company.

In late autumn of 1943, Diel and the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment left for Aldbourne, where training for Operation Overlord took place. In the early morning hours of 6 June (D-Day) he jumped out of a C-47 plane over German-held Normandy. Many soldiers were killed in this heavy and long-lasting battle. Diel was one of the lucky ones who survived this operation, and, due to the high amount of casualties, was promoted to 1st Sergeant during the invasion of Normandy.

On his return to England on 12 June, Diel was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and transferred to Able Company. Diel then took part in Operation Market Garden, a British-led operation, on 19 September 1944. The enemy was heavily underestimated, and Diel was killed in combat near Eindhoven.

Diel is buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten, Plot L Row 15 Grave 8.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 29 2018, 11:43:52 UTC
• Residence: Jasper, Illinois, USA
  • Reference: U.S. World War II Army Enlistment - SmartCopy: Mar 29 2018, 11:45:29 UTC
• Residence: 1930 - Grove, Jasper, Illinois, USA
• Race: White
  • Reference: 1930 United States Federal Census - SmartCopy: Mar 29 2018, 13:04:55 UTC