Family Of Fallen Navy Seal From Littleton Reacts To Bin Laden's Death
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - Among the Coloradans who gave their lives in the hunt for Osama bin Laden was Navy Seal Danny Dietz. He was killed in Afghanistan in 2005 and is continually honored in his hometown of Littleton.
Danny had a direct connection the strike team that got bin Laden. Deitz's mother, Cindy Dietz, says a close friend of her son was a member of the bin Laden attack team on Monday.
Cindy Dietz believes it avenges her son's death and finishes the fight.
"In my eyes, when this news happened, they finished the fight," Cindy said.
It was a fight started by al Qaeda with the collapse of the Twin Towers. But the battle became very personal for Cindy when her son was killed by hostile fire 6 years ago in Afghanistan. She remembers the promise made by other Seals at Danny's funeral.
"One of things that was said was they will avenge our guys' death; they will finish the fight," she said.
Now Cindy has learned one of Danny's very best friends was involved in the raid that resulted in bin Laden's death.
"This was the finish of the fight," she said. "I had belief and trust in our Seal team guys and our military."
Just 25 years old when he was killed, Danny was awarded the Navy Cross for Extraordinary Heroism.
"It's sad he had to give his life for that, but that's what he was in it for."
As she visited her son's memorial, CBS4's Paul Day asked Cindy what bin Laden represented to the Deitz family.
"To me he represented a monster," she replied. "I know there are other al Qaeda members out there and God forbid if we have to we'll get every last one of them."
It's a bittersweet time for Cindy, but bin Laden's death does bring her closure. She says looks forward to personally thanking Danny's friend for finishing the fight.
