A young Army soldier from Boyne City died in Afghanistan last month (November 21) - just two months into his deployment. U.S. Army Pvt. 2nd Class Jack Lee Diener was 20 when he was killed by small arms fire in Kandahar province. Diener graduated from Boyne City High School in 2009. Flags in Michigan are flying at half staff today in his honor. In Boyne City, flags were lowered the day the town heard of his death on November 22. From the November 22 PetoskyNews.com:
“We don’t have any idea what exactly happened, only that he was in a bad place,” said Donna Diener, his grandmother. Diener is the son of Jack and Val Diener, of Boyne City, and also is survived by his sister, Marcie Diener, of Petoskey, among extended family. Both family and friends gathered in Boyne City today as information about Diener’s death trickled in... This is a hard loss for the high school and the whole community, she said... Donna Diener said her grandson’s parents will travel out East to meet the casket as his body arrives back in the United States. He wasn’t gone long, shipping out about two months ago. “He was a sweetheart, very quiet and a good kid,” Donna Diener said.
Flags were also lowered in the state of New York when the news was heard. From the Associated Press:
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered flags in his state lowered for a soldier from northern Michigan who was killed in Afghanistan. Army Pvt. Jackie L. Diener II, 20, of Boyne City was based at Fort Drum, N.Y. Cuomo said flags should be lowered Nov. 29 in his honor.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Stackus Funeral Home in Boyne City.