21-year-old injured leading unit in Afghanistan
By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
U.S. Army Cpl. Daniel Weilandt, who was born and raised in Delavan, was injured March 12 leading his unit through an ambush in southern Afghanistan and is being considered for a Bronze Star.
Daniel Weilandt’s father, Terry Weilandt, said his son has been serving in Afghanistan for four months and is very difficult to reach. He said Daniel Weilandt calls home when he can but Terry Weilandt and his wife, Amy Weilandt, have no way to contact him.
Terry Weilandt said Daniel Weilandt and his team were involved in an intense firefight with Taliban forces after his and another team were ambushed. Daniel Weilandt was able to lead his team to safe cover and push the enemy back, Terry Weilandt said, but the other team was caught in the firefight and cut off. Daniel Weilandt’s team of six fought its way back to the other team of six and helped get it out.
Daniel Weilandt was the only soldier injured. A rocket-propelled grenade fired by the Taliban hit a wall about five feet from where Daniel Weilandt was standing resulting in minor injuries. Terry Weilandt said Daniel Weilandt was stitched up and returned to his unit right away.
Terry Weilandt said Daniel Weilandt was already up for a promotion to sergeant this month and now is being considered for the Bronze Star for his involvement in the incident.
Daniel Weilandt, 21, graduated from Delavan-Darien High School in 2010 and enlisted in the Army for three years. He will return to the United States on his birthday – Sept. 17, and will be discharged 60 days after that. Terry Weilandt said Daniel Weilandt does not plan to re-enlist. He will go to college but is undecided about what to major in.
Daniel Weilandt went through basic training for four months at Fort Benning in Georgia and was then stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas.
Terry Weilandt said Daniel Weilandt suffered a detached retina and a scarred cornea that affects his vision during hand-to-hand combat training and had to fight through red tape to get assigned to combat duty. Daniel Weilandt told his father at the time that he could not let his guys down by not going with them to Afghanistan.
Daniel Weilandt was trained as an infantryman. The Army definition for an infantryman is someone who performs reconnaissance operations, employs, fires, and recovers anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, and performs as a member of a fire team during movement to contact and engage the enemy.
Terry Weilandt said Daniel Weilandt was quickly promoted to private first class after basic training and was a stand out on the rifle range. That got Daniel Weilandt selected for sniper school, which he graduated from as his unit’s designated marksman. Terry Weilandt said Daniel Weilandt showed good leadership skills and was promoted again to specialist fourth class.
Once Daniel Weilandt arrived in Afghanistan, he was selected as team leader and promoted to corporal. As a team leader, Daniel Weilandt is responsible for directing junior soldiers in battle.
As he arrived in Afghanistan, Daniel Weilandt and his fellow soldiers were met by former American Idol singer Kellie Pickler, who was there on a goodwill tour.
In February, Daniel Weilandt and his team were awarded the Combat Infantry Badge for taking direct fire from the enemy and effectively engaging the enemy in ground battle. Terry Weilandt said Daniel Weilandt led his team to victory in the battle they were honored for.
Terry Weilandt said Daniel Weilandt is often quiet about what he has seen in Afghanistan and says he can’t say much over the phone. He has said that he “goes outside the wire” on daily missions that are at times very intense. He sometimes complains about the food but stays in high spirits talking about how well his troops are performing. During his down time he works out and catches hedgehogs.
Daniel Weilandt said the firefights are getting more intense as the weather warms up and there are a lot of feral cats and dogs that roam around everywhere. Daniel Weilandt has very blue eyes, a rarity in Afghanistan, so he is often approached by the villagers.
Terry Weilandt said Daniel Weilandt enjoys the camaraderie of his fellow soldiers but misses friends and family back home. He tells his mother not to worry about him and tells his brothers, Jack Weilandt and Scott Weilandt, both college students in Milwaukee, to do well in school.
Daniel Weilandt likes having a sense of purpose while fighting for the betterment of America and the people of Afghanistan.
Daniel Weilandt has three cousins who have served in Afghanistan or Iraq – Tim Haas, Jacob Cde Baca, and Tom Cde Baca. Terry Weilandt is an Army veteran as are Daniel Weilandt’s grandfathers and several of his uncles.
“Delavan has had many warriors serve in the military over time,” Terry Weilandt said. “We, as a family, are very proud to count Daniel among them. All of our troops, past and present, are deserving of our respect and gratitude which we proudly give.”
