Army Sgt. 1st Class Petithory was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Petithory was one of three U.S. Special Forces soldiers and five Afghan opposition fighters who were killed when a 2,000-pound satellite-guided bomb from a U.S. B-52 (friendly fire) missed its intended target north of Kandahar. Daniel was the "Dan Ackroyd and Chris Farley" of the 5th Special Forces Group. He would wear his Elvis glasses while skydiving and would wear a grass skirt and coconut bra to go canoeing on the Fourth of July. But he also was remembered for his determination to join the Special Forces; he pestered the recruiter until he got his chance. He was known as "Dan Da Man" for his keen wit and boyish charm. Daniel was directing the air attack on December 5. Capt Jason Amerine commanded the team that was hit and had this to say about Daniel's job: "It's an art, and the guy I had was the best at it I've ever seen. You need to be able to draw a picture for the aircraft….You're sitting there with a map. Your knowledge of the area, your ability to use a map, and your ability to use the right words, to vector the aircraft into a specific spot – those are vital to get the aircraft to hit their targets." He also said that he didn't want his men remembered as a detachment that was taken out by an errant bomb. "They cannot be remembered that way. They are the best that America has to offer."
(bio by: Brenda Normandin)
(bio by: Brenda Normandin)
Army Sgt. 1st Class Petithory was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Petithory was one of three U.S. Special Forces soldiers and five Afghan opposition fighters who were killed when a 2,000-pound satellite-guided bomb from a U.S. B-52 (friendly fire) missed its intended target north of Kandahar. Daniel was the "Dan Ackroyd and Chris Farley" of the 5th Special Forces Group. He would wear his Elvis glasses while skydiving and would wear a grass skirt and coconut bra to go canoeing on the Fourth of July. But he also was remembered for his determination to join the Special Forces; he pestered the recruiter until he got his chance. He was known as "Dan Da Man" for his keen wit and boyish charm. Daniel was directing the air attack on December 5. Capt Jason Amerine commanded the team that was hit and had this to say about Daniel's job: "It's an art, and the guy I had was the best at it I've ever seen. You need to be able to draw a picture for the aircraft….You're sitting there with a map. Your knowledge of the area, your ability to use a map, and your ability to use the right words, to vector the aircraft into a specific spot – those are vital to get the aircraft to hit their targets." He also said that he didn't want his men remembered as a detachment that was taken out by an errant bomb. "They cannot be remembered that way. They are the best that America has to offer."
(bio by: Brenda Normandin)
(bio by: Brenda Normandin)
