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<p><em>William Fredrick “Bill” Diehl</em> was born to parents William Fredrick Diehl Sr. and Mary Louise Viola Diehl on August 12, 1949 in West St. Paul, MN. He grew up there, graduating from Sibley High School in 1967. Bill was very much involved in school activities. He excelled and demonstrated leadership in everything: football, basketball, track and field, student council, American Legion Boys State and Boys Nation, and the National Honor Society. Bill was an outstanding member of Sibley High School mixed a cappella choir. He loved the music of Bach, Grieg, Arvo Pärt, et al.</p>
<p>He was selected by competitive congressional appointment to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1967.</p>
<p>As a well-respected classmate, colleague and larger-than-life friend, Bill left a legacy of leadership, integrity, resilience, humility, compassion, confidence, courage, empathy, excitement, faith, gratitude, hope, passion, and pride throughout a life well lived.</p>
<p>Admiring classmates said of Bill as a cadet: “… athletic ability is matched only by his easygoing personality and his ability to make friends…his ability to combine hard work with a good time ensures his success in any goal he pursues.”</p>
<p>As a cadet, Bill was bright and active, playing football, running indoor and outdoor track, and singing in the Catholic Chapel Choir and Glee Club. The Glee Club performed on both the local and national stages, including television (for example, The Ed Sullivan Show in 1968). </p>
<p>In 1971, Bill was selected as team captain of the Outdoor Track and Field Team in recognition of his many contributions. He showed leadership by working the hardest while demonstrating unwavering devotion to his teammates and classmates. Bill was a gifted world class athlete who led Army to six star wins over archrival Navy. He became a member of the All-Army Track and Field Team from 1972 to 1976. </p>
<p>He received invitations to compete in the United States Olympic Trials for a berth on the team. Bill had led the country in the hammer throw, establishing meet records that still rank nationally. A major step forward for American track and field was taken with the first combined men’s and women’s Olympic trials held June 19-27, 1976 in Eugene, OR. During the Olympic qualifying round, on June 22, 1976, Bill Diehl was the only man with a mark beyond the Olympic qualifying level of 226 feet, 5 inches (69 meters).</p>
<p>At his duty stations, Bill continued to compete at the master’s level in the hammer throw until the late 1980s, when Army training and work allowed. </p>
<p>Bill served on active duty for over 20 years. During this time, he earned his jump wings, Expert Infantryman Badge, Ranger Tab, the elite Special Forces (“Green Berets”) Tab, followed by Special Forces Underwater Scuba Diver badges, Jump Master, and Master Parachutist certifications. </p>
<p>Bill served as an Infantry officer, an Armor officer, and an operations research systems analysis officer. He commanded Special Forces detachments, an armored battalion headquarters company, and a tank company.</p>
<p>One of Bill’s classmates remembers his selection to lead the distinguished “Gabriel Green Beret Demonstration A-Team” at Fort Bragg, NC in 1977. This highly proficient A-Team had the responsibility to brief, show, and inform visiting dignitaries and VIPs about U.S. Army Special Forces operational missions and capabilities. Bill looked the part, as the tall athletic “quiet professional” soldier.</p>
<p>Another classmate recalled, “He always took care of his soldiers, without coddling them, leading by example, whether it was qualifying in tank gunnery at Grafenwöhr, Germany, or setting the pace during strenuous field training exercises conducted in harsh weather conditions.” </p>
<p>Bill is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College. His education would continue to postgraduate level. He earned Master of Science degrees at both University of Southern California and Stanford University. </p>
<p>In 1983 he would return to West Point as an assistant professor with the Department of Mathematics (1983-86). Classmates cite his compassion, expertise, and mentoring talent as a math professor. Bill volunteered to teach the lower academic math sections at West Point, reserved for cadets struggling with the subject. Historically, only the very best math professors were selected to teach these sections. These cadets frequently “got it” in his class and went on their way to graduation. </p>
<p>Bill became a published author after writing “Ethics and Leadership: The Pursuit Continues” (1985), in which he advocated fiercely for the military, as a profession, to have a written code of ethics. After his teaching tenure at West Point, Bill returned to Germany. Ultimately his last duty station was at the Pentagon, where he supported the Gulf War efforts. In 1992, after serving his country honorably for over 20 years, he retired from the Army. Bill continued to support the Department of Defense as a contractor and as a government civilian.</p>
<p>As a “civilian” living in Woodbridge, VA for over 30 years, Bill enjoyed singing in his church and community choirs. Bill joined the Washington, DC Regional Alumni West Point Glee Club, participating in the first Glee Club reunion in 2007. </p>
<p>Bill is remembered for his longstanding relationships, committing love to his family, friends, colleagues, mentors, mentees, and classmates.</p>
<p>Bill returned “Home” to West Point, with full military honors, on February 13, 2024 after a “Long Minnesota Goodbye.” </p>
<p><em>— Diehl Family and USMA ’71 Classmates</em></p>
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