Daniel Leckel reported killed in Iraq

A 2005 Glendale High School graduate was killed this week in Iraq.

Daniel Leckel, 19, was fatally injured from small arms fire in southern Baghdad, according to Steve Prock, Glendale High’s varsity football and former baseball coach.

Leckel served with the U.S. Army and was based out of Fort Riley, Kansas. He is the 96th U.S. soldier with Oregon ties to die in the Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts, according to the governor’s office.

Prock first heard Wednesday evening that Leckel may have been killed, however, the news couldn’t initially be confirmed. “We went to bed that night, crossing our fingers, hoping it wasn’t true,” Prock said.

The following day, he got ahold of Leckel’s older sister, Tiffany, who told him her family was notified the evening before that Leckel had been killed in Iraq.

Leckel served as manager of Glendale High’s football and baseball teams. Prock said he was a valuable asset for both teams and for him personally.

“He was my right-hand man,” Prock said.

From the News Review