Lithuania’s political and religious leaders joined thousands of people on Thursday to honor four American soldiers who tragically died during a training exercise in the Baltic country.
President Gitanas Nausėda and other dignitaries paid their respects as hearses carried the soldiers’ bodies to Vilnius airport, where they were flown back to the United States for burial. Many mourners, visibly emotional, gathered to bid farewell, reflecting on Lithuania’s own history of loss and resilience.
“For us, it is more than a duty; it is an emotion,” Nausėda said during his speech. He emphasized Lithuania’s deep understanding of loss, honor, and duty, shaped by the nation’s past trials.
Schoolchildren, accompanied by teachers, waved Lithuanian and U.S. flags in tribute to the soldiers. Justin Boyd, principal of the American International School in Vilnius, led one group, highlighting the importance of honoring the fallen and strengthening the bond between Lithuania and the United States.
The soldiers, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, went missing during a tactical training exercise a week ago. A joint search involving Lithuanian, Polish, and U.S. forces led to the recovery of their vehicle, an M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle, from a peat bog at the Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground near Pabradė, just miles from the Belarus border. The final body was recovered on Tuesday.
“I feel sorry for these young men,” said a local resident from Pabradė, noting the swamp’s dangerous conditions. “I live nearby, and I know that swamp. It’s a hazardous place for anyone who enters.”
The U.S. Army identified the fallen soldiers as Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan; Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam.
Approximately 3,500 soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team were deployed in January to Poland and the Baltic states for a nine-month rotation under Operation Atlantic Resolve, a mission aimed at reinforcing NATO allies and partners in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
