Four American soldiers who died during a training exercise in Lithuania have been bid farewell by thousands of people, including Lithuanian leaders and the US military. The four soldiers, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, were on a tactical training exercise when their vehicle went missing a week ago. The bodies were finally recovered from a peat bog in the town of Pabradė.
President Gitanas Nausėda and other dignitaries attended the farewell ceremony, where they paid tribute to the soldiers’ sacrifice. Nausėda said that the reaction of the population and military was rooted in Lithuania’s difficult history with loss and death. Schoolchildren and teachers also participated in the ceremony, waving Lithuanian and US flags.
The US Army has identified the deceased as Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins from Michigan, Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr. from Illinois, Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco from California, and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano from Guam. The soldiers were part of a nine-month rotation in Lithuania as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which supports NATO allies and partners following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The incident has caused widespread grief among the Lithuanian people, with many expressing their condolences to the families of the deceased soldiers. A local resident said that he was “sorry for these young men” who died in a “dangerous place”. The US military and Lithuanian authorities have assured the public that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/lithuanians-bid-farewell-4-us-soldiers-died-training-120440899