For a while now, a number of soldiers in the U.S. Army have been stationed overseas in Lithuania as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Here, a number of tactical training exercises take place. But it was during one of these exercises that one group went missing. Lithuanian, Polish, and fellow U.S. soldiers took part in a rescue mission. Sadly, the group’s armored vehicle was pulled from a peat bog. Their bodies were found soon after.
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The U.S. Army has since identified these fallen soldiers: Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano. Before their bodies were returned to U.S. soil, Lithuania’s political and religious leaders paid their respects. Even thousands of residents joined in, including teachers and students. The video below includes tearjerking moments from that day.
@abcnews Lithuanians paid their last respects to four American soldiers who died during a training exercise as a procession carrying their coffins proceeded past the capital's cathedral square on Thursday. #news #lithuania #soldiers #usarmy #usmilitary ♬ original sound – ABC News
“For us, it is more than a duty, it is an emotion,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said in his speech. “We have experienced trials in our history and therefore we understand well what loss is, what death is, what honorable duty is.”
When U.S. Soldiers Lose Their Lives in Lithuania, Thousands of People Show Up to Pay Their Respects
It’s incredible to see just how many people in Lithuania came out to pay respects for U.S. soldiers. It’s no wonder so many people across the world are thanking them for their honorable expression of empathy and respect.
“They treated our soldiers with what appears to be the same respect they’d give to their own. What an honorable and kind gesture, Lithuania, thank you,” someone writes in reply to the video above, with another adding, “This right here is why allies and good relationships are so important. Thank you Lithuania for showing such respect and admiration to our boys.”
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