Three of the four U.S. soldiers who were found dead in Lithuania have been identified by officials.
The soldiers were found in an M88 armoured truck that had sunk into a swamp. They were all younger than 25 years old. Police on Tuesday named the three soldiers as Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam.
On Tuesday, a fourth man was found, but no one knows who he is yet.
There were three guys who worked on the M1 Abrams tank system. After going missing on March 25, their car was found in a peat bog near Pabradė, Lithuania.
The troops were last seen “while on a mission to repair and tow an immobilised tactical vehicle,” the U.S. Army Europe and Africa said.
Duenez was in the Army for more than seven years. He was placed with the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Stewart. Before that, he was with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. He has completed the Army Basic Leader Course and the Tracked Vehicle Recovery Operations Course. In 2022 and 2021, he was sent to Germany and Poland on military duty.
Franco was in the Army for more than six years. In February 2019, he was sent to Fort Stewart to join the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. He also finished the Army Basic Leader Course and the Tracked Vehicle Recovery Operations Course. In 2020 and 2022, he was sent to Korea and Germany.
Taitano was the youngest of the three. He had been in the Army for almost two years and was stationed at Fort Stewart with the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. He was sent out for the first time.
In a statement, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, who is in charge of the 3rd Infantry Division, said, “This loss is simply devastating.” “The Soldiers of the Marne Division were proud of these men.” During this very hard time, we are reaching out to the families and loved ones of our soldiers.
Karoline Leavitt, press secretary for the White House, said Tuesday that the tragedy was “another stark reminder of the selfless sacrifice of our brave military men and women who risk their lives around the world every day to keep us safe.”
“The president, the Secretary of Defence and the entire White House are praying for the victims, friends and family during this unimaginable time,” she said.
