Lithuanians bid farewell to 4 U.S. soldiers who died during training exercise

VILNIUS, Lithuania — A procession carrying the coffins of four American soldiers who died during a training exercise in Lithuania will proceed past the capital’s cathedral square Thursday.

Government officials and religious leaders are expected to pay their last respects before the bodies are taken to the airport to be returned to the U.S.

The soldiers, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle went missing a week ago, the Army said.

Lithuanian, Polish and U.S. soldiers and rescuers searched through the forests and swamps at the Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabradė, 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the border with Belarus. The M88 Hercules armored vehicle was pulled from a peat bog Monday and the final body was recovered Tuesday.

The U.S. Army has identified the four 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.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, the defense minister and the Vilnius archbishop are expected to attend Thursday’s ceremony.

An honor platoon from 3rd Infantry Division will also pay tribute to the soldiers, Maj. Nicholas Chopp, the deputy media chief for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, told The Associated Press.

A Lithuanian nonprofit that helps Ukrainian war refugees has asked residents of Vilnius to attend the ceremony and pause for a moment when the coffins pass by to pay their respects. “Even though it’s a workday, let’s not remain indifferent … bow your head, and honor the US soldiers who lost their lives during training while preparing to defend our freedom, standing true to their oath, giving their all, to the very end,” Stiprus Kartu, or Strong Together, wrote on Facebook.

About 3,500 soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team deployed in January to Poland and the Baltic states for a nine-month rotation as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which supports NATO allies and partners following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.