Farewell in Vilnius: Thousands honor fallen American soldiers
A ceremony took place in Vilnius on Thursday to bid farewell to the four American soldiers who died at the training ground in Pabrade. Thousands of people paid tribute to the soldiers by accompanying the funeral procession.
On Thursday, April 3, in Vilnius, a ceremony was held to honor the four American soldiers who died at the training ground in Pabrade. Thousands gathered on the streets to say goodbye as limousines carrying the coffins passed in the funeral procession toward the airport.
A sad ceremony in Vilnius
During the ceremony, the memory of Edvin Ben Franco, Jose Duenez, Dante Gogo Taitano, and Troy Smith Knutson-Collins was honored with a minute of silence. The Archbishop of Vilnius and apostolic administrator of the Military Ordinariate of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Gintaras Gruszas, blessed the coffins containing the soldiers' remains.
The ceremony was attended by President Gitanas Nauseda of Lithuania and his spouse, the Commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Gen. Raimundas Vaiksznoras, Speaker of the Seimas Saulius Skvernelis, Minister of National Defense Dovile Szakaliene, and other Lithuanian government members. Ambassadors and officials were also present.
Tragic accident at the training ground
The soldiers died on March 25 when their M88 Hercules recovery vehicle was on a mission. After a week-long rescue operation, the vehicle with three bodies was retrieved on March 31, and the fourth body was found on April 1.
At the request of the US Armed Forces, only fellow service members from the unit in which the fallen served attended the ceremony at the airport.
The Pabrade training ground, where about 1,000 American soldiers are stationed, is located approximately 9-12 miles from the border with Belarus.
Source: Polish Press Agency
