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 on 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 US.
The soldiers, part of the 1st Armoured 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.
(From left) Army Pfc. Dante D Taitano, 21,, Sgt Edvin F Franco, 25, Army Sgt Jose Duenez Jnr, 25, and Army Staff Sgt Troy S Knutson-Collins, 28 (Department of Defence via AP)
(From left) Army Pfc. Dante D Taitano, 21,, Sgt Edvin F Franco, 25, Army Sgt Jose Duenez Jnr, 25, and Army Staff Sgt Troy S Knutson-Collins, 28 (Department of Defence via AP)(AP)
Lithuanian, Polish and US soldiers and rescuers searched through the forests and swamps at the General Silvestras Zukauskas training ground in the town of Pabrade, six miles (10 kilometres) west of the border with Belarus.
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The M88 Hercules armoured vehicle was pulled from a peat bog on Monday and the final body was recovered on Tuesday.
The US Army has identified the four as Staff Sgt Troy S Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan; Staff Sgt Jose Duenez Jnr, 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 Nauseda, the defence minister and the Vilnius archbishop are expected to attend Thursday’s ceremony.
Lithuanian Army soldiers hold flowers in memory of US soldiers found dead at a training range in Pabrade (Mindaugas Kulbis/AP)
Lithuanian Army soldiers hold flowers in memory of US soldiers found dead at a training range in Pabrade (Mindaugas Kulbis/AP)(Mindaugas Kulbis/AP)
An honour platoon from 3rd Infantry Division will also pay tribute to the soldiers, Major Nicholas Chopp, the deputy media chief for US Army Europe and Africa, told The Associated Press.
A Lithuanian non-profit 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 honour 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 Armoured 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.