Tragic News: Fourth US Soldier Found Deceased in Lithuania
WASHINGTON (AP) — The last missing U.S. soldier in Lithuania has been discovered deceased, concluding a large-scale weeklong search for the four service members whose armored vehicle was recovered from a swampy training area, announced the U.S. military on Tuesday. The bodies of the other three soldiers were located on Monday after a joint effort involving U.S., Polish, and Lithuanian armed forces and authorities to extract the M88 Hercules vehicle from a peat bog at the vast Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė. Their identities have not been disclosed as family notifications are ongoing.
These soldiers, belonging to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were participating in a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle were reported missing a week ago, according to the Army. Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, expressed deep sorrow in a statement released on Tuesday, stating, “This past week has been devastating. Today our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier. Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.”
A large number of Lithuanian and U.S. soldiers and rescuers joined forces to comb through the dense forests and swampy terrain surrounding Pabradė, located 6 miles (10 kilometers) west of the Belarusian border. The 63-ton (126,000-pound) armored vehicle was located submerged in 15 feet (4.5 meters) of water on March 26, but the extraction process from the bog took several days.
The Lithuanian armed forces contributed military helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, and search and rescue teams. They also deployed additional heavy equipment, technical experts, and tons of materials to assist in the recovery efforts. Navy divers braved challenging conditions to reach the vehicle on Sunday evening and attach steel cables for extraction. Following the recovery of three bodies, divers continued to search the bog for the fourth.
Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, expressed gratitude towards the allied countries that provided troops and resources to aid in the search and recovery mission. Donahue remarked, “I can’t say enough about the support our Lithuanian Allies have provided us. We have leaned on them, and they, alongside our Polish and Estonian Allies — and our own Sailors, Airmen and experts from the Corps of Engineers — have enabled us to find and bring home our Soldiers. This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends.”
