Three Fallen Soldiers Identified – Names Revealed

Four brave American soldiers perished in a watery grave in Lithuania while our military continues to stretch thin across the globe, and the full story of what happened in that mud-filled bog is still shrouded in mystery.

At a Glance

  • Three of the four Fort Stewart soldiers who died in Lithuania have been identified: Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano
  • The soldiers went missing on March 25 while operating an M88A2 Hercules armored vehicle, likely driving into a deep bog where they became trapped
  • The vehicle was found submerged under 15 feet of water, mud, and silt, requiring an extensive multinational recovery effort
  • The soldiers were deployed as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, supporting NATO allies in Eastern Europe
  • GoFundMe campaigns have been established for the families of the fallen soldiers

American Warriors Lost in Foreign Soil

While Americans were busy struggling with inflation and rising grocery prices at home, four of our soldiers died on foreign soil in a training accident that raises serious questions about our military’s global footprint. The U.S. Army has identified three of the four soldiers from Georgia’s Fort Stewart found dead in Lithuania: Sergeant Jose Duenez Jr., Sergeant Edvin F. Franco, and Private First Class Dante D. Taitano. These men were part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, stationed thousands of miles from home in yet another NATO mission along Russia’s border.

The soldiers were reported missing on March 25 while operating an M88A2 Hercules armored vehicle near Pabradė, Lithuania. According to reports, they were on a mission to extract another Army vehicle when they apparently drove into a deep bog and became trapped as their vehicle sank into the muck. This tragic accident happened not while defending American soil or American interests, but while supporting NATO operations in distant Eastern Europe—just one of countless deployments stretching our military resources across the globe in the name of “alliance obligations.”

Massive Recovery Effort Highlights NATO Dependency

The recovery operation became an international affair, with hundreds of service members and civilian agencies involved in the effort. The submerged vehicle was found under 15 feet of water, mud, and silt, requiring assistance from Lithuanian and Polish military forces to extract. The fact that we needed so much foreign help to recover our own fallen soldiers speaks volumes about our increasingly stretched military posture. Recovery teams used dogs, drones, Navy inflatable boats, and heavy equipment in the challenging extraction process that took days to complete.

“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.”, says Gen. Christopher Donahue.

While I appreciate alliance support, we might ask why American troops are deployed in such hazardous conditions so far from home in the first place. These soldiers were part of a January 2025 deployment of about 3,500 soldiers spread across Poland and the Baltic region for Operation Atlantic Resolve. This deployment is just one small piece of America’s massive global military presence that continues to expand regardless of which party controls Washington. When will we start prioritizing America’s borders over those of Eastern Europe?

The Human Cost of Global Military Commitments

Behind the geopolitical chess game are real American families now devastated by loss. Sergeant Jose Duenez Jr. had previously served with the 1st Infantry Division and deployed to Poland and Germany. Sergeant Edvin F. Franco served in the army for over six years, with deployments to Korea and Germany. Private First Class Dante D. Taitano was on his first deployment and was remembered for his charisma and dedication. GoFundMe campaigns have been established for all three families, a sad reminder that our military families often need financial support when tragedy strikes.

According to Maj.Gen. Christopher Norrie: “This loss is simply devastating” – Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie.

Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda offered condolences through social media, tagging former President Trump rather than our current administration. This accident happened in a NATO member country located northwest of Belarus and near the Russian province of Kaliningrad, a strategically sensitive region where American troops are increasingly deployed. The tragedy highlights the real human cost of America’s sprawling global commitments while our own southern border remains effectively wide open to invasion, and American cities crumble under the weight of homelessness, crime, and economic decline.

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