After a weeklong search in treacherous conditions, US Army officials have recovered the bodies of all four soldiers who perished when their armored vehicle sank in a Lithuanian peat bog during a routine training exercise near the Belarusian border.
Quick Takes
- Four US soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, perished when their M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicle sank in a peat bog during training in Lithuania.
- The recovery operation involved multiple military branches and international partners, including Lithuanian diving teams, Navy divers, and specialized drones.
- The soldiers were identified as Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, and a fourth soldier whose name is pending notification.
- The troops were deployed as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, with approximately 3,500 soldiers stationed across Poland and the Baltic states.
- An investigation into the incident is ongoing as military officials work to determine what caused the fatal accident.
The Tragic Loss and Recovery Effort
The fourth and final missing US soldier was recovered on April 1, bringing closure to a devastating week-long search at a training site in Lithuania. The soldiers disappeared on March 25 while operating an M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle near Pabrade, Lithuania, close to the Belarusian border. The vehicle had been dispatched on a maintenance mission to recover another Army vehicle when it became immobilized in a peat bog and ultimately sank approximately 15 feet underwater, resulting in the drowning of all four crew members.
The search and recovery operation involved extraordinary international cooperation, with hundreds of personnel from multiple military branches and nations working together. Engineers, excavators, slurry pumps, and a specialized US Navy dive crew operated in challenging conditions to retrieve both the vehicle and the fallen soldiers. Recovery efforts faced significant challenges due to the nature of the terrain, requiring two additional M88A2s and bulldozers to extract the sunken vehicle from the swampy training area.
The 3rd Infantry Division named the soldiers who were killed after their vehicle sank into a bog in Lithuania last week.
Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Ill.; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, Calif.; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam, all perished in the… pic.twitter.com/R4lRU8YOsd
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) April 1, 2025
The Fallen Heroes
The Army has identified three of the four deceased soldiers as Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, all M1 Abrams tank system maintainers from Fort Stewart, Georgia. The name of the fourth soldier has not been released, pending family notification. These soldiers were part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, permanently stationed at Fort Stewart but deployed to Lithuania as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a mission established to bolster NATO’s eastern flank in response to Russian aggression.
The recovery of the fourth soldier provided some measure of closure to the families and military community, though the pain of loss remains acute. Specialized recovery dogs and drones were employed in the final phase of the search after the vehicle had been extracted and the first three bodies recovered. Throughout the operation, military leadership has emphasized the importance of bringing all soldiers home, upholding the sacred promise to never leave a fallen comrade behind.
Military Response and International Cooperation
Military leaders have expressed profound gratitude to the Lithuanian, Polish, and Estonian allies who provided crucial support during the recovery operation. The incident occurred at the Gen. Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė, Lithuania, where approximately 3,500 American soldiers are currently deployed as part of NATO’s enhanced forward presence. The international response demonstrated the strength of NATO’s alliance structure and the commitment to mutual support among member nations.
An investigation into the incident is currently underway to determine the precise circumstances that led to this tragedy. Military officials are examining all aspects of the training operation, including equipment functionality, terrain assessment procedures, and safety protocols. The findings will likely inform future training exercises to prevent similar accidents. In the meantime, the military community is rallying around the families of the fallen, providing support services and honoring the sacrifice of these soldiers who died in service to their country.
Sources:
- Fourth missing US soldier found deceased in Lithuanian bog
- Last US soldier found dead after Lithuania training accident. 3 others identified
- Final Body Recovered, US Army Confirms Unthinkable Tragedy
