4th Missing US Soldier Found Dead in Lithuania, 3 Identified

The discovery was announced on Tuesday afternoon following a weeklong recovery effort.

U.S. Army military vehicles including two M88 Recovery vehicles roll to attend recovery efforts continue for a missed U.S. Army soldier, as three other found dead on Monday, at a training range in Pabrade, north of Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis

The body of a fourth U.S. Army soldier who went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania last week has been found, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth confirmed the discovery of the body on Tuesday afternoon following a seven-day recovery effort.

“I want to personally extend my deepest condolences to the families of all four fallen Soldiers. Our hearts are heavy across the Department of Defense,” he wrote in a statement on X. “We are deeply grateful to our brave servicemembers who enabled this difficult recovery and to our Lithuanian hosts who labored alongside them.”

The soldier, who has not been publicly identified, was the last to be recovered from a peat bog, where their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle sank. They were found on Monday.

According to the Defense Department, the soldier was permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, and deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to provide credible ground deterrence against Russia alongside allies and partners.

A multi-agency recovery effort was launched immediately after the soldiers went missing during the training exercise in the early hours of March 25.

The last body was found with the help of hundreds of rescue workers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces, Polish Armed Forces, Estonian Armed Forces, and Lithuanian government agencies.

“The recovery was conducted with urgency, resolve, and deep respect for the fallen,” Hegseth added. “We will never forget these soldiers—and our prayers are with their families.”

People with U.S. national flag come to pay their last respect to the three soldiers found dead on Monday at a training range in Pabrade, near the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 1, 2025. Mindaugas Kulbis/AP Photo

The soldiers were all part of the Army’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

While the fourth soldier’s name has not been released, pending family notification, the Army has identified the first three soldiers found as Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam.

“This past week has been devastating. Today, our hearts bear the weight of an unbearable pain with the loss of our final Dogface Soldier,” Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie said in a statement. “Though we have received some closure, the world is darker without them.”

(L–R) Army Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam, Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, Calif., and Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Ill., three of the four soldiers who were killed in a training accident near Pabradė, Lithuania, in March 2025. Department of Defense via AP

Along with all four bodies, the soldiers’ armored vehicle was also recovered from the site, military officials said.

The U.S. Army continues to investigate the cause of the accident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Update: This article has been updated to include the identities of three fallen servicemembers.

From NTD News