(Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
President Donald Trump has decided to send his Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, to Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of four American soldiers killed in a training exercise in Lithuania, per reporting by Fox News Pentagon reporter Jennifer Griffin.
Lithuania paid homage to the fallen soldiers with a moving memorial on April 3rd, images of which were shared by a social media post by the US Embassy in Lithuania, which Griffin quoted.
Griffin wrote:
President Trump will remain in Florida and will not travel to Dover AFB for the dignified transfer of 4 American soldiers who died during a training exercise in Lithuania. The LIV Golf tournament begins today. Trump just arrived at his golf club.
Defense Secretary Hegseth will travel to Dover Air Force Base mid-morning to participate in the dignified transfer of four U.S. soldiers who died last week in Lithuania.The soldiers, who were all based with the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, have been identified as Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, California; Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam; and Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Michigan.
Here is how the government of Lithuania honored the 4 American soldiers in Vilnius yesterday.
Trump flew to West Palm Beach Friday morning with local reports suggesting the president plans to make an appearance at the Doral Golf Club where the LIV tournament is set to be held this weekend and even floated Trump participating in the Pro-Am tournament.
Trump made news last week when he appeared not to know that four soldiers were killed when asked about it during an Oval Office press availability. At the time, it was not clear that the soldiers had died, but they were known to be missing at that time, and later found dead.
