Hinesville City Council members held a moment of silence at the start of their April 3 meeting in recognition of Fort Stewart’s four 3rd Infantry Division soldiers who died during a deployment to eastern Europe.

The four crew members of a M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle perished as their track sank into a bog near a Lithuanian training area. They had been dispatched to retrieve a vehicle that had become immobilized. 

The soldiers who died as a result were Staff Sgt. Edvin Franco, Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez, Staff Sgt. Troy Knutson-Collins and Spc. Dante Taitano. 

“On behalf of the city of Hinesville, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fellow service members mourning the tragic loss of four soldiers in Lithuania,” Hinesville Mayor Karl Riles said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Raider Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and entire Fort Stewart community during this difficult time. 

“As neighbors and longtime partners, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those who are grieving. Hinesville stands with you now and always.”

U.S. and other NATO allies worked to find the vehicle, under more than 14 feet of water and six feet of mud, and the soldiers for five days. 

Lithuania held a dignified departure ceremony for the remains of the four soldiers, with thousands of Lithuanians lining the streets to pay their respects. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division and were on a nine-month deployment to Europe as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. The headquarters unit for the rotation is the 1st Armored Division.

Maj. Gen. Curt Taylor, commanding general of the 1st Armored, expressed his deep sorrow and solidarity with the families of the four soldiers. Knutson-Collins was the father of five children. Franco was the father of a 6-month-old and Duenez had a 2-year-old son.

“They were loved and respected by their peers and their leaders alike,” said Maj. Gen. Taylor, who lived on Fort Stewart as a teenager. “We know that nothing we can do will replace that permanent hole in their families’ lives. We want to express to them they will remain a part of our Army family for the rest of their lives.”

Taylor said he was awestruck with the support from the Lithuanian government and people.

“They spared no resource to bring to the site,” he said. “The support from the Lithuanian leadership has been incredible. Anything we wanted from this government was available to support this operation.”

Taylor also thanked Polish and Estonian armed forces assets that were used in the recovery process.

The vehicle was continuing to sink in the mud and had Lithuanian special forces divers not located it during continued dives in the middle of the night, it likely would have sunk and never been found, Taylor acknowledged. Three of the missing soldiers were found with the vehicle. 

Estonian canine teams and ground-penetrating radar, supplied by a Lithuanian private business, directed searchers to the spot of the fourth missing soldier. 

“This reminds how important our allies are, how important alliances are and how close and permanent our relationship is with the Lithuanian people,” Maj. Gen. Taylor said. “I am awestruck with what you have done for our nation. We will never forget it.”

Gofundme pages have been established for each of the soldiers.