Ceremony marks return of fallen soldiers
President Donald Trump joined the dignified transfer event at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday, marking the return of four American service members. The ceremony included flag-draped cases moved from a military plane, with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs leader Gen. Dan Caine, and lawmakers in attendance.
At a later event in Georgia, Trump called the ceremony „the toughest thing I do,“ a feeling he has shared in past similar events. „I've been there many times before. This was something very sad,“ he said. Earlier, he delivered a message to the fallen's families: „We love you. We love your child.“
Casualties identified and their service
The four were killed in two separate attacks involving Iranian missiles and drones. Tyler James Feehan, 25 from Hawaii, and Isabella Gonzales, 19 from Texas, were among the soldiers killed in Jordan. Angel S. Rampersad, 28 from New York, is thought to have died in the same attack after being listed as missing. The fourth, Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30 from North Carolina, was killed in Iraq when an Iranian drone exploded.
Trump spoke of Tyler Feehan, calling him „flawless“ and stating he „was going to be a general.“ He told the young soldier's parents that Tyler's memory „will be carried in our hearts forever.“
Trump links deaths to Iran conflict
Trump directly connected the soldiers' deaths to the ongoing conflict with Iran. „Those great people, those great patriots were out there fighting so that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,“ he said earlier in the week. He added that U.S. strikes against Iran are happening „in honor“ of the fallen troops.
After the losses, Trump promised retaliation, vowing, „Every time Iran kills an American soldier, they will pay for that killing many times over!“ The administration reports that 18 U.S. service members have been killed since the conflict began on February 28.
Trump also noted that while most Iranian attacks on U.S. positions in Jordan have been stopped, „They did slip something through in Jordan.“ He hinted, without explaining, that „If we had other operators, you know, it would have not happened.“