From left: Staff Sgt. Troy Smith Knutson-Collins of Battle Creek, Mich.; Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr. of Joliet, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco of Glendale, Calif.; Pfc. Dante D. Taitano of Dededo, Guam. (Courtesy; Ben Muller via Facebook; U.S. Army)
The soldiers who died during a mission in Lithuania were remembered this week as a mix of dedicated young fathers, talented Army mechanics and key members of a close-knit unit.
The 3rd Infantry Division named the soldiers who were killed after their M88A2 Hercules armored vehicle sank into a bog March 25 during an early morning operation that sparked a nearly weeklong rescue effort.
Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., 25, of Joliet, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale, Calif.; Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam; and Staff Sgt. Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, of Battle Creek, Mich. all perished in the accident, the division said Wednesday.
Duenez, Franco and Collins were promoted posthumously.
“Although we are relieved to have found all our Dogface Soldiers, it does not make the pain of their loss any less,” Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said in a statement. “We will continue to care for and support the soldiers’ Families and loved ones as we bring them home and honor their memory.”
The bodies of three of the soldiers were found Monday after a recovery operation involving hundreds of troops and emergency response personnel. The fourth soldier, Collins, was recovered Tuesday, the Army said.
The soldiers all were part of a deployment of the Fort Stewart, Ga.-based division’s 1st Brigade.
The Army is investigating the cause of the accident, which happened while the soldiers were on a mission to retrieve a broken-down tactical vehicle.
Duenez, in a GoFundMe page set up by family, was referred to as “Junior” and remembered for his “giving nature, huge heart and pure soul.”
“His passing leaves a deep hole in the hearts of all who knew him,” the tribute said. “He was a loving husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend who brought joy and light into the lives of everyone around him.”
In a separate fundraiser, it was noted that Franco was the father of a 6-month-old child while Duenez had a 2-year-old boy.
“The money will be used for whatever (their families) need it for as they grieve and navigate the unexpected loss of their spouse,” according to the joint GoFundMe drive for the two soldiers.
Collins was remembered by his father for his talent with machinery from a young age.
“I was thinking back … when this happened the other day, and I was like ‘Man, I got a picture of him holding the wrenches and everything’ and he is a mechanic today,” Robert Collins told the NBC television affiliate WOOD8, based in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Collins was the father of five children and enlisted in the Army in 2017 at the age of 20, the television station reported.
Robert Collins said that he had briefly spoken with his son on the Sunday before the mission in Lithuania.
“For 34 seconds. That’s not normal, but his wife called,” he said. “And to me, he has a family and children, I’ll wait. And it looks like I will have to wait a long time.”
Taitano was remembered as the “spark of the team,” said Capt. Matthew Lund, Darkhorse Troop commander with the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment.
“He wore a smile on his face no matter the environment or task and constantly brought the team together with his charisma and laughter,” Lund said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday extended condolences to the families and credited U.S. troops and their Lithuanian hosts “who labored alongside them.”
“The recovery was conducted with urgency, resolve and deep respect for the fallen,” Hegseth said.
The accident happened near the city of Pabrade at a base about 6 miles from the border with Belarus. The area has been a training hub for U.S. forces for many years.
The lengthy recovery operation was complicated by the terrain. Several hundred tons of gravel and earth were added to stabilize the soft ground near the bog, where the vehicle was submerged some 15 feet under water and thick sludge, the Army said.
U.S. Navy divers also were part of the effort. After they attached cables to the M88A2, several heavy vehicles using winches for roughly two hours finally removed the armored vehicle from the bog, the Army said.
Three of the soldiers were recovered soon afterward. Scores of personnel remained on the scene Tuesday as the search for the fourth soldier continued, the Army said.
To assist in the search for the missing fourth soldier, recovery dogs and two specialized drone systems — including one equipped with ground-penetrating radar — were added to the effort, the Army said.
Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe, said his command team leaned heavily on the support of Lithuania, Poland and Estonia to carry out the recovery operation.
“This is a tragic event, but it reinforces what it means to have Allies and friends,” Donahue said in a statement Tuesday, after the fourth soldier was recovered.
Maik, a search and rescue military police dog, and his handler from the Estonian military assist in recovery efforts for a missing U.S. soldier on a military training site near Pabrade, Lithuania, April 1, 2025. (Christopher Saunders/U.S. Army)
