Lithuania holds ceremony for U.S. soldiers who died in training area

STORY: :: Lithuania pays tribute to four U.S. soldiers found dead after their vehicle sank in a peat bog

:: April 3, 2025

:: Vilnius, Lithuania

People lined the streets near Vilnius Cathedral to see a priest bless hearses carrying the soldiers’ bodies, which were then taken to the capital’s airport for repatriation.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said he was proud that Lithuanians had helped as much as possible when the four soldiers were first reported missing last week.

Rescuers had spent days digging to recover the M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle the soldiers were using as part of an exercise at the Pabrade training ground, where U.S. units have been rotating since 2019.