Durbin Honors Four American Service Members Who Died In Lithuania
Durbin also announced he will introduce a resolution recognizing the soldiers’ service and sacrifice to our nation and NATO allies
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor to honor the four American soldiers—including one Illinoisan—who were stationed in Lithuania and tragically died last month while on a mission to recover a vehicle immobilized during a training exercise. The soldiers include Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. from Joliet, Illinois; Staff Sergeant Edvin F. Franco; Staff Sergeant Troy S. Knutson-Collins; and Private First-Class Dante D. Taitano—all part of the 1st Armored Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
“I have come to the Senate floor before to talk about my connections with the country of Lithuania—where my mother was born. She came to the United States as an immigrant at the age of two… During my time in Congress, I have tried to make sure Lithuania’s heroic path to freedom, the EU, and NATO are strongly supported by their American allies and the United States Congress. Now more than ever, we need to support our Baltic allies. They are critical front-line NATO partners with clear memories of Russian tyranny and a key reason the U.S. has troops serving in former Soviet occupied countries like Lithuania, Poland, and Romania,” said Durbin.
Durbin then highlighted the four soldiers on the Senate floor and thanked them for their service.
“Stationed in Lithuania at a military base that I have personally visited, they were called on March 25 to retrieve a tactical vehicle mired in dangerously deep mud. Sadly, these soldiers never returned, and search efforts were initiated to locate them and they couldn’t find them… The efforts to find the four soldiers eventually required hundreds of people from other nations. The effort was nothing short of miraculous,” said Durbin. “The soldiers’ vehicle was thought to have sunk into a muddy bog—but it was nearly impossible for the dive team to locate. They struggled to see through their masks or get enough air through their regulators, but it was extremely dangerous... It was a mission fraught with extreme danger and challenges. And it was met with ingenuity and commitment to the underlying principle that every American service member must be brought home.”
On April 3, thousands of Lithuanians took to the streets in Vilnius—including the Lithuanian President—to pay their respects to our fallen American soldiers.
“But we owe gratitude to our Lithuanian and other allies—who dropped everything and faced great odds to help us—a reminder of the common defense underlying our alliance,” Durbin continued. “It was a devastating episode. But it illustrated the power of international cooperation, friendship between allies, and solutions in the face of great challenges.”
During the floor speech, Durbin highlighted the heroic efforts of Sgt. Dueñez of Illinois. Sgt. Dueñez jumped at the chance to volunteer for assignments—including the fateful mission to the bog, which he went to support even though he was not on that crew.
Durbin said, “He was a model Illinoisan and American, and he leaves behind a wife and a little boy. We should all strive to be more like Sgt. Dueñez, and we owe him and his family a great debt of gratitude.”
Durbin concluded his speech by announcing a resolution he plans to introduce in honor of these four service members—who were living examples of American values. The resolution recognizes their service and sacrifice to our nation and our NATO allies.
“I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the memory of these four brave soldiers and the remarkable effort that went into their recovery by passing this resolution without delay,” Durbin concluded.
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
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