SerpApi.Org
President Donald Trump was present at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday for the dignified transfer of four U.S. service members killed in the Middle East.
The solemn ceremony marked the return of the troops' remains to their families, a duty considered among the most difficult for a commander-in-chief.
This was the third such transfer Trump has attended since he launched the war in Iran in February.
Standing alongside Trump was White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. First lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance didn’t make it to Wednesday’s solemn event.
The president previously faced backlash for wearing a MAGA hat during the last transfer, which was noticeably absent on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters en route to Dover, Trump described the occasion as "one of the hardest things to do as a president."
He stated his message to the grieving families would be, "we love you, we love your child." He added, "There’s no games, there’s no nothing — that’s their child. And all you can do is throw out your heart."
Among those honored were two U.S. Army soldiers who died in Iranian missile and drone attacks in Jordan.
The remains of a third service member, initially missing after the Jordan attacks and now presumed deceased, were also returned.
Additionally, a soldier killed in Iraq during the detonation of an Iranian drone was part of the transfer.
The Defense Department identified the soldiers killed in Jordan as Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, was identified as the soldier who disappeared after the Jordan attacks and is now believed to be deceased.
The soldier killed in Iraq was Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, from Spring Lake, North Carolina.
Reflecting on the losses, Trump told reporters on Sunday, "We feel very badly, but you know, those great people, those great patriots were out there fighting so that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon." He further indicated that the U.S. was striking Iran "in honor" of the fallen troops.
The U.S. has launched multiple retaliatory strikes as an interim agreement to end the conflict has faltered. On Monday, Trump warned that if Iran kills another American service member, "they will pay for that killing many times over!" Since the war began on Feb. 28, 18 U.S. service members have been killed.
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