A U.S. Army sergeant from Glendale was formally identified Tuesday as one of four soldiers who died in a training accident in Lithuania.
The soldiers, who were aboard an M88 Hercules vehicle, disappeared March 25 during the training exercise in the town of Pabradé. They were found dead after a roughly weeklong search that uncovered their tactical vehicle in a swamp. Three of the bodies were recovered Monday and a fourth on Tuesday.
Three of the soldiers were identified Tuesday by the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. Among them was Sgt. Edvin F. Franco, 25, of Glendale.
“Sgt. Edvin Franco’s legacy will remain with us always,” Capt. Madyson K. Wellens, diesel forward support troop commander for the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, said in a statement. “His infectious smile and genuine joy in being with his team were matched only by the tenacity and drive. He never asked more of his soldiers than he was willing to give himself — a true testament to his character. More than an exceptional leader and soldier, Edvin was a friend whose influence touched so many.”
Franco had previously been identified by his wife, Georgia, as one of the missing soldiers. The couple has a newborn son.
According to the Army, Franco was an M1 Abrams tank system maintainer who had been in the Army for more than six years. He did his initial training at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment in February 2019. He served in Korea in 2020 and Germany in 2022.
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The other soldiers identified Tuesday were Sgt. Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, of Joliet, Illinois; and Pfc. Dante D. Taitano, 21, of Dededo, Guam.
The fourth soldier was not immediately identified.
GoFundMe pages to support Franco’s family were established at gofundme.com/f/support-for-duenez-franco-families and gofundme.com/f/for-georgia-and-baby-preston.
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