President Donald Trump on Wednesday attended a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, saluting the flag-draped caskets of four U.S. service members recently killed in action in Jordan and Iraq. Trump was accompanied by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The service members honored were 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii; Sgt. Angel Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York; and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, who were killed in Jordan. Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was killed in Iraq.
"We're going to honor them. And it’s one of the hardest things to do -- for me, it's one of the hardest things to do as a president. But it has to be done," Trump told reporters ahead of the ceremony, referring to the fallen service members as "great heroes."
When asked for a message to the families, Trump said, "All I'm going to say is we love you. We love your child." He added, "That's what they are to them. They're their children. There's no games, no nothing. That's their child. And all you could do is throw out your heart."
Feehan's parents, Stephen and Shari, stated, "No parents could have asked for a better son, and carrying your legacy forward is now our purpose." They are establishing a scholarship in his name, beginning with his death gratuity.
According to U.S. Central Command, the service members in Jordan were killed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base when CENTCOM and partner forces "defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks." Swinton was killed in Iraq while troops were attempting to destroy a downed Iranian attack drone.
Both incidents are currently under investigation.