Trump Honored the 13 Americans Killed in Operation Epic Fury at Arlington and Every Single One of Them Deserves to Be Known by Name

Twenty-year-old Declan Coady was sending his family safety updates from Kuwait until the messages suddenly stopped.

That silence was how his sister Keira first knew something was wrong – before the Army ever knocked on the door.

Monday was the first Memorial Day since Operation Epic Fury, and the 13 Americans who didn't come home deserve more than a number.

The 13 Americans Killed in Operation Epic Fury This Memorial Day

This Memorial Day, as President Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, 13 American families observed the holiday without someone they love.

All 13 were killed in the opening weeks of Operation Epic Fury – the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign launched February 28, 2026, to dismantle Iran's nuclear program and missile infrastructure after years of failed diplomacy.

Six died in a single Iranian drone strike at Kuwait's Shuaiba port on March 1.

Six more died on March 12 when a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq.

One – Army Sgt. Benjamin Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky – died March 8 from wounds sustained when Iran struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

He enlisted at 18. Friends and family said he spent his childhood dreaming of military service – there was never any other path he was going to take.

"Everyone who knew Ben well knew he was destined to be an Army man," his family said.

Another 400 service members have been wounded in the conflict thus far, U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed.

Fathers, Mothers, Sons and Daughters

Behind every name in a Pentagon press release is a life that deserves more than a press release.

Major Jeffrey O'Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa, was a farm kid who grew up to coach his children in track and cheer at gymnastics meets and teach them music.

"He was not only a role model to our kids, but also a goofy and silly dad, always looking for ways to make the kids laugh," his family told CNN affiliate KCCI.

He was also – and this detail matters – still serving in the Army Reserve after nearly two decades because he believed in something bigger than himself.

Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California – the oldest of the 13 – was two months from finishing his deployment.

His family was already planning his 55th birthday party and end-of-service celebration when Iran's drone found him.

He spent decades pulling young soldiers in front of whiteboards, helping them map out life plans. A friend who met him in 2013 said simply: "Rob was probably one of the best humans I've ever met."

Sergeant First Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was days away from coming home.

"She was almost home," her husband Joey told the Associated Press, his voice breaking.

She left behind a high school senior and a fourth-grader. Her loved ones are raising funds to build a greenhouse in her memory – because Nicole believed deeply in nurturing life wherever she could.

The Six Who Died Together in the Iran War KC-135 Crash

Six of the 13 died together when their KC-135 Stratotanker went down over western Iraq on March 12.

Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky, was an instructor boom operator who had spent nearly a decade working her way up through the enlisted ranks. Her husband Greg described her in one word to the Associated Press: "radiant."

She was a devoted mother of two young children who poured everything into her family. "Her strength, warmth, and unwavering devotion created a home filled with love and laughter," her obituary read.

Major John Alex Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama, left behind a 2-year-old and 7-month-old twins. He and his father had spent years camping in the North Carolina mountains together.

"He loved life," his father told CNN. "He was just a wonderful person and cared about others and always put others before himself."

Captain Ariana Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington – a Puerto Rican pilot who wanted to be a role model for Latino youth in aviation – earned her KC-135 wings just last year. Her family is starting a scholarship in her name.

Captain Seth Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana, first enlisted in 2006, earned his aviation degree from Purdue, and kept flying because it was his calling. His wife Heather wrote that he "always put others before himself – until the very end."

Captain Curtis Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio, grew up playing with toy airplanes. His father took him on his first flight as a toddler.

"His constant smile and instantly recognizable laugh made people feel welcome," his obituary said.

Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio, told his father the day before the crash that he didn't think he was coming home.

His father prayed he was wrong.

"Knowing Tyler, if he could do it all over again, he'd probably make the same decision," Charles Mylo Simmons told CNN, "because he loved what he did."

What They Knew That the Rest of Us Forget

These men and women wore the uniform voluntarily.

They knew the risks – and they went anyway, because somebody has to be the one who goes.

Sergeant First Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska, held a double black belt in Taekwondo and Filipino martial arts. He was on his third deployment to Kuwait. His fellow soldiers called him the reason they were able to advance their careers.

Captain Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida – a political science graduate, a soldier deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo, and Poland – was remembered for his "infectious spirit and generous heart."

Every one of them volunteered.

Every one of them knew.

As Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said after the Kuwait strike: "These men and women all bravely volunteered to defend our country, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten."

The least the rest of us can do is say their names and make sure as few more join them as necessary.

---

Sources:

• CNN Staff, "The lives behind the 13 US troop deaths tied to the Iran war," CNN, May 25, 2026.
• "Pentagon releases names of 6 U.S. service members killed in Iran war," CBS News, March 4, 2026.
• U.S. Central Command, "Operation Epic Fury Fact Sheet – First 10 Days," Department of Defense, March 9, 2026.
• Kerry Breen, "U.S. service members killed in the Iran war include a Minnesota mom and an Iowa college student," CBS News, March 14, 2026.
• Chantelle Lee, "What We Know About the U.S. Service Members Killed in the Iran War," TIME, April 7, 2026.
• "Soldiers killed in Iran will be honored at Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony," ABC17News/KMIZ, May 25, 2026.
• "PHOTOS: President Trump honors America's fallen heroes on Memorial Day," WPDE, May 25, 2026.