President Trump attended a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday, honoring four U.S. service members killed in Iranian attacks on American bases in the Middle East. Trump posted to social media earlier that morning, “Heading to Dover Air Force Base to HONOR OUR HEROES!”
The four soldiers honored were 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii; Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas; Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York; and Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Two were killed in an Iranian strike on a U.S. base in Jordan; one died in a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian attack drone at Erbil Air Base in Iraq.
The ceremony took place as the U.S.-Iran conflict continues to escalate. Since the war began in late February 2026, at least 18 soldiers have been killed and roughly 500 wounded, according to the Department of Defense. A ceasefire agreed to in mid-June broke down, and there have now been 11 consecutive nights of strikes.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accompanied Trump at the transfer. The dignified transfer is a solemn military ritual conducted upon arrival at Dover Air Force Base to honor those who have given their lives in service to the country.
This is Trump’s third dignified transfer attendance since the Iran conflict began. He attended a ceremony in December 2025 for two National Guard members and a civilian interpreter killed in Syria, and another in March 2026 for six Army Reserve soldiers killed in a drone strike in Kuwait.
Sources
- ABC News — Trump’s attendance, the four soldiers’ names and hometowns, circumstances of their deaths, casualty figures for the U.S. war in Iran, ceasefire breakdown, and Trump’s social media statement
- Delawareonline.com — Trump’s previous dignified transfer attendance in December 2025
- Multiple news outlets — Confirmation of Defense Secretary Hegseth’s attendance at the ceremony
