Three American soldiers have been killed, and five have been seriously wounded in the ongoing conflict with Iran, the US Central Command said Sunday, announcing the first US casualties in the conflict. One of the five wounded soldiers did not recover.
The United States and Israel launched massive bombardments against Iran and killed its supreme leader Saturday, with the attacks continuing on Sunday.
The Pentagon has identified the four soldiers as Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.
Nearly, 10 years ago, our founder Rabbi Eckstein, of blessed memory, reflected on the lives and sacrifices of soldiers and all those who love them:
Let us take a moment to pray for all those grieving the loss of a loved one in the service of their country, asking God to strengthen those who mourn. Let us remember the soldiers who died defending the freedoms we all too often take for granted, as well as those who live with physical and psychological wounds from their time of service. Let us pray for the safety of those men and women who, even now, are standing at the front lines of the war on terror in dark and dangerous corners of the world. And let us pray for the day when God will bless all of us with His most precious gift of shalom, peace.
May the loved ones of these soldiers be comforted, and may God place His hedge of protection around all those who put their lives on the line defending liberty.
