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A2 u.s. news
Friday 22 November 2019
Trump pays respects to Army officers killed in Afghanistan

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE,
Del. (AP) — President Don-
ald Trump paid respects
Thursday to a pair of Army
officers who were killed in a
helicopter crash in Afghan-
istan earlier this week.
The president and first lady
Melania Trump, along with
several senior aides, trav-
elled to Delaware to meet
with the families of Chief
Warrant Officer 2 David
C. Knadle, 33, and Chief
Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T.
Fuchigami Jr., 25, as they
received the fallen soldiers'
remains.
Trump and the first lady
were among a group of
dignitaries, including Chair-
man of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff Mark Milley and Na-
tional Security Adviser Rob-
ert O'Brien, who attended
the roughly 12-minute cer- President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump watch as a U.S. Army carry team moves a transfer case containing the remains
emony and watched as of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. of Keaau, Hawaii, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
six white-gloved members Associated Press
of the Army's Old Guard their hands over their hearts to do" as president. the phone Thursday, and White House event on Oct.
carefully handled the flag- for the dignified transfer of As the final day of public both "agreed a reduction 9. "They'll run to the cof-
draped transfer cases hold- remains. hearings in the House im- in violence is necessary to fin and jump on top of the
ing the soldiers. Trump has said the respon- peachment inquiry wound move the peace process coffin. Crying mothers and
Trump and Milley saluted sibility of receiving the re- down, Trump left the White forward" and for all-Afghan wives. Crying desperately."
the soldiers, while the first mains of fallen U.S. soldiers House for the short flight to negotiations regarding a "And this is on these endless
lady and O'Brien stood with is "the toughest thing I have Dover Air Force Base in Del- political settlement to be wars that just never stop,"
aware, where the remains successful. he said. "And there's a time
of service members killed White House spokesman and there's a place, but it's
abroad are returned to U.S. Judd Deere said Trump also time to stop."
soil. thanked Ghani for his sup- Trump was also joined Thurs-
Knadle, of Tarrant, Texas, port in seeking the release day by Deputy Defense
and Fuchigami Jr., of Ke- of two Western hostages Secretary David Norquist,
aau, Hawaii, died Wednes- the Taliban freed this week Army Secretary Ryan Mc-
day when their helicopter after holding them in cap- Carthy and Army Sgt. Ma-
crashed as they provided tivity for more than three jor Michael Grinston. Ac-
security for troops on the years. Last month, as Trump tor Jon Voight, who was
ground in Logar Province in sought to justify his unpopu- awarded the prestigious
eastern Afghanistan. lar decision to remove a National Medal of Arts at
Both were assigned to Fort small contingent of U.S. ser- a White House ceremony
Hood, Texas. vice members from north- earlier Thursday, also at-
Wednesday's crash eastern Syria, he began to tended the "solemn move-
brought this year's U.S. describe his experiences ment" ceremony at the in-
death toll in Afghanistan at Dover and argue for re- vitation of Trump.
to 19, excluding three non- moving the U.S. from "end- Voight said he didn't meet
combat deaths. less wars" in the Middle East, the families but watched
The Taliban claimed re- which he campaigned the "moving" ceremony.
sponsibility for shooting on in the 2016 presidential The 1979 Oscar winner
down the helicopter, but race. said he thought "it must be
the U.S. military has dis- The president has de- some comfort that their
missed that as a false claim. scribed the sight of cavern- children are cherished by
The crash remains under in- ous aircraft pulling up on the country."
vestigation. the base, doors opening, "There was no intention
Trump broke off peace talks uniformed service mem- of meeting the families or
with the Taliban in Septem- bers carrying flag-draped any of that," Voight said. "I
ber following a bombing in "transfer cases" and once- just wanted to pay my re-
Kabul that killed 12 people, stoic parents breaking spects, say a little prayer."
including an American sol- down. Thursday's trip was Trump's
dier. "Sometimes they'll run to second to the Delaware
The White House said Trump the coffin. They'll break military base this year, and
and Afghan President through military barriers," his third visit there overall as
Ashraf Ghani spoke on Trump said at an unrelated president.q