Lithuanian-American soldier dead

  • 2009-03-04
  • TBT Staff
VILNIUS- Mantas Sutkus, 31, has died while serving in the US Special Forces.Circumstances of the Lithuanian's death are being kept not know even to hisfamily.

Mantas Sutkus was one of the Green Berets - soldiers servingon a Special Operations Force under the US Army.

Parents Kestutis and Grazina Sutkai, who emigrated to the US18 years ago, received news of their son's death on Feb. 26. Neither the causenor whereabouts of the tragedy have been disclosed to Mantas' loved ones,Lietuvos Rytas daily reported.

"Operations undertaken by the Green Berets are secret, wetherefore don't know where he was stationed", Kestutis Sutkus said fromhis home in the state of New Jersey.

"This is a special group, which sometimes ends up inplaces where American forces shouldn't step in, like, say, Iran or Pakistan. Wedon't even know where he was and what he was doing. We are yet to receiveofficial information. We are continuously being told that an investigation isin the works," Sutkus added.

Mantas Sutkus became a Green Beret less in 2008. Sutkus wasn'tallowed to disclose any information on his work due to the secret nature ofoperations entrusted to the Green Berets.

"He certainly was happy", said the father."Mantas has wanted to become a soldier since his early days. This was whathe always wanted. When we arrived to the US, he first completed universitystudies and then joined the army. As soon as his US citizenship came through,he applied for the Green Berets, as only US citizens can join the force".

The Lithuanian soldier's funeral will be held with all thehonors of a US military funeral.