The youngest of six US soldiers killed in an Iranian drone attack in Kuwait called his brother and tried to reassure his family back home – only hours before his death.
Declan Coady, 20, spoke to his brother, who was stationed in Italy, just hours before a command center was hit by an Iranian drone Sunday, his dad Andrew told CBS News on Wednesday.
“Based off timing, and what we know so far, and we don’t know specifics but we are making an assumption based off of timing, it was shortly after that phone call that this happened, and his operation center got hit,” the devastated dad said.
Coady, just two months from turning 21, had been communicating frequently with his family back home before his death.
“Declan had been sending us updates – every one to two hours – ‘Hey, everything’s still good. I’m good,’ which goes to show you he was still thinking about us,” Andrew said.
“Like don’t worry about me, and so forth.”
Coady’s heartbroken sister, Keira, said she feared the worst when her family didn’t hear from the soldier. He had still been messaging his family during Iran’s retaliatory attacks to “Operation Epic Fury.”
“After trying to check in, we heard nothing,” she told ABC News.
“Trying to be positive we all assumed he was just in a situation where he couldn’t message back, but we all knew something was wrong.”
Andrew told the Associated Press, “Your gut starts to get a feeling” after his son stopped replying to messages.
Keira and her family were about to go to bed when the doorbell rang, and said, “the rest of that night will forever be one of the worst nights of our lives.”
“While it’s all blurry, we all knew what the doorbell meant,” she added.
Coady, who had trained as an information technology specialist with the Army Reserves, was in line to receive a promotion where he would be named sergeant. He has since received this title posthumously.
“He was very good at what he did,” Andrew said as he paid a gushing tribute to his late son.
Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39; Capt. Cody Khork, 35; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, were also identified by the Pentagon.
Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, Calif., is also “believed to be deceased.”
The fallen soldiers were all part of the 103rd Sustainment Command, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies.
President Trump previously told NBC News the US “expects casualties” given the operation after it became apparent three servicemembers had died.
“But in the end it’s going to be a great deal for the world,” he said.
Trump will travel to Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of the servicemembers.
With Post wires
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