by CPT Robert M Cornicelli USARNG (Ret)/Navy Veteran, National President veterans for America First
With heavy hearts and profound respect, Veterans for America First mourns the loss of six brave American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in the early days of this necessary action against the Iranian regime. These heroes, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, and parents, laid down their lives in defense of freedom, security, and the values that define our nation. Their courage in the face of danger reminds us of the selfless devotion that has always protected America and inspired the world.
We extend our deepest condolences to their grieving families, loved ones, and comrades in arms. No words can fully ease the pain of such a profound loss, but know that their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. They stood tall so that others might live in safety and dignity, embodying the finest traditions of American patriotism.
These six patriots did not die in vain. Their sacrifice is part of a righteous effort to dismantle a brutal regime led by radical Islamist mullahs, long designated by the United States as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism through its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, the IRGC, and especially the Quds Force, which has armed, trained, and directed terrorist proxies across the globe for decades, claiming countless innocent lives, including many Americans. Under President Trump, bold leadership has struck decisively: first eliminating Qasem Soleimani, the ruthless commander responsible for so many deaths under Ayatollah Khamenei, along with 40 of the regime’s top commanders and leaders who fueled this terror machine—and now, in this critical operation, the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei himself, the architect of decades of oppression and global terror.
Their courage has helped strike at the heart of this terror network, paving the way for millions of Iranians, and people worldwide, to be spared further bloodshed from Iran’s proxy wars, bombings, and assassinations. By confronting this regime, our fallen heroes have begun to open the door for Iranian women and girls to reclaim their God given freedom, the simple right to walk openly without being forced to cover their faces under threat of violence, and to live without the horror of being compelled into marriage before they even reach 10 years old. They have given hope to college students and young people to protest injustice without the risk of being murdered in the streets by their own government. Their sacrifice has already ignited hope for a people long oppressed, potentially saving millions of lives from ongoing brutality, terror, and tyranny.
We honor these six fallen by continuing the fight for a world where freedom prevails. May God comfort their families, grant eternal peace to our heroes, and bless America as we remember: freedom is never free, but it is worth every sacrifice.
Eternal Rest for Our Six Fallen Warriors – Their Sacrifice Will Never Be Forgotten
Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, Winter Haven, FL
Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, Bellevue, NE
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, White Bear Lake, MN
Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, West Des Moines, IA
All Members of the 103rd Sustainment Command, Army Reserve unit based in Des Moines, Iowa.
