The father of a dead U.S. serviceman has deniedclaims by Pete Hegseth that he told the Defense Secretaryto “not stop until the job is done” – referring to thewarinIran.
“No, I didn’t say anything along those lines,” Charles Simmonstold NBC Newsin an interview Thursday, recalling his encounter with Hegseth at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. “I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about.”
Simmons is the father of 28-year-oldMaster Sergeant Tyler Simmons, who was among thesix crew members killed last weekwhen their refueling plane crashed in Iraq.
Hegseth kicked off another angryand at times desperate-soundingpress conference Thursday morning by paying tribute to the service members who have been killed in the conflict, which is now approaching the end of its third week.
“What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family,” Hegseth said. “They said, ‘finish this.’ Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done,” Hegseth said.
In a statement shared withThe Independent,Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said, “Secretary Hegseth has the utmost respect for our Gold Star families and has pledged to honor the sacrifice of their loved ones.
“While at Dover, the Secretary spoke with each family of our fallen heroes and the details of each individual conversation remain private.”
The Independenthas also reached out to the White House for comment.
Simmons told NBC that he had spoken to Hegseth and President Donald Trump, and that both men had treated him warmly. He had mostly spoken about his son’s impressive service record, he said.
The 60-year-old, from Columbus, Ohio, added he has “questions” about the conflict, which has now killed at least 13 American service members, and cannot draw “definitive conclusions when I don’t have all the data.”
Source: Drudge Report
