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Father of service member killed in Iran war said he never told Pete Hegseth to 'finish' the job
Hat tip, Joe.My.God.Father Of Service Member Killed In Iran War Says He Didn’t Tell Hegseth To “Finish The Job, Get This Done”
March 20, 2026Exclusive
Iran war
Father of service member killed in Iran war said he never told Pete Hegseth to 'finish' the job
Hegseth said "family after family" of service members killed urged the administration to “not stop until the job is done." President Donald Trump made a similar claim earlier this month.
-------- President President Donald Trump attends Wednesday's dignified transfer for Charles Simmons' son, Tyler, and others killed in the Iran war.The White House
March 19, 2026, 7:27 PM EDT
By Peter Nicholas
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met privately Wednesday with the families of six service members who died in the Iran war and, in a press briefing the next morning, said the message he got was consistent and supportive.
“What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family. They said, ‘Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done,’” Hegseth said. ... One of the people he met at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware was Charles Simmons. His 28-year-old son, Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, was among the six crew members killed when their refueling plane crashed in Iraq last week.
Simmons recalled his exchange differently. ... “I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about,” he told NBC News in an interview Thursday. ... Simmons said he spoke separately to Hegseth and President Donald Trump at Dover and was grateful for the warmth that both men showed him. ... He and Hegseth spoke mostly about Tyler, his impressive service record and the speed with which he had advanced in the military, Simmons recalled.
-------- U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons.U.S. Air Force
He said he told the defense secretary, “I understand there’s a lot of peril that goes into making decisions like this, and I just certainly hope the decisions being made are necessary.” ... Asked if he said anything to Hegseth or Trump about the need to keep fighting the war, Simmons said, “No, I didn’t say anything along those lines.” ... A 60-year-old music teacher in Columbus, Ohio, Simmons told NBC News that he has “questions” about the war and isn’t able to draw “definitive conclusions when I don’t have all the data.” ... “Who wants war?” he added. “Sometimes it’s a necessity, and I just don’t know what’s going on.”
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1 replies
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Hegseth said "family after family" of service members killed urged the administration to “not stop until the job is done." The father said he appreciated the compassion that Hegseth and Trump showed him during their visit.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/father-servicemember-killed-iran-war-never-told-hegseth-finish-the-job-rcna264297
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met privately Wednesday with the families of six service members who died in the Iran war and, in a press briefing the next morning, said the message he got was consistent and supportive.
“What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family. They said, ‘Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done,’” Hegseth said.
One of the people he met at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware was Charles Simmons. His 28-year-old son, Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, was among the six crew members killed when their refueling plane crashed in Iraq last week.
Simmons recalled his exchange differently.
“I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about,” he told NBC News in an interview Thursday.
Simmons said he spoke separately to Hegseth and President Donald Trump at Dover and was grateful for the warmth that both men showed him.
“What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family. They said, ‘Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done,’” Hegseth said.
One of the people he met at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware was Charles Simmons. His 28-year-old son, Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, was among the six crew members killed when their refueling plane crashed in Iraq last week.
Simmons recalled his exchange differently.
“I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about,” he told NBC News in an interview Thursday.
Simmons said he spoke separately to Hegseth and President Donald Trump at Dover and was grateful for the warmth that both men showed him.