An American soldier’s sister is speaking out after he was killed this week in the ongoing war with Iran
Sgt. Declan J. Coady was identified as one of six soldiers who died in a March 1 drone strike in Kuwait
“I wish that I had been able to be there or trade places with him or anything just so he could have known he was safe,” his sister, Kiera, said
The family of a 20-year-old American soldier killed this week in the war with Iran is remembering him as a “smart and kind and amazing” son and brother while sharing their heartbreak at not being able to speak with him even one last time.
Sgt. Declan J. Coady of West Des Moines, Iowa, was one of six Army reservists serving in Kuwait who were killed on Sunday, March 1, in an unmanned aircraft system — or drone — strike, according to the Pentagon.
The soldiers were in a command building at a port in Kuwait, according to ABC News.
They were part of Operation Epic Fury, the name given to the joint U.S.-Israel offensive against Iran that triggered the war as part of what the U.S. says is an effort to topple a hostile regime and curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Related Stories
4 U.S. Soldiers Killed in War with Iran Identified by Pentagon
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Service-Members-Killed-in-Iran-Strike-030326-c7e38cf4cc26464d85f96bc7ee2faf49.jpg)
Soldier and Mom of 2 Was Days Away from Coming Home and Spoke with Husband Hours Before Being Killed in Iran War
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Nicole-Amor-030426-bf5e9a841b584ceeb21da1640aece10e.jpg)
Now Coady’s family is speaking out.
“On Sunday, March 1, after trying to check in, we heard nothing. 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,” his sister, Kiera, said in the statement, according to ABC News.
“At 8 p.m. as we all were getting ready to go to bed, the doorbell rang, and 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 continued.
Coady, who enlisted in 2023, was Kiera’s younger brother and only two months away from turning 21.
He died en route to the hospital after the drone attack and was posthumously promoted from specialist.
Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now!
“The only thing I can think is that I wish I had called him one more time and told him I loved him,” Kiera said in her statement. “I wish that I had been able to be there or trade places with him or anything just so he could have known he was safe and that we loved him and he didn’t need to be scared … He was just a baby.”
When Coady’s sister first received news of the drone strike, her instinct was to call him so he could tell her it wasn’t true, she said: “Maybe I would hear his voice telling us he was safe.”
“But there was nothing, not even a voicemail,” she said.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I wish I could think of words beyond that he was smart and kind and amazing, but even if I were to throw in other words it still wouldn’t quite capture his spirit,” Kiera said. “He was truly a rock in all of our lives and was just the most amazing brother and son my family could have asked for.”
The others who died in the strike have been identified by the Pentagon as Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, a 39-year-old Army Reserve soldier and mother of two; Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42.
The names of the two other killed service members have yet to be confirmed.
News
Found Alone At 2:30 AM… Then Kill@ed 7 Days Later.”
The death of a 12-year-old girl who was found in a home in Enfield last month is being investigated as a potential homicide, according to a search warrant tied to the case. The search warrant police obtained on March 18 to search the Elm Street home the day Eve Rogers was found dead on the floor of […]
“Eve Begged Her Mom To Save Her… No One Listened
The death of a 12-year-old girl who was found in a home in Enfield last month is being investigated as a potential homicide, according to a search warrant tied to the case. The search warrant police obtained on March 18 to search the Elm Street home the day Eve Rogers was found dead on the floor of […]
“She Was Just a Baby…” The mother of accused killer Tanner Horner broke down in tears on the witness stand today.
edEx driver Tanner Horner’s mom broke down in court April 22 while discussing her son’s murder of Athena Strand. “I am so mad at him. I want to just tear his ass up,” she said through tears, according to CBS News. “She was just a baby.” Horner pleaded guilty April 7 to capital murder and kidnapping in […]
“It’s okay buddy, Daddy’s just getting a surprise for Mommy…”
The deranged Army vet who savagely murdered his seven kids and nephew in Louisiana on Sunday once ominously warned his wife he would kill their entire family if she ever left him. “I’ll kill you, my kids and myself,” Shamar Elkins, 31, hissed to his spouse, Shaneiqua Pugh, three years ago after she said she was considering filing for […]
They murdered her pregnant mother. They murdered her grandmother. They murdered her 12-year-old uncle.
An Alabama woman, her pregnant teenage daughter and her 12-year-old son were found brutally murdered in their home, authorities said. Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said deputies responded to a home in Wilmer just after 2:30 a.m., where they discovered the three bodies in separate rooms with their hands tied behind their backs. The victims were identified as […]
They murdered her pregnant mother. They murdered her grandmother. They murdered her 12-year-old uncle. But when they reached the 18-month-old baby… they walked away. Hours later, the toddler was still inside the house, possibly calling out: “Mommy… why won’t you wake up and play with me?” Why was this innocent child the only one spared? Some are calling her the Miracle Baby of Wilmer. Others say this is the most haunting detail of the entire case. What do you think happened that night? Comment gently below 👇
An Alabama woman, her pregnant teenage daughter and her 12-year-old son were found brutally murdered in their home, authorities said. Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said deputies responded to a home in Wilmer just after 2:30 a.m., where they discovered the three bodies in separate rooms with their hands tied behind their backs. The victims were identified as […]
End of content
No more pages to load


