Father of service member killed in Iran war said he never told Pete Hegseth to ‘finish’ the job

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met privately with the families of six soldiers killed in the Iran war on Wednesday and said the message he received at a news conference the next morning was consistent and supportive.

“It was the same thing I heard from family, family after family, with tears, hugs, strength and unwavering determination. They said, ‘Get this done. Honor their sacrifice. Don’t hesitate. Don’t stop until it’s 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. Sergeant. Tyler H. Simmons was among the six crew members killed in the accident. refueling plane It crashed in Iraq last week.

Simmons remembered his speech differently.

“I can’t speak for the other families. This wasn’t something we talked about when he talked to me,” he told NBC News in an interview Thursday.

Simmons said he spoke separately with Hegseth and President Donald Trump in Dover and was grateful for the warmth both men showed him.

Simmons recalled that he and Hegseth talked mostly about Tyler, his impressive service record and his rate of advancement in the military.

He said he told the defense minister: “I understand that there are many dangers in making such decisions, and I hope that the decisions taken are absolutely necessary.”

Asked if he had said anything to Hegseth or Trump about the need to continue the war, Simmons said, “No, I didn’t say anything to that effect.”

Simmons, a 60-year-old music teacher who lives in Columbus, Ohio, told NBC News he has “questions” about the war and “can’t make definitive conclusions when I don’t have all the data.”

“Who wants war?” he added. “Sometimes it’s a necessity and I don’t know what’s going on.”

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement: “Secretary Hegseth has great respect for our Gold Star families and has promised to honor the sacrifices of his loved ones. While in Dover, the Secretary spoke with each family of our fallen heroes, and the details of each conversation will remain confidential.”

White House press secretary Olivia Wales said Wednesday that Trump was “saddened” by the “incredible families” of the six soldiers. Trump “shared his love and expressed his deep gratitude to our entire nation. These men and women gave up their lives to defend our freedom, and President Trump will never forget their honorable service and selfless dedication. They represent the best of America.”

The last time Simmons spoke to his only son was the day before last week’s fatal plane crash. Her voice breaking, she said Tyler told her “how much he loved me.”

He said his son hopes to become a commercial airliner pilot after retiring from the military.

“Tyler had a magnetic personality,” he said. “I never met a stranger. When he walked into the room, it immediately lit up.”

Hegseth’s statement regarding the families’ message echoes comments Trump made earlier this month after another meeting with the families of six different soldiers whose bodies were returned to the United States.

Trump met with these families at a ceremony in Dover on March 7. Speaking to reporters two days later, Trump said the families were “incredible people” and that “every single one of them” had told him the same thing: “Get the job done, sir. Please get the job done.”

A public official who was within earshot of Trump’s conversations with family members that day told NBC News that they did not hear any of them tell Trump to “finish the job” in Iran.

The Dover meetings were part of a ceremony called “honorable transfer”. Families arrive at the air base to pick up the bodies, which are flown in and taken away in flag-draped containers. Families, if they wish, have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the president, vice president or other high-ranking officials who sent their loved ones to war.

Simmons left Dover with a better impression of the architects of the war than he had when he arrived. Trump shed tears and hugged him, showing a warmth and affection that was at odds with the president’s public persona, Simmons said. He also appreciated that he looked Trump “straight into the eyes.”

“He expressed his condolences to the father and talked about how difficult it was for other parents to make decisions that would put their children in danger,” said Simmons.

As for Hegseth, Simmons said, “When I talked to him, I got the impression that he seemed like a very compassionate man and was torn by being faced with difficult decisions regarding the war.”

“I also told him that Tyler was my only son. You could see the emotion on his face. And I think you can’t fake that kind of thing,” he continued.

“I was pleasantly surprised because the perception is that [Trump and Hegseth] “I don’t care, they will do whatever they want to do,” he said, and continued: “I had the opportunity to see different sides of them up close and personal.”

In addition to Simmons, NBC News also reached out to family members of 12 other soldiers killed in the Iran war.

Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., a former military officer who served on the White House’s national security council during Trump’s first term, participated in the honorable transfer on March 7 following the killing of one of his constituents. (Trump was overthrown Vindman was removed from his position in 2020 after he raised concerns about Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.)

Vindman said he did not overhear Trump’s conversations with family members. Still, he expressed doubt that a distraught family member would say anything to the president about the necessity or importance of the war.

“Families there are facing a terrible, tragic loss,” Vindman said. “They’re still trying to figure out what that loss means to them personally: losing their husband, losing their father, losing their wife. They’re not thinking about the mission.”

As the conflict enters its third week, the Trump administration says the attack launched by the United States and Israel has paralyzed Iran’s military capacity and helped neutralize the country’s regime. But war is also oil and gas prices This will increase as Iran effectively closes the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route. A senior US counterterrorism official said Joe Kent, He resigned this week over the war, saying Iran posed no immediate threat to the United States

Simmons remembered something his son had told him before he volunteered for the mission that ended his life.

“He said, ‘Dad, I can’t give you details, but if civilians knew what we know, there would be a lot of criticism.’ [of the war] “It will stop,” he said.

This article was first published on: NBCNews.com