The father of a dead U.S. serviceman has denied claims by Pete Hegseth that he told the Defense Secretary to “not stop until the job is done” – referring to the war in Iran.
“No, I didn’t say anything along those lines,” Charles Simmons told NBC News in 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-old Master Sergeant Tyler Simmons, who was among the six crew members killed last week when their refueling plane crashed in Iraq.
Hegseth kicked off another angry and at times desperate-sounding press 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 with The 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 Independent has 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.”
Simmons said he told Hegseth: “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,” according to NBC.
Hegseth’s claim about receiving the backing of the families is similar to comments Trump made earlier this month following the first dignified transfer – the return of American service members’ bodies to U.S. soil.
Speaking to reporters following the ceremony on March 7, Trump said that “every single one” of the families had told him: “Finish the job, sir. Please, finish the job.”
A public official who was present and overheard the president’s exchanges with the family members told NBC News they did not hear anyone tell Trump to “finish the job” in Iran.
The president was also heavily criticized by many online, including former RNC chair Michael Steele, after being pictured wearing a baseball cap to the solemn event. The hat, a white baseball cap with gold lettering spelling out “USA”, is part of his line of branded merchandise.
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