Widow of slain US Army sergeant shares heartbreaking tribute: 'I can't believe this'

WASHINGTON, DC: Just days after learning that her husband had been killed while serving in Iraq, Mia Gonzalez-Swinton returned to social media on Tuesday, July 21 with a deeply emotional tribute that has left thousands of people heartbroken.

Posting a montage of cherished family moments featuring Sgt Michael Emmanuel Swinton and their two young children, the grieving widow wrote simply, "I can't believe this," a message that captured the disbelief surrounding the sudden loss of the decorated US Army soldier.

Widow's latest tribute leaves internet in tears

The video, shared on Facebook, stitched together intimate family photographs of Swinton laughing with his children, holding his daughter close and spending precious moments with his family before his final deployment. 

Set to Daniel Caesar's 'My Baby Has Been Around For Me', the tribute quickly spread across Facebook, with users flooding the comments section to offer condolences and prayers.

It marked Mia's second emotional public message since military officials informed her that her husband had been killed.

Only two days earlier, she had revealed the devastating news in another Facebook post, writing that she never imagined their last goodbye would truly be their last.

"I didn't think this would be the last time I ever saw you," she wrote after being notified of his death. "I have no words."

As the reality of the tragedy continued to sink in, another heartbreaking post followed."I will never recover from this," Mia wrote. "We had so many plans for when you got back. I'm sick to my stomach."

Together, the posts have painted a raw picture of a family trying to come to terms with a loss that arrived without warning.

Father of two killed during Iraq operation

According to the US Army, Sgt Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, was killed on July 19 while taking part in an operation involving the controlled detonation of an Iranian drone at an air base in Irbil, Iraq.

Military officials said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.

Swinton had served in the Army since 2017 and was assigned to the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The Army announced that he will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant and awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge.

He leaves behind his wife, a six-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter.

His mother described him as someone whose energy, humor and devotion to family left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.