Fort Bragg soldier’s family remembers ‘extraordinary’ life after he was killed in Jordan

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — A pair of worn Army boots still sits by the front door of First Lt. Tyler James Feehan’s family home.

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His parents say they have not moved them since he deployed. The boots represented the day their son would walk back through the front door.

Instead, the 25-year-old Fort Bragg soldier returned home this week in a flag-draped casket.

Feehan was one of four U.S. service members killed during an enemy attack at an airbase in Jordan. The Army said he served with the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment under the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command at Fort Bragg.

On Wednesday, military leaders and loved ones gathered at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for a dignified transfer ceremony as Feehan and the other fallen service members returned to American soil.

During the ceremony, President Donald Trump reflected on the sacrifice made by the troops and their families.

“We are going to honor them… and one of the hardest things… for me, one of the hardest things to do as a president,” he said.

While the nation honors Feehan’s military service, his parents want people to remember the young man behind the uniform.

“Our hearts are shattered,” they wrote in a statement shared with CBS 17. “Tyler James Feehan, our son, our ‘Tivo,’ was taken from us far too soon.”

His parents said Feehan lived a remarkable life in just 25 years.

He climbed to Everest Base Camp, walked the Camino de Santiago across France and Spain, and embraced every opportunity for adventure. As an Army officer, they said he put his soldiers first, mentoring them, encouraging education and sharing his passion for finance.

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“He believed deeply in the power of military service, especially what it builds in a person: discipline, leadership, character,” his family wrote. “Everyone who knew him loved him.”

Beyond his military career, Feehan was planning for the future.

His parents said he hoped to attend law school after returning from deployment. He often joked about the challenge by quoting the movie Legally Blonde: “What, like it’s hard?”

He also planned to marry his fiancée, Claire, after coming home.

Now, his family is left grieving the future they had imagined together.

“Tyler, we are proud of you beyond words, devastated, yes, but prouder still,” they wrote. “No parents could have asked for a better son, and carrying your legacy forward is now our purpose.”

Rather than allowing grief to define them, Feehan’s parents hope their son’s legacy will inspire others.

“We ask only this: that in remembering Tyler, people pause to see the good this country still holds, rather than what divides it.”

To honor his memory, the family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to establish a scholarship for ROTC cadets and future military leaders. They said the scholarship will begin with Tyler’s military death gratuity and will help young people who share his commitment to service, leadership and education.

Feehan is survived by his parents, his fiancée, four sets of grandparents and a large extended family.

The Army continues to honor his service, but for those who loved him most, Tyler Feehan will be remembered not only as an American hero, but as a son, a leader, a mentor and a man whose life ended far too soon.

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