President Donald Trump paid tribute Wednesday to the family of Army 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan during remarks at Wheeler High School, moments after the family accompanied him aboard Air Force One following a dignified transfer ceremony earlier in the day.
Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, was killed in action on July 18 during Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His remains were among those of four U.S. service members returned to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on July 22. Trump attended the transfer and met with grieving families.
After learning Feehan’s parents, Shari and Stephen, and uncle David were also traveling to Georgia, Trump invited them to fly with him on Air Force One to the event in Marietta. The family accepted and later appeared as guests during the president’s speech.
Trump told the audience he had reviewed Feehan’s record and described the young officer as “a person that was going all the way” who “would have been a general very quickly.” He called watching the procession of fallen service members “the toughest thing I do of anything I do.”
Turning to the family, Trump said, “To Shari and Stephen and David, we will carry Tyler’s memory in our hearts forever. And I just want to thank you. It’s an honor to have you here today.”
The audience rose in a sustained ovation as the family stood. Photographs and video from the event showed Feehan’s parents visibly emotional during the recognition.
Feehan was one of multiple American service members killed in recent Iranian attacks in the region. Officials said he will receive the Bronze Star and Purple Heart and be posthumously promoted to captain.
The Georgia appearance was part of Trump’s schedule promoting education initiatives and other administration priorities. The presence of the Feehan family and the public tribute marked a somber interlude in the program.
