Honoring Tyler: A Fallen Soldier's Farewell

My name is Tina, and my friend Heather Tate received the phone call that NO parent should ever receive. She got a call from her son’s friend telling her that Tyler was missing.

Tyler joined the Army at 17, and after almost 4 years, he felt it was time for him to come home.

Tyler was at Fort Hood, Texas, and was looking forward to his 21st birthday and getting to come home to his parents and siblings.

A few hours after Heather was told her son was missing, she received another call saying Tyler had been found. However, unfortunately, Tyler was found deceased. Now Heather and her family are waiting for the next call from the Army to tell her when she should arrive at Fort Hood so she can be there for a small military service.

Then the military will send Heather, her family, and Tyler back to Indiana to be laid to rest where Tyler was raised and lived his life until joining the Army.

Tyler gave 4 years of his life away from his family to become a serviceman. He made his family and friends so very proud of him.

Heather is a single mother raising not only her 2 other children but also providing care, love, and stability to 2 children, a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old. Both of these children were born with underlying health concerns.

Heather works full-time in healthcare. She is trying to keep her household together when she only wants to be able to see and hold her son. She is living a mother’s worst nightmare and still worries about work. Heather needs to take the time off work to try and figure out how she is going to survive this tragedy that will always be a nightmare.

We don’t know how much money the Army will be able to help with for Tyler to be laid to rest at home.

Heather doesn’t need to worry about funeral costs and her day-to-day needs for her family.

If you will please share this GoFundMe and, if able, donate any amount, this will hopefully take some of the worries away from Heather and her family while they grieve the loss of such a young soldier.