Born Aug. 21, 1981, Tyler was raised in Eden Prairie.

He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps soon after his 2000 high school graduation from Holy Angels in Richfield, Minn. and found himself serving with some of the first Marines to cross the border from Kuwait into Iraq during the initial invasion with the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

He returned to Iraq for a second tour with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, when he was killed by enemy hostile fire in Al Anbar Province on April 4, 2004, at 22 years old, just 6 months shy of completing his tour and returning to the U.S.

Tyler was one of the featured veterans honored during the celebration and memorial First Flag Raising on Veterans Day in 2007.

His personal awards include the Purple Heart Medal, Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon with one gold star, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one bronze star, Expert Rifleman Medal.

Tyler is survived by his parents Richard, Cheryl and his brother Ryan. Richard is also an Eden Prairie Veterans Memorial Committee member. Inspired by Tyler, he is working hard to make this memorial a lasting tribute to Tyler and his comrades.