Tyler was the third generation of his family to serve in the military. His father, Jean-Pierre, served in the Army during the Vietnam era. His grandfather served on a naval destroyer during World War II.
He also is survived by his mother, Maureen.
New Bedford — As though on cue, a torrential downpour gave way to a brilliant sunshine that scattered across the Perry’s Funeral Home parking lot as friends, relatives and fellow military personnel of Freetown resident Tyler J. Trahan gathered to pay their last respects to a man many in the crowd called a hero.
Trahan, 22, a Navy explosive ordnance disposalman 2nd class and a third-generation serviceman, was killed in action in Fallujah, Iraq, on April 30. His wake took place at Perry’s Tuesday from 3 to 8 p.m.
Draped by more than two-dozen flags, members of the Patriot Guard Riders motorcycle club — many of them ex-military men themselves — stood in front of the funeral home in honor of their fallen brother, a welcoming gesture to the hundreds that came to visit with Trahan one last time.
Patriot Guard Riders New England regional Captain Richard J. Keniston said the group was invited to participate in not only the wake service but also Trahan’s arrival at TF Green Airport and funeral procession Wednesday.
“We go to all the KIA’s (killed in action) we are invited to, but it’s not just about this. We try to help the family years after the fact,” Keniston said. “We want to make sure the family knows that their loved ones did not die in vain and that they will be remembered. This is tough for a lot of us, many who have all served in the military and have come home.”
Patriot Rider and Trahan family neighbor Ed Porawsky said Trahan’s death has impacted everyone in the close-knit town, whether they know the family or not.
“The Trahans are definitely devastated, as any parent who loses a son or daughter would be, and they are trying to take it in stride and have been very cordial and gracious to us. There were many who died in the Vietnam War that never got this treatment, and we’re not about to let that happen again,” Porawsky, an ex-Navy sailor, said holding an American Flag next to the entrance of the funeral home.
“This is the first one (death) in our town and it has hit us all very hard but we are all pulling together, old vets and new vets, and we’ll get through it,” he said.
For many, the wait to get inside Perry Funeral Home to pay their respects took two to three hours.
But according to Freetown Veterans Agent Richard Levesque, nobody complained of the long wait and everyone showed the utmost respect for the fallen sailor.
“In a word — respectful,” Levesque said of the day’s tone. “People were patient and very respectful.”
Inside the funeral home was a slideshow commemorating the Trahan’s life. The touching tribute carried pictures of Trahan with members of his family, pictures of Trahan as a toddler to a young adult growing up in East Freetown and the more recent pictures of him in military uniform.
An American flag draped the casket, and to the right of the casket was a recent photograph of Trahan in Iraq. Above that was an American flag flower bouquet with a red ribbon that proclaimed Trahan “a hero.” On the left side of the casket was a picture of Trahan’s explosive ordinance disposal unit insignia — a symbol that, according to Trahan’s friends, was something he regarded with the utmost pride.
In the receiving line, Trahan’s father, Jean-Pierre, his mother, Maureen, his sister Molly and cousin Jeff Deterra were among the relatives who greeted those who came to pay their respects.
Jean-Pierre Trahan said he was overwhelmed by the large crowd of people who came.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said, as he was shaking hands and exchanging hugs with friends and relatives.
Just outside the room leading to the casket, East Freetown Veterans of Foreign War Post 6643 Cmdr. John Remedis described the turnout as large but not surprising. He said he expected a large turnout and said he expected that the funeral home would still have its doors open at 10 p.m.
Remedis pointed to the members of the Patriot Guard Riders and said they were there because of some of the protests that have occurred outside funeral services for fallen soldiers.
He said while they were there to make sure that a scene did not unfold, he and other members of the Vietnam Veterans of America were there to ensure that Trahan and other brave servicemen and “women would not be forgotten.”
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Gaudiello, 23, of Fairhaven, attended Navy bootcamp at Great Lakes, Ill., with Trahan beginning on May 16, 2006, and was one of hundreds that joined the line outside the funeral home Tuesday afternoon. Gaudiello, who became fast friends with Trahan as the two connected in a number of cities along their tours, said he had just recently been deployed for a short stay at home before having to report back to Norfolk, Va., in a week when he got the call about Trahan’s death.
