Dozens gathered at a property in northern Dickson County on Friday, Sept. 25, for a Walls of Honor Ceremony dedicating a mortgage-free, custom-built smart home for U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews and his wife and fellow veteran Victoria. The home is being built by the Gary Sinise Foundation (GSF), which has spent 15 years supporting first responders and injured veterans.
The ceremony included a procession of first responder vehicles to the property, prayers of dedication and speeches by GSF representatives. Friends and loved ones of the Vargas-Andrews family, local first responders and area leaders wrote messages of hope and encouragement on the studs of the home.
Tyler, a California native, enlisted in the Marines in 2017. On Aug. 26, 2021, while assisting with an evacuation mission from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, a suicide bomber detonated hidden explosives four meters from Tyler. The blast claimed the lives of 13 American servicemembers and cost Tyler his right arm to just above the elbow and his left leg below the knee. Tyler underwent over 45 surgeries as part of his recovery.
Now working as an online marketer and motivational speaker, Tyler said the new home will greatly improve his quality of life and his family’s prospects…