
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Army Spc. Tyanna Avery-Felder, the first woman from Connecticut killed during the war in Iraq, was remembered as a fighter, a friend and a hero.
“Although we are sad at her passing, we are exceptionally proud of her and of her service,” Gov. John G. Rowland told those gathered for her funeral inside Mount Aery Baptist Church. “Our world is a better and safer place because of individuals like Tyanna. We are forever in her debt.”
Family, friends and clergy members filled every pew at the church. The soldier’s parents, Ray and Ilene Avery, and husband, Army Spc. Adrian Felder, sat quietly in the front pew and...