Based: Ft. Benning, Ga.
Company B, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
Supporting: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Died: June 25, 2003
Baghdad, Iraq
Single
Gender: Male
Hometown: Poway
Burial: Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Ala.
Dad, I did this for you.— Andrew Chris, at his father's gravesite before deploying
Chris' grandfather fought in World War II, his uncle was a special operations soldier in the Army, his father belonged to an Army airborne division and his brother Derek served in the Navy. A native of Alabama, he had lived in California for years.From Military Times:
Army Ranger Andrew Chris called his brother on June 22 to let him know he was headed overseas.
“He said, ‘This is the last time I’m going to call you from the States,’ ” Josh Chris recalled.
Andrew Chris died just a few days later. The Florence, Ala., native was killed along with another Ranger on June 25 when a vehicle packed with explosives on the side of a Baghdad road detonated.
“He went through some of the most rigorous training in the world just to be a Ranger,” Josh Chris said. “But he loved it. He’d go on a 20-mile hike with a 60-pound pack and call me that night and be in a great mood.”
Chris, who lived in San Diego, followed a long line of relatives into the military. Both of his grandfathers served in World War II, his father served in the Army, his uncle in Special Forces and his brother Derek in the Navy. Josh Chris said knowing that his brother died doing what he loved has made it easier to accept.
“He was spiritually and emotionally ready,” Chris said.
Read more about Army Specialist Andrew F. Chris at
Lead the Way,
Lead the Way,
the Advocate
and at...NPR.
Visit Specialist Andrew F. Chris's Guest Book.
Honoring Specialist Andrew F. Chris's fallen colleagues at Lead the Way
No comments:
Post a Comment