First 'casualty' of war hits home

A death that was tragic locally has become, through the national spotlight, a symbol of the war on terrorism.

MSgt. Evander Andrews, 36, of Moutain Home Air Force Base, has been designated by the national media as the first military casualty in the war on terrorism since the Sept 11 terrorist strikes on America.

Andrews, a husband and the father of four young children ages 2-9, was a member of the 366th Civil Engineering Squadron, which creates and maintains support facilities and services for combat operations.

He died "somewhere on the north Arabian peninsula" in an accident involving a front-end loader and a dump truck he was offloading, although exact details of the accident have not been released for security reasons.

Memorial services on base will be held today, but those services will be closed to the public. A public memorial service will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. at First Southern Baptist Church in Mountain Home, where he was active in the church's affairs.

His body was returned to the United States this week and is being held at the mortuary facilities at Dover Air Force Base. He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors on Oct. 22. Tom Westall, his pastor at the local church and a former Air Force chaplain, will officiate at the ceremonies.

A benefit memorial fund to aid his family has been established by the Mountain Home News at any Wells Fargo Bank in the Treasure Valley. Deposits to the Evander Earl Andrews Benefit Memorial Fund should be made out in the name of his wife, Judith A. Andrews, in order to assist the family in accessing the money.

Besides his wife of 18 years, Andrews leaves behind a son, Ethan, 9, and three daughters, Leah, 6, Cortney, 4, and McKenzie, 2.

Westall, who has served as the liason between the family and the media, and appeared with Judy on Good Morning America Monday, said the death has been difficult for the family, especially with the national media attention that has come with it, but the family's faith in God is helping them through it.

In a prepared statement from Judy Andrews that he read to reporters last week, Mrs. Andrews said: "I know and accept the death of my husband in defense of our nation. He was a proud, professional career airman of 18 years. I also know with all my heart as a Christian, Evander, my husband, is home with the Lord. He was a born-again Christian and he is now with our Savior. The Lord will care for our lives and care for all our needs as a family. God is still God, and still soverign."

Westall, who said he became friends with Andrews nine years ago when the family moved to Mountain Home, described the entire family as devoutly religious. "Judy's faith has really carried her. She knows that her husband is home with the Lord."

Westall said that Andrews was career Air Force. "We have young people today who balk at these things, but he was ready to go. There was no parting with regrets."

His wife, Judy, had originally planned on a military career of her own, having grown up in a military family. Her father is a former U.S. Army officer. But she resigned her commission to marry Andrews. Westall, and another friend, Ron Surratt, described him as a good husband and a loving father who would help anyone in need.

"He was an outstanding Christian," Surratt said. "Any time someone needed help, Evander was there. Anytime someone's husband was deployed and needed some car work done, he'd do it for them. He loved to work on vehicles."

"Two weeks before he deployed," Westall said, "I was preaching in church and I turned to Ethan, his son, and told him his daddy was a hero. His eyes lit up at that. Well, his daddy is still a hero." He said after the family learned of the death he took Ethan to lunch the next day and reiterated that.

As a "former military brat," Westall said, Mrs. Andrews had seen the cars drive up to other families homes.

"When she saw the car drive up, and the officers and the chaplain get out, she knew."

By protocol, his unit commander, another high-ranking officer, and the chaplain usually break the news to family members.

"Understandably, she was devastated," Westall said, noting it was several hours before the children, who are home schooled, were informed of what had happened.

"I got the call from Judy about 3 p.m." last Wednesday, "just after she was notified. She asked me to come out quickly," Westall said, adding that later that night he took the children aside and broke the news to them in his capacity as both a family friend and their pastor.

"The family hurts, but they understand life doesn't end here.

"Ethan told me, 'my daddy died,' but I told him daddy just closed his eyes and when he opened them he saw Jesus."

Westall noted that "the military has a great, caring team" and has rallied behind the family.

"The Air Force is a way of life, a family, and at times like this they really pull together."

In a prepared statement offering the Air Force's condolences, the base's public affairs office noted that "for over 18 years MSgt. Andrews served his country well through peacetime and war and continued this tradtion as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

"We grieve with Mrs. Andrews and their children on the loss of a brother in arms.

"The profession of arms is inherently dangerous. We are trained to defend the nation. MSgt. Andrews gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. He will be missed.

"The 366th Wing will continue in its mission to defend the nation" and will continue to send troops as directed by the military and civilian leadership.

The state's political leadership joined in expressing their condolences. Among those was Sen. Mike Crapo who noted, "There are no words for such an incredible loss, but we are a great nation because of brave men and women like MSgt. Andrews.... Freedom will prevail and we will not forget MSgt. Andrews and others like him to whom we owe our liberties."

Gov. Kempthorne said that "on behalf of the citizens of Idaho, I thank Sgt. Andrews and his family for their dedication to preserving freedom and the American way of life. I share in the sorrow of the Mountain Home AFB community and offer my prayers to Sgt. Andrews' family and loved ones."

Kempthorne is expected to attend the services on base Wednesday.

Andrews was originally from Salon, Maine, where his parents live.

Andrews' body was first flown to Germany, and then to Dover AFB in Delaware where all fatal military casualties are processed.

Westall said he has been informed that the military intends to award Andrews the Meritorious Service Medal, but believes he deserves the Purple Heart. "He did die in combat. So often we think just of the pilots, but he was in a foreign land doing his job. He was in combat."

Andrews' death was the first death of an airman from Mountain Home AFB in a combat zone since the base lost a pilot and weapons officer when their EF-111 Raven went down during Operation Desert Storm.