Posted on 10/10/2005 6:56:11 AM PDT by Valin
Master Sgt. Evander E. Andrews
Died: Oct. 10, 2001
Air Force Master Sgt. Evander E. Andrews, 36, entered the Air Force right out of high school in his tiny central Maine hometown of Solon, and was assigned to the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
The 18-year veteran was killed in a forklift accident while helping in the construction of an airstrip in the Persian Gulf emirate Qatar.
His former squadron commander, Col. Ken Shelton, said at his funeral that Andrews was a man with a “behind-the-scenes style that was both sincere and heartfelt.”
Andrews had four young children, ages 2½ to 10.
What actually happened; he was smushed in the tailgate of a dump truck. They were using a forklift to try to clear the load, he was caught by the return of the tailgate.
The Red Horse guys were carrying loads besides spoil and rock with the dump truck.
It's a pity, and a shame for operations, he took a risk and made a mistake and paid for it with his life.
There should be safety briefings on not doing idiotic things like this, and there are stateside.
I applaud his sense of urgency, but doing things unsafely, events like this happen.
There are much more unsafe things that happen around motorized vehicles, aircraft and ships that are never publicized. He gets recognized for being the first, and the media picked it up.
Thanks. I tried to find out the "how" of his death, but no luck.
I mean no disrespect to MSgt Andrews for his sacrifice in defense of freedom, but I think that the first military casualties in the GWOT were those KIA at the Pentagon on 9/11.
Navy Petty Officer Robert Stetham, murdered during the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 in June, 1985. It was his death that caused the military to change the rules for awarding the Purple Heart to include acts of terrorism.
Valin
Were you there? Did you actually see what happened? Do you know all the details? If you weren’t there, then I ask you not to go around sending emails about Military doing “idiotic things like this”, as I am sure you do not know the whole story! There was a lot more involved in this, along with another person in this terrible tragedy. SO keep your opinion and guessing about what YOU THINK happened to your idiotic self.
Thank you
Evanders sister.
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