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- The People Behind The Sacrifice
Army Spc. Andrew P. Wade
Died March 9, 2011 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom
22, of Antioch, Ill., assigned to 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died March 9 in Bagram, Afghanistan, as a result of a non-combat incident.
‘Nothing compares’ to death of soldier, family says
The Associated Press
ANTIOCH, Ill. — Family members of an Illinois soldier who died in Afghanistan say “nothing compares” to experiencing his loss.
Spc. Andrew Wade, 22, of Antioch died March 9. His death wasn’t combat related, officials said. His family said in a statement that Wade was “devoted to his friends, family and above all, his country.”
Wade joined the Army one year after graduating from high school. His family says Wade was proud of his service and was committed to his fellow soldiers.
Wade’s family said they are proud of him and “will always cherish each moment we have had with him.” They also ask for support and thoughts for other soldiers killed or injured.
For fallen soldier, family, soccer ‘were everything’
The Associated Press
On the field and off, Andrew Wade had the makings of a standout soccer star.
At Antioch High School in the Chicago suburb of Antioch, Ill., Wade was a defensive starter on the school’s team, helping take his squad to the division championships two years in a row.
“I don’t think he was afraid of any opponent, no matter how big they were, how fast they were,” soccer coach Charlie Trout told WBBM-TV. “He would take anybody on.”
Wade graduated in 2007 and joined the Army in 2008. He worked as a weapons specialist, according to The Daily Herald, and arrived in Afghanistan last spring.
The 22-year-old died in a noncombat related incident March 9 in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province.
Wade’s sister said he hoped to become a professional soccer player and was planning a trip around the world with his friends after they finished their time in the military, according to the newspaper.
“After that trip, he talked about possibly going back to school. His family and friends were everything to him,” she told the paper.
In addition to his sister and two brothers, Wade is survived by his parents. He was assigned to Fort Drum.