Former vaulter Andrew Hand killed in Afghanistan

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City loses another one of its own
Andrew Hand sensed danger during final tour
Jul 27 2010 12:00AM By Melissa Braun Sun Staff Writer

At the age of 25, Army Pfc. Andrew Hand had been deployed three times.
It was during his third and final deployment that Andrew’s family noticed something different about their son.

“He would call and say, ‘I love you and be praying for me. We are in a dangerous place.’ He knew, he understood what he was up against,” said Andrew’s stepmother, Renee Hand. “He was preparing us emotionally and mentally for what could happen.”

Andrew was killed in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle. Also killed in the attack were Staff Sgt. Conrad Mora, 24, Sgt. Daniel Lim and Spc. Joseph Bauer, 25.

Andrew was scheduled to return home in October — he had no plans to reenlist.

When Andrew spoke of his future, he spoke of being close to his sons, Tristan and Gavin.

“Andrew wanted to move back around here and be close to his boys,” said Amanda Hand, Andrew’s wife. “He was a very, very good father. He loved those boys.”

Ashley Averett, a friend and 2004 classmate of Andrew’s from Enterprise High School, had spoken to him only a week ago.

“Andrew was hoping to stay home for good this time,” she said. “I do know he loved his two boys. He talked about them all the time. He really wanted to be closer to them.”

Though in harm’s way, Ashley said Andrew tried to often shield his family from the details of what he faced.

“When we would sometimes talk, he would fill me in and go into detail. He didn’t want his family to know what danger he was in,” she said.

During a recent call to his father, former Enterprise head football coach Kenneth Hand, Andrew discussed happier future plans. Choking back tears, Kenneth recalled the conversation with his son. “We were just buddies. We would hunt together and fish together. We would talk about when his tour was over in October how we were going to get together and go hunting,” he said.

Now faced with the reality of the loss of a son, husband, father and friend, Kenneth, Renee, Amanda and Ashley remember Andrew as a young, vibrant man who always made them smile.

“I don’t think there is anybody who disliked Andrew,” said Kenneth Hand. “He had a charisma that people wanted to be around.”

When the Hands moved to Enterprise in 2001 Andrew was a seasoned athlete and “fierce competitor,” joining the football, baseball and track teams.

“He was a great teammate. When I say that I’m talking in the context that he had a lot of fans on the team. He was always a kid that enjoyed being around our program and being around his teammates,” said EHS football coach Kevin Collins.

From catching a pass, to “single-handedly beating Northview,” to receiving a concussion during a punt return, Andrew always was a “full-speed player,” said Collins.

“He was good at fitting in with the group. I’m sure the unit he was associated with felt the same way about him as his teammates felt about him,” he said. “ He was a real pleasure to be around. He was always a guy you’d want to be around and be in your group.”

During his senior year, Andrew was recognized by The Southeast Sun as the leading receiver and kick returner for the Wildcats. He also placed second in the pole vault at the state track meet that year.

Andrew had a genuine appreciation for others, and what Renee described as a “true joy of life.”

“Sometimes he was so funny he would make you laugh, and sometimes he was so funny he would make you cry,” said Kenneth.

Amanda remembers lying around with Andrew watching comedies — his favorite — and laughing for hours.

“His laugh was so contagious. I would laugh not because of the TV, but because of his laugh. It was so contagious,” said Amanda.

The memories, through the days of shock and loss, have brought smiles, even if fleeting, to each of their faces.

“Andrew died being a hero. He died serving our country and that makes me respect him so much more,” said Ashley.

Amanda, Kenneth, Andrew’s mother Phyllis Parris and his sister Laura, met his body at Dover Air Force Base Sunday evening. Andrew’s mother and stepmother are both former teachers at Enterprise High School. Andrew is also survived by stepfather Jerry Parris.

Funeral arrangements are pending, but his body is expected to be flown to Enterprise later this week where a memorial service will be held.

He will then be transported to Birmingham for a second memorial service before being flown to Arlington Cemetery where he will be buried. The Southeast Sun will post details about the memorials on its website www.southeastsun.com.

Andrew is the second soldier with Enterprise ties to be killed in Afghanistan in little more than two months.

Army Spc. Brendan Neenan, 21, was killed June 7 by an explosive device in what was called the deadliest day in Afghanistan in 2010.

(Southeast Sun Sports Editor Andy Leonard contributed to this story.)

Photo: Andrew and Amanda Hand are pictured here in Enterprise with sons Tristan, 4, and Gavin, 2. Andrew will be remembered as a good father who loved his boys very much. (Courtesy photos)