Hometown: Cameron, TX
Branch: U.S. Army 
Unit: 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division
Military Honors: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart
Date of Sacrifice: September 4, 2009 - KIA in Paktika Province, Afghanistan
Age: 34
Conflict: War in Afghanistan, 2001-2021

Darryn Deen Andrews grew up with examples of military service in his family. His father, uncle, and grandfather all served in uniform. Andrews’ grandfather was a Prisoner of War during World War II (1939-1945).

Andrews wanted to enlist in the military immediately after graduating from C. H. Yoe High School in Cameron, Texas. His mother persuaded him to first try a year of college, and he enrolled in nearby Temple College. Finding that he enjoyed it, Andrews transferred to join his twin brother Jarrett at Texas Tech in Lubbock. Darryn graduated in December 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in international business.

When terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, Andrews wanted to defend his country. He tried to enlist in the U.S. Army, but his first two attempts were unsuccessful due to medical issues. Not to be deterred, he was successful on this third try on June 25, 2004, and was sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina for training.

After completing a tour in Afghanistan, Andrews was accepted into the Army’s Green to Gold (G2G) program, in which active enlisted soldiers had an opportunity to attend college, participate in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), and earn a commission as Army officers.

Andrews married Julie Smith on February 26, 2007, and the couple later welcomed two children, Daylan and Jacey. He used the G2G program to earn a master’s degree in education administration from Texas State University and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry in 2008. He intended to make the military his career.

2LT Andrews was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division based in Fort Richardson, Alaska.

On his second deployment to Afghanistan, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Andrews was injured when his vehicle was hit by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Suffering a concussion, he was placed on restricted duty. When he learned that the men of his platoon were going back out, Andrews took himself off restricted duty to lead his platoon.

On September 4, 2009, 2LT Andrews’ unit was traveling through dangerous territory in Afghanistan’s Yahya Khail District when the lead vehicle was hit by an IED. No one was injured, but the vehicle was disabled.

From the second vehicle, 2LT Andrews ran to assist in recovering the damaged lead vehicle from a hole. The unit came under heavy fire, and Andrews noticed a Taliban insurgent coming from behind a wall with a rocket-propelled grenade, preparing to fire directly at them.

He yelled, “RPG!” and pushed his fellow soldiers to the ground, taking a direct hit. Second Lieutenant Darryn Deen Andrews was killed instantly, at age 34. For his selfless action, Andrews was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. His citation reads:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Darryn Deen Andrews, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection with military operations against the enemy while serving with the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan, on 4 September 2009. While recovering a vehicle that was disabled, Second Lieutenant Andrews’ Platoon came under heavy RPG fire. Second Lieutenant Andrews fatally placed himself between the incoming enemy fire and his fellow comrades. His courage under fire was essential in saving another Soldier’s life, and saving the lives of five other Soldiers who were with him. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

2LT Andrews was laid to rest in San Antonio Texas. In his home state, the Legislature awarded Andrews the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor in 2013.

Sources
Details provided by Ms. Sondra Andrews, 2LT Andrews’ Gold Star Mother.
Texas Tech University: Alumnus Posthumously Honored for Heroism
Military Times, Hall of Valor Project: Darryn Deen Andrews
Military Hall of Honor: 2LT Darryn Deen Andrews
Texas State Legislature: House Concurrent Resolution No. 198
Killen Daily Herald, June 15, 2014: Soldier’s family wants the truth told
Burial Site: Find a Grave