Freedom Remembered

Born: February 25, 1960 in Elkhart, Indiana
Died: October 1, 2009 in Baghdad, Iraq

Spc. Paul E. Andersen grew up in Elkhart, Indiana and was a 1979 graduate of Buchanan High School. He served for 24 years in the Army Reserves. His first tour in Iraq ended in early 2004 and when he returned home, he met his wife Linda, who supported his desire to serve his country. A courtship along with a shared love for country music, strawberry milk shakes and old movies led them to marriage just a few months later. Paul embraced Linda’s children and grandchildren as his much as his own children. He was a devoted grandfather, with a young heart. As a civilian, he worked at a tube and bending company and loved to tinker with machines. Awhile back he attempted to give his stepdaughter a riding lawn mower.  He couldn’t get it in the back of his car, so with a big childlike smile on his face, down the road he drove it to her house. This childlike attitude was something Paul always presented at Christmas time, presenting his neighborhood with a very large outdoor display, all for fun. Assigned to the 855th Quartermaster Company based at South Bend, Indiana, Paul deployed to Iraq in November 2008. His unit was there to lend personal support to the troops, providing them with clean clothes and bathing facilities. The role was non-combat and Paul wanted to do something to help support his fellow soldiers, knowing the role he had meant something to his fellow soldiers, providing them with comfort. He died on October 1, 2009, in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his camp with indirect fire, killing him just after a conversation he had with his wife. He was set to return home on November 4. Paul’s final resting place is Highland Cemetery in South Bend, Indiana.

The Spc Paul Eugene Andersen by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.