OSHKOSH, WI, USA U.S. Army SGT, COMPANY C, 2D BATTALION, 127TH INFANTRY (MNCI) FOND DU LAC, WI SHAIBAH, IRAQ 09/26/2005
Army Sergeant (SGT) Andrew Wallace of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, died on September 26, 2005, at the age of 25 when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle during convoy operations in Shaibah, Iraq. Andrew was a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard and deployed to Kuwait in August 2005 with his unit to provide security to convoys traveling from Kuwait into Iraq.
When not on National Guard duty, Andrew was a physical education teacher at Emmeline Cook Elementary School and an adaptive physical education teacher and coach at Oshkosh North High School. Wallace kept in contact with school staff via a Web site and posted photos so the students could see war. When he was preparing to leave overseas, students at Emmeline placed their footprints on a banner that read, “Wherever you go, we will follow.” He was a member of the Wisconsin Education Association, an assistant wrestling coach at Oshkosh North, and a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association sports official for softball, baseball, and football.
Born May 26, 1980 in West Union, Iowa, Andrew married Angela Hill on July 10, 2004. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Ripon, Wisconsin. He was a graduate of Ripon High School, Ripon, Wisconsin, and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Andrew was known for his upbeat attitude, his love for his family, and his passion for teaching. Andrew wanted his students to be healthy in every sense of the word–physically, mentally, and in attitude. He demonstrated his commitment to this principle by his patience and positive approach. “His attitude, personality, and constant smile were reminders of how much he loved life and doing what he was doing,” said the Dodge County Sheriff.