Plainview Daily Herald -- A 34-year-old soldier with ties to the Panhandle was killed in Afghanistan Friday.


Army 2nd Lt. Darryn D. Andrews died Friday in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, after enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device and a rocket-propelled grenade.


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


He was the second cousin of Wayland’s director of alumni development Danny Andrews.


"It was his second tour to Afghanistan," Danny Andrews said. "His convoy had been hit about a month ago, and he escaped that time."


His parents, Gary and Sondra Andrews, formerly of Pampa, are retired educators who now live in Cameron, south of Waco.


Darryn Andrews graduated from Cameron High School in 1993, Danny Andrews said.


The paratrooper’s twin brother, Jarrett, lives in Dallas. They both attended Texas Tech University, where Darryn earned two degrees.


Andrews was married to Julie, who is expecting their second child. His first son, Daylan Dean, recently turned 2.


Andrews also is survived by three grandparents.

==Another news story==

The Associated Press -- Darryn D. Andrews wasn’t one for shaking hands.

“If he knew you, it was always a bear hug. It didn’t make any difference,” said his mother, Sondra.

She said he loved life, especially with his wife, Julie, and their 2-year-old son. The couple was expecting their second child when Andrews died Sept. 4 of wounds from a rocket-propelled grenade in Paktika province, Afghanistan.

The 34-year-old from Dallas was assigned to Fort Richardson, Alaska.

His mother said he was lighthearted, energetic and “could put a fun spin on any situation.” He enjoyed scuba and sky diving, fishing and hunting, and he immersed himself in athletics, theater productions and church youth group while growing up in the Texas panhandle.

He and his twin brother, Jarrett, attended Texas Tech University, and he earned a master’s degree from Texas State University in 2008. But his sense of duty led him to the military six years ago, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

“We grew up with an enormous amount of pride for our nation,” she said. “We passed it on to our children, never thinking we would pay the ultimate sacrifice.”

Andrews also is survived by his father.