Lara, Andrew Evan
Male
Verified U.S. Army Specialist Andrew Evan Lara, 25, of Albany, Oregon, died on April 27, 2011, in Almahawil, Iraq, while serving with the Oregon National Guard during Operation New Dawn.
Their Story
Andrew Evan Lara was a 25-year-old native of Albany, Oregon. He served as a Specialist in the U.S. Army, assigned to Company F, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, based in Baker City, Oregon, as part of the Oregon Army National Guard.
According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, Specialist Lara was killed in action on April 27, 2011, in Almahawil, Iraq. The specific incident that caused his death was not detailed in initial public releases, but he was the first Oregon National Guard soldier to die in Iraq in 2011.
Lara's death occurred during Operation New Dawn, the final phase of the U.S. military mission in Iraq that began on September 1, 2010. This operation followed the end of major combat operations and focused on advising and assisting Iraqi security forces as U.S. troops prepared for a full withdrawal by the end of 2011.
Following his death, Lara's body was returned to Oregon. A memorial service was held in Albany, and he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart, according to military records and local news reports from the time.
Specialist Lara is remembered on memorial walls in Oregon and by his unit. His name is listed on the Oregon Fallen War Heroes Memorial, and his service is documented in the state's military history archives.
Explore Further
Andrew Lara was killed during Operation New Dawn (2010?2011). The conflict concluded in December 2011. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Jenkins, Phillip Chad, Mcclamrock, James Fleet, Hansen, James Arthur, Burner, John Franklin Iii.
