Andrew Chris

Steel Skin Remembers one of its own...

Andrew came to work for Steel Skin a couple of years after he moved to San Diego. We had already come to know him as a friend, and when we needed another employee, he was the perfect choice. Andrew was the kind of guy everyone loved to be around. He had a great sense of humor. He was sincere; always willing to lend a hand wherever he was needed. An avid reader; he had a passion for history, especially military history. Andrew loved the outdoors. One of our favorite memories is seeing him gear up for his daily hikes. He would throw on his pack, grab his canteen and spend his lunch break hiking through the hills behind our shop. When he left to join the army, although we were sad to see him go, we could not have been more proud. We would say the nation is a better place, and a safer place, with Andrew as a soldier. Throughout his career with the army he would call the shop to let us know how he was doing. We all enjoyed getting those calls. We would crowd around the speakerphone to talk with him about his whereabouts and experiences.

On Thursday, June 19th Andrew called to let us know he was being deployed to Iraq. He could not give us any details as to his exact destination and job; that was classified. Andrew had become an Army Ranger, exactly as he said he would before he enlisted. Now, he was excited to finally put all his hard work and training to use. Tragically, one week later, Andrew Chris was killed in Iraq. He was the team leader of the 3rd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment, the commando unit looking for Saddam Hussein. We cannot express enough, our love and respect for our fallen friend. He was so much more than a co-worker to many of us. We lived with him, hung out with him, went on trips with him, and now we mourn for him. We are so proud to be able to say that we knew a man like Andrew Chris. He wanted to serve his country the way his brother, father, and grandfather did before him. He was selfless and true to his beliefs. Andrew made us proud; he became the man he set out to be. We all knew that he would.

Andrew, we love and miss you. We thank you for your service to this country and for your friendship with each of us. God Bless you and your family.

Your friends, family, and biggest fans,

Steel Skin, Inc.

The Memorial for Andrew Chris is officially up and pictures of the memorial service can be seen here.
-- posted dec 2003

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Andrew's memorial fund. We now have enough money, and are in the process of getting everything together. The memorial will be here in San Diego at the top of Mt. Soledad overlooking beautiful San Diego.
To learn more about the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial, click here.

Steel Skin is currently
accepting donations towards a memorial plaque in honor of Andrew Chris. The plaque is 16" by 8" and will be displayed on the Mt. Soledad Memorial Wall.

A Memorial Service is being held for Andrew Chris on Thursday July 10th, 7pm at the Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Poway, CA. Click here for info and directions.