Andrew Martin O’francia Ward died Dec. 5, 2004, in Irag by enemy fire. He was 25 years old.

Mr. Ward was born May 1, 1979, in Seattle, Wash.

His family remembers him as a beautiful, healthy baby, full of hair, truly a bundle of joy. His endearing nick-name “Poopong” followed him through his adult life by his many aunts, uncles and cousins.

He loved nature. He biked or walked on various trails in the surrounding area. He took bus tours to Mt. Rainier and ferry boats across the state of Washington and Victoria, British Columbia.

He worked seasonal jobs so that he could buy a ticket to go somewhere. In Dutch Harbor, Alaska, when work was slow, he hiked and back-packed to nearby mountains and hillsides and saw bald eagles soaring above and bears scrounging for food and salmon swimming and jumping up streams.

He photographed the beauty that surrounded him. He flew to Hawaii once with $100 in his pocket and stayed for half a year, where he lived and slept on beaches under palm trees.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 2003 to serve his country and to see more of the world. It offered him opportunities to broaden his horizons.

He went to boot camp training in Fort Leonard Woods, Mo. Upon graduation, he was a combat engineer with the 44th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, assigned for permanent duty in Camp Howze, South Korea. He was excited to see that part of the world. He learned to eat kimchee, because he said it was served at all the restaurants there. “And mom,” he would say, “they eat so much noodles! No meat.” He bunked and trained with a Korean soldier, who was serving his two-year mandatory military service.

On August 2004, his unit was deployed to Iraq. He took his orders valiantly, re-assuring his family that they were all prepared and continuously trained.

On Sunday, Dec. 5, 2004, his unit came under attack in Ar Ramadi, west of Baghdad, with small enemy fire. They were returning from a river mission.

Mr. Ward was killed in action.

His family says he lived a lifetime. He saw parts of the world most have not seen. He left a legacy, known and not yet known.

Survivors include his father and stepmother, Donald L. and Mary Ward and his mother and stepfather, Estrella and Joseph P. Tankersley; four brothers, Donald Jr., Jason and Walter Ward and Sean Tankersley; three sisters, Angela and Wanda Ward and Amilia Tankersley; nephews and nieces and several aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. His grandparents Roscoe and Katherine Ward and Bert O. O’francia also survive.

Mr. Ward was buried Dec. 15 with military honors. He was buried near his grandmother Paz Soria O’francia in the Vashon Cemetery.