PORTLAND – The U.S. Air Force has named part of a Persian Gulf base for a Maine serviceman who became the first to die in the U.S. overseas campaign against terrorism.

Located in Qatar, “Camp Andy” is a tent encampment with a plaque honoring Air Force Master Sgt. Evander Andrews of Solon, an Air Force spokesman said.

Andrews, 36, was killed Oct. 10, 2001, in a forklift accident while helping build an airstrip in Qatar, a Persian Gulf emirate.

He was the first of 40 servicemen to be killed in Operation Enduring Freedom, the fight against terrorism that began after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

“People have been very kind,” said Andrews’ mother, Mary Andrews. “But we still have a hole in our hearts.”

The plaque from his colleagues of the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron reads: “Camp Andy. This camp is dedicated to the memory of Master Sergeant Evander (Andy) Andrews who lost his life on October 10, 2001, while constructing this camp in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.”