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First Name: Mark

Last Name: Wall

Birthplace: Iowa Falls, IA, USA

Gender: Male

Branch: Army (1784 - present)



Home of Record: Alden, IA
Middle Name: Adam



Date of Birth: 11 April 1979

Date of Death: 27 April 2006

Rank: Staff Sergeant

Years Served: 1997 - 2006
Mark Adam Wall

   
Engagements:
•  Iraq War (Operation Iraqi Freedom) (2003 - 2011)

Biography:

Mark Adam Wall
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army

Mark Adam Wall was a former Boy Scout who attained the rank of Eagle Scout in March of 1997. He joined the Iowa National Guard in 1997, and then the Regular Army in 2000.

On 19 November 2005, Staff Sergeant Mark Adam Wall was serving with 2nd Platoon, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat team while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.

At 0450 hours on 19 November, 2nd Platoon, Company C, was on patrol in Mosul, Iraq, when they received a report that Iraqi Police had received small arms fire and grenades from a house in the Al Sukar neighborhood. SSG Wall, a squad leader, was on patrol with his platoon when they received the initial report. The platoon immediately responded and moved to the site of the attack. The platoon arrived within several minutes and assessed the situation. As they cordoned the house, the platoon leader instructed 1st and 2nd Squads to conduct the initial assault, leaving 3rd Squad in reserve. As the stack approached the house, the terrorists within engaged them with a grenade thrown down the central hallway into the doorway. The platoon immediately took a casualty from this grenade. The remainder of the assault element continued through the door to gain a foothold. As they entered the house they encountered heavy small arms fire from 7 terrorists executing a prepared defensive plan. The rate of enemy fire in the hallway forced them into a kitchen on the left. The kitchen had 2 entry/exit points through which the terrorists could engage the trapped squads from prepared firing positions. The assault element continued to take casualties in this room from heavy small arms fire and what they believed to be grenades. It was later found that these grenades were fused 82-mm mortar rounds with tail sections removed. As the assault element suffered casualties they quickly became combat ineffective. Only 2 members were not wounded. 3rd Squad was unable to enter the building due to the high rate of enemy fire towards both the front door and the door to the kitchen. For this same reason, the assault element was unable to advance further or withdraw. Realizing his element could not withdraw, the 1st Squad Leader advised SSG Wall to assault the room across from the kitchen to eliminate enemy fire from that direction. At this time, the C21 Stryker breached the wall of the house into the kitchen to allow for the withdrawal of the squads inside. The vehicle commander and air guard immediately began suppression of the enemy with .50 caliber machine gun and M4 fire, firing directly over the heads of the squads inside and allowing them several critical moments to disengage. SSG Wall, seeing the immediacy of the situation, led his assault with grenades, eliminating the enemy threat from the end of the hallway and allowing his squad to enter the house. This was the turning point of the battle and regained the initiative for the platoon. As they moved into the house, Specialist Timothy Stewart received a gunshot wound to the arm. SSG Wall responded immediately, engaging and killing the shooter. Once inside, SSG Wall and his squad entered the kitchen and he began organizing the withdrawal of the casualties to the street. During the course of casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), SSG Wall not only led the evacuation effort within the house, but also organized the security of the operation, and personally carried several casualties to the Strykers, re-entering the house 4 more times to evacuate casualties, all while under direct fire from the enemy. Of the 12 casualties sustained, all but one survived their wounds, due in great part to the leadership, courage, and selflessness exhibited by SSG Wall that morning. SSG Wall's actions were directly responsible for the destruction of a key terrorist cell, the withdrawal of the trapped assault element, and the rapid evacuation and treatment of his wounded comrades. SSG Wall’s courageous actions that day earned him the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor, the Silver Star Medal.

On 27 April 2006, Staff Sergeant Mark Adam Wall suffered a fatal heart attack in the dining room at his unit's base in Mosul, Iraq. He was 27 years old.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Silver Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster Purple Heart
Army Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Army Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon
Combat Infantryman Badge
Expert Infantryman Badge
Air Assault Badge

Silver Star Medal Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Staff Sergeant Mark Adam Wall, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection with military operations against an armed hostile force while serving with Company C, 2d Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172d Stryker Brigade Combat team, at Mosul, Iraq, on 19 November 2005, during military operations in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM III. Staff Sergeant Wall's actions are directly responsible for the destruction of a terrorist cell while allowing for the rapid evacuation of his wounded platoon members. Of the 12 casualties sustained, all but one survived their wounds, due in great part to the leadership, courage, and selflessness exhibited by Staff Sergeant Wall that morning. His actions were directly responsible for the destruction of a key terrorist cell, the withdrawal of the trapped assault element, and the rapid evacuation and treatment of his wounded comrades.

Burial

Staff Sergeant Mark Adam Wall is buried at Alden Cemetery in Alden, Hardin County, IA.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14148464/mark-adam-wall



Honoree ID: 6047   Created by: MHOH

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