SHARPSVILLE, PA, USA U.S. Marines SGT, 2D CEB, (3D BN, 8TH MAR [REIN]), 2D MAR DIV, CAMP LEJEUNE, NC HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN 01/27/2009
Marine Corps Sergeant (SGT) David W. Wallace III was killed in Afghanistan on January 27, 2009, serving during Operation Enduring Freedom. The 25-year-old from the western Pennsylvania town of Sharpsville was killed by an improvised explosive device while sweeping a road for mines in the Helmud Province. As a Marine combat engineer, his duties included removing and exploding bombs, conducting searches, and working on vehicles and construction projects.
David graduated from Sharpsville High School in 2002 and enlisted in the Marine Corps in September that same year. David was deployed twice to Iraq, first in 2004 and again in 2007. He also served in Bangladesh, Dubai, and other parts of the world. The Marines deployed him to Afghanistan in November 2008.
The son of Carol Wallace of Sharpsville and the late David Wallace, David was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, on June 5, 1983. David was last stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. At the time of David’s death, David’s wife, Erica; his 5-year-old stepson, Landon; and his 2-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, lived in Jacksonville, North Carolina. David had family ties to the military: his brother, Steven, was stationed with the Navy in Guam, and his wife Erica’s father, Master Gunnery Sergeant Scott Wilson, was also a Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune.
David loved sports (especially football and wrestling), enjoyed hobbies (hunting and fishing), and had a good sense of humor. His family and friends describe him as lighthearted, fun-loving, nice, and silly. But it was his dedication to giving 110-percent effort, no matter what the task, that made David a Marine through-and-through