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.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
At 0450 hours on 19 November 2005, 2d Platoon, Company C, 2-1 Infantry 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. Staff Sergeant Mark Wall, as 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 2d Squads to conduct the initial assault, leaving 3d 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 seven 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 two 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 two members were not wounded. 3d 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 Staff Sergeant 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. Staff Sergeant 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. Staff Sergeant Wall responded immediately, engaging and killing the shooter. Once inside, he and his squad entered the kitchen and he began organizing the withdrawal of the casualties to the street. During the course of CASEVAC, Staff Sergeant 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 four 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 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.