Marine Sgt. David W. Wallace III

Died January 27, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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25, of Sharpsville, Pa.; assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 27 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Also killed was Sgt. Trevor J. Johnson.

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Marine left behind stepson, daughter

The Associated Press

SHARON, Pa. — A Marine from western Pennsylvania has been killed in Afghanistan.

Carol Wallace says her son, 25-year-old Sgt. David Wallace, of Sharpsville, was killed by an improvised explosive device on Tuesday in the Helmud Province.

The Department of Defense says 23-year-old Sgt. Trevor J. Johnson, 23, of Forsyth, Mont., was also killed. Both were assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Wallace says her son was a combat engineer whose duties included removing and exploding bombs, conducting searches, working on vehicles and construction projects.

Wallace leaves behind a wife, Erica, from Jacksonville, N.C., a stepson, Landon, 5, and a daughter, Brooklyn, 2.

He was 2002 graduate of Sharpsville High School.

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Served 2 tours in Iraq before going to Afghanistan

The Associated Press

David W. Wallace III loved sports, particularly football and wrestling, and hunting and fishing.

“He was fun-loving,” said his mother, Carol Wallace. “He was a jokester. Pranks were not beneath him.”

“He was just a goofball,” said Derek Songer, a friend. “He was silly. He always made you smile.”

Wallace, 25, of Sharpsville, Pa., was killed Jan. 27 by a bomb blast in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was a 2002 high school graduate and was assigned to Camp Lejeune, N.C.

He served two tours in Iraq, from September 2004 to April 2005 and July 2007 to January 2008. He also served in Bangladesh, Dubai and other parts of the world.

Wallace worked hard and gave 100 percent, said John Napotnik, who was his defensive line coach in high school and taught him psychology in his senior year.

Off the field, Wallace impressed people with his quiet friendliness.

“I really liked the kid. He was a great kid,” Napotnik said.

Wallace leaves behind his wife, Erica, a 5-year-old stepson, Landon, and a 2-year-old daughter, Brooklyn.

“He was a real American hero,” said a friend, Ron Haywood.

“He was the type of guy, whatever he did, he did 110 percent.”