COLUMBUS, Ohio - -- The Marines of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, gathered here to present two Silver Star Medals to Marines in their company Aug. 20.
Cpl. Mark A. Camp and the family of Sgt. David N. Wimberg received the awards in front of friends and families of fellow Marines in a ceremony outside of the company’s reserve center.
“While I’m honored, at the same time I wish none of the things happened back in Iraq that made me receive this award,” said Camp.
During an enemy ambush in New Ubaydi, Iraq, Camp left his covered position to engage the enemy at point blank range, which allowed an injured Marine to be pulled to cover. Camp then joined a Marine in a frontal assault of the ambush site, forcing enemy insurgents to change position and allowed the recovery of another injured Marine. Camp’s Amphibious Assault Vehicle was destroyed by an improvised explosive device May 11, wounding or killing all 17 passengers. Camp, who was then a lance corporal, attempted to recover Marines from the vehicle but was thrown out of it again by a secondary explosion. Though wounded, Camp managed to return to the vehicle and pulled a Marine to safety.
“I was just trying to do what I had to do to keep myself and the guy next to me alive,” said Camp.
The Silver Star Medal was also awarded posthumously to Sgt. David N. Wimberg. Wimberg’s mother, Tricia, received the award on his behalf.
While on patrol in Iraq, an enemy ambush pinned down Wimberg and his company’s command element in the street. In an attempt to eliminate the source of the ambush, Wimberg left his covered position to find where the fire was coming from. To gain entry into the house, Wimberg kicked in the door and found himself face-to-face with four insurgents. Wimberg engaged the enemy until he was shot to the ground unconscious. In the attack, Wimberg severely wounded one insurgent and stunned the other enemy fighters, which created the momentum needed to break the ambush.
The Silver Star Medals were preceded by a separate ceremony to present a shadow box to Hunter Youngblood, the son of Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis L. Youngblood, a hospitalman who was also killed in Iraq while deployed with the company.