Robert Dade Wall

First Lieutenant Robert Dade Wall was killed in action on February 25, 1945 on Luzon, Philippines during World War II.  He was 23 years old.

Robert Dade Wall was born on September 17, 1921 in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, the son of Lawrence Dade Wall and Virginia Lee Blanks Wall.  He graduated from Henderson High School in the Class of 1938 and from the Virginia Military Institute in the Class of 1942.

Lt Wall entered the U.S. Army in 1942 and was deployed to the Pacific Theater of War on August 15, 1944 serving initially with the Fourth Replacement Depot as Adjutant.

Immediately prior to the invasion of Luzon, in the Philippines Campaign, Lt. Wall transferred to the 32nd Division serving as a forward observer. The 32nd Division moved from Leyte to Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, on January 27, 1945. In the Battle of Villa Verde Trail, the 32nd navigated a narrow 27-mile track through the Caraballo Mountains against heavy Japanese resistance.  The Japanese were dug into a mutually interlocking defense in caves and tunnels and with machine guns and artillery covering every foot of the trail. The campaign began on February 21, 1945 and concluded with the success of the Americans on May 31, 1945. The 32nd Infantry Division carried out the campaign with assistance from Filipino guerrillas. In the Villa Verde Trail fighting, forward observers, who were responsible for directing artillery fire, had to adjust fire in thick jungle and steep terrain, providing essential 105-mm and 4.2-inch mortar support for the 32nd Division. Lt. Wall was killed in action on February 25, 1945.

First Lieutenant Robert Dade Wall is buried in the Monocacy Cemetery, Montgomery County, Maryland. 

 Last edited: 8 June 2026