SSgt Vincent Bell

Staff Sergeant Vincent J. Bell, United States Marine Corps, was born on July 8, 1983, in Detroit, Michigan. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2001 and went on to serve with distinction as a Field Artillery Marine. Throughout five combat deployments four to Iraq, and one to Afghanistan—he earned a reputation as a dynamic leader, a dedicated mentor, and a Marine who consistently put his Marines first. 

Assigned to 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, SSgt Bell was killed in action on November 30, 2011, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated during a patrol. He was 28 years old. SSgt Bell is remembered not only for his battlefield service, but for the strength of his leadership, the loyalty of his friendship, and the distinct reputation he built through professionalism, character, and heart. His influence on those he led and served with continues to this day.

SSgt Vincent Bell was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.