Mark Andess Garner was born on March 17, 1979, in State Road, Surry County, North Carolina. He was the son of Don and Beth Garner. He was married to Nickayla Myers-Garner. He graduated from Elkin High School before attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After completing the Infantry Officer Basic Course and Ranger School, he served with the 3rd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, and the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. During these assignments, Garner served as an infantry rifle platoon leader, company executive officer, and battalion S-1, completing two combat tours in Iraq. After graduating from the Infantry Captains Career Course in December 2006, he joined the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, serving first as battalion S-4 and later as commander of Bravo Company. He subsequently deployed to Afghanistan as a company commander in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpt Garner was killed on July 6, 2009, in Arghandab District of Afghanistan, from wounds sustained in an improvised explosive device attack near his vehicle. He is now buried in the Hollywood Cemetery, Elkin, Surry County, North Carolina, USA.

Sources of information: www.findagrave.com, www.elkinfuneralservice.com