William Kyle Carpenter was 19 years old when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. delayed entry program. In July 2010 at the age of 21 and rank of Lance Corporal, he was deployed overseas to Afghanistan
November 21st was the day Carpenter would show immense courage while looking into the the face of death. Carpenter threw himself on a live enemy grenade to protect the life of his comrade Lance Corporal Nick Eufrazio.
The explosion left Carpenter with shattered bones in his face, a missing right eye, extensive damage to his right arm, shrapnel wounds, a depressed skull fracture that required brain surgery, a collapsed right lung, and the loss of a third of his lower jaw.
"My body was torn apart by an enemy hand grenade ... upon arriving at Camp Bastion, I was labeled P.E.A. — patient expired on arrival. I flat-lined at Walter Reed. The enemy killed me. I came back." Two-and-a-half years in the hospital and 40 surgeries later, Kyle Carpenter was on the way to recovery.
He was given the Purple Heart Medal, awarded to members of the armed forces who are wounded by an instrument of war at the hands of the enemy. He also received the highest military honor in the United States of America
On June 19th, 2014, Kyle Carpenter became the eighth living recipient of the Medal of Honor presented to him at the White House by President Obama. This is awarded to those who showed personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty.
Carpenter says he is just getting started on his journey of recovery five years after the incident. He has run marathons in honor of fellow veterans and those who have given their lives for others, as well as being an advocate for wounded servicemen and women, as well as a motivational speaker.
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