21NOV2010: His unit having recently established Patrol Base Dakota in Marjah, Afghanistan, LCpl Kyle Carpenter was tasked with providing rooftop security. In his position with a fellow Marine, the unit came under small arms fire from enemy elements. Unexpectedly, multiple enemy grenades came over the side of the building with one landing between Carpenter and another Marine. Without hesitation, LCpl Carpenter lunged at the grenade to shield his brother and in doing so absorbed the full force of the detonation. The resulting blast blew holes in his helmet, melted his gear, and blew away his kevlar vest. Carpenter was severely wounded from head to toe but his selfless action saved the life of his fellow Marine, an action for which he would be awarded the Medal of Honor. Following the blast, LCpl Carpenter spent five weeks in coma and more than two and a half years in the hospital. In that time he underwent nearly 40 surgeries that did everything from repairing a collapsed lung, to repairing an arm broken in more than 30 places, to helping with a new prosthetic eye, a new jaw and new teeth. Since leaving the hospital and in spite of his wounds, Kyle Carpenter has run multiple marathons and continues to be an incredible inspiration across the country.

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