William Kyle Carpenter. You may have heard his name, or maybe not, but there’s no denying that he is a true American hero.
At just 21 years old, Kyle had already earned the rank of Lance Corporal in the United States Marines. In 2010, he was deployed to Afghanistan during the war.
During a fierce battle, a grenade landed near Kyle and another Marine. Without hesitating, Kyle made a split-second decision that would change his life forever…
In that critical moment, Kyle’s decision showed incredible bravery and selflessness. He threw himself onto the grenade, using his body as a shield to protect his friend.
By doing so, Kyle risked his own life to save another, fully prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. His heroic act demonstrated the true meaning of courage and brotherhood.
Despite the horrific injuries Kyle Carpenter sustained from the grenade explosion, his story is one of incredible resilience and survival. The shrapnel left his body deeply wounded, with his skull and face fractured. He lost a significant portion of his jaw, and one of his lungs collapsed. When he was brought back to Camp Bastion, the medical team initially declared him “P.E.A” (patient expired on arrival), meaning they believed he had died.
But against all odds, Kyle survived, beginning a long and painful road to recovery. His bravery and sacrifice during the attack would later earn him the Medal of Honor, the highest military award in the U.S., marking him as an enduring symbol of heroism.
For the next two years, Kyle Carpenter had to go through 40 different surgeries to heal from his injuries. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his bravery and later received the Medal of Honor, one of the highest military awards. President Barack Obama personally gave him this honor.
Now, Kyle is retired from the military. He is focusing on his education and is working toward earning a degree from the University of South Carolina.
Brilliant girl!
A little girl tells her mom: “Mommy, a funny lady came to visit while you were at work”. Mommy replies: “Not right now. Let’s wait for Daddy to come home”. So they wait, and when Daddy arrives, Mommy asks: “Okay, sweetheart, what were you saying about Daddy and the funny lady?”
Daddy starts to speak, but Mommy cuts him off. “You be quiet. I’ll talk to my lawyer in the morning. Go ahead, dear.” The little girl continues: “Daddy told me to stay downstairs while he and the lady went upstairs, but I followed them without him knowing. I saw them hugging and laughing at the top of the stairs.
Then they went into your bedroom and closed the door, but I peeked through the keyhole”. “Good job, sweetie”, Mommy says with a smile. “What did you see?” “I saw them hugging and laughing some more.”
“And then what happened?” Mommy asks. The little girl answers proudly: “Then they did what you and Uncle Jack did last summer when Daddy went to Vancouver!”
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