An individual who enlists in the armed forces makes several commitments. One of those is to serve his country, which many of them do without wavering. The other commitment is that, if needed, they would sacrifice their own lives. At times, it becomes necessary for these soldiers to hold true to their word, as difficult as it may be.
An example of one soldier who did just that is a young marine who was willing to sacrifice his own life in order to save other soldiers around him. He did it without thinking by jumping on a live grenade.
His name is William Kyle Carpenter. On that day, he used his own body as a shield to protect the lives of fellow marines. Amazingly, his story does not end there.
Carpenter was 21 when he became a Lance Corporal in the Marines. In 2010, he was deployed to Afghanistan, and was put into the warzone. When a grenade landed nearby to one of his comrades, he did not hesitate. He jumped on top of the grenade, absorbing the explosion with his body.
It is quite amazing, but Carpenter did not lose his life on that day, although his injuries were severe. Shrapnel was throughout his boxy and bones in his skull and face were shattered. He had lost part of his jaw and his lung was collapsed. Carpenter was declared dead.
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 flatlined at Walter Reed. The enemy killed me. I came back.
Kyle had to endure 40 surgeries over the next 2 years to repair the damage caused by the grenade. He received the purple heard and was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama. He later retired from his military service and began his studies at the University of South Carolina.
Today, he is still giving of himself and helping others through charitable acts and as a motivational speaker. His story is a reminder than many soldiers do their service at great cost.
Via: Nation News
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