About | Cpl Kyle Carpenter Division

"Please take it from me, enjoy every day to the fullest, don't take life too seriously, always try to make it count, appreciate the small and simple things, be kind and help others, let the ones you love always know you love them, and when things get hard trust there is a bigger plan and that you will be stronger for it.”
CPL. Kyle Carpenter

The story of Kyle Carpenter is one all Americans should know... It's a story of heroism, determination, and an amazing recovery. Kyle Carpenter enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2009. In 2010, Carpenter was sent to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

"Lance Cpl. William 'Kyle' Carpenter and Lance Cpl. Nicholas Eufrazio were on a rooftop in Helmand Province in Afghanistan in November 2010 when they were attacked by enemy fighters. A live grenade landed on the roof next to both men, and Carpenter threw himself between the grenade and his fellow Marine Eufrazio "received a shrapnel injury to the head from the grenade," while Carpenter's body "absorbed a majority of the resulting explosion," according to the official Marine Corps' account of the incident. Carpenter sustained an almost unbelievable array of injuries, including a skull fracture and a punctured lung. Doctors at a nearby military hospital pronounced him dead on arrival, sure he wouldn't survive. He spent 2 ½ years in hospital and had over 40 surgeries. On June 19, 2014, Corporal Carpenter received the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor one can receive."

- CBS News