Valor (NQM006)
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Automatic Rifleman with Company F, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division (Forward), 1 Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on 21 November 2010. Lance Corporal Carpenter was a member of a platoon-sized coalition force, comprised of two reinforced Marine squads partnered with an Afghan National Army squad. The platoon had established Patrol Base Dakota two days earlier in a small village in the Marjah District in order to disrupt enemy activity and provide security for the local Afghan population. Lance Corporal Carpenter and a fellow Marine were manning a rooftop security position on the perimeter of Patrol Base Dakota when the enemy initiated a daylight attack with hand grenades, one of which landed inside their sandbagged position. Without hesitation, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Lance Corporal Carpenter moved toward the grenade in an attempt to shield his fellow Marine from the deadly blast. When the grenade detonated, his body absorbed the brunt of the blast, severely wounding him, but saving the life of his fellow Marine. By his undaunted courage, bold fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death, Lance Corporal Carpenter reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
Valor is defined as great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle. On 21 November 2010, Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kyle Carpenter performed what is undoubtedly one of the greatest examples of valor by jumping on an enemy hand grenade to save one of his fellow Marine’s life on an Afghan rooftop. Like US Navy Petty Officer Michael Monsoor did four years prior in Iraq, this seemingly unfathomable act of valor encapsulates all the core ideals of military service and sacrifice before self. An act literally performed in a blink of an eye, that will inspire generations to come. Heroes like Michael Monsoor and Kyle Carpenter should be household names in the United States.
As only the second living US Marine to receive the nation’s highest and most prestigious award for military service above and beyond the call of duty, Kyle Carpenter has a ton of valuable and inspirational insight into life. He has appeared on a number of podcasts and interviews to deliver messages that will help put everyone’s struggles and challenges into perspective. And yes, he ran the Marine Corps Marathon only three months after completing his three year recovery at Walter Reed Military Hospital.
Kyle Carpenter – USMC Medal of Honor recipient – Dove on grenade to save fellow Marine – Incredible recovery over 3 years of hospitalization
The Team Never Quit guys did an excellent podcast with Kyle, and although I had heard of him before, this episode was the first time I had heard him speak at length. A great listen that will put things in perspective for you in a heartbeat. Some of the highlights are below.
Put his journey into perspective: “My never quit story is every single second, minute, and hour of grind through my entire 3-year recovery at Walter Reed. Waking up in the hospital not knowing where you are, not knowing if you are going to keep your arms. To sit up on the bed on your own and to have to go to the bathroom with a team of 5 to 8 corpsmen and with people holding tubes and holding the parts that don’t have tubes coming out of. The last memory I have is manning a machine gun in Southern Afghanistan, and 5 weeks later I wake up and I can’t even go to the bathroom on my own or stand up or take a step for that matter. The moment I woke up is when that first journey started.”
On milestones, small incremental steps toward improvement: "It may have seemed like a mile from my hospital bed to the doorway. I had to first sit up on the bed, then I had to put one leg over the side of the bed. Even doing that with my body not having moved in 4-5 weeks I had to get pumped full of anti-nausea medication before I could take that first step.”
Light at the end of the tunnel: “Three years in the hospital was heavy and a lot to think about. But if I did each step right, I knew I would be able to get back on my feet. My big goal was to run a marathon. I knew that if every single day I took care of the small goals and took a few small steps, and take a few steps further the next day, I would get to that 26.2 miles. I completed my recovery in July 2013, and in October 2013 I completed my first Marine Corps marathon.”
On being grateful: “To cross the finish line for all those that never came back, having the chance to live and to do things like run a marathon, that is what I am grateful for.”
Keep it in perspective: “When you start your day or going through your day, granted every one has to go through their struggles, but it takes the life lessons to appreciate the small things. Think not only about what you are saying, but also what type of mindset you bestow upon yourself. Think about how great we have it and how bad it could be. There are over 5 million people that die every year from unclean water. Everywhere around the world are these very unfortunate and hard, trying situations. The people in Afghanistan are so oppressed, for example. They don’t go through the day to have it interrupted by bad cell phone service, but interrupted by their next door neighbors or the Taliban that want to kill their whole family because they believe in something else. When you encounter your own problems, think about other people and other places in the world and other situations you could be in. Put things in perspective. You can do things in a free nation. Of course I am not generalizing this for the entire country, since some folks here do have it extremely hard. Keeping things in perspective however, will show you how much worse it could be, and that you have a tremendous opportunity to do great things. Don’t waste those opportunities with seemingly trivial issues.”
