You may have heard the name William Kyle Carpenter, but there is no denying that he embodies the spirit of an American hero.
At just 21 years old, Kyle reached the rank of Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010.
During a fierce firefight, a grenade landed dangerously close to him and another Marine. Without hesitation, Kyle jumped into action – a decision that would not only reveal his extraordinary courage, but would change the course of his life forever. He jumped onto the grenade, using his body to shield his fellow Marines from the blast.
In this selfless act, he risked everything to save a life. The explosion left Kyle with severe injuries. His body was riddled with shrapnel and he suffered catastrophic damage to his skull and face. He lost part of his jaw, one of his lungs collapsed, and upon arrival back at Camp Bastion, he was declared PEA (Patient Deceased on Arrival).
Miraculously, Kyle was still alive.
Over the next two years, he underwent an incredible forty surgeries to treat his injuries. His brave actions earned him the Purple Heart and he was later awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama. Today, Kyle is retired from the military and is pursuing a degree at the University of South Carolina.
He is a true American hero. Watch the video below to learn more about Kyle’s extraordinary journey. Please share to honor a man who selflessly put himself in danger to protect others.
15 Pics That Prove Genes Can Be Very Powerful
We all have about 22,000 genes and sometimes we share enough genes with our family to be an almost identical copy of them. Although there may be 50 years between the 2 photos, their faces look the same thanks to the magic of these genes. There are some people who are carbon copies of their relatives, confirmed by their photos that simply blow us away.
Bright Side would like to share with you just how cool our genes can be with some exceptional photos we found.
1. “My mom and sister, both at age 6”
2. “My mom (left) age 4 in 1971. Me (right) age 4 in 2001. I see why people say we look alike.”
3. Grandmother 1941 and granddaughter 1999, same genes
4. “Me, 1992. Mom, 1954.”
5. “Here’s me and my fraternal twin.”
6. “Me on the left (circa ’90s, Canada) and my grand-dad (circa ’40s, Ireland).”
7. “My old man and me at the same age, 35 years apart.”
8. “Me in 1971 and my son in 1994”
9. “My mother at age 21 (L) and me at age 27.”
10. “My father, age 24 in 1951. And 24-year-old me.”
11. “I always knew that my mom and sister looked alike, but seeing them side by side is uncanny.”
12. “My brother (2016) and my grandfather (1948)”
13. “I’ve been told a lot that I look like my Finnish grandma.”
14. “My dad 1958… Me 1988.”
15. “Side-by-side comparison of my identical twin and me.”
Who do you look most like in your family? Share a photo of someone you look like so that we can compare!
Preview photo credit mrobry / Pikabu
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