William Kyle Carpenter (born October 17, 1989) is a medically retired

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

who received the United States' highest military honor, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, for his actions in

Marjah Marjah (also spelled Marjeh; Pashto language, Pashto/ fa, ) is an agricultural town in southern Afghanistan. It has been reported to have a population between 80,000 and 125,000, but some sources argue that its population is much smaller and is s ...

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primar ...

, Afghanistan in 2010. Carpenter is the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient.

Early life

Carpenter was born in

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Q ...

, Mississippi on October 17, 1989, and raised in Flowood by his parents James and Robin.Brian Livingston
"Marine Ball to welcome Medal of Honor nominee"
''The Meridian Star'', November 5, 2011; accessed June 26, 2014. He is a graduate of W.W. King Academy in Batesburg, South Carolina. He enlisted in the Marine Corps' delayed entry program at age 19 in February 2009, and completed

Recruit Training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...

in July 2009 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot,

Parris Island Parris is both a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Parris Afton Bonds, American novelist * Parris Campbell (born 1997), American football player * Parris Duffus (born 1970), retired American ice hockey go ...

, South Carolina.

Military career

Carpenter completed his initial training at the

Camp Geiger Camp Geiger is a United States Marine Corps base. Although not geographically connected, Camp Geiger is part of the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune complex, and is home to the United States Marine Corps School of Infantry East for all Marines rec ...

School of Infantry A School of Infantry provides training in weapons and infantry tactics to infantrymen of a nation's military forces. Schools of infantry include: Australia *Australian Army – School of Infantry, Lone Pine Barracks at Singleton, NSW. France ...

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States Armed Forces, United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for Amphibious warfare, amphibious assault training, and its ...

, North Carolina. In July 2010, as a

Private First Class Private first class (french: Soldat de 1 classe; es, Soldado de primera) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel in a number of armed forces. French speaking countries In France and other French speaking countries, the rank (; ) ...

, he was assigned to Fox Company,

2nd Battalion, 9th Marines 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines (2/9) was an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I, the unit played an instrumental role in the defeat of the Japanese forces in the Battles of Guam and Iwo Jima during World ...

, Regimental Combat Team One, 1st Marine Division (Forward), 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...

, where he served as a

Squad Automatic Weapon A squad automatic weapon (SAW), also known as a section automatic weapon or light support weapon (LSW), is a man-portable automatic firearm attached to infantry squads or sections as a source of rapid direct firepower. Weapons fulfilling this ...

(SAW) gunner beginning September 2009. On November 21, 2010, Carpenter and another Marine, Nick Eufrazio, were manning a rooftop security post during defense of the village of

from a

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

attack. According to his

citation, Carpenter's jaw and right arm were shattered, and he lost his right eye and most of his teeth; he has undergone dozens of surgeries.Jeff Wilkinson
"Senate gives thanks to wounded war hero"
''The Post and Courier'', March 10, 2011.Andrew de Grandpre
"Did Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter cover a grenade to shield his buddy?"
''Marine Corps Times'', January 16, 2012 issue; accessed June 26, 2014."'Kyle covered that grenade' — Marines weigh in on grenade blast survivor's heroism"
''Marine Corps Times'', January 23, 2012 issue; accessed June 26, 2014.Dan Lamothe
"Marine hit by grenade deserves MoH, buddies say"
, ''Marine Corps Times'', January 29, 2012; accessed June 26, 2014.
, thestate.com, March 5, 2014; accessed June 26, 2014. In July 2013, he was medically retired as a Corporal. On June 19, 2014, Carpenter received the

in a ceremony at the White House. He is the eighth living recipient to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan.

Medal of Honor citation

Post-military career

After his July 2013 medical retirement, Carpenter enrolled at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, and received a degree in international studies in 2017. He is a 2013 initiate of the Chi-Omega chapter of the

Kappa Sigma Fraternity Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraterniti ...

at the University of South Carolina. In 2019, Carpenter co-authored a book with Don Yaeger titled ''You Are Worth It: Building a Life Worth Fighting For'' about the events leading up to his becoming a Medal of Honor recipient.

Personal life

Carpenter is married.

Awards and decorations

Fundraising

Carpenter appeared in a video, "Still in the Fight," to raise money for the

Fisher House Foundation Fisher House Foundation is a charity and foundation that builds comfort homes where military & veterans families can stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital. Fisher Houses are located at major military and VA medical centers n ...

, which provides free and low-cost housing to veterans and families receiving treatment at military hospitals.

References

External links

Official websitePresident Obama Awards the Medal of Honor to Corporal William "Kyle" CarpenterKyle Carpenter interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Kyle 1989 births Living people United States Marine Corps personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) American people with disabilities People from Flowood, Mississippi United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) recipients of the Medal of Honor United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients