The Story of Marine Lance Corporal Kyle Carpenter

🔥 “I only remember a flash and then I saw darkness.” — Kyle Carpenter

Date of Incident: November 21, 2010
Location: Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan
Unit: 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines

What happened:

Lance Corporal William Kyle Carpenter was manning a rooftop security post alongside a fellow Marine, Lance Corporal Nick Eufrazio. They were in a high-risk zone, with insurgents constantly watching and attacking American positions.

Without warning, a Taliban fighter threw a grenade onto their rooftop position.

Carpenter saw it.

In a split-second decision, he threw himself on top of the grenade, using his body to shield his friend. The blast nearly killed him instantly.

The Aftermath:

Carpenter’s injuries were catastrophic:

• Shattered jaw and teeth
• Right arm nearly destroyed
• Lost his right eye
• Severe brain trauma
• Dozens of surgeries and skin grafts
• Months in a coma

But he survived.

And so did Nick Eufrazio — because Kyle absorbed the blast.