President Barack Obama will award retired Marine Corps Cpl. William "Kyle" Carpenter the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony today at 2:15 PM EDT, for Carpenter's heroic actions during battle in Afghanistan.
Home Post will carry a live feed of the event.
According to the Department of Defense, on Nov. 21, 2010, the Taliban lobbed a grenade at Carpenter and his friend Lance Cpl. Nicholas Eufrazio. Carpenter put his body between the grenade and Eufrazio, absorbing much of the blast, and costing Carpenter his right eye and most of his jaw.
Eufrazio survived the blast, but now lives with severe brain injuries.
Carpenter told the Marine Corps Times that he was so severely injured when he arrived at Camp Bastion for medical treatment, he was labeled PEA (patient expired on arrival).
But Carpenter fought back. He underwent more than 30 surgeries on the road to recovery. He was medically retired from the Marine Corps in July 2013, and is now a full-time student at the University of South Carolina.
Carpenter will be the eighth living recipient of the Medal of Honor for heroic actions in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
