Kyle Carpenter
This is my story.
My ``Alive Day``
I was a typical kid growing up in the Southeast during the 1990s and early 2000s. I liked to ride bikes, rollerblade and just generally do the things that kids do to drive their parents crazy. But, during my junior year of high school, I went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. That was when I saw what little these people had for themselves. I grew up a little on that trip and realized that I wanted to be different – that I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself.
I found that something in the United States Marine Corps. And while October 19, 1989 is my birthday, it was November 21, 2010 that became my “Alive Day.”
The Beautiful Burden
I am so thankful for the platform being a recipient has given me. I am able to connect with those who are struggling physically, mentally and emotionally. I am able to find comfort in the fact that my story and the stories of those who fought beside me will never be forgotten.
MY BLOG
THIS IS MY JOURNEY
A birthday, a grenade and a chicken
Our patrol froze mid-step as the dreaded sound of a M-203 echoed through the woods around us. A grenade launcher attached to the bottom of a rifle, the M-203 has a very distinct thump sound, always followed by anxious silence as we wait to see where the impact hits. Immediately, our squad leader radioed the rest of our squad to...