Mayor Benjamin to attend Medal of Honor Ceremony
June 19, 2014
COLUMBIA, SC – Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin is traveling to Washington D.C. today where he will join President Barack Obama this afternoon for a White House Ceremony where Marine Cpl. William “Kyle” Carpenter will be awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
“Corporal Carpenter is nothing less than an American hero,” Mayor Benjamin said. “His bravery and selflessness under fire demonstrate his true and unflinching commitment to his country and to his comrades in arms and I consider it the highest honor to have the opportunity to say thank you on behalf of myself and the people of Columbia.”
Carpenter, now a student at the University of South Carolina, was injured on November 21, 2010 when he covered a grenade with his own body to save a fellow Marine while manning a rooftop post at the newly established Patrol Base Dakota in the Marjah district of Helmand province.
Brutally injured in the attack including losing an eye, most of his teeth and shattering his jaw, Carpenter’s recovery, which included more than 30 surgeries, has been nearly as remarkable as his heroism and he has emerged as an inspirational figure appearing on several national TV shows and even completing a Marine Corps Marathon.
He will be the eighth living recipient of the nation’s highest award for valor from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the first South Carolina recipient since Vietnam.
Visit the United States Marine Corps website to read Cpl. Carpenter’s official Summary of Action.
