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Kyle Carpenter

Kyle Carpenter
Usage Conditions Apply
Artist
Mike McGregor, born 1978
Sitter
William Kyle Carpenter, born 1989
Date
2013 (printed 2015)
Type
Photograph
Medium
Inkjet print
Dimensions
Image: 56.4 × 43.7 cm (22 3/16 × 17 3/16")
Sheet: 60.9 × 50.7 cm (24 × 19 15/16")
Mat: 91.4 x 55.9 cm (36 x 22")
Topic
Interior
Symbols & Motifs\Medal\Purple Heart
William Kyle Carpenter: Male
William Kyle Carpenter: Military and Intelligence\Marine Corps\Soldier
William Kyle Carpenter: Medal of Honor
William Kyle Carpenter: Purple Heart
Portrait
Place
United States\South Carolina
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired through the generosity of Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, the Shenson Foundation, in memory of Ben and A. Jess Shenson; 2015 Portrait of a Nation Prize Recipient
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Mike McGregor
Object number
NPG.2015.89.2
Exhibition Label
Born Flowood, Mississippi
2015 Portrait of a Nation Prize Recipient
Although he has no memory of the incident, after-action reports confirm that on November 21, 2010, Lance Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter used his own body to shield a fellow Marine from an exploding grenade in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. The grievously wounded Carpenter was not expected to survive, but after more than thirty surgeries and two-and-a-half years at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, he was released in July 2013. In recognition of his “undaunted courage, bold fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death,” Carpenter received the nation’s highest military award for valor—the Medal of Honor—in 2014. Medically retired because of his injuries, Carpenter remains active on issues concerning wounded and returning veterans.
In this first part of a diptych, Carpenter holds his Purple Heart medal in his right hand. In the second, his Purple Heart tattoo is visible, as are some of the scars he now carries.
nacido en 1989
Nacido en Flowood, Misisipi
Ganador del Premio Retrato de una Nación 2015
Aunque él no recuerda el incidente, los informes confirman que el 21 de noviembre de 2010 el soldado de primera clase William “Kyle” Carpenter protegió con su cuerpo a un compañero marine de una granada en Helmand, Afganistán. No se esperaba que sobreviviera, pero tras más de 30 operaciones y dos años y medio en el centro médico militar Walter Reed, fue dado de alta en julio de 2013. Por su “valentía inquebrantable, espíritu de lucha y devoción al deber ante una muerte casi segura”, Carpenter recibió el más alto premio militar al valor, la Medalla de Honor, en 2014. Retirado debido a sus lesiones, hoy aboga por los veteranos heridos y los que regresan a la vida civil.
En la primera parte de este díptico, Carpenter sostiene su medalla del Corazón Púrpura en la mano derecha. En la segunda parte se ve su tatuaje del Corazón Púrpura y algunas de sus cicatrices.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view