MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2014

By: The Entire Membership To: Rules

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 69

1 A RESOLUTION TO HONOR THE SACRIFICE MADE BY CONGRESSIONAL 2 RECIPIENT AND MISSISSIPPI NATIVE LANCE CORPORAL 3 WILLIAM KYLE CARPENTER OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, 4 SERIOUSLY WOUNDED WHILE SERVING A TOUR OF MILITARY DUTY IN 5 AFGHANISTAN, AND TO EXPRESS TO THIS COURAGEOUS SERVICEMAN THE 6 DEEPEST APPRECIATION OF A GRATEFUL STATE AND NATION. 7 WHEREAS, a Mississippi native will become the third Marine to 8 be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor since the beginning of

9 the War on Terror when Corporal William Kyle Carpenter receives 10 the Congressional Medal of Honor for covering a grenade with his 11 body to save fellow Marine Lance Corporal Nick Eufrazio; and 12 WHEREAS, Lance Corporal William Kyle Carpenter of the United 13 States Marine Corps stands high among those servicemen and women 14 so honored by their country; and 15 WHEREAS, as a committed serviceman, Lance Corporal William

16 Kyle Carpenter, born in Jackson, Mississippi, on October 17, 1989, 17 answered the call of his country and left his family and home to 18 serve in Afghanistan as a part of the War on Terror when he 19 enlisted in the Marine Corps' Delayed Entry Program in February

H. R. No. 69 *HR12/R1987* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 14/HR12/R1987 PAGE 1 (CAA\DO) 20 2009, and completed Recruit Training in March 2009 at Marine Corps 21 Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina; and 22 WHEREAS, after completing his initial training at the School 23 of Infantry at , North Carolina, Private First Class 24 William Kyle Carpenter was assigned to Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 25 9th Marines, 6th Marine Regiment, where he served as a Squad

26 Automatic Weapon Gunner from September 2009 to November 2010, 27 before being deployed to Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in 28 support of Operation Enduring Freedom in July 2010; and 29 WHEREAS, on November 21, 2010, while serving in Afghanistan, 30 Lance Corporal Carpenter took the full blast from an enemy hand 31 grenade in seeking to save a fellow Marine, suffering catastrophic 32 wounds for the cause of freedom, losing the sight of his right eye

33 and suffering other injuries that require extensive surgeries and 34 rehabilitation; and 35 WHEREAS, he has shown himself worthy of the name "United 36 States Marine" no less on the battlefield than in the valiant 37 manner in which he has fought the fight toward recovery from his

38 injuries; and 39 WHEREAS, there is no greater or more courageous sacrifice a

40 man can make than to risk his life for a noble cause, as Lance 41 Corporal William Kyle Carpenter has done, and to honor his valor, 42 Lance Corporal William Kyle Carpenter was presented with the 43 in December 2010; and

H. R. No. 69 *HR12/R1987* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 14/HR12/R1987 PAGE 2 (CAA\DO) 44 WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to 45 recognize such a brave and courageous Mississippian as Lance 46 Corporal William Kyle Carpenter, and we pray for his swift and 47 complete recovery, and offer grateful thanks to Almighty God for 48 the service and sacrifice of this heroic son of Mississippi: 49 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF

50 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby 51 honor the sacrifice made by Congressional Medal of Honor recipient 52 and Mississippi native Lance Corporal William Kyle Carpenter of 53 the United States Marine Corps, seriously wounded while serving a 54 tour of military duty in Afghanistan, and express to this 55 courageous serviceman the deepest appreciation of a grateful state 56 and nation.

57 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the members of the House of 58 Representatives of the State of Mississippi, on behalf of all 59 Mississippians, acknowledge with deep appreciation the great 60 sacrifice that the men and women of the United States Armed Forces 61 make for the ideals of freedom and justice, which are so richly

62 enjoyed in this nation. 63 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be

64 furnished to Lance Corporal William Kyle Carpenter and to the 65 members of the Capitol Press Corps.

H. R. No. 69 *HR12/R1987* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 14/HR12/R1987 ST: Lance Corporal William Kyle Carpenter; PAGE 3 (CAA\DO) honor sacrifice of and commend upon upcoming awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor.