FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Medal of Honor Recipient to Skydive into 39th Marine Corps Marathon
William Kyle Carpenter Joins Parachutists to
Deliver American Flag Into Arlington, VA
QUANTICO, VA (Oct. 1, 2014) - Medal of Honor recipient and retired U.S.
Marine Cpl. William Kyle Carpenter will accompany 11 parachutists in the
skies over Arlington, VA on Sunday, Oct. 26 to deliver a 7,800 square-foot
American flag at the start of the 39th Marine Corps Marathon (MCM).
Carpenter, who received the Medal of Honor for saving a fellow Marine
during the Global War on Terrorism, will skydive in tandem. After
skydiving, Carpenter will embark on his second consecutive MCM, joining
hundreds of marathoners participating with the Semper Fi Fund, a MCM
Charity Partner dedicated to assisting wounded service members.
"I can't express how excited and appreciative I am to represent wounded
warriors, the Marine Corps and this great nation by skydiving into the
incredible Marine Corps Marathon," says Carpenter.
Carpenter sustained several injuries while saving Marine Lance Cpl.
Nicholas Eufazio during a grenade attack on Nov. 21, 2010 in Afghanistan.
He received the Medal of Honor for heroism from President Barack Obama in
June. Now retired from the Marine Corps, Carpenter is attending the
University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Accompanying Carpenter on the jump into the MCM Start is the professional
skydiving team FASTRAX, made up of former Marines and Soldiers including
Carpenter's tandem parachute partner, Paul Stanford, who served seven years
in the Corps and has completed over 2,500 jumps. Also parachuting is
retired Sgt. 1ST Class Dana Bowman, former member of the elite U.S. Army
Golden Knights and Ret. Marine Col. John Bates, a decorated Vietnam veteran
and Purple Heart recipient. Together, they will deliver the largest
American flag carried on a performance jump. During the skydive, the
enormous American flag can be seen from a 20-mile distance.
As a precise performance team and part of the Marine-organized event, the
skydivers will land in the jump zone located near the MCM start line on
Route 110 in Arlington at 7:34 a.m. on Oct. 26. The MCM skydive will
coincide with the performance of the National Anthem. A flyover of U.S.
Marine military aircraft will occur at 7:40 a.m., with the official start
of the 39th MCM at 7:55 a.m.
The skydive will be filmed in free-fall via a helmet camera worn by Bates
and then delivered to Comcast SportsNet during its live television
broadcast from the MCM start line. Comcast SportsNet will broadcast "Live
at the Marine Corps Marathon" from 7 to 8:30 a.m. and provide continued
coverage throughout Marathon day.
Carpenter will be available to media during the MCM Press Conference on
Friday, Oct 24 at the National Press Club at 529 14th Street NW in
Washington, D.C. The Press Conference will be held from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
All Media interested in covering the MCM Weekend of events from Oct. 23-26
must complete the request for credentials. Credentials will be made
available at the Press Conference and at other locations during MCM
Weekend.
The 39th MCM will include nearly 30,000 participants from every state and
59 countries. Participants will run the MCM course from Arlington and
throughout the nation's capital to the finish at the Marine Corps War
Memorial in Rosslyn, VA.
For more information about the Marine Corps Marathon visit
www.marinemarathon.com.
Voted the "Best Marathon in the Mid Atlantic" and "Best Marathon for
Spectators," the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) honors the dedication,
sportsmanship and patriotism of its participants. Also known as "The
People's Marathon," runners from all walks of life participate in the MCM,
which is the largest marathon not to offer prize money. The 39th MCM
sponsored by Arlington, Brooks, Hyundai and GE will be hosted in Arlington,
VA on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014. No federal or Marine Corps endorsement is
implied. #RunWithTheMarines.
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