Veterans Historical Plaza, Santa Clarita, California. Photo Courtesy of Gary Hilton                         

I can find no reference to indicate that William “Willie” Johnston ever heard Julia Ward Howe’s adaptation of the Union Soldier’s song John Brown’s Body. She borrowed the tune and penned the Battle Hymn of the Republic for the Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. Her words tied the Union cause to God’s vengeance at the “day of Judgment.” The poem became the greatest rallying cry for Union Soldiers of the Civil War.

From the Fourth Verse:

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!

Our God is marching on.

If young Willie ever heard the Battle Hymn of the Republic during the Seven Day Battle of the Peninsula Campaign, certainly the men of Vermont’s Company D of the 3rd Division hadn’t.

Willie was born in Morristown, New York, on July 12, 1850. His parents, Eliza and William B., were both English immigrants. After his mother died, his father moved to Montreal, Canada, where he met and married Therese E. Martin. Shortly after that, the Johnston family moved to Salem, Vermont. At the beginning of the Civil War, both father and son enlisted in the Union Army. When Willie enlisted on December 11, 1861, he was denied pay because the regimental officers believed he was too young. In June 1862, they changed their minds, and his pay was approved. Willie was 11 years old and barely 5ft tall.

From March to July of 1862, Major General George B. McClellan launched the first large-scale operation intended to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. McClellan came ashore at Fort Monroe, the southernmost point on the Virginia Peninsula. The plan was to drive up the Virginia lowlands and lay siege to the capital and heart of the Confederacy. But Union General McClellan was cautious, afflicted with what Abraham Lincoln would call the “slows.” His men fought in numerous skirmishes and battles, but none proved decisive.

Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston was equally circumspect. The two armies tested each other, but as Johnston’s army retreated toward Richmond, McClellan failed to press the advantage. It wasn’t until Johnston was critically injured at the Battle of Seven Pines that the tide turned. Confederate General Robert E. Lee replaced Johnston the next day and prepared to lead his troops on the offensive. Lee regained the initiative in the campaign’s final days from June 25 to July 1, 1862. During the Seven Days Battles, Lee protected Richmond and forced the Union army to retreat.

During the Seven Days Battles, the men from Company D, 3rd Division of the Vermont Infantry, were overrun in their fortified positions by the Confederates at Turkey Creek on the outskirts of Richmond. While grown men threw off their rifles, blankets, and anything else they could to hasten their retreat, musician and drummer boy William Willie Johnston held onto his drum. The date was July 1, 1862. Willie was eleven days shy of his twelfth birthday. After a ten-mile march in the middle of the night, the division arrived at Harrison’s Landing on the morning of July 2. Willie then had the honor of drumming for the division parade on July 4. He was the only soldier to bring his instrument off the battlefield.

For his actions, Drummer William Willie Johnston received the Medal of Honor. He is the youngest recipient of our nation’s highest honor. Willie died at the age of 91.

In 1916, the Department of War appointed a panel to determine if the 2,625 Medals of Honor awarded met eligibility standards. Of the medals reviewed, 1,517 were for actions during the Civil War. Of all the medals evaluated, 911 were revoked or downgraded. Drummer Boy William Willie Johnston’s Medal of Honor was allowed to stand.

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Willian Kyle Carpenter was born in Jackson, Mississippi, on October 17, 1989. He was raised in Flowood, Mississippi, by his parents, James and Robin. He graduated from W.W. King Academy in Batesville, South Carolina, whose mission statement reads:

The mission of King Academy is to spiritually, academically, and athletically challenge students in a nurturing family environment. Our goal is to prepare students for a lifelong commitment to intellectual achievement and Christian servanthood.

Kyle enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at age nineteen and completed recruit training at Parris Island in South Carolina. He went on to infantry training at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

In July 2010, as a Private First Class, he was assigned to Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team One, 1st Marine Division (Forward), 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he served as a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) gunner. (1)

Kyle had just turned twenty-one when, on November 21, 2010, he and another Marine, Nick Eufrazio, were manning a rooftop security post in defense of the village of Marjah in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan.

From the Medal of Honor Citation for Lance Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter:

Lance Corporal Carpenter and a fellow Marine were manning a rooftop security position on the perimeter of Patrol Base Dakota when the enemy initiated a daylight attack with hand grenades, one of which landed inside their sandbagged position. Without hesitation, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Lance Corporal Carpenter moved toward the grenade in an attempt to shield his fellow Marine from the deadly blast. When the grenade detonated, his body absorbed the brunt of the blast, severely wounding him, but saving the life of his fellow Marine.

Kyle lost his right eye and most of his teeth. Grenade fragments shattered his right arm and jaw. Rebuilding Kyle took dozens of surgeries and years of rehabilitation. You can read more about the extent of Kyle’s injuries and the incredible team of doctors, nurses, and physical therapists who rebuilt this remarkable man here >>

He received the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on June 19, 2014, surrounded by his family, friends, fellow Marines, Medal of Honor recipients, and the medical team that saved his life.

After the Marine Corps, Kyle graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in International Studies. In 2019, Kyle co-authored the national bestseller You Are Worth It: Building a Life Worth Fighting For. His mother, Robin Carpenter, remembers, “I still remember what he said to me when I tried to talk him out of it (going into the Marines). ‘If I don’t do this, it will be someone else’s son.’”

On November 6, 2021, Surrounded by family and friends, Kyle married Brittany Vaughn. The couple met in 2015 when Kyle visited a good friend he had served with in Afghanistan. His friend wanted Kyle to meet his girlfriend’s best friend, Brittany.

Today, Kyle and Brittany are blessed with a beautiful baby girl, Kylie Lillian.

Kyle is a motivational speaker and best-selling author. To learn more about this amazing young man and the work he is doing check out >>

You can also become one of his almost half a million followers on Instagram. 

U.S.M.C. Corporal William Kyle Carpenter is the youngest living recipient of the Medal of Honor. Of the 3,519 individuals who have received our nation’s highest honor, only sixty Medal of Honor recipients are alive today.

While few of us will be called to sacrifice ourselves for our fellow brothers or sisters, let us all solemnly resolve never to drop our drum.

Authors Note: I am indebted to the men and women of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society for preserving the memories of the best among us. Because of their meticulous research and willingness to share these and other stories, I can offer my humble words of appreciation. Through their tireless efforts, America’s better angels live on forever in our hearts.(2)

(1) Brian Livingston, “Marine Ball to welcome Medal of Honor nominee”, The Meridian Star, November 5, 2011; accessed June 26, 2014.

(2) Chartered by Congress in 1958, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s membership is comprised of those who wear the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military award for valor. The Society is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor, inspiring America to live the values the Medal represents, and supporting Recipients of the Medal as they connect with communities across America.