Jonathon Blank and John Nelson both served in the Marines and were on the same platoon in Afghanistan back in 2010. Unfortunately for Blank, an explosive next to him blew up.
“I took a few steps and everything just went white,” Blank said while trying to recall the last thing he remembered after that unfortunate incident. “There’s like an instant knockout.”
His brother-in-arms, Nelson, immediately rushed to him to stop the bleeding. Because of his presence of mind and quick response, he was able to save his buddy’s life. Blank couldn’t be more thankful for what his comrade did for him, if it wasn’t for Nelson, the ending of that incident could’ve been dark.
The explosion took both of Blank’s legs.
After leaving the Marines in 2014, everything wasn’t just easy as 1-2-3 for him, and according to the veteran, he needed to reinvent his entire life. We all know that serving in the military force is never easy, especially getting deployed to dangerous places.
Little do we know, life is even tougher for our mighty soldiers once they retire. This goes particularly to those who incurred serious injuries or almost died during the war. Most of these veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, more popularly known as PTSD.
Blank eventually decided to move to Utah where he tried his very best to stay in shape and be active by doing outdoor adventures like skiing, sailing, and hunting. He didn’t let his tragic experience get the best of him.
Brothers in arms.
Blank and Nelson stayed close to each other and became real friends. “We really are like a band of brothers,” Blank said.
Back in 2019, the two passed by Mount Timpanogos which was just close to Jonathon’s home in Utah. Turns out, he had always wanted to climb the said mountain to reach its peak. To make his dream become reality, Nelson decided to bring Blank up on that mountain.
After approximately a day and a half of trekking over a distance of 14 miles with an elevation of about 4,500 feet, the two veterans climbed the mountain with Nelson carrying Blank on his back all through the journey.
The comrades even impressed their fellow hikers who witnessed their dedication to reaching the mountain’s peak. One of the hikers who saluted the two was Nate Larid, “When you see that, you see that determination for them to do what they do, and you want to do that for you and your families,” he told FOX13.
The duo didn’t stop after climbing Mount Timpanogos, their next stop was Mount Whitney.
It’s known to be the highest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14,505 feet. It’s a journey that they couldn’t accomplish by themselves that’s why their friends and fellow veterans stepped up to join them on their climb.
A 2-mile hike over steep and rocky terrain, it was a long journey that they even needed to start as early as 3 in the morning. Nelson and Blank, together with the people who believed in the power of camaraderie, all braved the long and dehydrating journey ahead of them.
After 16 long hours, finally, they reached Mount Whitney’s summit!
“I’m happy that I have all of you in my life and made this special,” Blank said. “To even see you guys put out and push yourselves, probably do something you didn’t even know you could do. Love you guys.”
It’s true that no man is an island, even the strongest people fall sometimes. All you need to have once you stumble and fall is a trustworthy friend who would never leave you, even when you’re at the lowest part of your life.
Be inspired by Blank and Nelson’s story by watching the video below.
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